Hand-controllable signal-generating devices and systems
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a hand-controllable signal-generating device, including;
a body having a top side, and having a bottom side spaced apart by a distance from and facing away from the top side, the bottom side being configured for facilitating displacements of the body over a working surface in two-dimensional directions with the bottom side facing the working surface, the body having a biaxial-displacement detector that is configured for generating biaxial displacement signals that are representative of detected displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface; and
a signal transmitter configured for communicating the biaxial displacement signals to an external electronic processor; and
a joystick on the top side of the body, the joystick including an angular-displacement detector;
wherein the body has a palm rest being pivotally mounted on the joystick over the top side of the body, the palm rest including a palm contact surface, the palm contact surface having a contour for receiving a portion of a palm of a person'"'"'s hand into contact at a position on the palm contact surface, the hand having one digit or a plurality of digits;
wherein the angular-displacement detector is configured for generating angular-displacement signals that are representative of detected angular displacements of the palm rest over the top side of the body, and the signal transmitter is configured for communicating the angular-displacement signals to the external electronic processor;
and wherein the contour of the palm contact surface of the palm rest is configured for facilitating control by the portion of the palm of the person'"'"'s hand, being in contact at the position on the palm contact surface, of the displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface without the one digit or any of the plurality of the digits being in contact with the hand-controllable signal-generating device.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus including: hand-controllable signal-generating device that includes body having top side, and bottom side spaced apart from and facing away from top side, bottom side being configured for facilitating displacements of body over working surface in two-dimensional directions, body having biaxial-displacement detector configured for generating biaxial displacement signals representative of displacements of body in two-dimensional directions; and signal transmitter configured for communicating biaxial displacement signals to external electronic processor. Body has palm rest on top side; palm rest includes palm contact surface having contour for receiving portion of palm of person'"'"'s hand into contact at position on palm contact surface. Contour of palm contact surface is configured for facilitating control by portion of palm of person'"'"'s hand, being in contact at position on palm contact surface, of displacements of body in two-dimensional directions over working surface. System including digit-controllable signal generating device and hand-controllable signal generating device. Related processes.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a hand-controllable signal-generating device, including; a body having a top side, and having a bottom side spaced apart by a distance from and facing away from the top side, the bottom side being configured for facilitating displacements of the body over a working surface in two-dimensional directions with the bottom side facing the working surface, the body having a biaxial-displacement detector that is configured for generating biaxial displacement signals that are representative of detected displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface; and a signal transmitter configured for communicating the biaxial displacement signals to an external electronic processor; and a joystick on the top side of the body, the joystick including an angular-displacement detector; wherein the body has a palm rest being pivotally mounted on the joystick over the top side of the body, the palm rest including a palm contact surface, the palm contact surface having a contour for receiving a portion of a palm of a person'"'"'s hand into contact at a position on the palm contact surface, the hand having one digit or a plurality of digits; wherein the angular-displacement detector is configured for generating angular-displacement signals that are representative of detected angular displacements of the palm rest over the top side of the body, and the signal transmitter is configured for communicating the angular-displacement signals to the external electronic processor; and wherein the contour of the palm contact surface of the palm rest is configured for facilitating control by the portion of the palm of the person'"'"'s hand, being in contact at the position on the palm contact surface, of the displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface without the one digit or any of the plurality of the digits being in contact with the hand-controllable signal-generating device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system, comprising:
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a digit-controllable signal-generating device for generating digit signals; and a hand-controllable signal-generating device, including a body having a top side, and having a bottom side spaced apart by a distance from and facing away from the top side, the bottom side being configured for facilitating displacements of the body over a working surface in two-dimensional directions with the bottom side facing the working surface, the body having a biaxial-displacement detector that is configured for generating biaxial displacement signals that are representative of detected displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface; and a signal transmitter configured for communicating the biaxial displacement signals and the digit signals to an external electronic processor; and a joystick on the top side of the body, the joystick including an angular-displacement detector; wherein the body has a palm rest being pivotally mounted on the joystick over the top side of the body, the palm rest including a palm contact surface, the palm contact surface having a contour for receiving a portion of a palm of a person'"'"'s hand into contact at a position on the palm contact surface, the hand having one digit or a plurality of digits; wherein the angular-displacement detector is configured for generating angular-displacement signals that are representative of detected angular displacements of the palm rest over the top side of the body, and the signal transmitter is configured for communicating the angular-displacement signals to the external electronic processor; and wherein the contour of the palm contact surface of the palm rest is configured for facilitating control of the digit-controllable signal-generating device for generating digit signals by the person'"'"'s hand simultaneously with facilitating control by the portion of the palm of the person'"'"'s hand, being in contact at the position on the palm contact surface, of the displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface without the one digit or any of the plurality of the digits being in contact with the hand-controllable signal-generating device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A process, comprising:
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providing a hand-controllable signal-generating device including a body having a top side, a joystick being on the top side of the body, a palm rest being pivotally mounted on the joystick over the top side, the palm rest including a palm contact surface, the palm contact surface having a contour for receiving a portion of a palm of a person'"'"'s hand into contact at a position on the palm contact surface, the hand having one digit or a plurality of digits, the body having a bottom side spaced apart by a distance from and facing away from the top side, the bottom side being configured for facilitating displacements of the body over a working surface in two-dimensional directions with the bottom side facing the working surface, the body having a biaxial-displacement detector that is configured for generating biaxial displacement signals that are representative of detected displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface, the joystick having an angular-displacement detector that is configured for generating angular-displacement signals being representative of detected angular displacements of the palm rest over the top side of the body; and providing a signal transmitter configured for communicating the biaxial displacement signals and the angular-displacement signals to an external electronic processor; and facilitating the generation, by a portion of a palm of a person'"'"'s hand being in contact at the position on the palm contact surface, of biaxial displacement signals and angular-displacement signals for communication to the external electronic processor, by facilitating control by the portion of the palm of the displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface without the one digit or any of the plurality of the digits being in contact with the hand-controllable signal-generating device.
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25. A process, comprising
providing a digit-controllable signal-generating device for generating digit signals; - and
providing a hand-controllable signal-generating device including a body having a top side, a joystick being on the top side of the body, a palm rest being pivotally mounted on the joystick over the top side, the palm rest including a palm contact surface, the palm contact surface having a contour for receiving a portion of a palm of a person'"'"'s hand into contact at a position on the palm contact surface, the hand having one digit or a plurality of digits, the body having a bottom side spaced apart by a distance from and facing away from the top side, the bottom side being configured for facilitating displacements of the body over a working surface in two-dimensional directions with the bottom side facing the working surface, the body having a biaxial-displacement detector that is configured for generating biaxial displacement signals that are representative of detected displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface, the joystick having an angular-displacement detector that is configured for generating angular-displacement signals being representative of detected angular displacements of the palm rest over the top side of the body; and providing a signal transmitter configured for communicating the biaxial displacement signals and the digit signals and the angular-displacement signals to an external electronic processor; and facilitating the generation, by a portion of a palm of a person'"'"'s hand being in contact at the position on the palm contact surface, of biaxial displacement signals and angular-displacement signals for communication to the external electronic processor, by facilitating control by the portion of the palm of the displacements of the body in the two-dimensional directions over the working surface without the one digit or any of the plurality of the digits being in contact with the hand-controllable signal-generating device; and
facilitating the generation of digit signals by control of the digit-controllable signal-generating device by the person'"'"'s hand.
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Specification