Input apparatus for design work on an image-bearing screen

Claim 1

A device for inputting a graphic design to a computer comprising rotary disc means and wheel means adapted to be connected to a computer having at least one essentially planar graphical output device for reproducing a graphic design, said rotary disc means and wheel means being manually operable to input electronic signals to the computer to provide cursor movements and line images corresponding to said graphic design to be reproduced on said output device, said rotary disc means including an arc control member arranged for manual rotational movement to a desired angular orientation and first electronic means to sense the angular orientation of the arc control member and to provide a similar angular orientation in the plane of said output device to cursor movements and line images as they are inputted, said rotary disc means in a first mode of operation inputting an electronic signal to provide a line image along an arcuate path in response to the manual rotational movement of the arc control member and in a second mode of operation inputting an electronic signal to provide cursor movement along the arcuate path in response to the manual rotational movement of the arc control member, said wheel means including a line control member arranged for manual rotational movement and second electronic means to sense the rotational movement of the line control member and input electronic signals to provide cursor movements and line images along a straight line in the plane of said output device, said wheel means in a third mode of operation inputting an electronic signal to provide a line image along a linear path in response to the manual rotational movement of the line control member and in a fourth mode of operation inputting an electronic signal to provide cursor movement along the linear path in response to the manual rotational movement of the line control member.

Claim 2

A device for inputting a graphic design to a computer comprising rotary disc means and wheel means adapted to be connected to a computer having at least one essentially planar graphical output device for reproducing a graphic design, said rotary disc means and wheel means being manually operable to input electronic signals to the computer to provide cursor movements and line images corresponding to said graphic design to be reproduced on said output device, said rotary disc means including an arc control member arranged for manual rotational movement to a desired angular orientation and first electronic means to sense the angular orientation of the arc control member and to provide a similar angular orientation in the plane of said output device to cursor movements and line images as they are inputted, said rotary disc means in a first mode of operation inputting an electronic signal to provide a line image along an arcuate path in response to the manual rotational movement of the arc control member and in a second mode of operation inputting an electronic signal to provide cursor movement along the arcuate path in response to the manual rotational movement of the arc control member, said wheel means including a line control member arranged for manual rotational movement and second electronic means to sense the rotational movement of the line control member and input electronic signals to provide cursor movements and line images along a straight line in the plane of said output device, said wheel means in a third mode of operation inputting an electronic signal to provide a line image along a linear path in response to the manual rotational movement of the line control member and in a fourth mode of operation inputting an electronic signal to provide cursor movement along the linear path in response to the manual rotational movement of the line control member.