| abstract |
THIS CONTACT PANEL 21 USABLE IN PARTICULAR WITH A LAPTOP COMPUTER IS MOUNTED IN A CIRCUIT WHICH ALLOWS THE X-Y COORDINATES OF THE POINT WHERE THE USER PRESSES THE FINGER. THE PANEL IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL PUSHBUTTON ZONES 65-79 AND A LARGER ZONE 63 OF CURSOR CONTROL. WHEN THE CIRCUIT DETERMINES THAT THE FINGER IS PRESSED ON A PUSH-BUTTON, IT TRANSMITS THE CORRESPONDING INFORMATION TO THE COMPUTER. WHEN IT DETERMINES THAT THE FINGER PRESSES ON THE CURSOR CONTROL AREA, THE CIRCUIT TRANSMITS TO THE COMPUTER SIGNALS OF INCREMENTIAL DISTANCE, A FUNCTION OF THE FINGER MOVEMENT SPEED, WHICH ARE USED TO MOVE A CURSOR ON THE VISUAL OF THE COMPUTER. IF THE USER APPLIES A BRIEF BLOW TO THE SURFACE OF THIS ZONE, THE CIRCUIT DIFFERENTIATES IT FROM A FINGER MOVEMENT AND TRANSMITS A SPECIAL SIGNAL TO THE COMPUTER WHICH INTERPRETS IT, FOR EXAMPLE, AS AN EXECUTION SIGNAL. |