Patent · US Expired

Computer input device and keyboard

US5757363A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
9References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 1996
Grant dateMay 26, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 28, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/03547
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A proposed computer input device for transmitting the displacement data representing the quantity and direction of the movement of a cursor to a computer is operable in a narrow space and easily portable. The input device is provided with a pressure sensitive pad composed of a conductive layer formed on the underside of a flexible sheet and a resistor layer formed on the upper face of a substrate at a predetermined interval from the conductive layer. When the flexible sheet is depressed, the conductive layer contacts the resistor layer at the depressed position. In a control circuit connected to the conductive layer and the resistor layer, when the contact of the conductive layer with the resistor layer is detected, a voltage of 5V is applied alternately in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction on the surface of the resistor layer. The depressed position on the pressure sensitive pad is sequentially computed from the voltage value produced on the conductive layer when the voltage is applied. Based on the computation result, the movement count number is calculated and transmitted to the computer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.