Patent ID: 8485450

Claim:
A user input apparatus comprising: a plurality of photon energy sensors comprising a first photon sensor and a second photon sensor, a substrate, said plurality of photon energy sensors being affixed to said substrate, a photon energy source, a user manipulated mechanism to modulate the incident quantity of photons from said photon energy source such that a greater photon quantity is incident upon said first sensor at a first time and a lesser photon quantity is incident upon said first sensor at a second time, the quantity of photons from said photon energy source incident upon said second sensor at said first time and said second time not being modulated, a processor for receiving a signal indicative of the modulation of said first sensor and for assigning a user input meaning to said modulation, wherein the user manipulated modulation mechanism is one selected from the group consisting of: at said second time said user covers said first photon sensor to reduce energy incident thereon from said photon energy source, at said second time said user casts a shadow upon said first photon sensor, at said second time said user prevents said photon energy source from being incident upon said first photon sensor, at said first time said user uncovers said first photon sensor to increase energy incident thereon from said photon energy source, at said first time said user reduces a shadow upon said first photon sensor to increase energy incident thereon from said photon energy source, and at said first time said user causes said photon energy source to be incident upon said first photon sensor.