Patent · US Expired

Electromagnetic pointing device using varying overlap of coils and conductive elements

US6248018A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
33References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 15, 1998
Grant dateJun 19, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 15, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05G2009/04755
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A micro-stick in which the movement of the micro-stick is detected inductively. The micro-stick is connected to an actuator element which varies interaction between an electromagnetic element and a number of conductive coils. In one embodiment, the coils are mounted on a printed circuit board mounted beneath the micro-stick. The micro-stick is mounted on a plate having a number of pins extending through the circuit board. On the other side of the circuit board is a flexible metal sheet which is contacted by the pins, and moved away from the coils in a direction in which the micro-stick is tilted. This increased separation of the metal sheet from the coils can then be detected.

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