Multimedia pointing device

• US 20030043121A1
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Prolific Technology Inc., Richard Chen
• Original Assignee: Prolific Technology Inc., Richard Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Richard
• Application Number:
  US09/860,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20030043121A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• 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: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

A multimedia pointing device comprises a computer keyboard unit and a shuttle dial arranged on a keyboard of the computer keyboard unit. The shuttle dial is connected to a single-chip microprocessor in the computer keyboard unit and generates a pulse or a pulse train upon being activated by pressing and rotation operation. The single-chip microprocessor detects the number and phase of the pulse or the pulse train and encodes the detection result to scan code stored in a driver. By invoking the WINExec 0 function of the Windows system; a plurality of icons corresponding to application programs associated with the scan codes are displayed on the display monitor. The switch is operated to control cursor, scroll bar and numbers under Windows environments; and the program selection and execution is also facilitated.

Claims

1. A multimedia pointing device, comprising

a computer peripheral with a display monitor and containing a single-chip microprocessor with at least one I/O port;

a switch activated by pressing, rotation or lateral-shift operation, and arranged on the computer peripheral and connected to the I/O port of the single-chip microprocessor;

the switch generating a pulse or a pulse train upon being activated by pressing, rotation or lateral-shift operation;

the single-chip microprocessor detecting the number and phase of the pulse or a pulse train and judging the moved direction and operation type of the switch and encoding the judging result to a scan code stored in a driver;

by the WINExec 0 function of the Windows system;

a plurality of icons corresponding to application programs associated with the scan codes being displayed on the display monitor;

the switch being operated to control cursor, scroll bar and numbers under Windows environments;

the program selection and execution being also facilitated.

2. The multimedia pointing device as in claim 1, wherein the computer peripheral can be computer keyboard unit, notebook computer or personal digital assistant.

3. The multimedia pointing device as in claim 1, wherein the switch is a shuttle dial or a sliding key.

4. The multimedia pointing device as in claim 1, wherein the switch is connected to an I/O line of a first I/O port of the single-chip microprocessor, an I/O line of a second I/O port of the single-chip microprocessor and two I/O lines of a third I/O port of the single-chip microprocessor.