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US 5,859,629 AGranted
Linear touch input device
AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.
InventorBruce Tognazzini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keyboard contains an input device comprising a linear strip of sensitive material the approximate width of the human finger integrated into the left or right side of the keyboard. The strip is linearly sensitive in only one direction and not to any other direction, such as from left to right. A user operates the device by touching it with his or her finger and varies the input by changing the position along the strip and the pressure of his or her finger.
Claims3
A method of providing user controlled inputs to a computer, the method comprising the steps of:
- contacting a strip of touch sensitive material by hand;
- in response to said contact, converting the position of said contact into a data signal indicating the position of said contact along the length of said strip;
- activating one or more touch keys substantially simultaneously with contacting said strip of touch sensitive material to change the meaning of said data signal;
- and
- outputting said data signal to a bus of said computer, wherein selection of said touch keys modifies a granularity of movement controlled by said strip of touch sensitive material.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.