Thumb-little-finger controlled computer mouse

• US 6,266,047 B1
• Filed: 02/01/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anuthep Benja-Athon
• Original Assignee: Anuthep Benja-Athon
• Inventors: Benja-Athon, Anuthep
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowers, Benjamin D.
• Application Number:
  US09/243,731
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 345/163, 345/167, 345/157
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A computer mouse which eliminates the function and involvement of the forefinger, middle finger and ring finger comprises a shell whose inclined back top surface is so contoured to position the palm of the computer and mouse operator at 30 degree extension to the horizontal surface, and the inclined front surface minimizes and, better yet, eliminates the movement of muscles and tendons of the forefinger, middle finger and ring finger. The mouse, and therefore, the computers are operated by the muscles of the thenar and hypothenar eminences whereby a left click button and a right click button are operated by the muscles of the thenar and hypothenar eminences, respectively. Alternatively, by reversibly locking the click buttons to a reversible nonmovable position, two broad skin surface myoelectrical electrode pads of the mouse on which the thenar and hypothenar eminences contourly fit and rest detect and transmit myoelectrical potential change and current signal cause by the activities of the muscles of the thenar and hypothenar eminences to the computer devices as a part of the control and interaction between the operator, mouse and computer devices. Two vertical, longitudinal, interdigital ridge members on the surface of top shell of the mouse are grasped and held by the fore, middle and ring fingers to move, hold, lift, manipulate and stabilize the mouse. The mouse prevents pain and dysfunction syndrome, inflammations and repetitive strain injuries of the upper extremity.

Claims

1. A hand-controlled computer mouse that prevents pain, dysfunction syndrome, inflammations and repetitive strain injuries of the upper extremity comprising:

means for positioning the palm of an operator at 30 degrees to the horizontal surface of a desktop;

means for maximally shortening the intrinsic and long flexor muscles of the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th digits of the hand;

means for moving, holding, lifting, manipulating, and stabilizing said mouse;

means for immobilizing the flexor muscles of the thumb;

means for immobilizing the flexor muscles of the fifth digit of the hand;

means for a thenar-muscle-powered left mouse click button on said mouse as a first means for signal communication between the operator and a computer;

means for a hypothenar-muscle-powered right mouse click button on said mouse as a first means for signal communication between the operator and the computer;

means for detecting a myoelectrical potential change and current generated by muscular activity of the thenar eminence as a second meanis for signal communication between the operator and the computer; and

means for detecting a myoclectrical potential chance and current generated by muscular activity of hypothenar eminence as a second means of signal communication between the operator and the computer.

2. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for positioning the palm of an operator at 30 degrees to the horizontal surface of a desktop is a bulbous, inclined posterior palmar part of a contoured top shell of said mouse on which said palm fits and rests.

3. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for maximally shorteninig the intrinsic and long flexor muscles of the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th digits of the hand are a metacarpal part and an inclined front part of a top shell of said mouse on which said 2^nd3^rd and 4^th digits are immobilized.

4. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for moving, holding, lifting, manipulating, and stabilizing said mouse are two vertical, longitudinal, interdigital ridge members of an inclined front part of a top shell of said mouse which are grasped and held by said 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th digits.

5. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for immobilizing the flexor muscles of the thumb is a distal phalangeal pad on the left click button of said mouse.

6. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for immobilizing the flexor muscles of the fifth digit of the hand is a fifth-digit right click button of said mouse.

7. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for a thenar-muscle-powered left mouse click button on said mouse as a first means for signal communication between the operator and the computer is a spring-loaded, movable thenar-muscle-powered left click button to the left of a top shell of said mouse.

8. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for a hypothenar-muscle-powered right mouse click button on said mouse as a first means for signal communication between the operator and the computer is a spring loaded, movable hypothenar-muscle-powered right click button to the right of a top shell of said mouse.

9. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for detecting a myoelectrical potential change and current generated by muscular activity of the thenar eminence as a second means for signal communication between the operator and the computer comprises a broad surface, contoured myoelectrical electrode pad located on the left click button on which the the near eminence fits and rests and wherein said pad is adapted to detect and transmit said myoelectrical potential change and current to the computer.

10. The hand-controlled computer mouse according to claim 1 wherein said means for detecting a miyoelectrical potential change and current generated by muscular activity of hypothenar eminence as a second means for signal communication between the operator and the computer comprises a broad surface, contoured myoelectrical electrode pad located on the right side of the posterior palmar part on which the hypothenar eminence fits and rests and wherein said pad is adapted to detect and transmit myoelectrical potential change and current to the computer.