Foot-operated key pad
Contents
1. 1 2001 Bischetal 10 2002 Davidson et al gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt gt 7 2003 Howell 9 1992 Murphy PENES 128 776 6 1994 Jeffcoat et al 433 72 9 1996 Hayes etal 345 156 1 1998 Carretal 200 86 5 11 1998 Bookstein 3 1999 Schwaegerle 3 1999 Klarlund 5 1999 Medina 6 611 250 B1 8 2003 6 714 188 Bl 3 2004 6 798 396 B2 9 2004 6 812 918 B2 11 2004 6 866 507 B2 3 2005 6 975 303 B2 12 2005 6 980 133 B2 12 2005 D517 500 S 3 2006 0519 467 4 2006 7 062 365 1 6 2006 2002 0030661 Al 3 2002 Prince et al 345 163 Zebuhr et al 345 163 345 156 345 167 Beerstecher 433 101 Dalsey 345 163 FOODS 341 20 Chow et al D13 167 Chow et al D13 167 Fel netos ceni f eet 701 36 Gemunder et al 345 156 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS JP 09 258887 10 1997 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Kinesis Corporation Retail Price List dated Aug 22 2003 cited by examiner U S Patent Jun 30 2009 Sheet 1 of 9 US 7 554 526 B2 US 7 554 526 B2 Sheet 2 of 9 Jun 30 2009 U S Patent FIG 4 U S Patent Jun 30 2009 Sheet 3 of 9 US 7 554 526 B2 U S Patent2. device with a separate foot or may switch his foot back and forth as the user prefers Referring to FIG 7 the preferred embodiment of data entry pad 10 is illustrated connected to a typical computer system 50 used for data entry Data entry pad 10 is connected to multiplexer 30 Mouse 53 and keyboard 52 are also con nected to multiplexer 30 Multiplexer 30 is connected to computer tower 51 via two cords which connect to the com puter s mouse and keyboard ports not shown Multiplexer 30 receives signals from keyboard 52 mouse 53 and data entry pad 10 Signals from data entry pad 10 are identified as mouse type or keyboard type signals Signals from all input devices are prioritized and sent to the appropriate computer port i e the mouse or keyboard port Although the pre ferred embodiment is shown connected to computer system 50 via wires any or all of the connections may be wireless using any wireless technology e g methods used for a wireless mouse or wireless laptop connections Ideally the data input device should be connected to the computer in a way that is invisible to the application software Connecting to the serial port would require modifying appli cation software to look for data input at that port Connecting to a USB port is simple but in some cases will require install ing special driver software This is a reasonable approach as it will be invisible to the application software that is manipu lating or stor
3. 76 FIG 12 illustrates a Data Line Circuit MOS FET 80 to micro controller output to switch keyboard con nection 81 to open collector output of micro controller to drive data line 82 to keyboard data line 83 Schottky diode 84 to PC data line 85 The clock line circuit FIG 11 and data line circuit FIG 12 of a PS 2 port are open collector they float high with the help ofa resistor and can be pulled low by either the PC or peripheral device keyboard or mouse When the devices are connected MOSFETs are turned on by pulling gates high the keyboard or mouse can communicate directly with the PC and there is essentially no signal delay The device pulls the clock line low through the MOSFET and pulls the data line low through the diode The PC pulls the device clock line low through the diode and pulls the data line low through the MOSFET When the MOSFETs are turned off gates are pulled low the device is disconnected the device is inhibited by pulling its clock line low and the clock and data lines on the PC side can be manipulated by the micro controller to communicate foot pedal information to the PC In this disconnected state the device clock line is already low so clock transitions on the PC side will not be changing the clock line through the diode but the diode allows the line to go high When the device is inhibited it will let its data line float high The data line on the PC line can go high and low while being isol
4. A method of data entry with a foot operated key pad comprising a foot button may comprise a code of actuation of said foot button with a repeat feature wherein the code of actuation depends upon how many time the foot button is sequentially pressed without any other buttons being pressed or controllers on the key pad being operated in between said pressings of said foot button Although this invention has been described above with reference to particular means materials and embodiments it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed particulars but extends instead to all equivalents within the scope of following Claims I claim 1 data entry pad fora computer comprising a foot button said foot button being configured to enter different data values according to a code of actuation of the foot button wherein said code of actuation comprises a first data value being transmitted to the computer when the foot button is continu ously pressed for less than one second and released and a second data value being transmitted to the computer when the foot button is continuously pressed for one second or more and then released un 0 a 5 40 45 55 65 14 2 The pad of claim 1 wherein said code of actuation further comprises a third signal being sent to said computer when the foot button is continuously pressed for three sec onds or more 3 The pad of claim 2 wherein said third signal
5. Jun 30 2009 Sheet 4 of 9 US 7 554 526 B2 US 7 554 526 B2 Sheet 5 of 9 Jun 30 2009 U S Patent OL i55 LINSNYYL 934 GNODAS 593 3134 0119 451 lt NOLIN Jd Oda LINSNVH L Qqdsv3 13 NO LIT8 1514 NOLIN U S Patent Jun 30 2009 Sheet 6 of 9 US 7 554 526 B2 PRESS BUTTON Fig 9 BUTTON RELEASED SAYS 2 BUTTON RELEASED NO NO YES U S Patent Jun 30 2009 Sheet 7 of 9 US 7 554 526 B2 SAYS 2 BUTTON RELEASED PRESS BUTTON SAYS 1 TIME FROM RELEASE gt 0 5 7 BUTTON PRESSED YES SAYS 3 RELEASE gt 0 5 S BUTTON PRESSED AS MANY LAYERS AS DESIRED OPTION TO aie SAY ENTER aS Fig 10 HERE STOP Fig 16 U S Patent Jun 30 2009 Sheet 8 of 9 US 7 554 526 B2 SCHOTTKY DIODE 74 m_ MOSFET 70 D s 5 G e 730 83 MOSFET 80 SCHOTTKY DIODE 84 85 U S Patent Jun 30 2009 Sheet 9 of 9 US 7 554 526 B2 US 7 554 526 B2 1 FOOT OPERATED KEY PAD This application is a continuation in part of Non Provi sional Application Ser No 10 973 999 filed Oct 25 2004 issuing on May 6 2008 as U S Pat No 7 369 116 which claims priority of Provisional Application Ser No 60 513 929 filed Oct 23 2003 and entitled Foot Operated Data Entry Pad the ent
6. Murphy et al U S Pat No 4 904 184 Murphy U S Pat No 5 144 753 Jeffcoat U S Pat No 5 318 442 and Matoba et al U S Pat No 5 993 209 have similarly used a footpad to instinct an instrument to take a measurement and transmit the reading to a data recording system Ackerman et al U S Pat No 5 197 487 use a foot acti vated switch to switch between different modes of operation for analyzing and organizing data from a probe However the switch is not used to actually enter any data Eenboom et al U S Pat No 4 446 453 disclose a foot pad capable of very simple data entry This device is capable of entering a bare yes no response for the presence of plaque on a patient s teeth Matoba et al U S Pat No 5 993 209 also teach a device that also is used to indicate whether plaque is present on a patient s teeth None of these devices are capable of entering information beyond a simple binary data set e g yes or no either or or on or off Also there are references which disclose foot operated controls for computers For example Hayes et al U S Pat No 5 552 807 discloses foot pedal controls for both flying and driving games Also Bookstein U S Pat No 5 838 305 and Howell U S Pat No 6 091 402 disclose foot operated control of the position and movement of the computer s cur sor Also Klarlund U S Pat No 5 889 510 disclose a foot operated keyboard with two arrays of switches one in
7. and both said cursor con troller and said mouse controller button being distanced about 5 10 inches from the center of a heel support area also on said pad The foot key pad may comprise a plurality of mouse controller buttons and one mouse controller button may be in the heel support area for example Computer systems using the preferred foot key pads may be described as a computer finger keyboard mouse foot operated key pad and a multiplexer to provide cooperation between said foot operated key pad and the computer wherein the foot operated key pad comprises a heel support area and multiple foot buttons operated by the foot pressing on each button the foot buttons preferably being arranged in an arc on a radius from a center the center preferably being the heel support area A computer system may comprise a computer finger keyboard mouse foot operated key pad and a multiplexer wherein the finger keyboard mouse and foot operated keypad are connected to the inputs of the multi plexer the output of the multiplexer is connected to the com puter s input and the multiplexer is configured to feed information to the computer in the order it is input by the user of the system from the finger keyboard mouse and foot operated key pad Embodiments of the invention may include a method of data entry with a foot operated key pad comprising a foot button the method comprising a code of actuation of said button with a timing feature
8. is a mouse control button signal 4 The pad of claim 1 wherein said code of actuation further comprises a third signal being sent to said computer when the foot button is continuously pressed for more than three seconds 5 The pad of claim 4 wherein said third signal is mouse control button signal 6 The pad of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of said foot buttons the foot buttons being spaced apart in a gener ally radial planar pattern on said pad each of said foot buttons being distanced about 5 10 inches from a center of a heel support area also located on said pad 7 The pad of claim 6 which comprises a cursor controller farther from the heel support area than said foot buttons 8 The pad of claim 7 which comprises a mouse control button farther from the heel support area than said foot but tons 9 The pad of claim 7 which comprises a mouse control button in the heel support area 10 The pad of claim 9 wherein said heel support area comprises a heel support rest that is pivotal in a rearward direction and upon rearward pivoting produces a mouse control button signal 11 The pad of claim 10 wherein said heel support rest does not produce a mouse control button signal when said heel support rest is pushed straight down in a vertical direction 12 The pad of claim 11 wherein said arc of foot buttons is 5 10 inches from the heel rest and said arc extends in a range of 30 150 degrees 13 A data entry pa
9. more functions per pedal the data cannot be transmitted until the pedal is released If there are three or more functions the voice feedback can simply announce the next functional level or can insert a substitute word such as rather before the function or data name e g rather nine Referring to FIG 8 the operation of the foot buttons in the preferred embodiment for dental application is illustrated The first foot button 12 with an initial data value of 1 is used for illustrative purposes Preferably each foot button 12 is capable of entering more than one data value This is prefer ably accomplished by making the data value entered depen dent on which foot button 12 is pressed and on how often or on how long it is continuously pressed To enter a given data value the user presses the appropriate foot button 12 but the data value is preferably sent to com puter 51 only after foot button 12 is released For example if the chosen foot button 12 is released before a set time period preferably one second has passed the initial data value associated with the chosen foot button 12 is transmitted to an automatic voice system which announces the data US 7 554 526 B2 5 value and to the computer system for recording As illus trated in FIG 8 the resulting data value would be 1 The other three foot buttons 12 have initial data values of 2 3 and 4 If the foot button is not released in less than the set period of
10. of any given application When the chosen foot button 12 is pressed the initial data value is sent to the automated voice system and announced Each time the data value changes it is sent to the automated voice system and announced The data value is sent to the computer only after the chosen foot button 12 is released Optionally this data value could be re sent to the automated voice system and reannounced as entered Referring to FIG 10 the operation of the foot buttons in another alternative embodiment is illustrated In this varia tion the button is pressed and released until the desired entry is heard Then when the button has been released for over 14 second the entry is transmitted to the PC In this case a jak 5 20 40 45 50 55 65 6 chosen foot button 12 is pressed released and re pressed within a set period of time to enter a data value Like the embodiment of FIG 9 the initial data value is one and the increment between data values for a foot button 12 is 1 When the appropriate foot button 12 is pressed the associated initial data value is announced When the button is released the device waits a preset period of time in this case 0 5 sec onds to see whether the button is re pressed If the button is not re pressed the data value is sent to the computer system If the button is re pressed during the preset time period the data value is incremented and the new value announced This
11. pad operator may access each of the buttons singly without disturbing the other buttons Also this way the operator may access each of the buttons by simply rotating the foot about the heel which is in the heel support area 11 By pivoting the foot on its heel the distal portion of the foot moves in a generally radial planar pattern to reach each of the foot buttons as desired wherein each foot button may be considered to be in its respective circle sector the center of which circle is preferably at or near the heel support area 11 Typically the foot buttons 12 are spaced apart about 114 515 inches Also typically the foot buttons are distanced about of an average foot length about 5 10 inches from the center of heel support area 11 The foot button radial pattern may extend in an expanding pie shape out from the heel support area 11 from about 30 to abut 150 depending upon the number of buttons in the pattern The buttons may be present in one or more rows When there are multiple rows of buttons preferably they are staggered to maximize distance between the buttons As described in more detail below the data value sent to the computer preferably depends on which foot button 12 is pressed and also on the number of times or the length of time that it is pressed As illustrated by the inclusion of foot sole 60 in FIG 1 controller 13 and controller buttons 14 are prefer ably beyond the reach of the user s foot when the hee
12. pointer allowing the user to switch between data G06F 3 033 2006 01 entry fields as with a mouse A heel rest may serve as both a G09G 5 08 2006 01 heelrest and a button switch for sending an electric electronic 52y USC 345 163 345 156 signal An automated voice system other audible and or 58 Field of Classification Search 345 156 168 visual indicator system may also be included to help the user See application file for complete search history keep track of the data value as it changes and is entered Various embodiments are capable of entering a variety of 56 References Cited alphanumeric data rather than a simple binary type data set U S PATENT DOCUMENTS such as yes no or on off or instructions such as a joystick TT PP nitore Cuantos uude used with a flight simulator program Multiple data entry pads 4446453 A 5 1984 Eenboom et al n 340286 M TY optionally be used in conjunction 4 904 184 A 2 1990 Murphy et al 433 72 4 922 925 A 5 1990 Crandall et al 600 595 22 Claims 9 Drawing Sheets US 7 554 526 B2 Page 2 5 144 753 5 197 487 5 318 442 5 334 997 5 552 807 5 712 460 5 745 055 5 838 305 D407 379 5 886 685 5 889 510 5 907 318 5 910 139 5 993 209 6 091 402 6 179 829 6 470 222 6 600 477 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 3 1993 Ackerman et al 8 1994 Scallon 4 1998 Redlich et al 3 1999 Best 6 1999 Cochran et al 11 1999 Matoba et al 7 2000 Howell
13. rearward region 10 22 The pad of claim 21 wherein the mouse control button ofthe pad signal is a left click signal a plurality of foot buttons provided in said top surface forward of the heel rest koko ko
14. the toe resting region and one in the heel resting region Also Cochran et al U S Pat No 5 910 139 and Davidson et al U S Pat No 6 470 222 disclose remote control of surgical and or dental instruments with a foot pedal controller How 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 65 2 ever there is still a need for a foot operated data entry system capable of allowing entry of a wider range of data such as numeric or alphanumeric information SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is a foot operated data entry pad designed for entering informational data over a desired range for recor dation In a preferred embodiment one or more foot buttons are provided Data is entered by pressing the appropriate foot button Foot buttons are arranged in a spaced apart generally radial planar pattern distanced about 25 of an average foot length about 5 10 inches from a heel rest region Optionally the heel rest region may also comprise another switch Pref erably different discreet values may be entered by pressing the same foot button different lengths of time or in an alter native embodiment by repeatedly pressing it Additionally in the preferred embodiment a joystick type orother controller is used to control the computer s pointer as it is often necessary to move a cursor between data entry fields Preferably the data entry pad will work seamlessly with existing hardware and software by mimicking the mouse and
15. the heel may rest on the heel support 122 while the foot is being pivoted in a generally horizontal plane to reach the various foot buttons As dis cussed above for other embodiments the foot buttons 140 are preferably fairly close together each in their own small circle sector The one two three and four buttons corre spond to the numbers 1 and 5 2 and 6 3 and 7 and 4 and 8 as previously explained for the preferred embodiment Pref erably further pressing of the button after the data value 8 for example for three or more seconds or for more than three seconds or for another time typically greater time mark may serve as a right click switch Preferably other buttons or controllers are forward of the arc of foot buttons so that the foot might need to be moved forward but preferably _ 0 30 35 40 45 60 12 not rearward it is preferable that the foot not move off of the pad 100 either in the sideways or rearwards directions Also as will be understood by the disclosure herein the pad 100 may be adapted so that the buttons operate according to a code of actuation that depends upon the number of times of press ing and releasing and then pressing again rather than the continuous duration of pressing the button The preferred embodiments are designed for entering peri odontal data e g the depth of gingival sulcus Based on the needs of this application the pref
16. IGS 1 and 2 in connection with one embodiment of a computer system FIG 8 is a logic flow diagram illustrating the foot button operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention FIG 9 is a logic flow diagram illustrating the foot button operation of an alternative embodiment of the invention FIG 10 is a logic flow diagram illustrating the foot button operation of another alternative embodiment ofthe invention FIG 11 is a schematic wiring diagram of the clock line circuit for the multiplexer of the preferred embodiment of the invention FIG 12 is a schematic wiring diagram of the data line circuit for the multiplexer of the preferred embodiment of the invention US 7 554 526 B2 3 FIG 13 is a perspective top view of another especially preferred embodiment of the invented foot operated data entry pad DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the Figures there are shown several but not all embodiments ofthe invented foot operated data entry pad As illustrated in FIG 7 the invented data entry pad integrates with a larger system that preferably includes a computer with its usual accessories i e mouse keyboard and monitor not shown and preferably an adapter called a multiplexer that allows the footpad to interface seamlessly with existing computer hardware and software The preferred multiplexer connects to the data entry pad and the computer s other input devices i e mouse a
17. US007554526B2 az United States Patent 10 Patent No US 7 554 526 B2 Logue 45 Date of Patent Jun 30 2009 54 FOOT OPERATED KEY PAD Continued 75 Inventor Rebecca L Logue Meridian ID US FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS S JP 09 114583 5 1997 73 Assignee Beckmer Products Inc Meridian ID US Continued Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this OTHER PUBLICATIONS patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Kinesis Programmable Foot Switch PS 2 Version User s Manual U S C 154 b by 0 days Aug 2000 Edition 21 Appl 12 116 182 Continued NT Primary Examiner Ricardo L Osorio May 6 2008 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Pedersen amp Co PLLC Ken 65 Prior Publication Data J Pedersen Barbara S Pedersen US 2008 0284725 A1 Nov 20 2008 57 ABSTRACT Related U S Application Data A foot operated data entry pad has a plurality of foot operated 63 Continuation in part of application No 10 973 999 butions lt The footbuttons ars used values e g filed on Oct 25 2004 now Pat No 7 369 116 numbers or symbols separately or in combination Each but ton is capable of entering different data values preferably 60 Provisional application No 60 513 929 filed on Oct depending on the length of time that it is pressed or on the 23 2003 number of times that it is pressed in succession A small controller may be included to allow the user to control the 51 Int CI computer s
18. a entry pad is shown in FIG 13 This data entry pad 100 comprises a main body 102 having a shape that may be described as generally cross shaped with a front arm 104 a rear aim 106 and right and left alms 108 109 All of said arms are preferably integral portions of the main body 102 which has a generally horizontal but slightly concave upper surface Other pad shapes and surface contours may be used The heel support area 120 is on the rear aim 106 and preferably comprises a relatively large heel support 122 hav ing the appearance of a flat round button or heel rest without any upending walls or vertical guides for heel placement The heel support 122 preferably has two functions first to serve as a rest location for receiving the heel wherein the support 122 is positioned shaped and raised so that it is easy for the user to place and retain his her heel there and second to serve as a rocking switch that has a mouse click function most preferably a left click function The heel support 122 is adapted in its structure and connection to the main body and the electronics so that force from the heel in a vertical down ward direction allows no movement of the heel support 122 so that the heel support 122 acts only as a heel rest However US 7 554 526 B2 11 when the user rocks his heel rearward while pressing on the heel support 122 the preferred heel support 122 also rocks rearward and affects a switching function
19. ad of claim 17 wherein said mouse control signal is produced when said one of the foot buttons is pressed and released more times than said one foot button is pressed and released to produce said at least two data signals representing numbers 19 A data entry pad for a computer comprising a foot button said foot button being configured to enter different data values according to a code of actuation ofthe foot button US 7 554 526 B2 15 16 wherein said code of actuation comprises a first data value wherein said heel rest is moveable between two positions being transmitted to the computer when the foot button is comprising an upright rest position wherein the heel rest continuously pressed for a time equal to or less than one does not move in response to pressure substantially second and released and a second data value being transmit downward on the heel rest and a rearward tilted switch ted to the computer when the foot button is continuously 5 position that produces an electronic or electric signal pressed for more than one second and then released wherein said heel rest is moveable from the rest position 20 A foot operated key pad for use with a computer the to the switch position by rocking the heel rest rearward pad comprising 21 The pad of claim 20 wherein the signal produced in the a main body having a generally horizontal top surface switch position is a mouse control button signal a heel rest provided on the top surface at a
20. and possibly unknowingly enter an incorrect data value Many embodiments of the invention therefore may be described as a data entry pad for a computer system compris ing a foot button said foot button being configured to enter different data values according to a code of actuation of the foot button The code of actuation may depend upon how long the button is continuously depressed or upon how many US 7 554 526 B2 13 times the button is depressed released and re depressed for example A plurality of foot buttons are preferably spaced apart in a generally radial planar pattern on said pad each of said foot buttons being distanced about 5 10 inches from the center of a heel support area also on said pad A cursor controller may be provided preferably farther from the heel support area than said foot buttons A mouse control button for example a right click or left click button may be provided farther from the heel support area than said foot buttons A mouse control button a right click or left click button may be provided in the heel support area Alterna tively a mouse button function may be provided as one of the functions of one or more of the foot buttons Also some embodiments may be described as being a foot key pad for a computer which comprises a cursor controller and a mouse controller button the cursor controller and mouse controller button being spaced apart in a generally radial planar pattern on said pad
21. any value to optimize usability 4 More tiers of increments can be added The voice says something new after each increment time period but the entry is not transmitted until the button is released Referring to FIG 9 theoperation ofthe foot buttons in one alternative embodiment is illustrated In this example the initial data value is 1 and increases by increments of 1 This could be the case where there is only one foot button 12 where the initial data values for other foot buttons 12 are non integers e g 1 25 1 5 and 1 75 or where other foot buttons 12 operate for number ranges wholly greater or lesser than those for the foot button 12 in the example e g one button could be used to enter values from 1 to 10 another to enter values from 11 to 20 and so on In the embodiment of FIG 9 the button is held down until the desired entry is heard Then upon releasing the button the entry is transmitted to the PC The set time period after which the data value is increased is 0 5 seconds rather than the 1 0 second of the preferred embodiment any time period can be chosen but it should preferably be long enough for the user to release the foot button 12 before the data value changes without being so long as to make the device unproductively slow No limit to the values that can be entered is shown in the embodiment of FIG 9 but one could be added Likewise any increment between data values may be chosen depending on the needs
22. ated from the device by the diode i A further aspect of preferred embodiments of the inven tion is that the micro controller can monitor communication between a device and the PC One use of this is to determine which kind of mouse to emulate The PC queries the mouse at start up to determine which kind of mouse it is and therefore 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 knows how to read and interpret the mouse information it receives If the micro controller monitors this communica tion it can then emulate that same kind of mouse in its communication This allows the multiplexer to be universal in application with any standard PS 2 mouse j Although less user friendly a simpler implementation to select between the most common mouse types is to use con figuration switches set at the factory or by the user For example one setting would cause three byte mouse packets to be transmitted and another setting would cause four byte mouse packets to be transmitted k Watching PC to mouse communication also allows the micro controller to capture and emulate the same resolution scaling and other factors relevant to cursor movement m The keyboard or mouse can be kept in an inhibited state for several milliseconds after the micro controller transmits a foot pedal pad command to see if the PC sends a resend command If so the micro controller must retransmit its last data n If the voltage drop across the S
23. ce plus keyboard and mouse to be low enough to fit within the PS 2 specification for computer supplied power e Same as d above but power is augmented with a wall transformer For example if optical detectors are used their LEDs could be powered by an auxiliary power source f The switches in the scenarios above could be replaced by solid state switching devices or relays g The scenarios above all require the user to flip a switch to change between devices A smart technique would allow input to be received from any device without user interven tion The user should be allowed to seamlessly switch from keyboard to foot pedal pad and mouse to joystick and vice versa One way to accomplish this is to use one or two micro US 7 554 526 B2 9 controllers to manage the communication between the peripheral devices and the PC In PS 2 communication the PC is the host If the micro controller acted like a host to the keyboard and mouse it could receive their input data and could also receive data from the foot pedal pad Then the micro controller could act like a slave to the PC looking like a keyboard and mouse In this way it could input the data from all devices while looking like one keyboard and one mouse Communication between the foot pedal pad and micro con troller could be PS 2 PC or any other proprietary or standard protocol or the foot pedal pad sensors could input directly to the micro controller The micro controller co
24. chottky diode is prob lematic then an open collector op amp comparator circuit can be used as a buffer to follow signals to their low level state A rail to rail op amp will achieve an almost perfect zero voltage Many N type MOSFETs have a diode between their source and drain If their voltage drop is not a problem then it is possible to implement the circuit without the external diode shown in the sketch Although the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown at one size various methods may be used to accom modate various sizes of feet and or to accommodate left footed people rather than right footed people or to fit a particular required placement space on the floor For example models may be made in different sizes More pref erably heel support area 11 and or heel support rear wall 110 may be made adjustable so that it may be moved forward or backward i e along a line passing through the center of heel support 11 and controller 13 The adjustment method may be continuous i e may be set at any point or have discreet setting i e a plurality of locking points Addition ally or instead heel support rear wall 110 may be eliminated in order to allow some rearward adjustability for heel place ment preferably however the data entry pad is adapted for use with the heel and foot on the pad rather than off ofthe pad rather than on the floor for example An especially preferred embodiment of the invented dat
25. d for a computer comprising a main body a plurality of foot buttons and a heel rest the plurality of foot buttons being arranged on said main body in an arc on a radius wherein said arc has a center at or near the heel rest wherein one of said foot buttons produces a plurality of data signals depending upon how long the button is continuously pressed at least two of said plurality of data signals repre senting numbers and another of said plurality of data signals being a mouse control button signal 14 The pad ofclaim 13 wherein said radius is 5 10 inches 15 The pad of claim 13 further comprising a controller joystick at a distal end of said main body 16 The pad of claim 13 wherein said mouse control signal is produced when said one of the foot buttons is continuously pressed for a period of time greater than it is pressed to produce said at least two data signals representing numbers 17 A data entry pad for a computer comprising a main body a plurality of foot buttons and a heel rest the plurality of foot buttons being arranged on said main body in an arc on a radius wherein said arc has a center at or near the heel rest wherein one of said foot buttons produces a plurality of data signals depending upon how many times said one foot button is pressed released and repressed wherein at least two of said data signals represent numbers and another of said plu rality of data signals is a mouse control button signal 18 The p
26. erred embodiment has four foot buttons and is capable of entering data values from one to eight inclusive For example the user would take a measure ment with an instrument e g a 3 The third foot button of the data entry pad is then pressed and promptly released to enter this value If necessary the controller is used to move a cursor or similar pointer to another data entry field on the screen The next measurement is taken and recorded e g a 5 The first foot button ofthe data entry pad is pressed and held until the data value is incremented to 5 It is then released and the data value is recorded This process continues until all necessary measurements are taken and recorded In cases wherein the measurements are always taken in the same order and the software is adapted to receive this order of measurements there may be no need for controller use between the measurements Although the preferred embodiments have been described as applied to recording the depths of gingival sulcus it may be used to enter data for any purpose without exceeding the scope of the invention Although the preferred embodiments have been described as including one data entry pad a second pad could be added The user could use both feet and the number of foot buttons that could be included would be expanded Also the invented foot operated data entry pad may be adapted to input other than numerical data For example by adding foot buttons and or usin
27. g two data entry pads the invention could be used to enter other types of data such as alphanumeric symbols words or phrases For example buttons may correspond to pre determined woods or phrases that are important and repeatedly used in a particular technology or health field such word or phrase data entry using embodiments of the invention would eliminate the need to type out or point and click by hand with a keyboard and mouse on each of the words or phrases each time they need to be entered Although the preferred embodiment has been described as having four foot buttons it is not limited to any particular number of foot buttons and may be adapted to enter any numerical range just as a standard number pad on a keyboard 1 e some embodi ments of the data entry pad may enter digits 0 through 9 with a decimal point as needed to input data values The preferred embodiments preferably include an auto mated voice system that announces data values at various points in the system s operation Any conventional automated voice system may be used and the voice may be broadcast from a built in speaker s or over the computer system s audio system e g by adding a connection to the computer s microphone jack Alternatively a simpler system such as an audible beep may be used to indicate that for example a data value has changed However this is less preferred because it increases the probability that the user will accidentally
28. heel support tilts pivots rocks backwards when pressure is applied that is substantially non perpendicular to its top surface After reading this disclosure one of skill in the art will be able to make such a heel rest that has a first rest position in which the heel rest is upright not tilted or pivoted relative to the main body and not moving in response to downward pressure and that has a second switch position to which the heel rest rocks rearward tilted or pivoted rearward relative to the main body to send a electronic or electrical signal The controller 130 on the front ann 104 is a joystick type controller to move a cursor arrow on the cooperating com puter screen as generally discussed above for other embodi ments Controller is located in a position forward of the normal foot location so that the foot may be moved forward on the pad 100 to operate the controller 130 with a distal end of the foot Thus this controller may be called a toe con troller Four foot buttons 140 are provided in a generally radial planar pattern for example in a curved arc near the middle of the pad 100 with the center of the arc preferably being on or near the heel support 122 As with the other embodiments discussed herein different numbers or arrangements of foot buttons may be provided preferably with all of these being easily reachable with minor foot movement Especially preferred are buttons that are arranged in an arc wherein
29. her the foot device pivots or is shaped to allow the foot to rock and touch a button or bar or be sensed in another way to activate a switch and initiate an entry Referring to FIGS 3 and 4 one alternative embodiment is data entry pad 10 with only controller 13 and controller buttons 14 is shown Controller 13 and controller buttons 14 function as in the preferred embodiment described above except that the user can operate controller 13 and controller buttons 14 without moving his feet forward from heel support 11 as illustrated by foot sole 60 in FIG 3 because the overall length of the data entry pad 10 is shorter than the preferred embodiment pad 10 In this embodiment there are no foot buttons 12 Controller 13 and controller buttons 14 may be actuated with a simple heel rotation before applying pressure on controller 13 and buttons 14 with the toes or ball of the foot Moving on to FIGS 5 and 6 an alternative embodiment of data entry pad 10 is shown It is shown with three foot buttons 12 and with no controller or controller buttons Foot buttons 12 function as in the preferred embodiment described above except that the interval between data value points is three rather than four because of the number of foot buttons 12 included For example the one button for example the button 12 at the far left in FIGS 5 and 6 may correspond to the data value one when held for less than one second or less than a first time
30. ing the data The preferred embodiment is to input data and cursor movement through the mouse and key board PS 2 ports This is where the computer and application software receive their data and cursor instructions Unplugging the keyboard and mouse to connect the foot pedal pad then changing back for hand typing additional data would be unacceptable especially because the computer must be turned off to plug and unplug devices to the PS 2 ports Therefore a means to mix or multiplex the signals from mouse and joystick and mix the signals from the keyboard and foot pedal pad is required There are several ways to accomplish this multiplexing or wye connection a An 8 pole double throw switch could connect the four mouse lines and four keyboard lines from the computer to either the keyboard and mouse or to the foot pedal pad and joystick device b All the ground common negative lines could be perma nently connected together and a 6 pole double throw switch can be used to connect the remaining lines c Adding a large capacitor between power and ground lines on the computer side of these switches could minimize the effects of hot switching d The ground common negative lines could be perma nently connected together the power lines could be perma nently connected together and then a 4 pole double throw switch would connect the two data lines and two clock lines This requires that power consumption of the foot pedal pad devi
31. ircle sector to an adjacent small circle sector This gives more foot buttons 12 for the same ankle rotation or reduces the amount of ankle rotation for a given number of buttons Alternatively heel support area 11 could be designed to allow the user s heel to move laterally by sliding or lifting it to reach foot buttons 12 while reducing or eliminating the need for ankle rotation Each foot pedal key can be used for multiple purposes by double clicking or by holding down for an extended time For example the one button may indicate the data value one if held down for less than one second If the one button is held for one second or longer for example it becomes a five Voice feedback can say if the pedal is released before one second and it can say five at the one second point so that the user knows to release the button In the case oftwo functions per button the data can be transmitted either at the transition time or upon pedal release Additional func tions can be achieved by holding the button longer still Also mouse functions and keyboard functions can be mixed For example holding the four button for less than one second corresponds to the data value four and holding the four button one second makes it an eight button corresponding to the data value eight rather than four but holding it for three seconds makes it a mouse right click button If there are three or
32. ire disclosures of which are hereby incor porated by this reference BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention This invention relates to data entry devices for computers and more particularly to foot operated data entry pads 2 Related Art As an example of data entry measuring and recording the depth ofa periodontal pocket caused by a periodontal disease such as gingivitis is one of the most important diagnostic activities in dental care There are many known apparatus for taking these measurements Commonly these measurements are entered into a digital database via a computer However conventionally the dental worker taking the measurements has been unable to enter the data manually without having to put down the measuring instruments and move his her hands to a computer keyboard and or mouse to record the measure ments Thus the job is often performed by two or more workers wherein one worker takes the measurements and the other worker enters them into the computer Thus there is a need for such a data entry system that can be operated easily without the use of hands For example Grenfell et al U S Pat No 3 943 914 attach a foot pedal to an automatic probe used to measure gingival sulcus The user positions the probe for measure ment and then activates the foot pedal This triggers the automatic probe to take a depth measurement and transmit the result to the data recording system Other devices such as
33. keyboard i e the computer receives and processes input from the data entry pad as signals from the mouse and keyboard Optionally the preferred embodiment also includes an automated voice system that announces entered values and or the current value to be entered ifthe user releases a foot button or otherwise ceases to cause the data value to increment Alternatively the controller and data entry functions may be separated into two separate devices or the controller func tion may be omitted Multiple data entry pads may also be used together to increase the capacity of the system BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invented foot operated data entry pad with a schematic shoe sole included for illustrative purposes FIG 2 is a perspective view from a slightly different angle of the embodiment of FIG 1 with the schematic shoe sole removed FIG 31sa perspective view ofone alternative embodiment of the invented data entry pad with a schematic shoe sole included for illustrative purposes FIG 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG 3 with the schematic shoe sole removed FIG 5 is a perspective view of another alternative embodi ment ofthe invented data entry pad with a schematic shoe sole included for illustrative purposes FIG 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG 5 with the schematic shoe sole removed FIG 7 is a perspective view of the embodiment of F
34. l is 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 touching heel support rear wall 110 to prevent accidental activation of controller 13 and or controller buttons 14 Other foot buttons 12 could be added to the data entry pad to mimic for example the shift key control key or mouse buttons etc Alternatively controller button 14 may be replaced by designing heel support area 11 to register and transmit a signal e g either mouse button signal when heel support area 11 is pressed down by the user s heel In some applica tions one or both of controller buttons 14 could be omitted The preferred foot buttons 12 are Hall effect sensors They are preferably narrower than a foot to allow them to be closer together and position error tolerant If foot buttons 12 were as wide as a foot the user would have to move his foot at least one foot width between foot buttons 12 and foot buttons 12 would have to be spaced at least one foot width apart take up at least one foot width on the data entry pad If foot buttons 12 are as in the preferred embodiment only one half inch in diameter then when the user is pressing one foot button 12 the other foot buttons 12 can be close to the user s foot on either side Therefore the preferred space between foot but tons 12 is one half foot width plus one quarter inch about 3 inches As a result the user only has to rotate the foot by this reduced pitch for example from one small c
35. mark but may correspond to the data value four when held for one second or more or equal to or more than said first time mark Likewise the two button in the middle preferably may correspond to the data value two when held for less than one second or less than a first time mark but may correspond to the data value five when held for one second or more or equal to or more than said first time mark The three button at the right preferably may correspond to the data value three when held for less than one second or less than a first time mark but may correspond to the data value six when held for one second more or equal to or more than said first time mark Data entry pad 10 may be designed to use other data values and different time marks however for example said code of actuation may comprises a first data value being transmitted to the computer when the foot button is continu ously pressed for a time equal to or less than one second and released and a second data value being transmitted to the computer when the foot button is continuously pressed for more than one second and then released Preferably the two embodiments in FIGS 3 6 data entry pad 10 and data entry pad 10 are used in conjunction giving the user all the capabilities ofthe preferred embodiment data 20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8 entry pad 10 of FIGS 1 and 2 The user may operate each
36. nd keyboard and controls their respective signals so that the computer perceives all input as though it came only from the mouse or keyboard Thus with the preferred embodiment there is no need for additional or new software and the data entry pad can be integrated easily with existing systems The term data is used herein to refer to information to be stored for later retrieval In the preferred embodiment the data is an integer referring to the depth of a periodontal pocket measured in millimeters However the term data may include any information represented by numbers or other symbols such as letters that is stored for later review The term data does not refer to instructions such as sent by a controller for a pointer or program operation such as a video game control Data also does not refer for this invention to simple binary data sets i e where one of two options such as yes or no red or green or on and off is the only correct choice Referring to FIGS 1 and 2 the preferred embodiment of the invented data entry pad 10 comprises a heel support area 11 with heel support rear wall 110 plurality of foot buttons 12 controller 13 and one or more controller buttons 14 The user places the heel of the foot on heel support 11 and pivots the foot on that point to reach each of the foot 12 buttons The foot buttons 12 are arranged in a spaced apart generally radial planar pattern This way the data entry
37. process is repeated with increasing data values until the but ton is not re pressed within the preset time period At that point the last data value is sent to the computer system As with the other embodiments limits on the range or data values enterable may be imposed for convenience but are not required Likewise the increment between data values may be set at any amount appropriate for a given application The techniques discussed above relating to FIGS 8 10 with timing or repeat features amount to a code of actuation for the foot buttons s For example as will be understood from the above discussion the code of actuation may depend upon how long a button is continuously depressed or the code of actuation may depend upon how manly times a button is depressed released and re depressed Most people are not able to accomplish fine motor move ments with their feet Therefore it is a further aspect of the preferred embodiments of the invention to develop a joystick which can precisely position a cursor on a computer screen but which doesn t require accurate foot movements The joy stick is digital meaning that it is on or off rather than pro portional If it is pressed up the cursor begins moving up If it is released the cursor stops The joystick does not control cursor position or cursor speed It only controls approximate direction of travel In the preferred embodiment the joystick will only move in eight discrete direc
38. that is makes a left click The heel support 122 is preferably designed so that it can take substantial force in the straight downward direction without moving and without any switch function but upon purposeful rearward rocking of the heel support 122 the click or other switch is performed Said purposeful rearward rocking ofthe heel preferably comprises pivoting of the heel support 122 by the heel to the full extent allowed by the main body and or the pivotal connection of the heel sup port to the main body or other pad mechanical structure but typically this extent will be a small amount such as 2 20 degrees and more preferably in the range of about 5 15 degrees from horizontal It may be noted that the preferred heel support 122 has a generally horizontal top surface when it is in the upright rest position In a case as is preferred wherein the main body of the pad 100 is generally horizontal and meant to rest on a flat floor the foot will naturally rest on the pad so that the heel presses straight vertically downward on the approximate center of the support 122 top surface Therefore the heel support is described herein as being immovable when down ward vertical pressure is applied Another way to describe the structure and function of the heel support 122 would be to say that the heel support is immovable when pressure is applied by the heel that is substantially perpendicular to the heel support top surface and that the
39. time i e one second for the preferred embodiment the initial data value is increased by four and the new value is sent to the automated voice system for announcement but not to the computer system The data value is sent to the computer system once the foot button is released Optionally the data value could be reannounced as entered at this point In the preferred embodiment each foot button 12 is asso ciated with two data values e g 1 and 5 for the first button as illustrated in FIG 8 covering the integers from one to eight inclusive Although the preferred embodiment permits entry of only a small range of data values any appropriate data values can be chosen as the upper and lower limits including no upper limit or infinity or an upper limit and no lower limit with descending rather than ascending numbers Thus continuing to hold foot button 12 in this example could result in the data value increasing by four i e to 9 13 etc infinitely or preferably to any appropriate maximum for a given application Also the increment between data values need not be one or any other value but can be set at any appropriate amount for a given application Besides 1 This routine is for each button Any number of buttons can be used 2 Digit entry is shown here but entry can be any digit character symbol word phrase etc that is desired to be entered into the PC 3 Wait times between increments can be set to
40. tions up right 45 degrees up and light etc Alternatively the joystick could be made to move the cursor in any direction The cursor can move at a constant speed but in the preferred embodiment it starts out slowly and then increases its speed more as the joystick is pressed longer In this way quick on and off in a form of dithering motions can achieve very fine cursor manipulation while pressing the joystick longer can cause the cursor to traverse the screen in a reasonable amount of time Although applicable to foot operation this feature of the preferred embodiments of the invention can also be used for a hand operated device for those who cannot perform fine motor movements with their hands In the preferred embodiment the user is able to perform any point and click operations that the user s software includes with controller 13 and one or more controller buttons 14 The preferred controller 13 is a short joystick Alterna tively arocking panel may be used Controller 13 controls the cursor by causing it to move in a chosen direction Optionally the speed of the cursor may be adjustable and or increasing the longer controller 13 is held off center Preferably one or more controller buttons 14 are placed to one or both sides of controller 13 Alternatively a controller button 14 may placed in the center of the controller 13 so that when the controller is released the button is released and activated to send a com p
41. uld pass signals in near real time mimicking the clock and data signals from a peripheral or PC or it could process one data byte or packet at a time before relaying it to the PC While the micro controller is sending data from the foot pedal pad to the PC it can pull the keyboard clock line low to inhibit the keyboard The keyboard will buffer any data it has to send until the clock line goes high In this way data from the keyboard mouse and foot pedal pad can be inter mixed multiplexed to be fed to the PC in the order it is input by users and at a speed still exceeding the user s ability to enter the data Data from all devices gets processed and the computer cannot tell whether a cursor movement was initiated by a mouse or joystick or whether data is coming from a keyboard or foot pedal pad h A micro controller between a keyboard and PC or between a mouse and PC will cause signal delays which could potentially result in malfunction Therefore the preferred embodiment uses N type logic level MOSFETs and Schot tky diodes to connect and disconnect the signals between these devices See the FIGS 11 and 12 following FIG 11 illustrates a Clock Line Circuit MOSFET 70 to micro con troller output to switch keyboard connection 71 to open collector output of micro controller to inhibit keyboard 72 to keyboard clock line 73 Schottky diode 74 to PC clock line 75 to open collector output of micro controller to drive clock line
42. uter mouse left or right button signal to computer 51 Because controller 13 and controller buttons 14 are placed beyond the reach of the user s foot when the foot is contacting heel support rear wall 110 the user moves his foot forward from heel support rear wall 110 to operate controller 13 and US 7 554 526 B2 7 controller buttons 14 In the preferred embodiment controller buttons 14 mimic the functions of the left and or right mouse buttons Digits or other data can be input using one of several foot pedals or buttons For example the heel or foot can rest on a pivoting platform pad cradle or footrest When the pivoting member rotates about an axis roughly parallel with the ankle its rotational position may be sensed by optical mechanical Hall effect proximity or other means and is interpreted as being in one of N positions For example four discrete posi tions can be detected using only two discrete detectors If the detectors are optical then an interrupter cam or reflector plate could trigger only the first detector both detectors only the second detector or no detectors Depending upon which of these four combinations is detected the correct data is selected for transmission Then the data can be entered for example by rocking the pivoting foot device about a second axis roughly perpendicular to the first When the foot device rocks it detects the rotational motion Alternatively the foot could rock forward whet
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