Patent ID: 6731267
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: B60K,G06F

Abstract:
A finger actuated display interface input device comprising:(a) a housing; (b) a first elongated axis roller mounted on the surface of the housing, parallel to the housing, with substantially its entire manipulable length being small enough to fit under a thumb of a human for inputting positional information for a first axis; (c) a first transducer coupled to said first axis roller for producing a first signal indicative of the rotation of said first axis roller; (d) a second, elongated axis roller mounted on the surface of the housing, parallel to the housing, with substantially its entire manipulable length being small enough to fit under a thumb of a human for inputting positional information for a second axis; (e) a second transducer coupled to said second axis roller producing a second signal indicative of the rotation of said second axis roller; (f) at least one switch adapted to produce at least one switch signal upon actuation of said switch by pressure from a user's finger; (g) said first axis roller and said second axis roller being selectively rotatable for selectively inputting positional information for the first axis or for the second axis respectively; and (h) said first axis roller and said second axis roller being located so close to each other that both axis rollers can be rotated simultaneously by a touch of a finger pad of a distal phalanx of one finger to simultaneously change positional information in said first and second axes; (i) said first axis roller and second axis roller being operable whether or not the housing is placed on a planar working surface.