AUTOMATIC MOUSE CHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20100090661A1
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Primax Electronics Limited
• Original Assignee: Primax Electronics Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Yi-Guang, Lai, Chin-Lung
• Granted Patent: US 7,737,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/34 Robot, hybrid, recreational or emergency vehicle

Abstract

An automatic mouse charging system includes a charger plate and an automatically chargeable mouse. The charger plate includes an audio signal emitter for emitting an audio signal and a charging module for providing electric energy. The automatically chargeable mouse includes a mouse case, an electric energy storage element, multiple audio signal receivers, a driving mechanism, and a control unit. The audio signal receivers are used for receiving the audio signal. The control unit is used for discriminating one of the audio signal receivers that receives the strongest audio signal, thereby outputting a corresponding movement signal to the driving mechanism. The automatically chargeable mouse is moved toward the audio signal receiver that receives the strongest audio signal according to the movement signal.

Claims

1. An automatic mouse charging system comprising:

a charger plate comprising an audio signal emitter for emitting an audio signal and a charging module for providing electric energy; and

an automatically chargeable mouse comprising;

a mouse case;

an electric energy storage element for storing the electric energy that is transmitted from said charging module and providing electric power required for operations of said automatically chargeable mouse;

multiple audio signal receivers disposed on said mouse case for receiving said audio signal;

a driving mechanism for providing motive power required to move said automatically chargeable mouse; and

a control unit connected to said audio signal receivers and said driving mechanism for discriminating one of said audio signal receivers that receives the strongest audio signal, thereby outputting a corresponding movement signal to said driving mechanism, wherein said automatically chargeable mouse is moved toward said audio signal receiver that receives the strongest audio signal according to said movement signal.

2. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse and said charger plate are placed on a working plane.

3. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 2 wherein said driving mechanism comprises:

a roller partially protruded outside said mouse case such that said roller is contacted with said working plane;

a motor connected to said roller for driving rotation of said roller; and

a direction-changing module connected to said control unit and said roller for controlling a moving direction of said roller according to said movement signal outputted from said control unit.

4. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said charger plate is an induction charger plate for charging said electric energy storage element when said automatically chargeable mouse is placed on said charger plate.

5. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said audio signal receivers include a first audio signal receiver arranged at a front end of said mouse case, a second audio signal receiver arranged at a right side of the mouse case, and a third audio signal receiver arranged at a left side of the mouse case.

6. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 5 wherein said control unit issues a forward movement signal to said driving mechanism if said audio signal received by said first audio signal receiver has the strongest intensity, so that said automatically chargeable mouse is moved forwardly toward said first audio signal receiver according to said forward movement signal.

7. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 5 wherein said control unit issues a right-side movement signal to said driving mechanism if said audio signal received by said second audio signal receiver has the strongest intensity, so that said automatically chargeable mouse is moved rightwards toward said second audio signal receiver according to said right-side movement signal.

8. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 5 wherein said control unit issues a left-side movement signal to said driving mechanism if said audio signal received by said third audio signal receiver has the strongest intensity, so that said automatically chargeable mouse is moved leftwards toward said third audio signal receiver according to said left-side movement signal.

9. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said audio signal receivers are microphones or microphone arrays.

10. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said electric energy storage element is a rechargeable battery.

11. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse further comprises an electric power detection unit for detecting an available capacity of said electric energy storage element.

12. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 11 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse further comprises a charging signal generator, said charger plate further comprises a charging signal receiver, and if said available capacity of said electric energy storage element is lower than a threshold value, said control unit controls said charging signal generator to issue a charging signal to said charging signal receiver of said charger plate such that said charger plate generates said audio signal.

13. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said charger plate further comprises a charging button, and when said charging button is pressed down, said automatic mouse charging system enters an automatic charging mode such that said charger plate generates said audio signal.

14. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse further comprises a charging button and a charging signal generator, and said charger plate further comprises a charging signal receiver, wherein when said charging button is pressed down, said automatic mouse charging system enters an automatic charging mode such that said charging signal generator issues a charging signal to said charging signal receiver of said charger plate and said charger plate generates said audio signal in response to said charging signal.

15. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse further comprises a time counter for calculating a suspension time of said automatically chargeable mouse and a charging signal generator, and said charger plate further comprises a charging signal receiver, wherein if said automatically chargeable mouse has been suspended for a certain time period, said control unit controls said charging signal generator to generate and issue a charging signal to said charging signal receiver of said charger plate such that said charger plate generates said audio signal.

16. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 wherein said charger plate is electrically connected to a power source such that electric energy is transmitted from said power source to said charger plate.

17. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 16 wherein said power source is a utility power source.

18. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 1 further comprising a computer, which is connected to said charger plate.

19. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 18 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse further comprises an electric power detection unit for detecting an available capacity of said electric energy storage element.

20. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 19 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse further comprises a charging signal generator, said computer further comprises a charging signal receiver, and if said available capacity of said electric energy storage element is lower than a threshold value, said control unit controls said charging signal generator to issue a charging signal to said charging signal receiver of said computer such that said computer issues a command to allow said charger plate to generate said audio signal.

21. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 18 wherein said computer further comprises a charging button, and when said charging button is pressed down, said automatic mouse charging system enters an automatic charging mode such that said computer issues a command to allow said charger plate to generate said audio signal.

22. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 18 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse further comprises a charging button and a charging signal generator, and said computer further comprises a charging signal receiver, wherein when said charging button is pressed down, said automatic mouse charging system enters an automatic charging mode such that said charging signal generator issues a charging signal to said charging signal receiver of said computer and said computer issues a command to allow said charger plate to generate said audio signal.

23. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 18 wherein said automatically chargeable mouse further comprises a time counter for calculating a suspension time of said automatically chargeable mouse and a charging signal generator, and said computer further comprises a charging signal receiver, wherein if said automatically chargeable mouse has been suspended for a certain time period, said control unit controls said charging signal generator to generate and issue a charging signal to said charging signal receiver of said computer such that said computer issues a command to allow said charger plate to generate said audio signal.

24. The automatic mouse charging system according to claim 18 wherein said computer is a notebook computer.