Remote controller with analog pressure sensor (S)

A controller for controlling a host device, said controller comprising:

• a housing, electronic circuitry within said housing, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on said housing and interfacing with sensors electrically associated with said circuitry for allowing user selection of function-control signals output from said controller to the host device;
• at least one of said sensors structured as an analog pressure-sensitive sensor;
• said circuitry including means for reading at least three readable values of said analog pressure-sensitive sensor;
• said host device enabling display of recorded video controlled by said controller allowing variable video speed dependant upon the degree of depressive pressure applied to said analog pressure-sensitive sensor.

An improved method of controlling at least one function-control of a host device using a hand-held remote controller operatively associated with a wireless communication link to said host device,

• wherein the improvement comprises:
• depressing, by the user, a depressible surface associated with an analog pressure sensor with a first level of user selectable pressure of a plurality of user selectable pressure levels, said depressing of said depressible surface activating a first change rate function-control signal of a plurality of activatable change rate function-control signals associated with said depressible surface to be sent from said remote controller to said host device;
• and then,
• depressing, by the user, said depressible surface with a second level of user selectable pressure different than said first level of pressure and causing activation of a second change rate function-control signal associated with said depressible surface to be sent from said remote controller to said host device, whereby the user selects and activates change rate function-control signals associated with said depressible surface by way of selecting the selectable pressure applied to said depressible surface.

A method of manufacturing an improved hand-held controller including the steps of:

• molding a housing;
• installing electronic circuitry;
• installing a plurality of finger depressible buttons with sensors electrically associated with said circuitry;
• installing a flexible dome-cap member as a component of at least one of said sensors;
• installing a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance structure under said flexible dome-cap member, said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance structure positioned to be activated by depression of one of the depressible buttons, said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance structure structured to provide at least three readable analog values, said values dependant upon depressive pressure levels applied to said one of the depressible buttons;
• said circuitry including means for reading an immediate value of said at least three readable analog values of said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance structure, and for outputting from said controller, data representative of the immediate value as a signal useful for effecting an associated television.