A stylus having a pressure sensitive side switch for use with digitizer apparatus is disclosed. The pressure sensitive side switch is activated by the application of pressure thereto substantially normal to the axis of the stylus by the finger of a user. In the illustrated embodiments, the pressure sensitive switch comprises a movable element, and the switch provides a signal related to movement of the movable element substantially normal to the stylus axis. The switch output in the preferred embodiment is linearly related to movement of the movable element. The switch may comprise a magnet and a Hall-effect device mounted in the stylus for movement relative to each other. The pressure sensitive side switch may be used to control line width, coloring, gray scaling, Z-axis input, etc.
A digitizer stylus with Z-axis side pressure control, comprising a nib front end resiliently mounted on the stylus housing and cooperating with a Hall-effect transducer such that side pressure on the nib, used like a calligraphic pen or brush, modifies the Hall-effect output, which can be used to modify an additional parameter, such as line width, of a drawing.
A switch is provided with the ability to diagnose its own operation and provide signals that represent the actuation of the switch and various diagnostic outputs that indicate fault conditions or potential fault conditions with regard to either the switch or related machinery. A magnetically sensitive component, such as a Hall element, is used to provide an analog output signal that is representative of the position of an actuator to which a magnet structure is rigidly attached. As the actuator moves in response to an external force, the magnet structure moves with respect to a stationary magnetically sensitive component. The analog output from the magnetically sensitive component can be used to determine the position of the switch. Based on this information, a microprocessor provides a binary output signal indicating whether the switch is actuated or deactuated. In addition, the movement of the actuator can be compared to various thresholds to determine the operate point, the overtravel point, the total travel and the velocity of the switch plunger.
A position pointing mechanism for use with a position detecting apparatus, including a pen shaped position pointing device manipulable with one hand of a person operating the mechanism, a rotatable dial having an exposed periphery moveable along the axis of the position pointing device and located on the pen shaped position pointing device so as to be operable with a finger of the one hand in which the position pointing device is held. Provision is made for detecting rotation of the dial, and for detecting relative pressure between the position pointing device and the position detecting apparatus.
A three dimensional positional device which may be used with a computer to enable, for example, a cursor to be moved in three dimensions. The device includes a movable portion (64) and a stationary portion (61). Movement of the movable portion (64) is translated into the movement of three Hall effect devices (69, 77, 81) in three orthogonal directions, relative to three magnetic systems (67, 72, 82). The movable portion (64) may be moved in a plane and pivoted relative to the stationary portion (61).
This invention provides a pointing device which gives a feeling of operation closer to the feel of people without requiring an operation space. While a writing instrument having a pen grip (2) fitted thereto is held by a hand, a gripping force is applied by fingers as if a line were drawn in a moving direction of a cursor (the line need not be drawn in practice). The pressures of the fingers are measured by strain gauges (28a, 28b, and 28c), which send their corresponding voltage values to a CPU (40). The CPU (40) calculates the moving direction and distance of the cursor on the basis of the voltage values. Then, receiving the data, the cursor is moved to a designated position. When a microswitch (110) is pushed, the cursor position is made definite.
