Input device for improving man-machine interface

An input device for improving man-machine interface comprising:

• a lever that is operable by an operator and that is movable along two axes;
• and
• two movement-transmission/feedback mechanisms arranged along and corresponding to said two axes, respectively, each mechanism including:
• two sealed chambers, each containing fluid medium in a hermetically sealed manner;
• a restrictor pipe that connects said two chambers for communicating said fluid medium between said two chambers;
• a link that is linked to said lever and that moves in accordance with said lever, wherein a portion of said link is linked to one of said chambers and another portion of said link is linked to the other chamber, and wherein when said lever is operated and moved along the axis to which the relevant movement-transmission/feedback mechanism corresponds, said link directly or indirectly applies force to either one of said chambers in accordance with the amount and the direction in which said lever was moved so as to change volume of said fluid medium contained in that chamber, thereby said fluid medium is passed through said communicating means toward the other one of said chambers;
• a control data generation means capable of physically monitoring the movement of the link and converting that movement into corresponding electrical signals;
• a transmission circuit through which the signals generated by said control data generation means are fed to a host device;
• a fluid flow variable restriction means capable of electrically and variably controlling the fluid flow status in said restrictor pipe;
• and
• a receiver circuit capable of driving said fluid flow variable restriction means through the application of a control response signal that is applied to said restriction means and that has been received from said host device.

A pointing device for inputting data to a computer, comprising:

• a lever that is operable by an operator and that is movable along two axes;
• and
• two movement-transmission/feedback mechanisms arranged along and corresponding to said two axes, respectively, each mechanism including:
• two sealed chambers, each containing fluid medium in a hermetically sealed manner;
• a restrictor pipe that connects said two chambers for communicating said fluid medium between said two chambers;
• a link that is linked to said lever and that moves in accordance with said lever, wherein a portion of said link is linked to one of said chambers and another portion of said link is linked to the other chamber, and wherein when said lever is operated and moved along the axis to which the relevant movement-transmission/feedback mechanism corresponds, said link directly or indirectly applies force to either one of said chambers in accordance with the amount and the direction in which said lever was moved so as to change volume of said fluid medium contained in that chamber, thereby said fluid medium is passed through said communicating means toward the other one of said chambers;
• a monitoring device capable of physically monitoring the movement of the link and converting that movement into corresponding electrical signals;
• a transmission circuit through which the signals generated by said monitoring device are fed to the computer;
• a fluid flow variable restriction device capable of electrically and variably controlling the fluid flow status in said restrictor pipe;
• and
• a receiver circuit capable of driving said fluid flow variable restriction device through the application of a control response signal that is applied to said restriction device and that has been received from said computer.