Patent ID: 7106303
Filing Date: 2006-09-12
Classification: G06F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A trackball control device comprising a housing, two coding shafts pivotally mounted on said housing about perpendicular axes, a trackball rotatably mounted in the housing and engaged with said shafts to pivot them, and two control signal generators, wherein each of said control signal generators comprises: a pair of pinions, each having multiple teeth and each coupled to one of said coding shafts to rotate as the corresponding coding shafts rotates; a pair of deflectable members that each has a first member part lying between a pair of teeth of a corresponding one of said pinions and biased toward a position between the pair of teeth, so the first member part is repeatedly deflected in first and second opposite directions, and released after each deflection, as the corresponding pinion turns in first and second opposite directions, respectively; mean for generating electrical signals in response to deflection of each of said deflectable members.