Abstract: A pad for covering a work surface comprising a thin transparent cover over a base layer. A portions of the cover is secured to the base layer so that the balance of the cover is liftable upwardly therefrom to receive and retain between the cover and the base layer sheet materials bearing visual information of utility to a user. The information is then visible to the user through the transparent cover. Alternatively, the cover may be attached to the base layer so as to produce therebetween a pouch opening at an edge of the pad to receive such sheet materials. The top surface of the cover can optionally be textured to provide a substitute work surface upon which to write or operate a computer mouse. The bottom surface of the base pad is textured to prevent slipping of the device on the work surface.

Abstract: A mouse operating pad to permit high resolution operation of a mouse at a work station. The pad includes a control surface which incorporates a uniform random texture permitting the tracking member to stably rest at any point on the control surface. The control surface is formed on a control layer which is supported on a resilient intermediate layer. The hardness of the intermediate layer and the control layer is chosen so that the control surface is isolated from any imperfections in the work surface. The pad is placed on a work surface and the mouse is operated on the control surface. Optionally when the control layer is formed of a transparent material, an information display surface can be provided on the side of the control layer opposite from the control surface that allows visual information to be permanently displayed, or in one embodiment of the invention, removably displayed.

Abstract: A touch-controlled apparatus of the type in which two parts of a circuit component are selectively brought into contact, which includes plural circuit components. In one embodiment the two components (at least one of which must be a potentiometer) are co-planar and longitudinally aligned. In another embodiment two co-planar potentiometers are disposed in parallel side-by-side relation so as to be simultaneously actuated by the same touch pressure. In a third embodiment two or more components are disposed in two different stacked layers for simultaneous or sequential operation. An improved sample and hold output circuit includes only a parallel capacitor, or a series resistor and parallel capacitor, connected to one part of a circuit component. The component may be formed as three folded sections of a single sheet-like member, the sections being foldable into a three-tiered stack.

Abstract: A touch controlled membrane device producing an output signal which is a function of any dual coordinate location resulting from an applied pressure in a two dimensional resistive field. In one preferred embodiment a single resistive film is spaced from a coextensive conductive film. First and second source voltages are alternately applied across orthogonal axis directions of the resistive film to establish voltage gradients in both directions. Pressure applied to the conductive film brings the conductive and resistive films into contact so that a unique two component output signal appears on the conductive film which defines the X and Y coordinates of the location of the applied pressure. In a second embodiment, two resistive films are mounted opposite to two conductive surfaces applied onto opposite sides of an insulative film, and voltage is applied to the resistive films in orthogonally related directions.