Input device including a wheel assembly for scrolling an image in multiple directions

• US 20020158844A1
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cauthorn, James, McLoone, Hugh
• Granted Patent: US 6,700,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

A computer input device having a housing and an engagable scroll wheel. The scroll wheel is rotatable about an axis to preferably cause vertical scrolling of an image on a display. The rotatable member is laterally movable relative to the housing. A sensor is preferably positioned within the housing for sensing lateral movement of the rotatable member. In response to sensed lateral movement of the rotatable member, the image is horizontally scrolled, preferably in the direction of the lateral movement. The scrolling speed can be affected relative to the amount of displacement of the rotatable member and/or the amount of time that the rotatable member is displaced a predetermined amount. The computer input device having the rotatable member may take the form of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball device, or another type of computer input device.

Claims

1. An input device for scrolling an image relative to an image display screen along perpendicular axes, said device comprising:

a housing having at least one opening; and

a scroll wheel assembly provided within said housing, said scroll wheel assembly including a rotatable member that is positioned within said opening, said rotatable member being rotatable about an axis extending within said housing and being laterally movable within said opening relative to said housing, and a movement sensing system that determines when said rotatable member is moved laterally relative to the housing.

2. The input device according to claim 1 wherein said rotatable member is laterally movable along said axis within said opening.

3. The input device according to claim 1 wherein said rotatable member includes a scroll wheel.

4. The input device according to claim 3 wherein said scroll wheel includes a circular disk.

5. The input device according to claim 3 wherein said scroll wheel includes a cylinder having a length that extends parallel to said axis.

6. The input device according to claim 5 wherein said cylinder includes a central region and first and second regions on opposite sides of the central region, each region having a diameter, and said diameter of said central region is less than that of at least one of said end regions.

7. The input device according to claim 5 wherein said cylinder includes a central region and first and second end regions on opposite sides of said central region, each said region having a diameter, and said diameter of said central region is greater than that of at least one of said end regions.

8. The input device according to claim 1 further including a shaft that is coaxial with said axis.

9. The input device according to claim 8 wherein said rotatable member is movable laterally within said opening and laterally along said shaft.

10. The input device according to claim 8 wherein said rotatable member and said shaft move together relative to said opening when said rotatable member is moved laterally within said opening.

11. The input device according to claim 1 wherein said movement sensing system includes at least one strain gauge positioned within said housing.

12. The input device according to claim 11 wherein said at least one strain gauge includes a pair of strain gauges, said strain gauges being positioned on opposite sides of the rotatable member.

13. The input device according to claim 1 wherein said movement sensing system includes a pair of contact sensors, said sensors being positioned on opposite sides of the rotatable member.

14. The input device according to claim 1 wherein said movement sensing system includes at least one strain gauge for determining the amount of pressure applied to said rotatable member in order to control the scrolling relative to the amount of pressure applied to the rotatable member.

15. The input device according to claim 1 wherein said movement sensing system includes at least one sensor for determining the amount of time that the user applies pressure to said rotatable member in order to control the scrolling relative to the amount of time that the user applies pressure to the rotatable member.

16. The input device according to claim 15 wherein said at least one sensor includes at least one of a strain gauge and a pair of contact plates.

17. The input device according to claim 1 further including a shaft supporting system that permits said shaft and said rotatable member to float within said housing.

18. The input device according to claim 17 wherein said shaft supporting system includes a pair of cradles, each said cradle positioned for supporting a portion of said shaft, and a resilient member positioned between each said cradle and said housing for supporting a respective one of said cradles within said housing.

19. The input device according to claim 1 wherein said scroll wheel assembly includes a bracket that pivots when said rotatable member is moved laterally relative to said opening.

20. A peripheral electronic input device for scrolling an image across a display screen in perpendicular directions, said device comprising:

a housing;

a scroll wheel assembly, said scroll wheel assembly including a rotatable member that is laterally movable relative to said housing and a sensor positioned within said housing for sensing lateral movement of the rotatable member; and

a controller coupled to said sensor, said controller being configured to generate a signal to scroll the image across the display screen.

21. The input device according to claim 20 wherein said rotatable member is laterally movable along a shaft extending within said opening.

22. The input device according to claim 20 wherein said rotatable member includes a scroll wheel.

23. The input device according to claim 22 wherein said scroll wheel includes a circular disk.

24. The input device according to claim 22 wherein said scroll wheel includes a cylinder having a length that extends along said shaft.

25. The input device according to claim 24 wherein said cylinder includes a central region and first and second regions on opposite sides of the central region, each region having a diameter, and said diameter of said central region is less than that of at least one of said end regions.

26. The input device according to claim 24 wherein said cylinder includes a central region and first and second regions on opposite sides of the central region, each region having a diameter, and said diameter of said central region is greater than that of at least one of said end regions.

27. The input device according to claim 24 wherein said cylinder has a length and a diameter, and wherein the length of said cylinder is greater than its diameter.

28. The input device according to claim 20 further including a shaft extending laterally through said rotatable member, and wherein said shaft and said rotatable member are laterally movable together relative to said opening when lateral pressure is applied to said rotatable member.

29. The input device according to claim 20 wherein said movement sensing system includes at least one strain gauge positioned within said housing.

30. The input device according to claim 29 wherein said at least one strain gauge includes a pair of strain gauges positioned on opposite sides of the rotatable member.

31. The input device according to claim 20 wherein said movement sensing system includes a pair of contact sensors positioned on opposite sides of the rotatable member.

32. The input device according to claim 20 wherein said movement sensing system includes at least one strain gauge for determining the amount of pressure applied to said rotatable member in order to control the scrolling relative to the amount of pressure applied to the rotatable member.

33. The input device according to claim 20 wherein said movement sensing system includes at least one sensor for determining the amount of time that the user applies pressure to said rotatable member in order to control the scrolling relative to the amount of time that the user applies pressure to the rotatable member.

34. The input device according to claim 32 wherein said at least one sensor includes at least one of a strain gauge and a pair of contact plates.

35. The input device according to claim 20 further including a shaft supporting system that permits said shaft and said rotatable member to float within said housing.

36. The input device according to claim 35 wherein said shaft supporting system includes a pair of cradles, each said cradle positioned for supporting a portion of said shaft, and a resilient member positioned between each said cradle and said housing for supporting a respective one of said cradles within said housing.

37. The input device according to claim 20 wherein said scroll wheel assembly includes a bracket that pivots about an axle when said rotatable member is moved laterally relative to said opening.

39. The method of scrolling as recited in claim 38 wherein said step of laterally moving the rotatable member includes sliding said rotatable member within an opening in the housing.

40. The method of scrolling as recited in claim 38 wherein said step of laterally moving the rotatable member includes the step of pivoting the rotatable member about an axis that extends parallel to said plane.

41. The method of scrolling as recited in claim 38 wherein said step of laterally moving includes the step of applying pressure to a surface of the rotatable member.

42. The method of scrolling as recited in claim 38 wherein said scrolling step includes horizontally scrolling the in response to the laterally moving step;

and wherein said method further includes the step of vertically scrolling the image in response to rotation of the rotatable member.

38. A method of scrolling an image relative to a display screen using an input device having a housing and a member that is rotatable relative to the housing, said method comprising the steps of:

laterally moving the rotatable member relative to a plane in which said member is rotatable; and

scrolling the image on the display screen in response to the laterally moving step.

43. An electronic input device providing scrolling capabilities of an image relative to a display screen in first and second perpendicular scrolling directions comprising:

a housing;

a scroll wheel being rotatable relative to the housing about an axis to cause scrolling of the image in the first direction, and said scrolling wheel being displaceable relative to the housing to cause scrolling of the image in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

44. The electronic input device of claim 43 further comprising a controller configured to cause said image to scroll when said scroll wheel is displaced.

45. The electronic input device of claim 43, wherein said computer input device is a computer mouse.

46. The electronic input device of claim 43, wherein said computer input device is a keyboard.