Patent ID: 6400303
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: H01H,H03K

Abstract:
A remote controller structure allowing a user to manipulate functions of an associated remotely positioned host device;said remote controller including a housing, said housing having a battery socket allowing batteries to be inserted into said housing, said batteries to serve as an electrical power source for electronic circuitry within said housing; a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on said housing and interfacing with sensors electrically associated with said circuitry for allowing a user selection of function-control signals communicated from said remote controller to said host device; said circuitry including an emitter for communicating user selected function-control signals from said remote controller to the host device; at least one of said sensors including a depressible dome shaped member and a compression-sensitive variable-conductance structure, the compression-sensitive variable-conductance structure capable of providing at least three readable states of varied electrical conductance, said states dependant upon compression levels applied to the compression-sensitive variable-conductance structure through depression of at least one of said finger depressible buttons against the dome shaped member; means for reading said at least three readable states of said compression-sensitive variable-conductance structure and for forming distinct function-control signals for each of at least two states of said at least three readable states.