Importance

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Abstract

An improved position indicating device is presented. The position indicating device includes a housing having a sealed compartment and an opened compartment. A trackball is located in the opened compartment. A plurality of drive tube assemblies are also located in the opened compartment for supporting a periphery of the trackball. In one embodiment, the plurality of drive tubes include an X-axis drive tube and a Y-axis drive tube. The X-axis drive tube and the Y-axis drive tube each have a sealed magnet assembly affixed thereto. The drive tube assemblies and sealed magnetic assemblies generate a north-to-south pole magnetic field angle as the drive tube rotate. The sealed compartment includes an X-axis angle sensor, an X-axis signal conditioner, a Y-axis magnetic angle sensor, and a Y-axis signal conditioner. The angle sensors and signal conditioners sense and measure the north-to-south pole magnetic field angle generated by the rotating drive assemblies and sealed magnetic assemblies. The sealed compartment also includes a processor. The processor is coupled to the angle sensors and the signal conditioners and determines a change in consecutive magnetic field angles. The processor translates the change into an indication of linear motion of the position indicating device. The processor formats the indication into a signal, which it then transmits to a host device such as an information processing device.

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First Claim