Pointing device including a moveable puck with mechanical detents

1. A pointing device, comprising:

a surface having a puck field of motion defined thereon; and

a moveable puck operable to move within said puck field of motion;

wherein said surface includes a detent structure defined within said puck field of motion for mechanically engaging with at least a portion of said moveable puck;

wherein said detent structure is an indentation in said surface mapping to a cursor position on a display; and

wherein said moveable puck includes a protruding element in sliding contact with said surface, said indentation in said surface being capable of mating with said protruding element when said moveable puck is positioned over said indentation to enable selection of a selectable item on the display corresponding to the location of said indentation in said surface.

2. The pointing device of claim 1 , wherein said indentation in said surface includes at least three indentations and said protruding element on said moveable puck includes at least three corresponding protrusions.

3. The pointing device of claim 2 , wherein each of said indentations has an area larger than an area of a corresponding one of said protrusions.

4. The pointing device of claim 1 , wherein said moveable puck is capable of being oriented with respect to said surface to prevent said protruding element from mating with said indentation in said surface.

5. A pointing device, comprising:

a surface having a puck field of motion defined thereon; and

a moveable puck connected to a perimeter of the puck field of motion by springs that allow the moveable puck to move within said puck field of motion;

wherein said surface includes a detent structure defined within said puck field of motion for mechanically engaging with at least a portion of said moveable puck;

wherein said detent structure comprises a protruding element that is fixed on said surface at a fixed location and wherein the protruding element that is fixed on said surface at a fixed location is in sliding contact with said moveable puck, the protruding element mapping to a cursor position on a display; and

wherein said moveable puck includes an indentation, said indentation in said moveable puck mating with said protruding element when said moveable puck is positioned over said protruding element to enable selection of a selectable item on the display corresponding to the location of said protruding element on said surface.

6. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein said indentation in said moveable puck includes at least three indentations and said protruding element of said surface includes at least three corresponding protrusions.

7. The pointing device of claim 6 , wherein each of said indentations has an area larger than an area of a corresponding one of said protrusions.

8. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein said indentation and said protruding element are configured so that the indentation and said protruding element do not mate in at least one orientation of the moveable puck with respect to said surface.

9. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein:

when said indentation in said moveable puck is positioned over said protruding element of said surface, said indentation of said moveable puck mates with said protruding element of said surface; and

when said indentation in said moveable puck is not positioned over said protruding element of said surface, said indentation of said moveable puck does not mate with said protruding element of said surface.

10. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein said indentation in said moveable puck is located in a fixed position within the moveable puck.

11. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein said indentation in said moveable puck is located in a fixed position in a surface of the moveable puck.

12. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein said indentation in said moveable puck is an indentation in a surface of the moveable puck.

13. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein said indentation in said moveable puck is an indentation in a bottom surface of the moveable puck.

14. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein said mating of said indentation and said protruding element provides non-visual tactile feedback to a user to assist in selecting the selectable item on the display.

15. The pointing device of claim 5 , wherein the springs operate to return the moveable puck to a centered position in the puck field of motion upon release of a lateral force on the moveable puck.