Controllable cursor vacuum hold down
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsHenry T. Hetzel, Michael A. Tremblay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cursor for a digitizer is selectively made to adhere to the digitizing surface by the controlled application of a vacuum to the underside of the cursor. The control can reside either in a manually activated switch on the cursor, or in commands issued to the digitizer by its controlling device.
Claims25
In a digitizer having a cursor which is moveable across a work surface, a vacuum hold down for the cursor, the vacuum hold down comprising:
- a cursor base, having a contact surface that touches the work surface when the cursor is in use, the contact surface having a closed periphery, the cursor base also having a vacuum passage connected at one end to the vacuum source means recited below and opening elsewhere into the region of the cursor base generally bounded by the periphery of the contact surface, the vacuum passage for providing a path along which the atmosphere may be evacuated from the region that is within the periphery of the contact surface and between the cursor base and the work surface when the cursor is on the work surface;
- and
- vacuum source means for supplying at least a partial vacuum to the vacuum passage in the cursor base, thereby causing the cursor to adhere by suction to the work surface when the cursor is placed upon the work surface.
In a digitizer responsive to commands from a device external to the digitizer, and having a work surface upon which a moveable cursor is employed, a controllable vacuum hold down for the cursor, the controllable vacuum hold down comprising:
- vacuum control means responsive to commands from the device external to the digitizer, for determining, in response to such commands, if the controllable vacuum hold down is to be activated;
- vacuum source means, responsive to the vacuum control means, for selectively generating at least a partial vacuum;
- vacuum conduction means, for conveying the vacuum provided by the vacuum source means to the cursor;
- a vacuum inlet, located on the cursor, for receiving the vacuum conveyed to the cursor by the vacuum conduction means;
- and
- a cursor base, having a contact surface that touches the work surface when the cursor is in use, the contact surface having a closed periphery, the cursor base also having a vacuum passage connected at one end of the vacuum source means via the vacuum inlet and opening elsewhere into the region of the cursor base generally bounded by the periphery of the contact surface, the vacuum passage for providing a path along which the atmosphere may be evacuated from the region that is within the periphery of the contact surfaces and between the cursor base and the work surface when the cursor is on the work surface and the vacuum control means responds to a command to activate the vacuum hold down by activating the vacuum source means.
A vacuum hold down for a digitizer cursor comprising:
- a cursor, positionable upon a work surface, having a base region for contacting the work surface and having a vacuum passage therethrough with an outlet opening into the base region and also with an inlet;
- vacuum generation means located external to the cursor for supplying at least a partial vacuum for the operation of the vacuum hold down;
- vacuum conduction means coupled between the vacuum generation means and the inlet of the vacuum passage for conducting the vacuum generated by the vacuum generation means to the cursor;
- and
- vacuum logic means for responding to commands applied to the digitizer by selectively activating and selectively deactivating the vacuum hold down.
A controllable cursor vacuum hold down for a digitizer responsive to commands applied by an external apparatus, the controllable cursor vacuum hold down comprising:
- a cursor, positionable upon a work surface, having a base region for contacting the work surface and having a vacuum passage therethrough with an outlet opening into the base region and also with an inlet;
- vacuum source means supplying at least a partial vacuum for causing atmospheric pressure to press the cursor against the work surface;
- flexible vacuum conduction means connected between the inlet of the vacuum passage and the vacuum source means, for conducting the vacuum supplied by the vacuum source means to the cursor at any location upon the work surface;
- and
- vacuum control means responsive to commands applied to the digitizer by the external apparatus, for controlling selective activation and selective deactivation of the controllable cursor vacuum hold down.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.