Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20020033798?dq=7,181,690
Timestamp: 2017-09-21 11:35:24
Document Index: 539723492

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 14', 'art 14', 'art 12', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 72', 'art 72']

Patent US20020033798 - Pointing device - Google Patents
A pointing device including: a base part; an operating part shiftably supported on the base part; a magnet carried on the operating part; magneto-electro transducers carried on the base part at a location close to the magnet; and a switch mechanism arranged between the base part and the operating part....http://www.google.com/patents/US20020033798?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20020033798 - Pointing device
Publication number US20020033798 A1
Application number US 09/956,079
Also published as US6650786, US6707446, US20030007693
Publication number 09956079, 956079, US 2002/0033798 A1, US 2002/033798 A1, US 20020033798 A1, US 20020033798A1, US 2002033798 A1, US 2002033798A1, US-A1-20020033798, US-A1-2002033798, US2002/0033798A1, US2002/033798A1, US20020033798 A1, US20020033798A1, US2002033798 A1, US2002033798A1
Inventors Shuji Nakamura, Takeshi Nishino
Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (26), Classifications (22), Legal Events (8)
US 20020033798 A1
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pointing device including a magneto-electro transducer and a switch mechanism, capable of easily performing a proper and accurate click operation through a manipulation mode clearly different from that for an analogue data entering operation, without requiring any additional guiding mechanism or operator's skillfulness.
[0024]FIG. 1 is an exploded, vertical sectional perspective view of a pointing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, particularly showing the substantially half bodies of cylindrical or circular components;
[0025]FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the pointing device of FIG. 1, showing the substantially half body of the assembled pointing device;
[0026]FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of a switch mechanism installed in the pointing device of FIG. 1;
[0027]FIG. 4 is an assembled, vertical sectional view of the switch mechanism of FIG. 3;
[0028]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an elastic member installed in the pointing device of FIG. 1;
[0029]FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the pointing device of FIG. 1, for explaining a rocking motion of an operating part;
[0030]FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the pointing device of FIG. 1, for explaining a linear motion of an operating part;
[0031]FIG. 8 is an exploded, vertical sectional perspective view of a pointing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, particularly showing the substantially half bodies of cylindrical or circular components;
[0032]FIG. 9 is an assembled perspective view of the pointing device of FIG. 8, showing the substantially half body of the assembled pointing device;
[0033]FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the pointing device of FIG. 8, for explaining a rocking motion of an operating part;
[0034]FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the pointing device of FIG. 8, for explaining a linear motion of an operating part;
[0035]FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a pointing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
[0036]FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the pointing device of FIG. 12 in a partially assembled state;
[0037]FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the pointing device of FIG. 12 in a state of being mounted on an external circuit board;
[0038]FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the pointing device of FIG. 12 in a state of being mounted on an external circuit board;
[0039]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a modification of the pointing device of FIG. 12;
[0040]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another modification of the pointing device of FIG. 12; and
[0041]FIG. 18 is a front view showing the pointing device of FIG. 17 in a state of being mounted on an external circuit board.
Referring now to the drawings, in which the same or similar components are denoted by common reference numerals, FIG. 1 shows a pointing device 10, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 2 shows the pointing device 10 in an assembled state, both particularly showing the substantially half bodies of cylindrical or circular components of the pointing device 10. The pointing device 10 is capable of being used for digital data processors, such as personal computers, word processors, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc., as an auxiliary input device for directing two-dimensional coordinate data on a display screen, and being integrally incorporated in the casing of such a data processor.
The pusher 34 of the operating part 14 is provided integrally with a generally disk-shaped end wall 34 a, and with three joint walls 34 b (only one is visible in the drawing) arranged at regular intervals in a circumferential direction and discretely extending generally orthogonal to the end wall 34 a from the outer periphery of the end wall 34 a. The radially inner surfaces of the respective joint walls 34 b are formed as arcuate surfaces capable of being in sliding contact with the cylindrical outer surface of the peripheral wall 30 a of the holder 30. Thereby, the holder 30 is engaged internally with the three joint walls 34 b of the pusher 34 in a slidable manner with substantially no gap defined therebetween. Each joint wall 34 b is provided with an opening 44 formed in the vicinity of a free end thereof. In association with this arrangement, three engagement tabs 48 (only one is visible in the drawing), each having an inward hook 46, are provided to project uprightly from the end wall 32 b into the recess 40, in a configuration corresponding to the configuration of three joint walls 34 b of the pusher 34. The cover 32 and the pusher 34 are securely assembled with each other when the hooks 46 of the respective engagement tabs 48 are closely engaged, in a snap fit manner, with the openings 44 of the respective joint walls 34 b.
The end wall 34 a of the pusher 34 of the operating part 14 is accommodated in the space defined between the inner and support walls 24 c, 24 d of the first frame 24 and the circuit board 22, in the base part 12, and is disposed opposite to the switch mechanism 20 on the circuit board 22 so as to be able to be abutted with the switch mechanism 20. In association with this arrangement, the first frame 24 is provided in the support wall 24 d with three through-holes 50 in a configuration corresponding to the configuration of three joint walls 34 b of the pusher 34, for allowing each joint wall 34 b to be inserted into each through hole 50 with a gap defined therebetween. Each through-hole 50 is shaped and dimensioned so as not to disturb the rocking motion of each joint wall 34 b, caused by the rocking motion of the operating part 14 as described later. The end wall 34 a of the pusher 34 is provided with a surface, away from the joint walls 34 b, extending bulgingly in a spherical shape from the outer periphery toward the center thereof, and is constantly placed with the bulging center area thereof on the upper end face of the switch mechanism 20. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the second member of the operating part 14, including the cover 32 and the pusher 34, is supported on the switch mechanism 20.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible for the operator to manipulate the cover 32, in a rocking motion as shown by an arrow a, against the spring force of the plate spring 60, so as to change the positional correlation between the magnet 16 and the respective magneto-electro transducers 18, and thus to vary the output voltages from the respective magneto-electro transducers 18, in association with the direction and angle in the rocking motion of the cover 32. The variation in the output voltages from the respective magneto-electro transducers 18 is processed as analog information in the CPU (not shown) on the circuit board 22, and is converted to digital coordinate data. The digital coordinate data as converted are then output via a connector section (not shown) provided in the circuit board 22 to a processing mechanism of a data processor (not shown). In this manner, it is possible to shift, e.g., a cursor or pointer on the display screen of the data processor in a desired direction by a desired distance, in correspondence to the rocking direction and angle of the cover 32 of the operating part 14.
[0059]FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a pointing device 70, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in half-cut exploded and assembled perspective views, respectively, corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 2. The pointing device 70 has substantially the same structure as the pointing device 10 of the first embodiment, except for the constitution of a base part 72, an operating 74 and a magnet 76, so that corresponding components are denoted by the common reference numerals and the explanation thereof is not repeated.
The pointing device 110 further includes a pair of fitting portions 120 extending outward from the circuit board 78 (see FIG. 12). The fitting portions 120 are formed integrally with or as a part of a third frame 122 made by, e.g., stamping a sheet metal and bending a blank into a desired shape. The third frame 122 includes a tubular portion 122 a substantially encircling the first and second frames 80, 82 (FIG. 8) constituting the support portion of the base part 72, and is fixedly coupled to the first and second frames 80, 82. The respective fitting portions 120 are disposed at diametrically opposed positions on the tubular portion 122 a of the third frame 122 and laterally extend from the tubular portion 122 a along the surface 78 a of the circuit board 78, so that the intermediate length 120 a of each fitting portion 120 extends downward in generally orthogonal to the surface 78 a of the circuit board 78 and the free end length 120 b thereof extends outward in generally orthogonal to the intermediate length 120 a.
Each fitting portion 120 is provided in the intermediate length 120 a thereof with an opening 124. In association therewith, the circuit board 78 is provided on the outer edge thereof with projections 126 capable of being tightly engaged with or fitted into the openings 124 of the fitting portions 120 at positions corresponding to the respective fitting portions 120. In this structure, when the projections 126 of the circuit board 78 are fitted into the openings 124 of the corresponding fitting portions 120, it is possible to securely hold the third frame 122, together with the first and second frames 80, 82, at a predetermined position on the circuit board 78 (FIG. 13). Therefore, in this case, the structure for fixedly coupling the first and second frames 80, 82 with the circuit board 78 can be eliminated. Also, the second frame 82 may be eliminated.
US7733327 * Apr 19, 2006 Jun 8, 2010 Avago Technologies Ecbu Ip (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. Re-centering mechanism for an input device
US8405961 * Nov 24, 2010 Mar 26, 2013 Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. Keypad assembly and electronic device using the same
US8411423 * Jan 12, 2011 Apr 2, 2013 Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. Keypad assembly and electronic device using the same
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US20120039027 * Jan 12, 2011 Feb 16, 2012 Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Keypad assembly and electronic device using the same
EP2485112A1 * Feb 7, 2011 Aug 8, 2012 Knowles Electronics Asia PTE. Ltd. Joystick input device
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International Classification G06F3/033, G06F3/0338, G06T3/40, H01H25/00, G06T9/00, H01H25/04
Cooperative Classification H01H25/041, H04N19/132, H01H2239/024, H04N19/60, H01H2001/5888, G06T3/4084, H04N19/18, G06F3/0338, H01H25/008
European Classification H04N7/26A4Z, H04N7/30, G06T3/40T, H04N7/26A8C, G06F3/0338, H01H25/04C