Patent ID: 7034804

Claim:
A pointing device for a computer comprising: a body; a magnetic field source for generating a magnetic field having a direction relative to a measurement location and a magnitude proportional to a distance between the magnetic field source and the measurement location; a magnetic field sensor for measuring the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at a measurement location, and outputting an electrical signal corresponding to the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field at the measurement location; a flexible member for allowing and controlling a relative movement of the magnetic field source and the magnetic field sensor, a first end of the flexible member being connected to the body and a second end of the flexible member capable of swinging freely, the flexible member and magnetic field source forming a critically dampened system such that when a force is applied to an end of the flexible member the relative position of the magnetic field sensor with respect to the magnetic field source is changed in a direction of the force by a distance proportional to the force; a processor for receiving the electrical signals output by the magnetic field sensor, and generating a corresponding location signal of the pointing device; and a transmission system for conveying the location signal from the processor to the computer.