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. 04, 2008
Filed:
May. 28, 2002
Tadamitsu Sato, Fukushima-ken, JP;
Akihisa Itoh, Fukushima-ken, JP;
Hiroshi Shigetaka, Fukushima-ken, JP;
Tadamitsu Sato, Fukushima-ken, JP;
Akihisa Itoh, Fukushima-ken, JP;
Hiroshi Shigetaka, Fukushima-ken, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An input device including a main device composed of a coordinate input device, an operating surface having input portions displayed thereon, and a switch device having switches connected in parallel, and a control device which selects one of a first mode in which an item signal is generated in accordance with an indication item at an input portion when the input portion is operated, and a second mode in which a position signal corresponding to an operating position on the operating surface is generated independently of the indication item at the input portion. The item signal is generated on the basis of an absolute coordinate signal output from the coordinate input device and a switch signal output from the switch device in the first mode, and the position signal is generated on the basis of a relative coordinate signal output from the coordinate input device in the second mode.