Patent ID: 8552980

Claim:
A computer input device, comprising: a detector adapted (i) to detect relative movement of at least a portion of an input member in x and y-dimensions relative to a base point in a base plane and (ii) to detect a position of at least a portion of the input member within a set of discrete strata of space, each stratum spaced away from the base plane in the z-dimension; and a controller adapted to send signals to an associated computing device based at least in part on the relative movement of the input member, wherein the controller is adapted (i) to send a first signal to the associated computing device when a given portion of the input member is within a first stratum, and (ii) to send a second signal to the associated computing device when the given portion of the input member is within a second stratum, and wherein the second stratum is spaced farther away from the base plane than the first stratum.