Patent ID: 7145551

Claim:
A method of preparing a data packet indicative of operator manipulation of a hand held computer input device, the method comprising: receiving information indicative of a physical orientation of the computer input device; receiving information indicative of a configuration of a multiple-switch device located on the computer input device and having at least two different degrees of motional freedom wherein movement of the multiple-switch device in the different degrees of motional freedom causes actuation of different switches in the multiple-switch device; placing data in an orientation field and a multiple-switch field in the data packet; receiving information indicative of a selected mode of a plurality of selectable modes of operation; and playing the data in the orientation field and the multiple-switch field in the data packet based on the selected mode comprising: placing orientation data indicative of the physical orientation of the computer input device in the orientation field when the selected mode is a first selected mode; and placing predetermined orientation data in the orientation field when the selected mode is a second selected mode, the predetermined orientation data corresponding to the configuration of the multiple-switch device.