Abstract: Pressure sensitive direction devices are provided which may facilitate assembly and provide higher tolerance for variation in alignment of components while still providing for pressure sensitive direction detection. The devices of the present invention may be particularly advantageous when integrated into devices, such as cellular radiotelephones, to provide a user interface to facilitate user navigation through increasingly complex menu structures. In various embodiments, the present invention may detect pressure in addition to two and, preferably, at least four directions. In particular embodiments, the devices of the present invention provides a switching device having a plurality of trace grid areas located, for example, on a printed circuit board and actuated responsive to pressure applied by a user through a poly-dome layer where increase pressure results in contact with a greater number of the traces in respective grids.

Abstract: A low cost analog deflection sensor assembled from a single component part which lends itself for use as a joystick. A central contact is surrounded by peripheral contacts and aligned by a dielectric spacer. Application of deflectional force results in one or more signals of measurable resistance which can be translated into speed and directional vectors.

Abstract: A structure and method of making resistive emitting members which exhibit high resistivity while at the same time providing high temperature operation significantly above that known in the art. Specifically the use of nitrides of Group IVB transition metals from the periodic table, exclusive of titanium is described.

Abstract: A pressure-to-conductance transducer, which avoids dependency on pressure-sensitive properties of particulate materials which may be difficult to formulate in stable form, utilizes instead the principle of translating applied pressure into variation of area and region of contact between a resistively coated Mylar tape element and a pair of adjacent contact plates, connected to controlled circuitry via a cable. In an embodiment for foot control of musical effects, a base mounts the contact plates and a surrounding separable Velcro gasket supporting a semi-rigid pressure sensor plate holding the resistive element closely spaced above the contact plates. A void in the element spans the gap between the contact plates. The conductance value appearing between the contact plates varies with the pressure applied to the sensor plate, ranging from low conductance with light offset pressure to high conductance with heavy overall pressure.