Logitech, Inc.

Logitech Europe S.a.

Other

Logitech Sa

Marc A Bidiville

Antoine A Merminod

Denis O'Keeffe

Julien Piot

Florian Max Kehlstadt

Javier Arreguit

Floris A Van Shaik

Harthmuth Buczek

Laurent Plancherel

Baptiste Merminod

Eric Raeber

Jean-Luc Dupraz

Berni Joss

Maxime Marini

Chiu Yu

Francedillaois Bauduin

Darragh Luttrell

Christian Michel Blandin

Rene Dandliker

Denes Karai

Kieran Devey

Ren&eacute; Sommer

Olivier Theytaz

Nicolas Ramond

Nicolas Chauvin

Erik Allen Charlton

Neil O'Connell

Timothy O'Sullivan

Samuel Siegfried

Ting Hu Chang

Joseph Lu

Jean-Daniel Nicoud

Eric A Vittoz

Martin Gleeson

Philippe Junod

Aldo Bussien

Shawn D Worsell

Ting Fu Chang

Jen-Ming Chiang

Bernhard Joss

Tim O'Sullivan

Alex Sung

Ren&eacute; D&auml;ndliker

D&eacute;nes Kara&iuml;

Francois Bauduin

Jacques Antoine Dayer

Jean-Luc Mazzone

Fabien Droz-Dit-Busset

Bernard Steenis

Patrick Favre

Ying Chou Cheng

Certain embodiments of the invention include an input device (e.g., a computer mouse) including a processor, a housing including a top side, the housing configured to support a user's hand, and a detachable cover plate configured to attach to the top side of the housing and support a user's hand. The cover plate can include a shape memory polymer (SMP) disposed thereon, where the SMP is pliable and operable to conform to the user's hand when a temperature of the SMP is at or above a threshold value. Furthermore, the SMP can be firm and non-conforming when the temperature of the SMP falls below the threshold value. A heating unit controlled by the processor can be configured to control the temperature of the shape memory polymer. The detachable cover plate can include the shape memory polymer disposed in areas configured to contact a user's palm and thumb.

Input device with a customizable contour

A solid-state roller on a pointing device with enhanced features. The solid-state design described herein allows the sensor to be placed on any shape of surface, such as one that has curvature in two directions. In one embodiment, a trench or downward curve contains sensors for detecting finger movement. The user's finger can thus bend about a knuckle in a curved motion to activate the sensor, requiring little or no movement of the finger up and down. The solid-state sensors can be of one of a number of designs. In one embodiment, multiple electrodes are contacted by a finger as it moves. Each electrode is coupled to a capacitive detection circuit, for detecting the change in capacitance as the electrode is contacted by the finger.

Pointing device with solid-state roller

A roller for a mouse includes a roller wheel having an outer portion formed of metal and a corrugated surface; a pivot arm configured to pivot in a first direction to contact the corrugated surface and to pivot in a second direction to move away from the corrugated surface; and user operable device configured to be translated to pivot the pivot arm.

Multi-function roller apparatus and method for a control device

A system and method for controlling friction between a mouse and the surface upon which it is placed. Reduction of friction can be accomplished in several ways, including: making the feet of the mouse from various different materials, creating layers of air between the mouse and the surface, creating beveled edges for the feet of mouse, etc. In one embodiment, the feet of the mouse are made of a piezo-electric layer bonded to another layer made of a different material. Exciting the piezo-electric layer at certain frequencies makes the two layers shrink and expand differently, thus creating oscillations of the feet. In yet another embodiment, portions of the mouse feet are made of different materials with different coefficients of friction. These different portions of the feet can be pressed down onto the surface with varying amounts of pressure, thus altering the friction.

Input device with reduced friction

A roller for a control device includes a roller wheel having an outer portion formed of metal and a corrugated surface; a pivot arm configured to pivot in a first direction to contact the corrugated surface and to pivot in a second direction to move away from the corrugated surface; and energy driven means configured to pivot the pivot arm.

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.

Roller with multiple force sense levels

A number of embodiments of a rotatable member or wheel that can be mounted in a mouse or other input device that allows both rotation and response to lateral pressure for horizontal or other scrolling.

Mouse roller with horizontal scrolling and horizontal tilting switch

A roller on a mouse or other input device imparts a resistance effect to a user with low power. The invention uses an autoblocking mechanism, such as a brake, which derives the force from the force of the user's finger pushing against the autoblocking mechanism. In one embodiment, a braking mechanism using two small rollers biased against the bigger roller or wheel is used. As the user applies a turning force to the wheel, it wedges against one of the two small rollers, depending on the direction, providing the feeling of resistance to the user as the wheel is turned. In another embodiment of the invention, local feedback is provided on a ratchet-type effect. In another embodiment of the invention, feedback is provided through the roller even when the cause of the feedback is something other than the roller.

Roller with tactile feedback

A system and method of manufacturing directed to an optical device with optical illumination. The optical device has a case for encasing an optical module. The optical module has one or more contact points in contact with the imaged surface. The suspension system uses a flexible connection to suspend the optical module over an opening in the bottom of the case. The flexible connection and the contact points control the distance between a surface and an optical lens within the optical module and allow the optical module to stay in the correct position.

Suspension system for use in an optical displacement detection system

A sensor for sensing movement of an encoder. At least two sensors are mounted adjacent the encoder. Each of the sensors provides an output corresponding to the amount of movement. A pair of comparators are connected to the sensors to provide two signal outputs. The comparator outputs are then provided to a digital encoding circuit which encodes the signals as a multi-bit serial value on a single output line. The bit value can be read by forcing control pulses onto the output line through an input buffer connected to the same line. The use of the single output line eliminates the extra output pin of the prior art, enabling a three pin package to be used.

Transmission of differential optical detector signal over a single line

A method and apparatus for replacing two separate photo detectors chips and two photo emitters by a single photo detector chip and a single photo emitter. This is achieved by using CombiDisks having a flexible shaft. The flexible section allows for the bending of the CombiDisks so that the encoder disks are next to each other and tangent to the same vertical plane. This allows for the placement of both the x and the y sensors in a single plane. This will in turn allow for the two photo detectors to be integrated in a single semiconductor chip, saving a separate photo detector chip, and its associated packaging. This additional savings is significant since the packaging itself contributes to approximately one half of the cost of such a detector.

Computer input device with encoders having flexible shafts and conical rollers

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Pully, Switzerland

Marc A Bidiville