Patent ID: 6204839
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: G06F,H03K

Abstract:
Electronic apparatus comprising: a combination keyboard/pointing device including:a support member having a top side,a series of keys carried on said support member for movement through stroke distances toward said top side, andcapacitance-based proximity sensing circuitry including proximity sensors disposed beneath said keys. said canacitance-based proximity sensing circuitry being switchable between:(1) a typing mode in which said circuitry, via said proximity sensors capacitively senses changes in the proximity of a user's fingers to said top side while the fingers are depressing said keys through said stroke distances, and responsively generates signals useable to generate corresponding typing characters on a screen, and(2) a pointing mode in which said circuitry, via the same proximity sensors, capacitively senses predetermined user hand orientations and movements upwardly adjacent said keys and responsively generates signals useable to control a movable cursor on a screen.