Patent ID: 6624804
Filing Date: 2003-09-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of positioning a cursor on a display screen, under control of an operator, the method comprising the steps of:establishing a field about a movable body part of the operator; sensing the strength of the field at predetermined positions in a fixed reference frame defining an imaginary boundary having a rectangular profile when viewed in plan view, thereby to provide a control variable corresponding to the position of the body part in an active region defined by the reference frame; and positioning the cursor on the display screen in response to the control variable; the strength of the field being sensed in a contact-less manner by arranging a first pair of position-sensing electrodes that are positioned adjacent one another, along one side on the periphery of the fixed reference frame, and a second pair of position-sensing electrodes that are positioned adjacent one another along a second side on the periphery of the fixed reference frame, that is perpendicular to said one side thereof, the electrodes of the first pair of electrodes being spaced apart in a first direction perpendicular to said one side of the fixed reference frame and providing a first control variable indicative of the distance, in said first direction, of said body part from said one side of the reference frame, the electrodes of the second pair of electrodes extending perpendicularly with respect to the first pair of electrodes and being spaced apart in a second direction perpendicular to said second side of the fixed reference frame and providing a second control variable indicative of the distance, in said second direction of said body part from said second side, the cursor being positioned in response to said control variables by movement of said body part in said active region.