Abstract: An electronic mouse with an integral ball cage. The ball cage in one embodiment has integrally formed extensions having openings for enclosed shaft encoders and a pressure roller. The shaft encoders are preferably made of a single piece of plastic. The ball cage is preferably formed as part of the lower housing of the mouse.

Abstract: An electronic mouse with an integral ball cage. The ball cage in one embodiment has integrally formed extensions having openings for enclosed shaft encoders and a pressure roller. The shaft encoders are preferably made of a single piece of plastic. The ball cage is preferably formed as part of the lower housing of the mouse.

Abstract: A pointing device, such as a mouse, track ball or joystick, having a roller. The roller itself has either a plurality of slits or reflective strips for optical detection. A photoemitter and photodetector are positioned to detect rotation of the roller. Thus, the present invention eliminates the need for coupling to a separate optical encoder. The roller can be depressed to cause the actuation of a microswitch. In a preferred embodiment, the photoemitter and photodetector are aligned along a vertical axis, such that the position information is not affected by the vertical depressing of the roller.

Abstract: An antenna system for a radio frequency ("RF") wireless keyboard includes a metallic plate as a part of the antenna system. The metallic plate is located within the wireless keyboard. A RF transmitter is coupled to the metallic plate and an antenna wire which form an the antenna loop. The antenna loop may also be directly integrated into the metallic plate by creating a cut-out space in the metallic plate. The antenna system may also include the metallic plate directly coupled with the RF transmitter so that the metallic plate is a whip or dipole antenna. The RF transmitter generates RF signals associated with particular keyswitches of the wireless keyboard. The antenna system transmits the generated RF signals to a RF receiver that resides separately from, and that communicates with, the wireless keyboard.

Abstract: A cursor control device for personal computers and workstations includes various embodiments, some of which include a patterned ball and some of which rely on other patterned surfaces, which recognizes changes in the position of the pattern relative to a sensor having an array of photosensitive elements. Circuitry associated with the sensor determines movement of the pattern across the array, and translates that movement into conventional cursor control signals supplied to a host system.

Abstract: A computer game controller is provided that can be attached to a desktop having a lip of greater thickness located near an outer portion of the desktop and an underside surface located on an inner portion of the desktop. The lip has a substantially greater thickness than the remainder of the desktop and this poses a substantial challenge to the proper gripping and mechanical advantage required by a clamp device. In one embodiment of the present device, the present computer controller includes a housing with a substantially flat, planar bottom surface that will act as one side of the clamp. The controller has a clamp arm coupled to the housing so that a distal contact surface of the arm is substantially opposed to the bottom surface of the housing to operably compress a portion of a desktop therebetween.

Abstract: A control device provides software applications with a set of calibrated axis values that are indicative of a minimum, a center, and a maximum value on an axis. These values are continuously tracked and corrected while the control device is in use. As the user manipulates the control device, input axis values are monitored for calibration drift. When such calibration drift is detected, the minimum and the maximum axis values are automatically adjusted, while the center axis value is adjusted only when such center axis value remains substantially constant for a given time. If the operating system of the computer has default axis values for an uncalibrated axis, the adjusted axis values are scaled accordingly so as not to interfere with such default axis values.

Abstract: A compact pointing device generally includes a ball, a light source, and a sensor. The ball includes an outer layer, a reflective inner core and a transparent layer disposed between the outer layer and the inner core. Disposed in the outer layer is a pattern of areas which appear transparent and opaque when illuminated by light generated by the light source. During operation, the light generated by the light source travels through a portion of the outer layer and the transparent layer before illuminating a portion of the inner core. The light is reflected back from the inner core along a path which extends through a portion of the transparent layer and a portion of the outer layer. As the light passes through the outer layer, a "shadow" of the pattern is cast onto the sensor. The sensor responds to movements of the shadow of the pattern (e.g., when a user manipulates the ball) by generating an output which is processed to provide a cursor control output.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing positional and attitude information to a computer. An input device of the present invention comprises a controller, a transducer, and a mouse. In a 6D mode of operation, three-dimensional positional information with three degrees of freedom is provided to the computer. Multiple switches use an impedance ladder to provide multiple signals over a control line from a movable input device for a cursor or viewpoint on a display.

Abstract: The present invention automatically adjusts the sensitivity of a game controller to a player's input. A n-dimensional speed vector having components that are indicative of the speed of an object in an n-dimensional game environment is read from the output of the game controller. Those speed vector components with small dynamics (e.g., small speeds) relative to the other speed vector components are suppressed, thereby producing a filtered speed vector. The components of the filtered speed vector are then tested for oscillations. Oscillations in the components of the filtered speed vector are indicative of small displacements made by the player while focusing on a game task requiring additional controller precision (e.g., focusing on a target). When such oscillations are detected, the ratio of the speed of the object, over the displacement of the game controller (e.g., deflection) is adjusted to some predetermined value.