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:
Mar. 16, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 24, 1997
Yoshiki Koizumi, Fukushima-ken, JP;
Masatoshi Uchio, Fukushima-ken, JP;
Takuro Hatakeyama, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Abstract
An input apparatus that allows those who are severely physically handicapped for example to enter characters with comparative ease and minimizes the chance of making error entries. The input apparatus comprising: an optical signal transmitter constituted to be worn on the head of an operator and having a plurality of light-emitting elements for transmitting an optical signal and a breath-operated switch; an image display device on which a cursor is shown; and an optical signal receiver connected to the image display device and having a single light-receiving element for receiving the optical signal and a data processor; wherein the optical signal transmitter, when worn on the operator head, transmits, on the optical signal, a data signal containing switch data to be generated when the breath-operated switch is operated, the optical signal receiver generates coordinate data from positional data indicating a shift of the operator head from a predetermined position in the optical signal transmitter and switch data contained in the data signal according to a reception state of the optical signal coming from the optical signal transmitter and supplies the generated coordinate data to the image display device, and the image display device moves a display position of the cursor according to the positional data contained in the coordinate data and selects a display capability according to the switch data contained in the coordinate data.