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:
Nov. 30, 2004
Filed:
Oct. 07, 2002
Richard M. Passaro, Fairfield, CT (US);
Measurement Systems, Inc., Fairfield, CT (US);
Abstract
An improved position indicating device is presented. The position indicating device includes a housing having a sealed compartment and an opened compartment. A trackball is located in the opened compartment. A plurality of drive tube assemblies are also located in the opened compartment for supporting a periphery of the trackball. In one embodiment, the plurality of drive tubes include an X-axis drive tube and a Y-axis drive tube. The X-axis drive tube and the Y-axis drive tube each have a sealed magnet assembly affixed thereto. The drive tube assemblies and sealed magnetic assemblies generate a north-to-south pole magnetic field angle as the drive tube rotate. The sealed compartment includes an X-axis angle sensor, an X-axis signal conditioner, a Y-axis magnetic angle sensor, and a Y-axis signal conditioner. The angle sensors and signal conditioners sense and measure the north-to-south pole magnetic field angle generated by the rotating drive assemblies and sealed magnetic assemblies. The sealed compartment also includes a processor. The processor is coupled to the angle sensors and the signal conditioners and determines a change in consecutive magnetic field angles. The processor translates the change into an indication of linear motion of the position indicating device. The processor formats the indication into a signal, which it then transmits to a host device such as an information processing device.