Data mouse

• US 6,137,476 A
• Filed: 08/25/1994
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winarski, Daniel James, Hocker, Michael David
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US08/296,219
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/158, 345/157, 345/163, 345/164, 345/167, 345/168, 345/169
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0382 Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A hand-held data storage unit which transfers data from a computer to the unit by means of a graphical user interface in the computer controlled by the hand-held data storage unit.

Claims

1. A system for transferring data between one or more computer systems, comprising in combination:

a portable, hand-held, data storage unit, including a microprocessor, a solid-state memory means operatively coupled to said microprocessor, a communications port operatively connected to said microprocessor, and means including said microprocessor for generating graphical user interface control signals;

a computer system with a graphical user interface application program responsive to said graphical user interface control signals;

said computer system transmitting data to said microprocessor via said communication port in response to said graphical user interface control signals;

said microprocessor storing said data in said solid-state storage means; and

said microprocessor transmitting said data stored in said memory to said computer system.

2. A portable hand-held data storage unit as in claim 1 wherein said communications port includes a wireless transceiver.

3. A portable hand-held data storage unit as in claim 1 further including a battery for powering said unit.

4. A portable hand-held data storage unit as in claim 3 wherein said microprocessor transfers between a normal operating mode in response to operational inputs and a low power operating mode in the absence of said operational inputs.

5. A portable hand-held data storage unit as in claim 1 wherein said manually operable, graphical user interface control signal generating means includes a rotatable member and counter means to store incremental rotation of said member.

6. A portable hand-held data storage unit as in claim 5 wherein said microprocessor transfers between a normal operating mode in response to operational inputs and a low power operating mode in the absence of said operational inputs.