Patent · US Expired

Coordinate input device

US5926167A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
5References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 28, 1994
Grant dateJul 20, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 28, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/03549
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A coordinate input device including a housing having an opening, a ball received in the housing so as to be rotatable in any direction, the ball partially projecting through the opening, a pair of rotating shafts arranged so as to define a predetermined angle therebetween in the housing and adapted to be rotated in association with rotation of the ball, a spring for biasing the rotating shafts against the ball, a rotation detector for detecting a quantity of rotation of each of the rotating shafts, and a printed board mounted on the housing, the rotation detector being mounted on the printed board, whereby a cursor position or the like on a screen is controlled according to the rotation of the ball in any direction. The housing is provided with at least three supporting members for supporting the ball, at least three retaining portions for respectively receiving the supporting members from a side of the housing where the printed board is to be mounted and for respectively retaining the supporting members in contact with the ball, a shaft supporting portion for supporting each of the rotating shafts mounted into the housing from the printed board mounting side of the housing in such…

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