US 5,473,344 AGranted

3-D cursor positioning device

AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation

InventorsGlade B. Bacon, Steven T. Kaneko, Alan W. McRobert, Eric H. Michelman

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Abstract

A computer input device uses a standard mouse design and includes at least one thumb wheel or roller to provide three-dimensional cursor positioning. Left and right rollers, for use by left- and right-handed users, protrude from left and right sides of a standard mouse. The left and right rollers are axially mounted on left and right drive shafts that extend axially through left and right encoder wheels, respectively. Each encoder wheel forms part of a transducer for producing signals indicating movement or rotation of the wheel. These signals can be used for calculating cursor movement or for various other purposes in computer software applications. Alternatively, the rollers are coupled to switches or a single roller protrudes from the top of the mouse.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An input device for a computer comprising:

a housing;
a rotatable ball received within the housing;
first and second transducers positioned within the housing and coupled to the rotatable ball, the first and second transducers producing first and second signals indicative of the rotation of the ball;
an elongated first rotatably mounted roller projecting from the housing, the first roller having first and second end portions, the first end portion being pivotally received by the housing for pivotal movement of the first roller and the second end portion being free to move between a rest position and an actuation position as the first roller is pivoted about the first end portion;
a third transducer coupled to the first roller to produce a third signal indicative of the rotation of the first roller;
a control circuit coupled to the first, second and third transducers for receiving the first, second and third signals and outputting a computer signal to the computer in response thereto;
and,
a first switch coupled to the control circuit and adapted to produce a first switch signal upon actuation of the first switch, the first switch being positioned adjacent to the first roller to be engaged by the first roller to actuate the first switch when the first roller is pivoted from the rest position to the actuation position.

5 more elements

A cursor positioning and user command input system comprising:

a computer having a memory and a visual display device, the computer being capable of displaying a plurality of plies, at least one of the plurality of plies being capable of overlapping and fully obscuring the other of the plurality of plies;
and
a user command input device coupled to the computer having a housing, first and second transducers supported by the housing and receiving user commands indicative of movement in two orthogonal directions and outputting respective first and second signals to the computer in response thereto, a user rotatable member supported by the housing capable of being rotated in opposing directions to cause a third signal to be outputted to the computer indicating the user's actuation of the member, each of the plurality of plies corresponding to a predetermined amount of rotation of the rotatable member, the computer being responsive to the third signal to determine a user selected amount of rotation of the rotatable member and scroll through and select a visually obscured ply with the predetermined amount of rotation that corresponds to the user selected amount of rotation for display on the visual display, and the computer being responsive to the first and second signals for positioning a cursor in X and Y directions on the selected ply.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/178,524Filed 6 Jan 1994
Granted: 5 Dec 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06F 3/03543
With detection of two-dimensional [2D] relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D…
G06F 3/0312
Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means: for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used…
G06F 3/03549
With detection of two-dimensional [2D] relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D…
G06F 2203/0333
Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/033: ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand