Video display control apparatus

Apparatus for controlling movement of an electronic image on a video display, comprising:

• a base member;
• a seat for supporting a human operator in a seated position;
• support means for mounting said seat for tilting movement relative to said base member, said support means including:
• a socket member located on said seat;
• a housing located on said base member;
• a shaft extending through a top portion of said housing for engaging said socket member to mount said seat on said base member, such that tilting movement of said seat is imparted to said shaft;
• a resilient member concentrically disposed on said shaft within said housing for opposing tilting movement of said shaft, said resilient member being deformable in response to a force imparting tilting movement to said shaft and being sufficiently resilient to urge said shaft and said seat to a position of equilibrium in the absence of said force;
• and
• limit means located in said housing for limiting the tilting movement of said shaft and said seat;
• handle means adjacent said seat for being grasped by the operator in the seat to impart tilting movement to said seat by shifting the weight of the operator in any direction corresponding to a desired direction of movement of the electronic image;
• and
• control means responsive to tilting movement of said seat for controlling movement of the electronic image accordingly.

Apparatus for controlling movement of an electronic image on a video display, comprising:

• a base member;
• a seat for a human operator;
• support means for mounting said seat on said base member, said seat being mounted for tilting movement in all directions relative to said base member, said support means including:
• a socket member located on said seat;
• a housing located on said base member;
• a shaft extending through a top portion of said housing for engaging said socket member to mount said seat with said base member, such that tilting movement of said seat is imparted to said shaft;
• a resilient member concentrically disposed on said shaft within said housing for opposing tilting movement of said shaft, said resilient member being deformable in response to a force imparting tilting movement of said shaft, said resilient member being sufficiently resilient to urge said shaft and said seat to a position of equilibrium in the absence of said force;
• and
• limit means located in said housing for limiting tilting movement of said shaft and said seat;
• handle means adjacent said seat for being grasped by an operator in said seat to impart tilting movement to said seat by shifting the weight of the operator in a direction corresponding to a desired direction of movement of the electronic image;
• and
• control means responsive to tilting movement of said seat for controlling movement of the electronic image, said control means including electrical switch means responsive to a direction of tilt of said shaft and said seat for generating an electrical signal indicative of the direction of tilt of said shaft and said seat, said control means further including computing means responsive to said electrical signal for moving the electronic image accordingly.