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. 26, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1997
Mark S Aubuchon, Spring, TX (US);
Paul M Pierce, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Other;
Abstract
A hand-held TV/computer remote infrared control device has an elongated rectangular housing with a front longitudinal portion and a considerably shorter rear end portion which is downwardly and rearwardly inclined relative to the front portion and has a generally bulbous underside section which may be grasped from below by a control hand of a user, with the elongated front portion extending forwardly beyond the control hand. The device is stabilized against forward tipping in the user's hand by positioning somewhat more than half of the operating weight of the device in its rear end portion. Various control buttons are disposed on the top side of the front portion, and the downward tilt of the grasped rear end portion causes the front end portion to tip upwardly to make the control buttons easier to see by the user. A computer pointing structure, in the form of a track ball and two associated selection buttons, is disposed on the top side of the rear end portion, and an auxiliary computer selection button is disposed on the bottom side of the housing at the juncture of its front portion and rear end portion. The track ball and the two top side selection buttons are positioned to be used by the user's control hand thumb, and the auxiliary selection button is positioned to be used trigger-like by the control hand index finger.