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:
Dec. 21, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 03, 1997
Tomoaki Kodama, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiroki Yokoyama, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kazuyoshi Hibiya, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Hiroyuki Abe, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Stanley Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An optical pointing device for instructing a predetermined operation by moving an index over a display screen of a computer is configured such that a plurality of photocouplers are arranged on vertical sides and horizontal sides of a rectangular operation plane at a predetermined pitch in such a manner that lines of action thereof cross each other at a right angle, coordinates of a first shading pointer contacted to the surface of the operation plane are detected by the photocouplers, coordinates of a second shading pointer contacted to the surface of the operation plane are then detected, and a moving direction is set from the coordinates to move the index. Therefore, a plurality of locations on the surface of the operation plane can be detected by the photocouplers independently, the moving direction can be set from the coordinates of locations where two pointers are placed, and only the moving direction is instructed from the operation plane, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the pointing device.