EP0382353A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cursor control mechanism
Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1990-01-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-01-18
Abstract
Abstract A hand-controlled mechanism is described for producing signals to move the position of the cursor in a computer display. The mechanism includes a shaft with an elongated axis and a cylindrical member (10) mounted coaxially around a portion of the shaft, the member and shaft being rotatable together with the member (10) being additionally, slidable along the elongated axis of the shaft. Conductive bar (36,38) and commutator strips (40,44) are disposed parallel to the shaft's elongated axis. Contact brushes (30,32) are coupled to the cylindrical member (10) and are movable therewith and are additionally, provide a conductive bridge between the conductor bar and the commutator strip. As the cylindrical member (10) is moved along the shaft, the brushes (30,32) move along the conductive bar/commutator strip arrangement and provide pulsed signals. A decoder (80) produces signals indicative of the movement of the brushes, which signals are employed to move the position of a display cursor.
Inventors
- 👤 Shyh Lai Long
- 👤 Hariram Ramachandran
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 17:34
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; G06F3/0362
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A hand-controlled mechanism for producing signals to move the position of a cursor in a computer display, the mechanism comprising: a shaft (12) having an elongated axis; a cylindrical member (10) mounted coaxially around a portion of said shaft, said member being both rotatable about and slidable along said elongated axis; conductive means (34,36) disposed parallel to said elongated axis; commutator strip means (40,44), disposed parallel to said elongated axis, having alternating conductive and insulating areas; contact means (30,32) movable with said cylindrical member (10) along said elongated axis, said contact means bridging between said conductive means and said commutator strip means; and decoder means (80) coupled between said conductive means (34,36) and said commutator strip means (40,44) for producing a signal indicative of the movement of said contact means, said signal usable to cause movement of the position of said cursor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A hand-controlled mechanism for producing signals to move the position of a cursor in a computer display, the mechanism comprising: a shaft (12) having an elongated axis; a cylindrical member (10) mounted coaxially around a portion of said shaft, said member being both rotatable about and slidable along said elongated axis; conductive means (34,36) disposed parallel to said elongated axis; commutator strip means (40,44), disposed parallel to said elongated axis, having alternating conductive and insulating areas; contact means (30,32) movable with said cylindrical member (10) along said elongated axis, said contact means bridging between said conductive means and said commutator strip means; and decoder means (80) coupled between said conductive means (34,36) and said commutator strip means (40,44) for producing a signal indicative of the movement of said contact means, said signal usable to cause movement of the position of said cursor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said commutator strip means (26) includes at least first and second alternating conductive areas (42,46), said first conductive areas (42) and second conductive areas (46), positionally offset from each other along said elongated axis whereby the direction of movement of said control means is determinable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
79 words
A mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said commutator strip means (26) comprises at least two independent commutator strips (40,44) each strip having conductive fingers (42,46) of discrete width which alternate with insulating areas (48,50), said conductive fingers (42) of one said commutator strip (40) offset in position from the conductive fingers (46) of the second commutator strip (44) by less than the dimension of said discrete width, all said fingers in each commutator strip being connected together electrically.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said conductive means comprises an elongated conductor bar (36,38) positioned parallel to each said commutator strip, each said conductor bar having a voltage applied thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
97 words
A mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said contact means comprises a pair of conductive brushes (30,32), one said brush (30) bridging between one said conductor bar (34) and a first commutator strip (42) and the other said brush (32) bridging between another said conductor bar (36) and a second commutator strip (46), the movement of said contact means causing said decoder means to receive independent pulse-train signals when said contact means is moved relative to said commutator strips, the phase relationship of said pulse trains being indicative of the direction of movement of said contact means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
105 words
A mechanism according to claim 5, further comprising: commutator strip means (106,108) and elongated conductive means (102,104), both said means mounted for rotary movement in accordance with the rotational movement of said cylindrical member (10); output means (116,118,120) for providing signal outputs indicative of relative movement between said commutator strip means and said elongated conductive means; stationary contact means (112,114) bridging between said commutator strip means and said elongated conductive means; and decoder means (80) responsive to said signal outputs from said output means to produce a signal indicative of relative movement between said contact means and said commutator strip means and elongated conductive means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
A mechanism according to claim 6, wherein said commutator strip means comprises at least two independent commutator strips (106,108), each strip having conductive fingers of discrete width which alternate with non-conductive areas, said conductive fingers of one said commutator strip offset in position from the conductive fingers of the second commutator strip by less than the dimension of said discrete width, all said fingers in each commutator strip being connected together electrically.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
99 words
A mechanism according to claim 7, wherein said contact means comprises a pair of conductive brushes (112,114), one said brush bridging between one said elongated conductive means (102) and a first commutator strip (108) and the other said brush (114) bridging between another said elongated conductive means (104) and a second commutator strip (106) relative movement between said contact means and said commutator strip means and said elongated conductive means causing said decoder means to receive independent pulse-train signals indicative of said movement, the phase relationship of said pulse trains being indicative of the relative direction of movement therebetween.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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