Noise mouse

A cursor controller for controlling movement of a cursor dot or the like on a computer display in accordance with movement of the cursor controller, the cursor controller comprising:

• (A) a housing adapted for sliding motion on a work surface, said sliding motion producing noise;
• (B) means for determining the direction of motion of housing;
• (C) a microphone mounted in the housing and responsive to the noise generated by sliding motion, said noise output of the microphone being a function of the velocity and therefore also of the distance of motion;
• whereby control signals corresponding to the distance of motion can be drived from the microphone signal.

A method of deriving control signals for a cursor dot on a computer controlled cathode ray tube display, comprising:

• (A) providing a mouse for sliding movement on a work surface including a cover and a displacement pad suspended from said cover and contacting the surface;
• (B) moving the mouse in the desired direction of cursor dot movement, thereby displacing the displacement pad relative to the cover and creating noise during mouse movement by means of frictional and vibrational interaction between the displacement pad and surface;
• (C) during movement of the housing on the surface ascertaining the direction of displacement of the displacement pad and monitoring the amount of noise created by means of a microphone;
• and
• (D) calculating the direction and distance of mouse motion on the work surface respectively from the displacement of the displacement pad and the noise and providing the calculated direction and distance of motion for use in controlling the motion of a cursor dot on a computer-controlled cathode ray display.