A fingertip tactile sense input device for a personal digital assistant
capable of various input operations produced by a moving fingertip over
projections recognized by the fingertip tactile sense. An input plate has
a plurality of fingertip input projections and input control means that
encodes an input signal when a projection is depressed. A fingertip can
be moved over the input plate with the wrists fixed. The projections are
disposed within a surface area outlined by an inverted generally
egg-shaped curve C1 or C2, which is usable equally by the index fingertip
of either hand.