Patent · US Expired

System and method for a miniature user input device

US7474772B2 · kind B2 · utility

86Cited by
140References
50Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 21, 2004
Grant dateJan 6, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 22, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/038
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method of the present invention emulates electronic input devices such as a steering wheel, a mouse, a joystick, a navigation bar, a scroll wheel, and a pressure-sensitive button. The method comprises swiping a finger on a swipe sensor, calculating a difference between a first position of the finger on the swipe sensor and a second position on the swipe sensor, and translating the difference into a plurality of sets of signals. Each set of signals is used to emulate the signals generated by one of the electronic input devices. The method thus uses a single swipe sensor to emulate multiple electronic input devices. In a preferred embodiment, the system is used to control a display on a portable electronic device is coupled to or forms part of the portable electronic device.

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