Abstract: The present invention provides a computer joystick for controlling cursor or object movements in three dimensions. The computer joystick comprises a chassis, a control stick vertically installed on the chassis in a rotatable manner, a control stick sensor installed inside the chassis for detecting rotations of the control stick and generating corresponding stick position signals, a joystick handle comprising a vertical slot, and a rotation detector. The joystick handle is rotatably installed on the control stick through the vertical slot. The rotation detector comprises an optical panel fixed on the control stick, and a light sensor fixed inside the vertical slot of the joystick handle for detecting rotations of the joystick handle on the control stick and generating corresponding rotation signals.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an input device for transmitting an input signal to a computer through a game port of the computer. The game port comprises a capacitor and a detecting circuit for detecting a time period needed for charging the capacitor to a threshold voltage, discharging the capacitor when the capacitor is charged to the threshold voltage, and transmitting the detected time period as an input to the computer. The input device comprises a first charging circuit wired to the capacitor for slowly charging the capacitor, a second charging circuit wired to the capacitor for quickly charging the capacitor, and a control circuit wired to the capacitor used for activating the second charging circuit according to the input signal. The control circuit activates the second charging circuit according to the voltage of the capacitor and the input signal so that the capacitor can be quickly charged to the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A scanning device which will take samples from different positions to increase its resolution. The scanning device comprises a housing, a scanning module, and a driving device. The housing comprises a transparent platform installed on its top for placing a document. The scanning module is installed inside the housing and is slidable along a front-and-rear direction for scanning the document. The scanning module comprises a carrier, a sensor, and a positioning device for fixing the sensor inside the carrier. The sensor is installed within the carrier, is slidable along a left-right direction and comprises a plurality of linearly arranged sensing units for taking samples from the scanned document. A driving device is used for driving the scanning module forward and backward to scan the document.

Abstract: A conductive electrode structure for a double-sided multi-socket adapter panel comprising a live conductive electrode bar and a neutral conductive electrode bar that provides the optimal number of plugging sockets as well as distance of separation for neighboring plugging sockets. Furthermore, the plugging sockets in each side of the adapter panel are oriented in such a way that all the live and neutral plugging slots are aligned in a row, thereby eliminating undesirable interference from neighboring plugging cables. In addition, some of the plugging sockets are spaced so far apart that even a large plug from a transformer adapter can be plugged without affecting plugging sockets in its neighborhood.

Abstract: An image scanning method for a scanner that can simultaneously sense image signals corresponding to the three primary colors or a monochromic color, and store the signals in a storage device within one exposition process. The scanning method can further determine a period of the driving signal and a number of rotation steps for the driving motor to calculate the period of the triggering signal for a light-sensitive device. The scanning method according to the invention can therefore reduce the time needed for a scanning process and improve efficiency. Furthermore, the signal-to-noise ratio of a CCD module can be improved, and the requirement for the brightness of the light source is lowered as well.

Abstract: A hot plug-and-play (PnP) converter of a universal serial bus (USB) interface that converts a non-PnP interface into a hot PnP USB interface. The converter sends the information related to the converter itself to the connected computer system, and sends the information related to the connected peripheral as well as to the presence of the peripheral to the computer system. Users can handle the connection status of disclosed is a connected peripheral more directly. The converter further instructs the computer system to detect the connection status of a peripheral automatically by changing the connection of the pull-up resistor of the transferring wire on the USB interface.

Abstract: The upper housing of a flatbed scanner is provided with a plurality of integrally formed block members for locating a transparent platform on which an object to be scanned is placed. Each block member includes a horizontal block piece and a vertical block piece protruding from the horizontal block piece. The horizontal block piece is a protruding portion extending perpendicular to an internal surface of the upper housing for restricting horizontal movement of the transparent platform and the vertical block piece has a vertical retaining section having an inclined surface which flexes in the horizontal direction as the transparent platform is pushed past the vertical block piece, the vertical retaining section then recovering to vertically secure the transparent platform on the internal surface. The transparent platform can be mounted over the upper housing with no need to use adhesive tape.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electric device comprising two electric terminals, a button mechanism having a push button that can depressed to toggle between "on" and "off" statuses, and a conductive reed that conducts electric current between the two electric terminals when connected and disables the passage of current when disconnected. When the button is set "on", a reserve space exists between the reed and the button for the reed to spring upward without pushing the button upward. When the current passing through the reed exceeds a predetermined current level, the reed will become heated and spring upward and rest in the reserve space so as to electrically disconnect the two electric terminals.

Abstract: An encoder module for use in a three-dimensional cursor control device adapted for encoding process is disclosed. The encoder module of the present invention comprises a positioning base having a pair of corresponding positioning members, a signal generating device mounted between the pair of corresponding positioning members for generating encoding signals, the signal generating device includes a rotating member having a central portion and having an electrical contact on its surface, an axis reeving through the central portion of the rotating member for positioning the rotating member between the pair of corresponding positioning members, and a plate connected with the axis and having a plurality of electrical brushes on its surface. Wherein the electrical contact is intermittently engaged with the electrical brushes by rotating the rotating member.

Abstract: The invention discloses a computer joystick having two optical sensors to generate vector signals for indicating the current position of the joystick's handle.

Abstract: A motor-speed control apparatus is provided for use on a scanner of the type having a movable scan head, such as a flatbed scanner, for the purpose of controlling the operation a stepper motor used to drive the CCD (charge coupled device) scan head of the scanner. In this motor-speed control apparatus, a Y data table is predetermined, which includes a number of Y data sets, each corresponding to one line in the lengthwise direction (i.e., the Y-axis direction) of the document being scanned. In operation of the scanner when the scan head is to be moved over the document, the manipulation on each pixel in the lengthwise direction is based on the predetermined values of the corresponding Y data set. This allows the scan head to move in a non-target area of the document (the area that is not to be scanned), and at a fixed speed when moving over the target area of the document (the area that is to be scanned).

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical sensing system which uses a plurality of detectors installed at various positions next to an optical panel to generate a position signal for indicating the position of the optical panel. The optical sensing system has an optical panel having a plurality of sensing areas each having a plurality of encoding holes arranged in a predetermined direction, a sensing device having a plurality of detectors for detecting movements of the optical panel corresponding to the sensing device, each of the detectors being corresponded to one of the sensing areas of the optical panel for detecting movements of the encoding holes along the predetermined direction and generating correspondent sensing signals, and a control circuit electrically connected to the sensing device for collecting the sensing signals generated by the detectors of the sensing device to form a position signal so as to indicate the optical panel's position.

Abstract: A quadrature encoding device with slope-triggered digitizing circuit is provided for use in a mechanical mouse. The quadrature encoding device is capable of producing two square-wave signals indicative of the current mouse movement for position control of the mouse cursor on the computer screen. The slope-triggered digitizing circuit includes a delay circuit and an analog comparator, which is capable of generating a first voltage output when the slope of the opto-electrical signal from the photo detector is positive, and a second voltage output when the slope is negative. It is characteristic feature of the quadrature encoding device that the output characteristic of the slope-triggered digitizing circuit would not be affected by any deviations in the output characteristic of the associated photo detectors, and also would not be affected by the ambient light.

Abstract: The present invention provides a projecting device for displaying electrical images. The projecting device comprises an illumination device for emitting a polarized trichrome light of various polarizations, three modulating devices for modulating three polarized monochrome lights to display the same electrical image, a light separating device having two dichroic mirrors perpendicular to two polarization beam splitting mirrors. One dichroic mirror and the two polarization beam splitting mirrors are used for separating the polarized trichrome light into three monochrome lights and passing each monochrome light to a correspondent modulating device for optical modulation. The three modulated lights reflected from the three modulating devices are transmitted to another dichroic mirror and synthesized into an output light beam for displaying the electrical image.

Abstract: A method for utilizing a three-dimensional (3-D) mouse in a graphic-user-interface based operating system, such as the WINDOWS operating systems from Microsoft Corporation, is provided. This method allows the 3-D mouse to emulate the functions of the IntelliMouse from Microsoft Corporation, including control of the scroll bars of the active window and special functions such as the auto-scrolling operation and the fast-scrolling operation. Provided that the active window is able to read IntelliMouse-compliant windows commands, the 3-D mouse can also be used to carry out the standard IntelliMouse functions, such as scrolling the scroll bars and resizing the active window.

Abstract: A document imaging system detects skew and/or size of a document. In one embodiment, a document imaging system generates scanning signals representing the documents, analyxes the scanning signals to detect one more edges of the document before the entire lenght of the document is scanned, establishes a skew angle between the detected edges and a reference orientation, and modifies the scanning signals to compensate for skew while the document is being scanned. In another embodiment, a document imaging system detects one or more edges of a document, defines a polygon having sides substantially congruent with the detected edges, and establishes the size of the document in response to the polygon.

Abstract: The present invention provides a housing comprising a rectangular transparent planar board for placing documents to be scanned and a rectangular case for placing a scanning module. The housing comprises a plurality of clasps for fixing the transparent planar board within a flatbed scanner and comprises front, rear, left and right ends. The case comprises four upright sides and a rectangular opening installed above the four upright sides for mounting the transparent planar board. The opening comprises front, rear, left and right sides. The left and right sides of the opening each comprises an L-shaped groove for mounting the left and right ends of the transparent planar board, respectively. The front and rear sides of the opening each comprises a clasp for mounting the front and rear ends of the transparent planar board.

Abstract: A computer mouse having an improvement of Z axis device is disclosed. The computer mouse includes a roller ball. The Z axis device includes a spring member having a spiral portion, a first art portion and a second arm potion, a first positioning element for positioning the spiral portion of the spring member, a second positioning element for positioning the first arm portion of the spring member, a rotation member having a hole for allowing the second arm portion to be inserted therein, one surface of the rotation member is engaged with the roller ball, and a rotation member positioning element for sustaining the second arm portion for allowing the rotation member to be positioned on the rotation member positioning element. The objective of the present invention is to provide a simple ad low cost Z axis device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer power center for providing power to various peripheral devices of a computer. The power center comprises a front housing, a power circuit, a rear housing and a hinge for connecting the front and rear housings. The front housing has a front control panel, a flat upper end, and a rear end with a plurality of power sockets. The rear housing has a front end, a flat upper end, and a recess on its bottom end. The front and rear housings of the power center can be extended so that the upper ends of the front and rear housings can form a combined flat upper end for loading a computer monitor on it. And the rear housing can be folded under the front housing when the power center is not in use so that the size of the power center can be substantially reduced.