Patent · US Expired

Touchpad computer input system and method

US6292173A · kind A · utility

77Cited by
17References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 11, 1998
Grant dateSep 18, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 11, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0446
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of and system for providing user input to a computer captures a first finger position image at a first time and a second finger position image at a second time. The first and second finger position images each comprise a plurality of numerical gray scale values equal to or greater than zero. The system then subtracts the first finger position image from the second finger position image to obtain a composite image. The composite image has a first region comprising numerical values less than zero and a second region comprising numerical values greater than zero. The system provides X-Y input to the computer based upon the relative positions of first and second regions. The system further provides Z input to the computer based upon the relative sizes of said first and second regions.

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