Patent ID: 8049714

Claim:
A pointing device comprising: a base; a pair of support members arranged at a mutual distance on the base, with at least one of the support members being mounted for rotation about a rotation axis and axial movement parallel to the rotation axis; a belt member looped around said pair of support members for circulatory forwards and backwards motion in a first direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and for linear forwards and backwards motion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the rotation axis, the belt member having an external face forming a pointing surface that is movable within a pointing area of the device by means of a finger or equivalent, whereby such movement of the pointing surface can effect corresponding movement of a cursor or equivalent on a display operatively connected to the pointing device; and wherein the belt member includes a plurality of rods extending parallel to the rotation axis for maintaining the shape of the pointing surface during movement of the pointing surface; and an optoelectronic sensor for detecting motion of the belt member.