The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 04, 1997
Charles Whipple Case, Jr, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Torbjorn Hovden, San Jose, CA (US);
Gregory Clark Smith, La Honda, CA (US);
Steven Porter Hotelling, Cupertino, CA (US);
Michael Kenneth Sabina, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Gyration, Inc., , US;
Saratoga, Inc., , US;
Abstract
Pointing apparatus and method provide for control of cursor movement and selection of elements on a computer screen. Gyroscopic elements within the pointing apparatus indicate yaw and pitch movements in free space, and a mouse ball and mouse ball encoders indicate movement on a surface. Data indicative of the distance and direction the cursor is to be moved is generated from outputs of the gyroscopic elements and the mouse ball encoders. Certain amounts of movement are deemed unintentional, and, if necessary, the pointing apparatus adjusts the data so as not to indicate movement of such amounts. By doing so, the pointing apparatus minimizes unintentional cursor movement caused by instability of the gyroscopes and the inability of a person to hold the pointing apparatus absolutely motionless.