A CMOS micro touch pointer

A standard-CMOS pointing device for portable applications, such as palmtop and credit-card size computers, is based on fingerprint-motion detection. The device behaves much the same as a track-ball, but it does not require mechanical moving parts and can be fabricated in a smaller package. Pointing devices based on image motion estimation were previously reported. In contrast to these devices, this implementation produces the moving image by direct chip-finger contact.