AMBIDEXTROUS MOUSE

• US 20190113988A1
• Filed: 12/04/2018
• Published: 04/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: HOTELLING, Steven P., HUPPI, Brian Q.
• Granted Patent: US 10,474,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0332 Ergonomic shaped mouse adjustable to suit one of both hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03544 having dual sensing arrangement, e.g. two balls or two coils used to track rotation of the pointing device

Abstract

An ambidextrous mouse is disclosed. The ambidextrous mouse is configured for both left and right handed use. The mouse may include right handed buttons on the front side of the mouse and left handed buttons on the back side of the mouse. The user may change the handedness of the mouse by rotating the mouse about a vertical axis of the mouse such that the left hand can use the left hand buttons and the right hand can use the right hand buttons. The mouse may include a handedness selection system for configuring the mouse for right handed or left handed use even though the mouse has the capability for both right and left hands.

Claims

1. A user input device, comprising:

a touch sensitive surface divided into an array of buttonless sensing points, each buttonless sensing point being configured to generate a signal when the buttonless sensing point detects that an object is in proximity to the buttonless sensing point, the signal including information identifying a location of the buttonless sensing point, wherein signals from one or more buttonless sensing points of the array of buttonless sensing points can be combined to form a buttonless object signal that defines a two-dimensional image of an object in proximity to the touch sensitive surface; and

a processor configured to;

receive the buttonless object signal;

determine from the buttonless object signal a selected zone amongst one or more zones of the touch sensitive surface, wherein each of the one or more zones is associated with a plurality of buttonless sensing points and is associated with a function; and

generate a function signal based on a function associated with the selected zone.

2. The user input device of claim 1, wherein detecting that an object is in proximity to the buttonless sensing point comprises detecting that the object is in contact with the buttonless sensing point.

3. The user input device of claim 2, wherein detecting that the object is in contact with the buttonless sensing point comprises detecting a pressure exerted on the touch sensitive surface by the object.

4. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises a unibody housing and the touch sensitive surface is a surface of the unibody housing.

5. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the buttonless object signal is associated with a gesture.

6. The user input device of claim 1, wherein detecting that an object is in proximity to the buttonless sensing point comprises detecting that the object is positioned over the user input device.

7. A method of operating a user input device having a touch sensitive surface divided into an array of buttonless sensing points, the method comprising:

detecting that an object is in proximity to a buttonless sensing point of the array of buttonless sensing points;

generating a signal in response to the detecting, the signal including information identifying a location of the buttonless sensing point;

combining signals from one or more buttonless sensing points of the array of buttonless sensing points to form a buttonless object signal that defines a two-dimensional image of an object in proximity to the touch sensitive surface;

determining from the buttonless object signal a selected zone amongst one or more zones of the touch sensitive surface, wherein each of the one or more zones is associated with a plurality of buttonless sensing points and is associated with a function; and

generating a function signal based on a function associated with the selected zone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting that an object is in proximity to a buttonless sensing point comprises detecting that the object is in contact with the buttonless sensing point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting that the object is in contact with the buttonless sensing point comprises detecting a pressure exerted on the touch sensitive surface by the object.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the user input device comprises a unibody housing and the touch sensitive surface is a surface of the unibody housing.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the buttonless object signal is associated with a gesture.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting that an object is in proximity to the buttonless sensing point comprises detecting that the object is positioned over the user input device.

13. A user input device, comprising:

a touch sensitive surface divided into an array of buttonless sensing points, each buttonless sensing point configured to generate a signal upon a detection that an object is in proximity to the buttonless sensing point, the signal including information identifying a location associated with the respective buttonless sensing point; and

a processor configured to;

combine signals from one or more buttonless sensing points of the array of buttonless sensing points to form a buttonless object signal that defines a two-dimensional image of an object in proximity to the touch sensitive surface at a surface location, the two-dimensional image indicating a buttonless sensing point associated with the surface location;

determine from the buttonless object signal a zone, of a plurality of zones, associated with the buttonless sensing point; and

generate a function signal based on a function associated with the determined zone.

14. The user input device of claim 13, wherein the detection that an object is in proximity to the buttonless sensing point comprises a detection that the object is in contact with the buttonless sensing point.

15. The user input device of claim 14, wherein the detection that the object is in contact with the buttonless sensing point comprises a detection of a pressure exerted on the touch sensitive surface by the object.

16. The user input device of claim 13, wherein the user input device comprises a unibody housing and the touch sensitive surface is a surface of the unibody housing.

17. The user input device of claim 13, wherein the buttonless object signal is associated with a gesture.

18. The user input device of claim 13, wherein the detection that an object is in proximity to the buttonless sensing point comprises a detection that the object is positioned over the user input device.

19. A method of operating a user input device having a touch sensitive surface divided into an array of buttonless sensing points, the method comprising:

detecting that an object is in proximity to a first buttonless sensing point of the array of buttonless sensing points;

generating a signal in response to the detecting, the signal including information identifying a location associated with the first buttonless sensing point;

combining signals from one or more buttonless sensing points of the array of buttonless sensing points to form a buttonless object signal that defines a two-dimensional image of an object in proximity to the touch sensitive surface at a surface location, the two-dimensional image indicating a second buttonless sensing point associated with the surface location;

determining from the buttonless object signal a zone, of a plurality of zones, associated with the second buttonless sensing point; and

generating a function signal based on a function associated with the determined zone.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting that an object is in proximity to a buttonless sensing point comprises detecting that the object is in contact with the buttonless sensing point.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein detecting that the object is in contact with the buttonless sensing point comprises detecting a pressure exerted on the touch sensitive surface by the object.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the user input device comprises a unibody housing and the touch sensitive surface is a surface of the unibody housing.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the buttonless object signal is associated with a gesture.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting that an object is in proximity to the buttonless sensing point comprises detecting that the object is positioned over the user input device.