Importance

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Abstract

A compact, miniaturized pointing device for use with an electronic apparatus, such as a computer, personal data assistant (PDA), or digital watch display screen, is provided to indicate the position of a cursor mark on the display screen. The pointing device includes an elastic member which has a body portion that extends above the surface of the electronic apparatus with a section below the surface including pressure sensitive elements and corresponding position indicators. When a finger is placed on the elastic member, vibrational pressures are generated and pressure signals are propagated through the elastic member reaching the pressure sensing elements housed in the submerged section. The intensity of the propagating signal attenuates with a square of the distance traveled and, therefore, from a determination of the ratio of the magnitude the output voltage signals from the pressure sensing elements, the position of the pressed point on the elastic member can be computed. The pointing device computes the coordinates of the pressed point in relation to the projected pressed point on orthogonal axes of a planar surface at the submerged section, and from these coordinates are utilized by circuitry of the electronic apparatus to correspondingly position the cursor mark on the display screen. A movement of the finger on the elastic member can be translated into a movement vector, and sampling rates are adjusted to follow any velocity rate of the movement vector thereby allowing the screen to accurately reflect the movement of the finger.

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First Claim