Patent ID: 6388655
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: G01L,G06F

Abstract:
A method of touch control of an input device, said method comprising the steps of:providing a user manipulable member having a contact surface of known configuration mounted in a support and having a force sensing means operatively connected to said contact surface for sensing user contact with said contact surface; contacting said contact surface to cause said force sensing means to generate output signals corresponding to said user contact; using said output signals to provide a relative measure of a tangential force applied to said contact surface by said user contact; and using said relative measure of said tangential force to control a movement of an object in response to said user contact with said contact surface by using a direction of said tangential force to determine a direction of movement of said object and using a relative magnitude of said tangential force to determine a speed of said object and to modify a gain for controlling said object movement.