Fingertip tactile-sense input device and personal digital assistant using it
OwnerIsshin Miyamotoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fingertip tactile sense input device for a personal digital assistant capable of various input operations produced by a moving fingertip over projections recognized by the fingertip tactile sense. An input plate has a plurality of fingertip input projections and input control means that encodes an input signal when a projection is depressed. A fingertip can be moved over the input plate with the wrists fixed. The projections are disposed within a surface area outlined by an inverted generally egg-shaped curve C1 or C2, which is usable equally by the index fingertip of either hand.
Claims16
A fingertip tactile sense input device comprising:
- an input plate with a plurality of projections, each projection having a front end for receiving pressure contact by a human fingertip, and each projection having a back end;
- the projections arranged in a surface area with a generally egg-shaped outline defined by the range of motion on a surface by a human fingertip with the wrist fixed, and that is equally usable with a right or left hand;
- and
- input control means that encodes a given input signal when a respective one of the projections is pressed by a moving fingertip.
A tactile sense input device comprising:
- an array of projections protruding from a surface, each projection having a rounded front end for receiving pressure contact from a moving human fingertip, and each projection having a known spatial position relative to the other projections in the array;
- the projections arranged in an area defined by the range of motion on a surface by a human fingertip with the wrist fixed and equally usable with a right or left hand;
- an electrical input circuit behind each respective projection;
- variable resistance means for producing an electric current in each input circuit in proportion to pressure by a human fingertip on the respective projection;
- a selection circuit that compares electrical current strengths among the input circuits, and identifies the input circuit with the strongest current;
- an input controller, electrically connected to the selection circuit, that encodes a digital representation for each input circuit identified by the selection circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.