Claims
- 1. A digitizer pointer for use with a digitizer system, the digitizer pointer comprising:
a housing; a tip, wherein a mid-point of the pointer is located equidistant between said tip and a rear end of the pointer; said housing defining an outer surface including an elongated rear portion, and a grip area located between the elongated rear portion and said tip; wherein a selected cross section of said grip area defines an area substantially greater than a selected cross section of said rear portion and substantially greater than a selected cross section of said tip; wherein a substantial part of said grip area is located between said mid point of the pointer and the tip; wherein said grip area defines an apex which is defined as the part of the grip area positioned farthest from a first axis of the pointer; and wherein a first slope on a first side of said apex and a second slope on a second side of said apex are non-symmetrical relative to said apex in that the first and second slopes are shaped differently as they slope away from said apex.
- 2. The pointer of claim 1, wherein said pointer includes said first axis and a second axis that are approximately parallel to one another, wherein said first axis extends through said tip and said second axis extends through the rear end of the pointer, and wherein said first and second axes are offset from one another.
- 3. The pointer of claim 2, wherein said first slope and said second slope slope away from said apex in different directions.
- 4. The pointer of claim 3, wherein said first slope slopes toward said tip of the pointer and wherein at least a portion of a surface of said first slope defines a slope angle β of from about 20-45 degrees relative to said first axis of the pointer.
- 5. The pointer of claim 4, wherein said second slope slopes toward the rear end of the pointer, and wherein a first portion of a surface of said second slope defines a slope angle φ of from about 35-70 degrees relative to the second axis of the pointer.
- 6. The pointer of claim 1, further including a finger rotatable dial.
- 7. The pointer of claim 1, further including a portion between the tip and a switch which slopes upward at an angle α of from about 15-30 degrees relative to the first axis.
- 8. A digitizer pointer comprising:
an elongated housing; a tip at a first end of said housing; a mid point of said housing located equidistant between said first end and a second end of said housing; a tapered portion of said housing at least partially located between said first end and said mid point, said tapered portion being thinner than said mid point of said housing, and wherein said tapered portion includes a thinnest part thereof; a finger flare located between the thinnest part of said tapered portion and said tip, and wherein said finger flare flares outwardly relative to said tapered portion to a degree sufficient to reduce the amount of user finger force required to manipulate the pointer.
- 9. The pointer of claim 8, wherein a cross section of said finger flare includes a larger surface area than does a cross section of said tapered portion.
- 10. The pointer of claim 9, wherein said tapered portion and said flare are approximately annular in shape.
- 11. The pointer of claim 10, wherein said tapered portion has a diameter smaller than a diameter of said flare and a diameter of said mid point of said housing.
- 12. The pointer of claim 11, wherein said flare is integrally formed with said housing.
- 13. The pointer of claim 10, wherein said flare is immediately adjacent a tip support area of the pointer.
- 14. The pointer of claim 8, wherein the pointer is in the shape of a stylus.
- 15. The pointer of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of said finger flare is angled away from a central elongated axis of the pointer by an angle γ of from about 8-30 degrees.
- 16. The pointer of claim 15, wherein angle γ is from about 10-20 degrees.
- 17. The pointer of claim 8, wherein a surface of the housing, as the surface extends away from the mid point toward the second end of the pointer, angles inwardly toward a central elongated axis of the pointer by an angle ψ of from about 1-10 degrees.
- 18. The pointer of claim 17, wherein angle ψ is from about 2-6 degrees.
- 19. The pointer of claim 1, wherein the housing at the apex of the grip area is wider than a width of the housing in the grip area at a location closer to the first axis.
- 20. The pointer of claim 1, further including a gripping portion in said grip area which includes surface texture or a rubberized member for improving gripping characteristics.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
10-9325,981080 |
Apr 1998 |
JP |
|
10-9326,981081 |
Apr 1998 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. Ser. No. 09/090,307, filed on Jun. 4, 1998, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09090307 |
Jun 1998 |
US |
Child |
09110071 |
Jul 1998 |
US |