Mechanically powered cordless pointing device

• US 20080055249A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fouquet, Julie E., Nishimura, Ken A., Panotopoulos, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,554,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A computer peripheral system comprising a computer peripheral and a mechanical input device adapted to initiate a conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy. The computer peripheral includes an energy conversion device adapted to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. The converted electrical energy provides power to at least one computer peripheral component.

Claims

1. A computer peripheral system, the system comprising:

a computer peripheral; and

a mechanical input device adapted to initiate a conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy, the computer peripheral including an energy conversion device adapted to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, wherein the converted electrical energy provides power to at least one computer peripheral component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer peripheral further comprises:

a mechanical energy storage device coupled to the mechanical input device and the energy conversion device, wherein the stored mechanical energy is released to provide power to the at least one computer peripheral component.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer peripheral further comprises:

an electrical energy storage device is coupled to the energy conversion device and the at least one computer peripheral component, wherein the stored energy is released to provide power to the at least one computer peripheral component.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the electrical energy storage device comprises at least one of a primary battery, a secondary battery, a capacitor, a super-capacitor, a plurality of capacitors, an inductor, a plurality of inductors, a plurality of batteries and combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical input device comprises a pull string coupled to a flywheel, a pull string coupled to a mainspring, a geared pull cord coupled to the flywheel, one or more handles, a key, the key to wind the mainspring, the key to rotate a gear, the key to advance a ratchet, the ratchet and combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical energy storage device comprises one of at least one mainspring, at least one flywheel, at least one mechanical bearing that retains a magnetization, a weight, and combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, further including:

a housing adapted to enclose the energy conversion device and the computer peripheral components.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the housing includes:

at least one hole extending through a surface of the housing, the hole adapted to receive the mechanical input device, wherein the mechanical input device is mechanically coupled to a mechanical energy storage device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanical input device is a mechanical bearing retaining a magnetization, the mechanical bearing adapted to contact a surface external to the computer peripheral, wherein a rotation of the bearing due to a relative motion between the bearing and the external surface changes a local magnetic field wherein the change in the local magnetic field is converted to electrical energy.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer peripheral is a cordless mouse.

11. A mechanically powered computer peripheral comprising:

a mechanical energy storage device adapted to store mechanical energy;

an energy conversion device adapted to release the stored mechanical energy as electrical energy, wherein the released electrical energy is used to power the computer peripheral.

12. The computer peripheral of claim 11, wherein the mechanical energy storage device comprises a mainspring.

13. The computer peripheral of claim 11, further comprising:

a mechanical input device adapted to configure the mechanical energy storage device to store mechanical energy.

14. The computer peripheral of claim 13, wherein the mechanical input device is adapted to mechanically couple to the mechanical energy storage device.

15. The computer peripheral of claim 11, further comprising:

an electrical energy storage device adapted to store the released electrical energy and adapted to release the electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage device.

16. The computer peripheral of claim 15, wherein the electrical energy storage device comprises a rechargeable battery, a capacitor, a super-capacitor, a bank of capacitors, a bank of rechargeable batteries, an inductor, a bank of inductors, and combinations thereof.

17. The computer peripheral of claim 11, wherein the computer peripheral is a cordless mouse.

18. A system to provide mechanically generated electrical power to a computer peripheral, the system comprising:

means for inputting mechanical energy;

means for converting the mechanical energy to electrical energy; and

means for providing the electrical energy to a computer peripheral.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for storing the electrical energy; and

means for housing the converting means and the storing means.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for storing the mechanical energy; and

means for housing the converting means and the storing means.