公开(公告)号：JP2000029623A

公开(公告)日：2000-01-28

申请号：JP14777599

申请日：1999-05-27

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： KIM WESLEY MAY ,  SELKER EDWIN JOSEPH

IPC: G06F3/038 ,  G06F3/033 ,  G06F3/02

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate direct click operation on the built-in pointing device itself by building a magnetic means, which provides tactile feedback to an operator using a control input device, in a pointing actuator. SOLUTION: An operation lever 52 is wound with a coil 56 and when a joy stick actuator 45 is pressed down, i.e., 'clicked', an electric signal is sent to the coil 56 to produce a magnetic field, which moves a ferromagnetic slug 53 upward through the hole of the operation lever 52 and brings it into contact with a cap 58. At this time, the user feels the force of the ferromagnetic slug 53 abutting against the joy stick actuator 34. The elevated ferromagnetic slug 53 provides audible feedback that the user can hear by a shock of the ferromagnetic slug 53 abutting the lower side of the cap 58 with a force that is large enough to provide feedback which can be detected with a finger tip of the user.