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US 7,623,116 B1Granted
Roller with multiple force sense levels
AssigneeLogitech Europe S.A.
InventorMarc Bidiville
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roller device including a roller wheel configured to control scrolling of a graphical object along a first axis if the roller wheel is rotated by a user; a first sensor adjacent to a first side of the roller wheel; and a second sensor adjacent to a second side of the roller wheel; wherein the first and second sensors are configured to control a scrolling rate of the graphical object along a second axis.
Claims49
A roller device comprising:
- a roller wheel configured to control scrolling of a graphical object displayed on a monitor along a first axis if the roller wheel is rotated by a user;
- a first sensor adjacent to a first side of the roller wheel;
- and
- a second sensor adjacent to a second side of the roller wheel;
- wherein:
- the roller wheel is configured to be tilted toward the first side to activate the first sensor,
- the roller wheel is configured to be tilted toward the second side to activate the second sensor, wherein tilting directions of the rolling wheel to the first side and the second side are perpendicular to a rotation direction of the roller wheel being rotated,
- the roller wheel is configured to be pressed downward to activate the first sensor and the second sensor,
- if the first or second sensor is activated, the first and second sensors are configured to control a scrolling rate of the graphical object along a second axis, and
- if the first and second sensors are activated, the first and second sensors are configured to change a control characteristic of the roller device being rotated from a first characteristic to a second characteristic, and
- the first control characteristic of the roller device being rotated is for cursor control and the second control characteristic of the roller device being rotated is for scrolling control.
8 more elements
A roller device comprising:
- a roller;
- a first detector configured to be activated if the roller is moved in a first direction;
- and
- a second detector configured to be activated if the roller is moved in a second direction, wherein:
- if the first detector or the second detector is activated, the first detector and the second detector are configured to control a scrolling rate of a graphical object based on an amount of force placed on the roller by a user,
- the roller is configured to be moved in a third direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, to activate the first detector and the second detector,
- if the first detector and the second detector are activated, the first detector and the second detector are configured to change a control characteristic of the roller device being rotated from a first characteristic to a second characteristic, and
- the first control characteristic of the roller device being rotated is for cursor control and the second control characteristic of the roller device being rotated is for scrolling control.
5 more elements
A method for scrolling a graphical object along a first axis and a second axis, the method comprising:
- scrolling the graphical object along the first axis if a roller wheel of a mouse is rotated by a user;
- scrolling the graphical object along the second axis at a first rate if a first sensor or a second sensor detects a first amount of lateral force placed on the roller wheel by a user;
- scrolling the graphical object along the second axis at a second rate if one of the first sensor and the second sensor detects a second amount of lateral force placed on the roller wheel by the user;
- moving a cursor if the mouse is moved relative to a work surface if the first sensor and the second sensor are not pressed at the same time;
- and
- scrolling the graphical object if the mouse is moved relative to the work surface and the first sensor and the second sensor are pressed at the same time.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.