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User interface device having capacitive trackball assembly

  • US 8,994,661 B2
  • Filed: 06/29/2012
  • Issued: 03/31/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:

  • a user interface device comprising a capacitive trackball assembly having;

    a conductive trackball; and

    a continuous conductive plate proximate to a surface of the conductive trackball that forms an annular ring around the conductive trackball;

    wherein the user interface device is to transmit a user command responsive to an effective capacitance of the capacitive trackball assembly resulting from a user contact with the conductive trackball, the user command selected from a plurality of user commands based on a relationship between the effective capacitance of the capacitive trackball assembly and a plurality of threshold levels, each threshold level representing a corresponding number of user contact points with the capacitive trackball assembly, andwherein the user interface determines the number of user contacts points on the trackball, along with a concurrent sensed rotation vector of the trackball, to identify the user command intended by the user from the plurality of user commands.

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