Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Cursor mark position control device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-10
2003-12-30
Liang, Regina (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Cursor mark position control device
C345S161000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06670946
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved coordinates input apparatus, and more particularly, to a pointing apparatus that can be used without the need for special operating space.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, easy-to-operate pointing apparatus have come to be widely used instead of keyboards as an input means for computers and the like.
For example, a mouse or a digitizer can be used with desktop computers and the like.
However, the laptop and other portable computers that have become popular in recent years are often used outdoors, in vehicles, and so forth, that is, in locations where there is no flat surface on which to rest the computer. As a result, there is often little or no space in which to operate a pointing apparatus such as a mouse or digitizer. Additionally, as portable computers have become more compact the need for the pointing apparatus to become smaller has grown as well.
Additionally, cellular telephones have come to be equipped with a pointing apparatus. Given the small size of cell phones, the pointing apparatuses used on these devices are required to be even smaller than those used on portable computers and the like.
In response to such requirements, a pointing apparatus that tilts when pressed and the angle of tilt sensed has been suggested as one type of suitable pointing apparatus that is compact and requires very little space to operate.
A description of such a conventional compact pointing apparatus will now be given with reference to
FIGS. 1
,
2
,
3
and
4
.
FIG. 1
is a diagram showing a front cross-sectional view of a conventional pointing apparatus illustrating a state in which the key top operating portion of the apparatus is substantially vertical.
FIG. 2
is a diagram showing a front cross-sectional view of a conventional pointing apparatus illustrating a state in which the key top operating portion of the apparatus is tilted.
FIG. 3
is a diagram illustrating a spatial relation between a magnet and a magnetoelectric transducer of the pointing apparatus shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIG. 4
is a diagram showing a side view of the magnet and magnetoelectric transducer of FIG.
3
.
According to the conventional art, a pointing apparatus
1
comprises an operating part
2
, a pressure part
3
and a coordinates sensor
4
.
The operating part
2
comprises a key top
2
a
, a stick
2
b
fixedly mounted to one end part of the key top
2
a,
and a holder
2
c
composed of two halves that form a sphere when joined together.
The pressure part
3
comprises a slider
3
a
movable in a vertical direction along a frame
5
and a coil spring
3
b
that continuously presses the slider
3
a
in a downward direction.
The coordinates sensor
4
comprises a magnet
4
a
provided on an interior of the holder
2
c
and a plurality of magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
mounted on a printed circuit board
6
bonded to a bottom surface of the frame
5
, the magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
being recessedly mounted in a bottom surface of the holder
2
c
. It should be noted that there are actually four magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
-
1
through
4
b
-
4
displaced a certain distance from the center line of the magnet
4
a,
as can be seen in FIG.
3
.
In the pointing apparatus
1
having the structure described above, pressing and moving the key top
2
a
manually slides the slider
3
a
upward against the spring force of the coil spring
3
b
and, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the stick
2
b
is tilted in a given direction. At this time, the magnet
4
a
built into the holder
2
c
is tilted with respect to the magnetoelectric transducer
4
b
mounted on the printed circuit board
6
.
Then, by releasing the key top
2
a,
the spring force of the compressed coil spring
3
b
returns the key top
2
a
to an original position before it was manipulated, thus returning the positional relation between the magnet
4
a
and the magnetoelectric transducer
4
b
to an initial state as well.
A description will now be given of the principle upon which the coordinates detector of the pointing apparatus
1
operates.
In a case in which the stick
2
b
is perpendicular to the printed circuit board
6
as shown in
FIG. 1
, as shown by the solid line in
FIG. 4
the magnet
4
a
is separated from the four magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
(shown as
4
b
-
1
through
4
b
-
4
in
FIG. 3
) by a certain distance, and accordingly the magnetic field imparted to the magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
-
1
through
4
b
-
4
is essentially equal, so that for example, if the direction from which the magnetic field is sensed is perpendicular to the printed circuit board
6
, then the sensed magnetic field direction components B
1
through B
4
of the magnetic flux density through the magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
-
1
through
4
b
-
4
would be substantially equal, and thus the output voltage of the magnetoelectric transducers would also be essentially equal.
By contrast, if the stick
2
b
is tilted with respect to the printed circuit board
6
as shown in
FIG. 2
, then the distance separating the magnet
4
a
from the magneto-electric elements
4
b
changes as indicated by the dashed line in FIG.
4
. In the case of
FIG. 4
, the magnet
4
a
simultaneously approaches the magnetoelectric transducer
4
b
-
1
and moves further away from the magnetoelectric transducer
4
b
-
3
, so the sensed magnetic field direction component B
1
increases while the sensed magnetic field direction component B
3
decreases and the output voltages from the magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
-
1
and
4
b
-
3
change as well, with an angle of inclination &thgr; of the key top
2
a
deduced from a calculation of the difference in output between the magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
-
1
and
4
b
-
3
and further converted into an X-axis coordinate value for the purpose of moving a cursor on a display (coordinate space). Similarly, by calculating the difference in output voltages between the magnetoelectric transducers
4
b
-
2
and
4
b
-
4
the angle of inclination &thgr; of the key top
2
a
can be converted in a Y-axis coordinate value. That is, XY coordinate values can be obtained when the stick
2
b
tilts in a given direction based on the direction and angle of that tilt. These XY coordinates are input into a computer and the direction, extent and speed of movement of the pointer or cursor then displayed on the display.
However, with the conventional pointing apparatus as described above, efforts to further miniaturize the pointing apparatus such as for example by shrinking the magnet and magnetoelectric transducers, has diminished the strength of the magnetic field generated and has led to a situation in which dimensional tolerances in the magnetoelectric transducers show up as unevenness in the performance of the finished apparatus with increased frequency, which is undesirable. Additionally, other measures to reduce the size of the pointing apparatus such as, for example, reducing the distance between the magnet and the magnetoelectric transducers and reducing the distance between each of the plurality of magnetoelectric transducers, has led to a situation in which the magnet and the magnetoelectric transducers physically interfere with each other, that is, the magnet collides with the magnetoelectric transducer when the magnet is tilted during operation of the pointing apparatus.
Accordingly, there are physical limitations to the reduction in the size of the components of the pointing apparatus attendant upon efforts to make personal computers, cell phones and the like more compact.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful coordinates input apparatus in which the above-described disadvantage is eliminated, and more specifically, to provide an improved and useful coordinates input apparatus capable of accommodating further reductions in size.
The above-described object of the present invention is achieved by a coordinates input apparatus for designati
Arita Takashi
Endo Michiko
Fujitsu Takamisawa Component Ltd.
Liang Regina
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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