Sensor controls for pointing and control device and such device
First Claim
1. A pointing and control device for a computer comprising:
- (a) a housing with an exterior that has at least one guiding groove of predetermined characteristics,(b) at least one sensor control that has a predetermined operation zone located inside said guiding groove, said sensor control generating control signals when being operated by a suitable part of user'"'"'s hand within said operation zone, said control signals being used to control predetermined functions of said computer,(c) at least one feedback-generating means, each said feedback-generating means coupling to at least one said sensor control and generating feedback when said sensor control is being operated,(d) a circuitry that couples to said sensor controls said feedback-generating means and has a communication link to said equipment, said circuitry processing said control signals and communicating with said computer via said communication link,whereby said sensor control allows the user to control said computer without having to apply stressful force, said guiding groove guides the user to operate said sensor control and prevents inadvertent activation of said sensor control, and the user receives feedback indicating the operation of said sensor control.
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Abstract
A first aspect of the present invention includes various sensor controls for pointing and control devices. The sensor controls are much easier and require much less physical effort to operate than conventional controls. The sensor controls have built-in feedback-generating means that produce feedback to the user, similar to conventional controls such as micro switches. The built-in feedback-generating means have simpler structure, they are either commercially available or built with a few commonly available simple components, hence, they should be reliable, and inexpensive to produce. The sensor controls of the present invention with built-in feedback-generating means can be used directly in place of the corresponding conventional controls of pointing and control devices, with no or little impact on any other component. A second aspect of the present invention is a pointing and control device incorporating such sensor controls. The pointing and control device of the present invention allows a user to rest his or her hand and fingers on the housing of the device in a most relaxed and natural posture, and the sensor controls can be operated either by curling a finger (on-and-off controls) or by sliding a finger (motion controls). The present invention greatly improves the posture of the user'"'"'s hand and significantly reduces the corresponding stress that is typical of the prior-art pointing and control devices.
19 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A pointing and control device for a computer comprising:
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(a) a housing with an exterior that has at least one guiding groove of predetermined characteristics, (b) at least one sensor control that has a predetermined operation zone located inside said guiding groove, said sensor control generating control signals when being operated by a suitable part of user'"'"'s hand within said operation zone, said control signals being used to control predetermined functions of said computer, (c) at least one feedback-generating means, each said feedback-generating means coupling to at least one said sensor control and generating feedback when said sensor control is being operated, (d) a circuitry that couples to said sensor controls said feedback-generating means and has a communication link to said equipment, said circuitry processing said control signals and communicating with said computer via said communication link, whereby said sensor control allows the user to control said computer without having to apply stressful force, said guiding groove guides the user to operate said sensor control and prevents inadvertent activation of said sensor control, and the user receives feedback indicating the operation of said sensor control. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A painting and control device for an equipment comprising:
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(a) a housing having an exterior that substantially fits to user'"'"'s hand, (b) a predetermined number of guiding grooves on the exterior of said housing, each said guiding groove being far at least one finger and having suitable position and curvature that substantially conform to the natural relaxed position and posture of the corresponding finger, (c) a predetermined number of sensor controls for each said guiding groove, each said sensor control having an activation zone, said sensor control generating a first-type signal when an object of predetermined characteristics exists in said activation zone and a second-type signal when said activation zone is free of said object, said first-type signals and said second-type signals being used to control predetermined functions of said equipment, (d) a circuitry that couples to said sensor controls and has a communication link to said equipment, said circuitry processing said first-type signals and said second-type signals and communicating with said equipment via said communication link, whereby said sensor control allows the user to control said computer without having to apply stressful force, and said guiding groove guides the user to operate said sensor control and prevents inadvertent activation of said sensor control. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A pointing and control device for equipment comprising:
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(a) a housing having an exterior that substantially fits to user'"'"'s hand, (b) a predetermined number of sensor controls, each said sensor control having a predetermined activation zone, said sensor control generating a first-type signal when an object of predetermined characteristics exists in said activation zone and a second-type signal when said activation zone is free of said object said first-type signals and said second-type signals being used to control predetermined functions of said equipment, (c) a predetermined number of feedback-generating mean, each said feedback-generating means coupling to at least one said sensor control, said feedback-generating means generating feedbacks in response to at least one cause selected from the group consisting of said first-type signal, said second-type signal, the transition from said second-type signal to said first-type signal, and the transition from said first-type signal to said second-type signal, (d) a circuitry that couples to said controls and said feedback generating means and has a communication link to said equipment, said circuitry processing said first-type signals and said second-type signals and communicating with said equipment via said communication link, whereby said sensor control allows the user to control said computer without having to apply stressful force, and the user receives feedback indicating the operation of said sensor controls. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification