Patent ID: 6690355
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A computer input device comprising a horizontal cylinder rotateably mounted on two vertical members, one at each end; a horizontal member connected to said two vertical members under said cylinder at its own two ends, said horizontal member supported in its middle region by a relatively rigid base, while said two vertical members and said horizontal member are made of resilient material and are designed to provide flexibility in a particular direction as follows: along the axis of said cylinder for said vertical members and in the vertical direction for said horizontal member, such that when a force is applied on said cylinder at a certain location along its axis, the vertical component of said force will induce vertical deflection in both ends of said horizontal member relative to its supported center and which deflection at one end not necessarily equal to that in the other, and the horizontal component of said force will induce horizontal deflection in both vertical said members; a rotary movement sensor disposed between said cylinder and its support, designed to provide information about the direction of said cylinder's rotation and the magnitude of such rotation; deflection sensors mounted on said vertical members and said horizontal member in its two deflectable sides; computing means adapted to accept inputs from said rotary sensor and deflection sensors and to convert them into two distinct outputs in a format which is appropriate for input into computers, out of which said two outputs one represents rotation of said cylinder while the other represents the location of said force along the axis of said cylinder as calculated by the relative size of the reaction in said two vertical members to said force, which reaction being measured by said deflection sensors on said ends of said horizontal member; and, restraining means to limit said deflection under excessive forces in order to protect said computer input device.