Mouse recharging module

• US 6,476,795 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US09/491,081
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/163, 345/167-169, 345/179, 361/683, 361/686, 320/114, 320/115
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable computer system has a screen attached to a base housing having an accessory bay and a first wireless transceiver. The screen has a cursor positioned by a mouse having a second wireless transceiver in contact the first wireless transceiver of the portable computer. A module, capable of insertion and removal from the accessory bay, has a mouse bay and connector for coupling to the mouse. When the mouse is in the mouse bay, a battery in the mouse is recharged.

Claims

1. A portable computer system, comprising:

a base housing having an accessory bay, a first wireless transceiver, and a battery charger coupled to said accessory bay;

a screen attached to said base, said screen capable of displaying a cursor in response to data from said first wireless transceiver;

a module capable of insertion into and removal from said accessory bay, said module having a mouse bay and a connector for coupling to said battery charger;

a mouse having a battery and a second wireless transceiver for contact with said first wireless transceiver for positioning said cursor on said screen, said battery capable of recharging when said mouse is placed in said mouse bay of said module.

2. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein said battery of said mouse is recharged when said module is fitted in said accessory bay.

3. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein said mouse is collapsible and said mouse is stored in said mouse bay when said mouse is collapsed.

4. A portable computer system, comprising:

a base housing having an accessory bay, a first wireless transceiver, and a battery charger coupled to said accessory bay;

a screen attached to said base, said screen capable of displaying a cursor in response to data from said first wireless transceiver;

a mouse having a battery and a second wireless transceiver for contact with said first wireless transceiver for positioning said cursor on said screen;

a module capable of insertion into and removal from said accessory bay, said module having

a mouse bay,

a connector for coupling to said battery charger,

a reserve battery coupled to said connector and

a reserve battery charger having an input coupled to said reserve battery and an output coupled to said mouse bay wherein said reserve battery is recharged from said battery charger in said base and said battery in said mouse is recharged from said reserve battery charger when said mouse is placed in said mouse bay of said module.

5. The portable computer of claim 4 wherein said battery of said mouse is recharged when said module is not fitted in said accessory bay.

6. A module for insertion into and removal from a portable computer accessory bay, comprising:

a connector for coupling with a battery charger in said portable computer; and

a mouse bay coupled to said connector and said mouse bay capable of accepting a mouse having a battery wherein said battery of said mouse is recharged when said mouse is in said mouse bay.

7. A portable computer system, comprising:

the module of claim 6;

a base housing having an accessory bay capable of accepting said module, a first wireless transceiver and a battery charger coupled to said accessory bay;

a screen attached to said base, said screen capable of displaying a cursor in response to data from said first wireless transceiver;

a mouse having a battery and a second wireless transceiver for contact with said first wireless transceiver for positioning said cursor on said screen, said battery recharging when said mouse is placed in said mouse bay and said module is fitted in said accessory bay.

8. A module for insertion into and removal from a portable computer accessory bay, comprising:

a connector coupling with a battery charger in said portable computer;

a mouse bay coupled to said connector and said mouse bay capable of accepting a mouse having a battery wherein said batter y of said mouse is recharged when said mouse is in said mouse bay;

a reserve battery coupled to said connector; and

a reserve battery charger having an input coupled to said reserve battery and an output coupled to said mouse bay wherein said reserve battery is recharged from said battery charger in said base and said battery in said mouse is recharged from said reserve battery charger.

9. A portable computer system, comprising:

a module for insertion into and removal from a portable computer accessory bay, comprising;

a connector for coupling with a battery charger in said portable computer, and

a mouse bay coupled to said connector and said mouse bay capable of accepting a mouse having a battery wherein said battery of said mouse is recharged when said mouse is in said mouse bay;

a base housing having an accessory bay capable of accepting said module, a first wireless transceiver and a battery coupled to said accessory bay;

a screen attached to said base, said screen capable of displaying a cursor in response to data from said first wireless transceiver;

a mouse having a battery and a second wireless transceiver for contact with said first wireless transceiver for positioning said cursor on said screen, said battery recharging when said mouse is placed in said mouse bay and said module is fitted in said accessory bay;

a reserve battery coupled to said connector; and

a reserve battery charger having an input coupled to said reserve battery and an output coupled to said mouse bay wherein said reserve battery is recharged from said battery charger in said base and said battery in said mouse is recharged from said reserve battery charger.

10. A portable computer system, comprising:

a base housing having an accessory bay, a first wireless transceiver and a battery charger coupled to said accessory bay;

a screen attached to said base, said screen capable of displaying a cursor in response to data from said first wireless transceiver;

a module capable of insertion into and removal from said accessory bay, said module having a mouse bay and a connector for coupling to said battery charger, a reserve battery coupled to said connector, a reserve battery charger having an input coupled to said reserve battery and an output coupled to said mouse bay wherein said reserve battery is recharged from said battery charger in said base and said battery in said mouse is recharged from said reserve battery charger; and

a mouse having a battery and a second wireless transceiver for contact with said first wireless transceiver for positioning said cursor on said screen, said battery recharging when said mouse is placed in said mouse bay of said module.

11. A method of recharging a battery in a wireless mouse comprising the step of:

inserting the mouse into a mouse bay of a module that is capable of insertion into an accessory bay of a portable computer, the mouse bay coupled to a battery charger.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of collapsing the mouse before inserting the mouse into the module.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of inserting the module into an accessory bay of a portable computer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said module has a reserve battery and a reserve battery charger, the method further comprising the step of:

charging said battery of said mouse with said reserve battery charger.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

inserting the module into an accessory bay of a portable computer; and

recharging said reserve battery from said portable computer.

16. A portable computer, comprising:

a base housing having an accessory bay and a battery charger coupled to said accessory bay; and

a module capable of insertion into and removal from said accessory bay, said module having,

a mouse bay capable of accepting a mouse with a battery,

a connector for coupling to the battery charger,

a reserve battery coupled to the connector, and

a reserve battery charger having an input coupled to the reserve battery and an output coupled to the mouse bay wherein the reserve battery is recharged from the battery charger in the base housing and the battery in the mouse is recharged from said reserve battery charger.

17. The portable computer of claim 16, further comprising:

a first wireless transceiver within the base housing for communicating with a second wireless transceiver within the mouse.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, further comprising:

a screen attached to the base, the screen capable of displaying a cursor in response to data from the first wireless transceiver.