US 6,983,336 B2
Dual pointing device used to control a cursor having absolute and relative pointing devices
Yoshiyuki Kikuchi, Fukushima-ken (Japan); Shoji Suzuki, Fukushima-ken (Japan); Kouichi Miura, Fukushima-ken (Japan); and Akihisa Itoh, Fukushima-ken (Japan)
Assigned to Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Dec. 03, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/726,951.
Application 10/726951 is a continuation of application No. 09/471837, filed on Dec. 23, 1999, granted, now 6,681,268.
Claims priority of application No. 10-373314 (JP), filed on Dec. 28, 1998.
Prior Publication US 2004/0123001 A1, Jun. 24, 2004
Int. Cl. G06F 13/00 (2006.01); G06F 15/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 710—16 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A personal computer system comprising:
a plurality of different types of coordinate input devices;
an output means for outputting a signal from each of said coordinate input devices, the output means configured to embed an identifier in the signal that identifies one of the coordinate input devices; and
a processing means for alternating between the signals from said coordinate input devices as the signals are transmitted to the output means, said signals consisting of a first and a second data stream of at least three bytes or six bytes;
a buffer coupled to the processing means that receives data from the first input device and the second input device such that the coordinate input devices may be used simultaneously.