Coordinate input device
AssigneeFujitsu Takamisawa Component Limited
InventorsMichiko Endo, Takashi Arita
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A three-dimensional coordinate input device includes an operation portion, a ferrite magnet provided within the operation portion, two pairs of Hall-effect elements provided on a substrate. One pair of the Hall-effect elements is used for detecting an X coordinate and the other pair of the Hall-effect elements is used for detecting a Y coordinate. When inclined and vertically moved by hand, the operation portion can be displaced in three-dimension. When the operation portion is inclined in any direction, an XY coordinate value can be obtained based on its inclination and inputted into a computer to be displayed on a coordinate space. By using a mean of output voltages of the Hall-effect elements, a Z coordinate value can be obtained and displayed on the coordinate space.
Claims18
A three-dimensional coordinate input device, comprising:
- a magnet;
- a plurality of magnetoelectrical devices, disposed facing toward said magnet, generating a first signal indicating an X coordinate value and a second signal indicating a Y coordinate value, the first and second signals representing output voltage variations of said magnetoelectric devices and being generated when said magnet is inclined towards said magnetoelectric devices, and said magnetoelectric devices generating a third signal indicating a Z coordinate value, the third signal representing an output voltage variation of said magnetoelectric devices and being generated when said magnet is moved vertically towards said magnetoelectric devices;
- and
- a signal processing portion processing said first, said second and said third signals to determine an XYZ coordinate value to be displayed on a coordinate space.
A three-dimensional coordinate input device, comprising:
- an accommodating portion;
- an operation portion having a magnet built therein;
- a plurality of magnetoelectric devices;
- and
- an elastic member, wherein
- said accommodating portion comprises a substrate serving as a bottom of said accommodating portion and a case formed integrally with said substrate and having an opening through which said operation portion is moved up and down,
- said operation portion comprises a flat bottom and a projection formed around an outer periphery near to said bottom,
- the plurality of magnetoelectric devices comprises four magnetoelectric devices, which are provided on said substrate and are located approximately symmetrically with respect to an intersection of said substrate and a magnetic field direction from a center of said magnet,
- said elastic member comprises a first elastic member engaged between said projection of said operation portion and said substrate, and a second elastic member, stronger than said first elastic member, engaged between said substrate and an approximately semi-sphere which has a curved top surface contacting said bottom of said operation portion and a bottom smaller than said bottom of said operation portion,
- said operation portion is inclinable and is vertically movable, said first elastic member being inclinable during the inclination of said operation portion, said second elastic member being vertically movable during the vertical movement of said operation portion,
- an XYZ coordinate point is indicated on a coordinate space based on output voltage variations of said magnetoelectric devices generated by inclining and vertically moving said operation portion, and
- the four magnetoelectric devices generate a first signal indicating an X coordinate value and a second signal indicating a Y coordinate value, the first and second signals representing output voltage variations of said magnetoelectric devices and being generated when said magnet is inclined towards said magnetoelectric devices by using said operation portion, and said magnetoelectric devices generate a third signal indicating a Z coordinate value, the third signal representing an output voltage variation of said magnetoelectric devices and being generated when said magnet is moved vertically towards said magnetoelectric devices by using said operation portion.
A method of determining three-dimensional coordinates for a coordinate input device, comprising:
- locating magnetoelectric devices adjacent to a magnet;
- generating a first signal indicating an X coordinate value and a second signal indicating a Y coordinate value when the magnet is inclined towards the magnetoelectric devices;
- generating a third signal indicating a Z coordinate value when the magnet is moved vertically towards the magnetoelectric devices;
- and
- processing the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal to determine an XYZ coordinate value for display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.