US5428355A — Position encoder system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 115 words

A position encoder system for a computer that has a housing, comprising: a handle; a latch for securing the handle to the computer housing; extension means for releasing the handle from the housing into an extended position for permitting movement of the extended handle relative to the housing; a link member having an outer end connected to the handle to move therewith and an inner end received in the housing so that the inner end moves when the outer end moves with the handle; and encoder means for sensing movement of the inner end, thereby to determine movement of the extended handle for providing to the computer information that is indicative of the handle position.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 115 words

A position encoder system for a computer that has a housing, comprising: a handle; a latch for securing the handle to the computer housing; extension means for releasing the handle from the housing into an extended position for permitting movement of the extended handle relative to the housing; a link member having an outer end connected to the handle to move therewith and an inner end received in the housing so that the inner end moves when the outer end moves with the handle; and encoder means for sensing movement of the inner end, thereby to determine movement of the extended handle for providing to the computer information that is indicative of the handle position.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 91 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the encoder means includes: a first sensing component; a carrier to which the first sensing component and the link member are mounted so that the link member moves relative to the first sensing component; and coupling means for transmitting first signals from the first sensing component to the link member and for receiving from the link member a second signal that is produced from the first signals, the second signal being indicative of the position of the link member relative to the first sensing component.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system of claim 2 wherein the first signals are transmitted to the link member by capacitive coupling.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

The system of claim 3 wherein the second signal is transmitted from the link member to the first sensing component by capacitive coupling.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 50 words

The system of claim 2 wherein the coupling means includes a first array of conductive elements mounted to the first sensing component and a first pattern of conductive elements mounted to the link member, the first signals being transmitted from the first array to the first pattern by capacitive coupling.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system of claim 5 wherein the coupling means also includes an electrode mounted to the first sensing component for receiving the second signal through capacitive coupling with the first pattern of conductive elements.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 44 words

The system of claim 2 wherein the second signal has a phase that is modulated as a result of movement of the link member relative to the first sensing component, the encoder means detecting the phase modulation to determine movement of the extended handle.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 56 words

The system of claim 2 wherein the first signals comprise a plurality of moving wave signals of relatively different phases and wherein at least some of the first signals mix to produce the second signal, the phase of the second signal being related to the relative position of the link member and the first sensing component.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 100 words

The system of claim 2 wherein the encoder means further includes: a second sensing component mounted adjacent to the carrier, the carrier being mounted to the housing so that the first sensing component is movable with the link member relative to the second sensing component; and the coupling means operable for transmitting third signals from the first sensing component to the second sensing component and for receiving from the second sensing component a fourth signal that is produced from the third signals, the fourth signal being indicative of the movement of the link member relative to the second sensing component.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 19 words

The system of claim 9 wherein the third signals are transmitted to the second sensing component by capacitive coupling.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 19 words

The system of claim 10 wherein the fourth signal is transmitted to the first sensing component by capacitive coupling.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 9 wherein the coupling means includes a second array of conductive elements mounted to the first sensing component and a second pattern of conductive elements mounted to the second sensing component, the third signal being transmitted from the second array to the second pattern by capacitive coupling.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the encoder means senses rotational and translational movement of the link member.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 27 words

The system of claim 1 further comprising a switch mounted to the handle and operable for generating a switch status signal that is transmitted through the link.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 40 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the link member comprises an elongated member being resiliently flexible in response to force applied to it in one direction and substantially inflexible in response to force applied to it in a second direction.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 19 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the handle is pivotally connected to the outer end of the link member.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 20 words

The system of claim 2 further comprising a retainer means for releasably retaining the link member adjacent to the carrier.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 42 words

The system of claim 17 wherein the retainer means includes an index member attached to the link member, and a retainer member mounted to the carrier for contacting the index member to limit the motion of the link relative to the carrier.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system of claim 18 wherein the retainer member is mounted for deflection from the link when the index member is moved against the link thereby to overcome the motion limit of the retainer member.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 107 words

A stowable input apparatus for a computer that has a housing, comprising: a handle; a stowage compartment defined in the housing for receiving the handle; stowage means for stowing the handle within the compartment and for extending the handle from the compartment so that the handle is movable relative to the housing; linking member connected to the handle and to the housing so that the linking member moves with the handle relative to the housing, a portion of the linking member being received within the housing for translational movement relative to the housing, the movement of that link member portion corresponding to the movement of the handle.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 107 words

A stowable input apparatus for a computer that has a housing, comprising: a handle; a stowage compartment defined in the housing for receiving the handle; stowage means for stowing the handle within the compartment and for extending the handle from the compartment so that the handle is movable relative to the housing; linking member connected to the handle and to the housing so that the linking member moves with the handle relative to the housing, a portion of the linking member being received within the housing for translational movement relative to the housing, the movement of that link member portion corresponding to the movement of the handle.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system of claim 20 wherein the housing includes a keyboard that has an exposed surface and wherein the handle is stowed within the housing completely beneath the keyboard surface.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system of claim 20 wherein the stowage means includes a button mounted to the housing and connected to be depressed for releasing the handle from the compartment.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 23 words

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the linking member portion is also received in the housing for rotational movement relative to the housing.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system of claim 20 further comprising sensing means for sensing the movement of the link member portion and for generating position signal representative of the position of the handle.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 239 words

The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the sensing system comprises: a first driven array of elements mounted near the linking member and arranged in a first dimension; a second driven array of elements mounted near the linking member and arranged in a second dimension; drive means for driving each of the elements of the first and second array of elements with moving wave signals, the phases of which signals varying between adjacent elements; a first mixer mounted to the linking member and comprising at least one bar that is capacitively coupled to a plurality of elements of the first driven array, the first mixer receiving some of the moving wave signals and mixing the received moving wave signals to produce a first mixed phase signal having a phase corresponding to the position of the member in the first dimension; a second mixer mounted near the linking member and comprising at least one bar that is capacitively coupled to a plurality of elements of the second driven array, the second mixer receiving some of the moving wave signals and mixing the received moving wave signals to produce a second mixed phase signal having a phase corresponding to the position of the member in the second dimension; and processing means for processing the first and second mixed phase signals for mapping the position of the linking member as a corresponding location of a cursor on a display screen of the computer.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 75 words

The system of claim 25 wherein the processing means includes: first phase detecting means for measuring the phase of the first mixed phase signal thereby to determine the displacement of the bar of the first mixer relative to the first driven array; and second phase detecting means for measuring the phase of the second mixed phase signal thereby to determine the displacement of the bar of the second mixer relative to the second driven array.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 141 words

The system of claim 25 wherein the processing means includes: a first phase modulation receiver coupled to the first mixer for receiving and detecting zero crossings of the first mixed phase signal; a first phase tracker coupled to the first phase modulation receiver for comparing the zero crossing of the first mixed phase signal to a reference signal and for generating a first count value corresponding to the phase of the first mixed phase signal; a second phase modulation receiver coupled to the second mixer for receiving and detecting zero crossings of the second mixed phase signal; and a second phase tracker coupled to the second phase modulation receiver for comparing the zero crossing of the second mixed phase signal to the reference signal and for generating a second count value corresponding to the phase of the second mixed phase signal.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 38 words

The system of claim 27 wherein the first phase modulation receiver comprises a first pickoff for capacitive coupling to the first mixer and the second phase receiver comprises a second pickoff for capacitive coupling to the second mixer.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 62 words

The system according to claim 25 wherein the first mixer is formed on a first mixer circuit and the second mixer is formed on a second mixer circuit, the first mixer circuit and the second mixer circuit coupled through capacitive coupling to a circuit board that includes the first driven array, the second driven array, the first pickoff, and the second pickoff.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 32 words

The system claim 25 wherein the first dimension corresponds to the X component of a cartesian coordinate system and the second dimension corresponds to the Y component of the cartesian coordinate system.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 25 wherein the first dimension corresponds to the R component of a polar coordinate system and the second dimension corresponds to the Θ component of the polar coordinate system.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 25 wherein the elements of the first driven array are arranged along a first axis corresponding to the X-axis of a cartesian coordinate system and the elements of the second driven array are arranged along a second axis corresponding to the Y-axis of the cartesian coordinate system.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 25 wherein the elements of the second driven array are arranged along an arc corresponding to the Θ component of a polar coordinate system and the elements of the first driven array are arranged along an axis corresponding to the R component of the polar coordinate system.

Claim 36

Independent Claim 90 words

A method of generating information for a computer, the information corresponding to the position of a movable handle member, comprising the steps of: linking the movable handle and the computer with a linking member that moves with movement of the handle; sending, by capacitive coupling, sensing signals between the linking member and a sensing component contained within the computer so that the sensing signals are modulated by movement of the linking member; and processing the modulated sensing signals to produce position information based upon the movement of the linking member.

Claim 37

Independent Claim 90 words

A method of generating information for a computer, the information corresponding to the position of a movable handle member, comprising the steps of: linking the movable handle and the computer with a linking member that moves with movement of the handle; sending, by capacitive coupling, sensing signals between the linking member and a sensing component contained within the computer so that the sensing signals are modulated by movement of the linking member; and processing the modulated sensing signals to produce position information based upon the movement of the linking member.

Claim 38

Independent Claim 73 words

A method of controlling a pointing indicium on a computer display screen, comprising the steps of: extending from the computer a movable handle member; linking the handle member and the computer with a linking member that moves with the handle member; detecting movement of the linking member; generating position information based upon the movement of the linking member; and stowing the handle member within the computer when the handle member is not used.

Claim 39

Independent Claim 73 words

A method of controlling a pointing indicium on a computer display screen, comprising the steps of: extending from the computer a movable handle member; linking the handle member and the computer with a linking member that moves with the handle member; detecting movement of the linking member; generating position information based upon the movement of the linking member; and stowing the handle member within the computer when the handle member is not used.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 35 wherein detecting step includes the step of sending, by capacitive coupling, sensing signals between the linking member and a sensing component contained within the computer so that the sensing signals are modulated by movement of the linking member.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-06-26	1998-12-26	1999-06-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-06-26	2002-12-26	2003-06-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-06-26	2006-12-26	2007-06-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Position encoder system

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