Pointing device and portable information terminal using the same
US7239304B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 16, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 9, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0421
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A pointing device is placed in a through hole provided on an outer case of the portable information terminal. The portable information terminal includes a fingerplate attached to a through hole via a hinge 4e; an image pick-up element placed on a circuit board; a condensing lens that forms an image on an outer surface of the fingerplate on an image pick-up plane of the image pick-up element; and a light emitting device that irradiates the outer surface of the fingerplate with illumination light, and takes the image of a pattern such as a fingerprint of a fingertip that touches the outer surface of the fingerplate by using the image pick-up element. When the fingertip moves while touching the fingerplate, the image taken by the image pick-up element changes and the pointer displayed on a display screen is moved in a direction according to a change direction and by a distance corresponding to a quantity of change.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.