(19)
(11)EP 1 128 321 A3

(12)EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)Date of publication A3:
12.03.2003 Bulletin 2003/11

(43)Date of publication A2:
29.08.2001 Bulletin 2001/35

(21)Application number: 01301477.4

(22)Date of filing:  20.02.2001
(51)International Patent Classification (IPC)7G06K 11/18, G06F 3/00
(84)Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)Priority: 24.02.2000 US 511755

(71)Applicant: Nokia Corporation
02150 Espoo (FI)

(72)Inventor:
  • Kirjanen, Jari
    37100 Nokia (FI)

(74)Representative: Read, Matthew Charles et al
Venner Shipley & Co. 20 Little Britain
London EC1A 7DH
London EC1A 7DH (GB)

  


(54)A roller device


(57) A roller responds to a force applied by a user, for providing a multi-phase coil signal containing information about the force applied by the user. The roller has a magnetic rotor and a multi-phase coil member. The force applied by the user may include a rotational force applied by the user to a track ball or any force applied by the user to a mouse that causes the roller to move or rotate. In this case, the multi-phase coil signal contains information about the force applied on the track ball or mouse by the user. The roller may also respond to roller driving signals, for example, from a host system or other circuitry, for rotating the roller about the main roller axis. The roller may be used as a part of mobile, office, factory or military equipment, such as a joystick.





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