Cursor control device having an integral top member

• US 6,373,470 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Farag, Adam S., Andre, Bartley K., Farag, Abraham S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LESPERANCE, JEAN E
• Application Number:
  US09/482,152
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 345/161, 345/163, 345/166, 345/167, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/166
• 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 typical mouse presents great inconvenience to those who have very large hands, very small hands or those who have finger deformity. When the hands are very large, user fingers need to bend over in order to reach the button; when the hands are very small, user fingers need to stretch out in order to reach the button. None of which presents a comfortable position for these users. Furthermore, if there is any finger deformity involved, then there would be even greater difficulty in activating the mouse button for purposes such as data selection and command execution.

The present invention provides an improved computer mouse that has a mouse housing having a base member and a top member. The base member is configured primarily to make moving contact with the surface of a computer pad or a table. The top member is an integrated piece having no separate mechanical button disposed thereon. For data selection and command execution, the top member and the base member of the mouse are coupled and engaged in a manner that the entire top member via simple wrist action serves as a button for activating an internal switch to register palm clicking input. Advantageously, the present invention removes the awkwardness and discomfort for those large-handed, small-handed and deformed-handed users. All users may now comfortably select data or execute commands by simple and light wrist action.

Claims

1. A computer mouse having a mouse housing for containing mouse electronics, said mouse electronics being configured to acquire mouse movement information and in response thereto to transmit to a computer system monitor cursor control information, said computer mouse comprising:

a base member configured primarily to make moving contact with a top surface of a computer pad;

a top member being an integral piece and being mechanically coupled with the base member to form the mouse housing and to encase said mouse electronics, said top member further being externally contoured so that it being conforming to the contour of a palm-side surface of a user'"'"'s hand, when the hand being in a relaxed, neutral condition, with the palm-side surface generally downwardly and horizontally disposed;

said top member being mechanically coupled to said base member in that the entire top member in one integral piece being continually biased in a direction generally away from the base member to a first position and that the top member being pushed down toward the base member to a second position by the palm-side surface via wrist action whereby creating a clicking action; and

an electronic switch disposed inside the mouse housing being activated by said clicking action and responsively providing information to the mouse electronics for processing and transmitting the monitor cursor control information.

2. The computer mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein said information provided by the electronic switch to the mouse electronics includes a data selection signal.

3. The computer mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein said information provided by the electronic switch to the mouse electronics includes a command execution signal.

4. The computer mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein said clicking action includes a single-click feature.

5. The computer mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein said clicking action includes a double-click feature.

6. The computer mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein said clicking action includes a click-and-drag feature.

7. The computer mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein said mouse housing confines a ball in a manner that the ball rolling over the top surface of the computer pad defining the mouse movement information provided to the mouse electronics.

8. The computer mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein the mouse electronics includes an optical sensing circuit for acquiring the mouse movement information as the computer mouse moving across the top surface of the computer pad.

9. The computer mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein the mouse housing has at least a portion thereof being made of a translucent material in a manner that at least parts of the mouse electronics being visible externally.