(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 |
(22) | Date of filing: 20.02.2001 |
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(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
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(71) | Applicant: Nokia Corporation | | 02150 Espoo (FI) |
| (72) | Inventor: | | - Kirjanen, Jari
37100 Nokia (FI)
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(74) | Representative: Read, Matthew Charles et al | | Venner Shipley & Co. 20 Little Britain London EC1A 7DH London EC1A 7DH (GB) |
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(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.