Pointing device

A pointing device comprising:

• an electrically conductive surface;
• a diverter including a resistive rolling surface having a voltage variance and means for resiliently supporting said resistive rolling surface in an undeflected mode spaced from said electrically conductive surface, said resistive rolling surface being movable to contact a portion of said electrically conductive surface and to roll over said electrically conductive surface to contact a different portion of said electrically conductive surface in a deflected mode.

A pointing device comprising:

• a substrate having an electrically conductive surface;
• a resilient member supported on the substrate to move between a contact mode and a noncontact mode, the resilient member including a resistive rocking surface which is energizable with a voltage variance, the resistive rocking surface of the resilient member being spaced from the electrically conductive surface in the noncontact mode, the resistive rocking surface of the resilient member contacting the electrically conductive surface in the contact mode at an electrical contact position to generate a signal with the voltage variance, the resistive rocking surface of the resilient member being displaceable to rock on the electrically conductive surface to change the electrical contact position between the resistive rocking surface of the resilient member and the electrically conductive surface of the substrate to produce a corresponding change in the signal.