Collapsible portable mouse

• US 6,304,249 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1999
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Derocher, Michael D, Helot, Jacques H, Oross, Glen A
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/405,601
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 345/163-167, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, D14/402-410, D14/432, D14/433, 248/118, 248/118.1, 248/118.3, 248/118.5, 361/683, 361/686
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A computer mouse collapses into a smaller form. In one embodiment a cover slides to hide or reveal buttons and collapse or extend the length of the mouse. In another embodiment a lever is moved in one direction to bow the mouse surface and reveal buttons. Move the lever the other way and the mouse collapses in height and the buttons are hidden. In another embodiment a contoured leaf spring shapes the mouse. When relaxed, the spring is generally convex. Push down on the mouse and a latch captures the spring in an extended position reducing the height for storage and transport. Release the latch and the spring relaxes popping the mouse into an operable configuration. In another embodiment the mouse folds in half.

Claims

1. A pointing apparatus controlling movement of an on-screen reference for a computer, comprising:

a tracking device which generates movement signals based on movement of the pointing apparatus, the movement signals for controlling the movement of the onscreen reference;

a body within which the tracking device is housed, the body adjustable in shape between an operable configuration and a storage configuration; and

a button which is pressable to generate an input to the computer, said button being concealed while the body is in the storage configuration and being exposed while the body is in the operable configuration.

2. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body occupies less volume in the storage configuration than in the operable configuration.

3. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body has a first length while in the operable configuration and a reduced second length while in the storage configuration.

4. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body has a first height while in the operable configuration and a reduced second height while in the storage configuration.

5. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, in which the body comprises:

a housing portion which houses the tracking device; and

a cover which moves relative to the housing portion to adjust the body between the operable configuration and the storage configuration.

6. The pointing device of claim 5, in which the cover includes a surface which extends flush with the housing portion while the body is in the operable configuration and overlaps the housing portion while the body is in the operable configuration.

7. The pointing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a button which is pressable to generate an input to the computer, said button being concealed by the cover while the body is in the storage configuration and being exposed while the body is in the operable configuration.

8. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a retractable cable electrically coupled to the tracking device, a least a portion of the cable being retractable into the body.

9. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter electrically coupled to the tracking device and an antenna coupled to the transmitter, the transmitter routing the movement signals from the tracking device to the computer through a wireless media.

10. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lever coupled to the body and movable between a first position and a second position, wherein movement of the lever from the first position to the second position changes the body shape from the operable configuration to the storage configuration.

11. The point apparatus of claim 10, wherein movement of the lever from the second position to the first position changes the body shape from the storage configuration to the operable configuration.

12. The pointing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the lever props the body to have an exposed convex surface while in the first position.

13. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, in which the body comprises:

a leaf spring having a generally convex shape while in a first state and a reduced contour shape while in a second state;

a latch which locks the leaf spring into one state of either the first state and second state, wherein a releasing of the latch allows the leaf spring to return to the other state of the first state and the second state, wherein the generally convex shape of the leaf spring corresponds to the operable configuration and the reduced contour shape corresponds to the storage configuration.

14. The pointing apparatus of claim 13, in which the reduced contour shape is generally flat.

15. The pointing apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a flexible surface covering the leaf spring, wherein the leaf spring shape generally defines shape of an outer surface of the body.

16. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, in which the tracking device comprises an optical sensor for optically monitoring navigation of the pointing apparatus.

17. The pointing apparatus of claim 1, in which the body is foldable to change from an extended operable configuration to a reduced length storage configuration, the body comprising a first housing, a second housing and a hinge, wherein either one or both of the first housing and second housing move relative to the hinge to change the body between the operable configuration and the storage configuration.

18. The pointing apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a cable which winds up within the hinge into a retracted cable position.

19. The pointing apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the body is in the storage configuration, the pointing apparatus is capable of being stored in the computer.

20. The pointing apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the body is in the storage configuration, the pointing apparatus is capable of being stored in an AC adapter.

21. The pointing apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the body is in the storage configuration, the pointing apparatus is capable of being stored in a carrier, and wherein the carrier with the pointing apparatus is further capable of being stored in the computer.

22. A method for operating a pointing apparatus to control movement of an on-screen reference for a computer, the pointing apparatus having a tracking device and a body, the tracking device housed within the body, the method comprising the steps of:

adjusting shape of the body from a storage configuration to an operable configuration;

generating with the tracking device movement signals which are based on the movement of the pointing apparatus, in which the body includes a housing portion which houses the tracking device, and a cover which moves relative to the housing portion, and wherein the step of adjusting comprises sliding the cover relative to the housing portion to change the body to the operable configuration, wherein

the pointing apparatus also includes a button for generating an input to the computer, wherein the step of adjusting comprises sliding the cover relative to the housing portion to reveal the buttons and change the body into the operable configuration.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step:

controlling with the computer movement of the on-screen reference in response to the movement signals, wherein the computer is in communication with the pointing apparatus to receive the movement signals.

24. The method of claim 22, in which the step of adjusting comprises:

altering volume of the pointing apparatus to have an increased volume while in the operable configuration.

25. The method of claim 22, in which the step of adjusting comprises:

altering height of the pointing apparatus to have an increased height while in the operable configuration.

26. The method of claim 22, in which the step of adjusting comprises:

altering length of the pointing apparatus to have an increased length while in the operable configuration.

27. The method of claim 22, in which the step of adjusting comprises:

altering shape of the pointing apparatus to have a generally convex shape while in the operable configuration.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

extending a cable retracted into the body into an extended position, wherein the cable is electrically coupled to the tracking device.

29. The method of claim 22, in which the pointing apparatus also includes a lever coupled to the body and movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the step of adjusting comprises the step of:

moving the lever from the second position to the first position to change the body shape from the storage configuration to the operable configuration.

30. The method of claim 29, in which the step of adjusting further comprises the step of:

propping the body to have an exposed convex surface while the lever is in the first position.

31. The method of claim 22, in which the pointing apparatus also includes a latch and a leaf spring, the leaf spring having a generally convex shape while in a first state and a reduced contour shape while in a second state, and further comprising the steps of:

securing the leaf spring with the latch into in one state of the first state and the second state;

releasing the leaf spring from the latch to return the leaf spring to the other state of the first state and the second state, and

wherein the generally convex shape of the leaf spring corresponds to the operable configuration and the reduced contour shape corresponds to the storage configuration.

32. The method of claim 22, in which the body includes a first housing, a second housing and a hinge, and further comprising the step of:

folding the first housing and second housing about the hinge to reduce length of the body.

33. The method of claim 32, in which the pointing apparatus includes a cable, and further comprising the step of:

retracting the cable within the hinge.

34. A pointing apparatus using the method of claim 22.