Did You Know...
...that the first rickshaw was invented in 1869 by an American Baptist minister, the Rev. E. Jonathan Scobie, to transport his invalid wife around the streets of Yokohama?
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7439951 | Power management for interface devices applying forces A method and apparatus for providing safe and low-cost force feedback peripherals for consumer applications. A device microprocessor local to an interface device is coupled to the host by a first interface bus. The microprocessor receives host commands from the host... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7436391 | Navigation switch The present invention relates to a navigational button including an actuating element which is displaceable at least in two directions and controls the navigation button. The present actuating element is arranged in a casing and performs an action on a communication... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7436398 | Operating device An operating device for controlling a display screen, which includes a rotatable operating member of cylindrical shape, and a slidable operating member having a cylindrical tip portion located above an upper end of the rotatable operating member. The diameter of an ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7436400 | Interface apparatus combining display panel and shaft The interface apparatus includes a base, a shaft installed on the base in a moveable way, a detecting module for detecting movement of the shaft, and a display panel with at least a handle installed on the shaft. When a user holds the handle to move the display pane... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7432910 | Haptic interface device and actuator assembly providing linear haptic sensations An interface device and method providing haptic sensations to a user. A user physically contacts a housing of the interface device, and a sensor device detects the manipulation of the interface device by the user. An actuator assembly includes an actuator that provi... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7429977 | Joystick controller A joystick controller comprises a housing (10) and a joystick (12) mounted for pivotal movement relative to the housing (10) by means of a ball (14) and socket joint (18,20). A yoke (18) resolves directional movement of the ... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7425675 | System and method for manipulation of sound data using haptic feedback In an embodiment, a device which comprises means for generating an audio signal based on sound data, the audio signal configured to produce sound from an audio producing device; means for generating a haptic command based on the sound data, the haptic command config... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7423631 | Low-cost haptic mouse implementations Low-cost haptic interface device implementations for interfacing a user with a host computer. A haptic feedback device, such as a mouse or other device, includes a housing physically contacted by a user, and an actuator for providing motion that causes haptic sensat... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7417396 | Manual operation device for automotive vehicle A manual operation device for controlling an instrument mounted on an automotive vehicle includes: an operating portion to be operated manually; an actuator for applying a force to the operating portion; a detection portion for detecting an operation position of the... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7414615 | System and method for inputting characters using a directional pad A system and method for enabling a user to input characters using a directional pad of a computing device. The directional pad is configured to generate directional inputs. The invention creates mappings for the directional inputs where each of the mappings associat... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7414614 | User interface A user input device for providing 8-way directional control, comprising a first set of sensors consisting of a first sensor adjacent a second sensor, constituting a first pair of sensors, and a third sensor adjacent the second sensor, constituting a second pair of s... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7411521 | Control system A control system comprising a control input device having a movable magnet, a pole-piece frame arrangement positioned about the magnet and positioned therein at least two magnetic flux sensors for sensing movement of the magnet in a given direction. The control syst... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7407439 | Apparatus and system for reconfigurable two-hand game controllers A game controller system for electronic games includes a two-hand operated game pad that has a pair of pistol-like grips extending from opposed ends of a central housing bearing player input buttons, triggers analog sticks, and digital pad. A wrist support panel ext... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7406662 | Data input panel character conversion An in-place data input panel provides a user with access to a list of alternate characters to which displayed characters may be converted. The data input panel provides an indicator, such as an indicator bar, corresponding to segmentation of the characters. A user c... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7405726 | 3D cursor or joystick device A 3D cursor or joystick device and control method employs a complementary pair of emitter/detector units, one worn on a part of a user's body (e.g., the head) and the other mounted in a stationary position on a display monitor facing the user. Each unit has an array... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7405727 | Lift detection mechanism for optical mouse sensor A method for detecting a lift condition from an illuminated surface portion of an optical motion sensing device. According to a first embodiment, two different “loss-of-focus” thresholds are used. A first threshold is used when the optical pointing device is not... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7394173 | Direct drive controller with haptic feedback A reliable and cost-efficient direct drive force feedback motor is suitable for joystick applications, allowing multiple degrees of output freedom, requiring no coil commutation, and permitting compact packaging. A multiple degree-of-freedom motor consistent with th... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7391411 | Capacitance type sensor A capacitance type sensor includes a substrate, a group of electrodes fixed on an upper face of the substrate, a movable electrode plate having an electrode on its lower side and a gap between the group of fixed electrodes on the substrate and the electrode on the m... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7391409 | Method and system for applying gearing effects to multi-channel mixed input A method and system for interactive interfacing with a computer gaming system is provided. The method includes providing an input device, where the input device is configured to convey mutlti-channel mixed input data that is to be interpreted by the computer gaming ... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7391410 | Input device for touch screen A movement input device for use on a touch screen and a portable electronic device including such a device are described. The movement input device includes a fastening unit securing the movement input device on the portable electronic device, and a user input unit ... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7388574 | Pointing device A pointing device is provided which facilitates the assembly, achieves downsizing and has a long life. Magnetic sensors 21 are placed symmetrically two by two along an X axis and Y axis on a printed circuit board 24. A switch 28 is placed on a s... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7385597 | Information processing device with rotatable screen and external input device In an information processing device, system operations can be simply performed while a screen of a display body is viewed, even when the display body is folded against a main body. In the information processing device, a display body with a screen arranged on the fr... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7385530 | Key system for a communication device A key activation system for use in a handheld communication device is provided. The system comprises an activation mechanism associated with a key in the system, a first feedback system and a second feedback system. The activation mechanism is associated with the ke... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7373229 | Multifunction control system A control system for a vehicle with a plurality of selectively variable characteristics includes an input member and a generally cylindrical wheel. The input member is manipulable to cause a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation. In the first mode o... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7372450 | Analog input mapping for hand-held computing devices A first hand-held computing device includes an analog input device and a processor. The analog input device generates analog input. The processor receives the analog input and converts the analog input to coordinates. The processor then maps the coordinates to a but... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7369119 | Handset device with dual side joystick An electronic device (100, 200) contains a first joystick mechanism (114) and a second joystick mechanism (112), each joystick mechanism (112, 114) extending outside of substantially opposed outer surfaces (403, 414) of the electro... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7368673 | Multi directional input apparatus A knob for performing a parallel operation, a rotational operation and a pushing operation relative to a case, a first rotor disposed rotatably to the case, a second rotor positioned face to face and adjacent to the first rotor in the direction of a knob rotational ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7369117 | Application programming interface that maps input device controls to software actions A system for using computer input devices with software applications is disclosed. The system includes an input device mapper API, which uses a language of semantics as an interface between input devices and software applications. The input device mapper receives in... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7369115 | Haptic devices having multiple operational modes including at least one resonant mode An apparatus comprises a signal source, a driver and an electro-mechanical transducer. The signal source is configured to output a haptic feedback signal. The driver is configured to receive the haptic feedback signal and output a drive signal. The electro-mechanica... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7362307 | Joystick connectable to the operating member of an exerciser or game machine A joystick used in a motion apparatus, for example, an exerciser or game machine, is disclosed to include a base fixedly fastened to the body of the motion apparatus, a motion member fixedly fastened to the operating member of the motion apparatus for biasing with t... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7362306 | Image displaying device An image displaying device includes a display unit which displays a cursor and at least one button; an input unit for moving the cursor and for selecting the button; and a controller for controlling the display unit and the input unit. The input unit is provided wit... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7360176 | Symbol selector and symbol selection method A symbol selector comprising a storage unit which stores a symbol list including predetermined arrayed symbols; a manipulator unit for manipulating a pointing position of a virtual pointer which moves virtually over the symbol list stored in the storage unit; a sens... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7358956 | Method for providing feedback responsive to sensing a physical presence proximate to a control of an electronic device In a computer system, a touch sensitive input device having touch sensitive auxiliary controls can be used to provide a user with information regarding the functionality of an auxiliary control. When a user's hand approaches a touch sensitive input device, feedback ... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7356448 | Input device operating on the parallel kinematic principle with haptic feedback The invention concerns an input device operating according to the parallel kinematic principle and with haptic feedback, in particular for medical teleoperation with instruments. The inventive input device comprises a frame (10, as well as a support element (... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7356769 | Method and apparatus for providing inputs to a communication or computing device A miniaturized user input device or input button (14) for a computing or communication device, such as a personal digital assistant device or a mobile phone. A user provides inputs to the computing or communication device by inserting an end (12) of a ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7355587 | Method and apparatus for computer input using six degrees of freedom A computer input device includes a camera for capturing an image of a pattern on a surface. A processor in the computer input device determines equations for lines from the image of the pattern, applies the line equations to a transform to form transformed line equa... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7352359 | Method and system for applying gearing effects to inertial tracking Methods and systems for interactive interfacing with a computer gaming system are provided. A method includes providing an input device, where the input device is configured to convey inertial data that is to be interpreted by the computer gaming system. The method ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7352358 | Method and system for applying gearing effects to acoustical tracking A method and system for enabling dynamic user interactivity between user actions and actions to be performed by a computer program is provided. The system includes a computing system and an acoustic detection analyzer that is coupled to or executed by the computing ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7351923 | Portable communication device with swiveling key A portable communication device with an external housing (1) containsat least a mechanical switch (2a; 2b) and at least one key (3) for actuation of said mechanical switch (2a; 2b), said key compr... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7348261 | Wafer scale thin film package A chip module having a chip with a flexible multilayer redistribution thin film attached thereto for connection to a substrate. The thin film acts as both a redistribution medium with multiple layers of redistribution metallurgy for chip power and signals and as a c... | 03/25/2008 |
