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:
Jul. 15, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 12, 2000
Mikio Onodera, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Hidetaka Numata, Miyagi-ken, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A ROM provided in a computer stores tables showing the relationships between the direction and amount of operation of a manual operating section, and external force to be applied from electric motors. A CPU determines the direction and amount of external force to be applied to the manual operating section based on positional information output from encoders and the tables, and drives the electric motors via a motor driver. The operator can feel the resistance produced thereby at the manual operating section. Therefore, it is possible to finely operate the manual operating section, and to thereby control the functions of car-mounted electrical devices. By applying external force to the manual operating section when the manual operating section is operated to the moving limit, the operator can sense the moving limit of the manual operating section, and can select a car-mounted electrical device.