Abstract: A cursor control stick includes a rigid tube having an outwardly-tapering conical throughbore and horizontal protrusions at its base, and a plunger having an outwardly-tapering conical body shaped in correspondence with the throughbore. The plunger slidably fits inside the rigid tube and includes a neck which extends beyond the rigid tube and which is adapted to be manipulated by the user. Electrically-conductive biasing means is disposed beneath and in contact with the plunger, and pressure sensitive resistive material is disposed beneath and in contact with the horizontal protrusions. A base containing electrical circuitry is disposed beneath both the electrically-conductive biasing means and the pressure sensitive resistive material.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a signal generator for sending an electrical signal from an expandable, flexible layer of material, the signal generator comprising an upper layer of flexible, resilient material and a lower layer of flexible, resilient material which between them define a cavity for enclosing an expandable material such as a cellular foam or gas, whereupon localized distortion of one of the layers of flexible material, effects a signal generation within the structure, which is transmissible through a proper circuit to an outside electrical device. A circuit may be arranged adjacent a plurality of said keys which senses when several of said keys are depressed in a skewed or sideways manner, so as to effect movement of a cursor or pointer on a monitor in communication with a processing unit and said keyboard.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a main case body having installed thereon a key group at a key installation region thereof, a track ball and a selection switch (including a right switch and a left switch) are separately provided, respectively, at a right side region and a left side region of an operator side of the key installation region. The track ball, the right switch and the left switch are provided in such a manner so as an installation region of a wiring substrate. The track ball, the right switch, and the left switch can be easily operated under a key operation feeling by using both hands in a manner similar to operation of the key group. By the foregoing configuration, an increase in an occupied area of a keyboard can be reduced, and increase in a thickness of the keyboard can be restrained, thereby allowing the information processing apparatus to have superior operation characteristics, insofar as its pointing device is concerned.

Abstract: A thumbpad input device that enables a user to generate direction and speed by manipulating a round elastic pad. The underside of the pad is lined with a set of uniformly spaced contacts positioned in a circular pattern. Each contact is paired with a corresponding switch that is coupled to a circuit board. When a user presses down on the pad, one or more contacts close their respective switches. The pad contacts and switches are designed so that the number of closed switches varies with the magnitude of the force applied to the pad. The thumbpad input device has a micro controller that monitors the switches. It determines the most clockwise closed switch and the most counter-clockwise closed switch. Presumptively, these two closed switches define the two endpoints of an arc of all closed switches. These endpoints are then forwarded to a host processor.

Abstract: A system for using a touch-sensitive computer input touchpad for computer cursor control and keypad emulation in which the system senses a touch on the touchpad surface, resolves lateral touch movement after the touch, and establishes cursor control on resolution of sufficient lateral movement.

Abstract: A notebook computer is provided with a collapsible keyboard structure in which, in response to closing of the computer housing lid, the key return spring portions of the keyboard are shifted away from their normal underlying relationships with the keys and the keys are forcibly retracted to a storage/transport orientation in which the overall thickness of the keyboard structure is reduced by an amount essentially equal to the stroke distance of the keys. When the lid is subsequently opened, the key return spring portions are shifted back to their normal underlying relationships with the keys, and the keys are forced outwardly by the return spring portions to their extended, operative orientations above the return spring portions.

Abstract: The present invention includes a remote mouse controller having a disc controller actuable by a user for the infrared remote signalling of all common mouse functional operations. Depression along the edge of the disc controller signals cursor movement and direction operations. Depression in the center of the disc controller signals selection of certain operational features such as the mouse "click", "double click" and "click-and-drag" operations. A plurality of user actuable fixed function and programmable function keys are also provided to facilitate user selection and input of keyboard type data.

Abstract: A device for controlling the positioning of the cursor displayed on the screen of interactive systems includes: a manual actuation element which is similar to a button and reacts, when pressed in any eccentric point of its surface (with respect to which a system of perpendicular coordinated axes X and Y is defined), by rocking, that is to say by tilting in the direction of the point where pressure is applied (to an extent determined by ergonomic criteria together with the other shape and elastic reaction characteristics of the button); sensor means which are operatively associated with the actuation element and are suitable to provide signals corresponding to the components in the directions X and Y of the consequent inclinations; a logic controller for analyzing the signals periodically and for calculating, for each cycle, an incremental movement to be applied to the cursor in the direction corresponding to the direction of the rocking motion and at a speed that increases as the associated modulus increases;

Abstract: A point-and-draw device of a computer includes: a X-axis and Y-axis driving gear system respectively mounted in a housing and generally orienting perpendicularly with each other, and a driving plate for driving the two gear systems slidably held in the housing having an actuating portion protruding upwardly from the driving plate through a top window formed in an upper cover of the housing, whereby upon coordinative moving of the driving plate to move the X-axis or Y-axis driving gear system, a movement pulse signal can be electronically sensed for encoding the pulse signals into the computer to be decoded and read for moving a cursor on a CRT screen of the computer corresponding to the movement of the driving plate in the housing for an effective, reliable and ergonomic manipulation of the point-and-draw device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for entering alphanumeric or other text to a computer system using an input device having a small number of keys. The computer system includes a processor programmed to display a character selection menu (including displayed groups of characters), to move a displayed cursor from one group to another in response to actuation of at least one cursor movement key on the input device, and to select a character within a group in response to actuation of one of at least two selection keys on the input device. The invention reduces the maximum number of keystrokes required conventionally to select a character from a character set, and enables character selection from a larger set of displayed characters using no more keystrokes than required conventionally to select the same character from a smaller set.

Abstract: Light rays emitted from light-emitting units pass through a window of a housing and are reflected by a finger pad of a finger. The reflected light rays again pass through the window and are received by light-receiving elements of each of light-receiving units. These light-receiving elements output reflected light detection signals corresponding to the ridges and recesses of the finger pad. From these reflected light detection signals, a wave-shaping unit outputs rectangular wave signals indicating the moving amount of the finger pad and moving direction signals indicating the moving direction of the finger pad for the individual axes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for navigating through an application program on a computer coupled to a computer-controlled display screen. The user can control the cursor position on the computer-controlled display using simple controls. The invention may use a hand-held controller with a four direction control button and a function select button. The computer accepts the direction input information and moves the cursor or focus according to one of three different navigation functions. The first two navigation functions are selected by the application program, and may change from one navigation to another in different portions of the program or under user control. With the first navigation function, the direction buttons on the controller shift the focus from one hot spot to another hot spot in the selected direction using predefined criteria. With the second navigation function, the focus is shifted from a present position on the computer-controlled display to the adjacent position in the selected direction.

Abstract: A display screen control apparatus for producing a plurality of control signals in response to pressing, tilting and rotating a single operation lever, the control signals being transmitted to control circuitry for controlling the position of a cursor on the display screen in response to the control signals. The display screen control apparatus includes a base upon which are formed a plurality of control switches, the operation lever being resiliently positioned over the control switches such that pressing the operation lever actuates a first control switch, tilting the operation lever actuates one of a plurality of second control switches, and rotating the operation lever actuates one of two third control switches.

Abstract: A pointing control device in a computer, including a support, a manually movable actuating member movably supported by the support, and a magnetic reluctance type detector for detecting a magnitude of movement of the movable actuating member within a unit of time, so that the pointer or the cursor can be moved in accordance with the detected magnitude of movement of the movable actuating member.

Abstract: A strain sensitive columnar transducer for a data entry keyboard contains a column upstanding from the keyboard. Strain sensitive orthogonally oriented patterns are formed on a single flexible planar sheet which is sliced to place each of the patterns on a separate tab. The planar sheet is forced over the column so that the patterns lie up against the sides of the column to measure force exerted on the column.

Abstract: A method and system for generating command signals for a computer monitor or other equipment. The system includes at least one pressure responsive potentiometer and a device operatively connected with such potentiometer for generating a command signal indicating at least one of the direction, intensity and duration of pressure applied to such potentiometer. The method remotely controls a function of a computer monitor or other equipment in response to signals obtained from pressure sensitive potentiometers manipulated by a user.

Abstract: A cursor control system is provided whereby a discrete-direction input device, such as a joystick, may be used to accurately move a cursor in both straight and curved lines. The cursor control system may be implemented in software and is ideal for with an electronic drawing application having only a rudimentary joystick-like control and various user buttons. A cursor capable of indicating the direction of movement, such as an arrow, is provided and may be aimed with the joystick. During drawing or movement, depression of the joystick causes the arrow to rotate towards the selected direction at a fixed angular rate such that the arrow travels in a smooth arc. The control system may be arranged so that the rotation of the arrow stops when it has reached the selected direction or so that the arrow continues to rotate even after it has reached the selected direction. The former control method may be used for moving and the latter control method for drawing.

Abstract: A three-dimensional space may be rendered in a computer graphics system by representing the three-dimensional space as a plurality of convex polyhedra and representing the containment relationships among the plurality of convex polyhedra. Connection relationships among the convex polyhedra, including the location of holes in the connected surfaces, are also preferably represented. Containment and connection relationships are preferably represented using a containment logical tree and a connection logical graph. Three-dimensional graphics representations can thereby be rendered in a real time using a low cost, graphics processor. Efficient movement through three-dimensional space along all six degrees of freedom is also provided by using a two-dimensional pointing device, preferably a mouse, in combination with a function selector, preferably a pair of keys on the mouse.

Abstract: A mounting structure including a clip portion embraces the nose of a computer keyboard housing with tabs that snap into the space between housing and keys for securing a toggle assembly over the cursor keys in an inverted "T" array cursor pad. A toggle assembly with radiating arms is held over the "DOWN" key with fingers resting on or in close proximity to all four cursor keys and joined through an elastomeric toroid to the mounting structure for resilient articulable motion in response to manual manipulation of a toggle lever to thereby provide joystick operation of the cursor via the cursor keys.

Abstract: An adapter electronics circuit that converts signals from a pointing device into codes corresponding to keyboard cursor key actuations. In addition to the pointing device signals, the adapter electronics also accepts all key codes generated by the keyboard and passes them on unmodified to the computer. The adapter electronics plugs into the same terminal on the computer where the keyboard is normally connected. In this manner, all normal keyboard functions are available to the user as well as the use of the pointing device through the normal keyboard terminal on the microprocessor. Most commercially available application software accepts the cursor key codes presented to the computer.