Low-profile or ultra-thin navigation pointing or haptic feedback device

• US 9,235,274 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: St. Jacques, Brian, Rogers, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro, Leonid
• Application Number:
  US11/881,166
• Time in Patent Office: 3,093 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/167, 345/184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/0474 characterised by means converting mechanical movement into electric signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/036 Variable resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/00 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/004 Collapsible dome or bubble
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/078 Variable resistance by variable contact area or point
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a low-profile or ultra-thin navigational pointing device incorporating haptic feedback related to the hardware designs, and sensor optimization relative to the functionally of joysticks, computer mice, gaming equipment, cell phones, personal digital assistants, telecommunications equipment, entertainment equipment, and other electronic pointing devices requiring height profiles of 5 mm or less. In one embodiment, a device in accordance with the present invention includes a support structure component, a read component, a sensor component, and a capture enclosure component. The read component is coupled to the support structure, and the sensor component is coupled to the capture enclosure where it is positioned in close proximity to the read component by capture enclosure.

Claims

1. A navigational pointer device comprising:

a support structure component;

a plurality of read components carried by the support structure component and comprising

a continuous round central component, and

a plurality of peripheral components coupled to and extending outwardly from the continuous round central component, the plurality of peripheral components being spaced apart equally about the continuous round central component, and each having a solid triangular shape that has an apex adjacent the continuous round central component so that the plurality of peripheral components are spaced apart by a non-uniform distance therebetween; and

a resistive resilient material sensor component adjacent the plurality of read components and aligned therewith so that a perpendicular force to the resistive resilient material sensor component forms an electrical contact with the plurality of read components at a given one of a plurality of contact points having corresponding different electrical resistances associated therewith based upon a corresponding different distance between the plurality of peripheral components at each of the plurality of contact points.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a haptic feedback component coupled to the resistive resilient material sensor component, wherein the haptic feedback component is positioned in a center of the resistive resilient material sensor component.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an auto-centering component coupled to the resistive resilient material sensor component.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is equal to or less than 2 mm in height.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a capture enclosure having an aperture and over the resistive resilient material sensor component.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising an environmental seal component configured to form a seal between the capture enclosure and the resistive resilient material sensor component.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the resistive resilient material sensor component is configured to be electrically coupled to a voltage and the pair of read components is configured to output a signal value.

8. A method of manufacture of a navigational pointer device comprising the steps of:

forming a support structure component;

forming a plurality of read components carried by the support structure component by at least

forming a continuous round central component, and

forming a plurality of peripheral components coupled to and extending outwardly from the continuous round central component, the plurality of peripheral components being spaced apart equally about the continuous round central component, and each having a solid triangular shape that has an apex adjacent the continuous round central component so that the plurality of peripheral components are spaced apart by a non-uniform distance therebetween;

forming a resistive resilient material sensor component adjacent the plurality of read components and aligned therewith so that a perpendicular force to the resistive resilient material sensor component forms an electrical contact with the plurality of components at a given one of a plurality of contact points having corresponding different electrical resistances associated therewith based upon a corresponding different distance between the plurality of peripheral components at each of the plurality of contact points.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising forming a haptic feedback component coupled to the resistive resilient material sensor component, wherein the haptic feedback component is formed in a center of the resistive resilient material sensor component.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising forming an auto-centering component and coupling the auto-centering component to the resistive resilient material sensor component.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the device is formed to be equal to or less than 2 mm in height.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising—

forming a capture enclosure to have an aperture over the resistive resilient material sensor component.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming an environmental seal component and coupling the environmental seal between the capture enclosure and the resistive resilient material sensor component.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the resistive resilient material sensor component is formed to be electrically coupled to a voltage and the pair of read components is formed for outputting a signal value.

15. A navigational pointer device comprising:

a support structure component;

a plurality of read components carried by the support structure and comprising

a continuous round central component, and

a plurality of peripheral components coupled to and extending outwardly from the continuous round central component, the plurality of peripheral components being spaced apart equally about the continuous round central component, and each having a solid triangular shape so that the plurality of peripheral components are spaced apart by a non-uniform distance therebetween;

a resistive resilient material sensor component adjacent the plurality of read components and configured to form electrical contact with the plurality of read components at a given one of a plurality of contact points having corresponding different resistances and corresponding different sized contact footprints defined by the non-uniform distance between the plurality of peripheral components, the corresponding different resistances being based upon the different sized contact footprints at each of the plurality of contact points.

16. The device of claim 15 further comprising a joystick coupled to the pair of read components and configured to transmit a mechanical force to the pair of read components.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the plurality of read components comprises a plurality of resistive resilient material read components.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of read components is configured to be electrically coupled to a voltage and the resistive resilient material sensor component is configured to output a signal value.

19. The device of claim 15 further comprising a capture enclosure defining a non-conductive cover over the pair of read components and resistive resilient material sensor component, and wherein the capture enclosure is configured to hold the pair of read components adjacent the resistive resilient material sensor component.