Patent ID: 6850221

Claim:
A portable, trigger operated pointing device for use with an electronically responsive system, the pointing device comprising: a housing for location at least partly between a first finger and a thumb of a user's hand, the housing having a generally straight, elongated profile defining a longitudinal axis and having a forward end, a rear end, opposed sides, a top face, and a bottom face, the bottom face including a contoured step positioned medially of the forward and rear ends and transversely of the opposed sides, the contoured step having a first face for generally providing a rest location for the first finger of the user's hand; an electronic circuit mounted on a board contained within the housing, the board having first and second opposed sides, the electronic circuit including a first switch on the first side of the board, the first switch being responsive to pressure selectively to open and close the electronic circuit such that the electronic circuit generates a first output signal upon operation of the first switch, the electronic circuit further including a second switch on the second side of the board, the second switch being responsive to pressure selectively to open and close the electronic circuit upon operation of the second switch; a first control element mounted with the housing at the first face of the contoured step and operatively connected to the first switch to be responsive to finger pressure such that pressure applied to the first control element causes the first control element to operate the first switch; a second control element mounted with the housing at the top face and operatively connected to the second switch to be responsive to thumb pressure such that pressure applied to the second control element causes the second control element to operate the second switch; and an output signal emitter responsive to an output signal from the electronic circuit to wirelessly emit the output signal for reception by the electronically responsive system.