Computer mouse having multiple cursor positioning inputs and method of operation

• US 6,489,948 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Benny Chi Wah Lau
• Original Assignee: Benny Chi Wah Lau
• Inventors: Lau, Benny Chi Wah
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheng, Tom V.
• Application Number:
  US09/552,926
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 345/160, 345/161, 345/162, 345/163, 345/164, 345/165, 345/166, 345/167, 345/168, 345/169, 345/170, 345/171, 345/172, 345/173, 345/856, 345/858
• US Class Current: 345/163
• 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: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A mouse provides multiple cursor control input devices. A first input device is a tracking ball. The second input device may be a tracking ball, a finger pad, or a joy stick, among other input devices. The second input device provides a secondary control of cursor movement that is combined with the input of the first input device to provide full cursor control. In one embodiment, the second input is scaled by a scaling factor and then combined with the first input. In another embodiment, both the first input and the second input are scaled before they are combined. In another mouse, a single input is provided that is scaled by one of a plurality of scaling factors. The scaling factor may be altered to another one of the plurality of scaling factors via mouse input, for example a button input.

Claims

1. A computer mouse comprising:

a mouse shell having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion includes an anterior portion and a posterior portion;

a first cursor positioning input device that controls the positioning of a two-dimensional cursor in a two-dimensional screen area wherein the first cursor positioning input device produces a first input in response to motion of the mouse shell relative to a stationary reference;

a second cursor positioning input device substantially centrally located on the anterior portion of the top portion of the mouse shell and that controls the positioning of the two-dimensional cursor in the two-dimensional screen area and wherein the second cursor positioning input device produces a second input in response to motion of the second cursor positioning input device relative to the mouse shell; and

circuitry operably coupled to the first cursor positioning input, the second cursor positioning input, and a coupled computer, wherein the circuitry scales the second input by a scaling factor to produce a scaled second put, wherein the circuitry combines the scaled second input with the first input to produce a composite output, and wherein the circuitry provides the composite output to the coupled computer for two-dimensional cursor positioning in the two-dimensional screen area.

2. The computer mouse of claim 1, wherein the scaling factor is selected such that user input to the first cursor positioning input device produces coarse two-dimensional cursor positioning and user to the second cursor positioning input produces fine two-dimensional cursor positioning.

3. The computer mouse of claim 1, wherein the first cursor positioning input device is a tracking ball.

4. The computer mouse of claim 1, wherein the second cursor positioning input device is a tracking ball.

5. The computer mouse of claim 1, wherein the second cursor positioning input device is a touch pad.

6. The computer mouse of claim 1, wherein the second cursor positioning input device is a joystick.

7. The computer mouse of claim 5, wherein the touch pad is centrally located on the anterior portion of the top portion of the mouse shell.

8. The computer mouse of claim 1, wherein the composite output is provided to the coupled computer in a standardized format such that it is indistinguishable from a signal provided to the coupled computer from a mouse having a single two-dimensional cursor positioning input.

9. The computer mouse of claim 1, wherein the scaling factor is one of a plurality of scaling factors.

10. The computer mouse of claim 9, wherein:

the mouse further comprises a toggle input; and

a toggling of the toggle input causes the scaling factor to be altered from a first scaling factor of the plurality of scaling factors to a second scaling factor of the plurality of scaling factors.

11. A computer mouse comprising:

a mouse shell having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion includes an anterior portion and a postror portion;

a first cursor positioning input device that controls the positioning of a two-dimensional cursor in a two-dimensional screen area, when the first cursor positioning input device produces a first input in response to motion of the mouse shell relative to a stationary reference;

a touch pad that is substantially centrally located on the anterior portion of the top portion of the mouse shell and that controls the positioning of the two-dimensional cursor in the two-dimensional screen area, wherein the touch pad is readily accessible to an index finger of a user of the mouse when the user'"'"'s palm resides upon the anterior portion of the mouse shell, and wherein the touch pad produces a second input in response to motive touch having motion relative to the mouse shell;

circuitry operably coupled to the first cursor positioning input, the touch pad, and a coupled computer, wherein the circuitry scales the second input by a scaling factor to produce a said second input, wherein the circuitry combines the scaled second input with the first input to produce a composite output, and wherein the circuitry provides the composite output to the coupled computer for two-dimensional cursor positioning in the two-dimensional screen area; and

wherein the scaling factor is selected such that user input to the first cursor positioning input device produces coarse two-dimensional cursor positioning and user to the second cursor positioning input produces fine two-dimensional cursor positioning.

12. The computer mouse of claim 11, wherein the first cursor positioning input device is a tracking ball.

13. The computer mouse of claim 11, wherein the composite output is provided to the coupled computer in a standardized format such that it is indistinguishable from a signal provided to the coupled computer from a mouse having a single two-dimensional cursor positioning input.

14. The computer mouse of claim 11, wherein the scaling factor is one of a plurality of scaling factors.

15. The computer mouse of claim 14, wherein:

the mouse further comprises a toggle input; and

a toggling of the toggle input causes the scaling factor to be altered from a first scaling factor of the plurality of scaling factors to a second scaling factor of the plurality of scaling factors.

16. A computer mouse comprising:

a mouse shell having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion includes an anterior portion and a posterior portion;

a first cursor positioning input device that controls the positioning of a two-dimensional cursor in a two-dimensional screen area, wherein the first cursor positioning input device produces a first input in response to motion of the mouse shell relative to a stationary reference;

a touch pad that is substantially centrally located on the anterior portion of he top portion of the mouse shell and that controls the positioning of the two-dimensional cursor in the two-dimensional screen area, wherein the touch pad is readily accessible to an index finger of a user of the mouse when the user'"'"'s palm resides upon the anterior portion of the mouse shell, and wherein the touch pad produces a second input in response to notive touch having motion relative to the mouse shell;

circuitry operably coupled to the first cursor positioning input, the touch pad, and a coupled computer, wherein the circuitry scales the second input by a scaling factor to produce a scaled second input, wherein the circuitry combines the scaled second input with the first input to produce a composite output, and wherein the circuitry provides the composite output to the coupled computer for two-dimensional cursor positioning in the two-dimensional screen area;

wherein the scaling factor is selected such that user input to the first cursor positioning input device produces coarse two-dimensional cursor positioning and user to the second cursor positioning input produces fine two-dimensional cursor positioning; and

wherein the scaling factor may be chosen from a plurality of possible scaling factors.

17. The computer mouse of claim 16, wherein the first cursor positioning input device is a tracking ball.

18. The computer mouse of claim 16, wherein the composite output is provided to the coupled computer in a standardized format such that it is indistinguishable from a signal provided to the coupled computer from a mouse having a single two-dimensional cursor positioning input.

19. The computer mouse of claim 16, wherein:

the mouse further comprises a toggle input; and

a toggling of the toggle input causes the scaling factor to be altered from a first scaling factor of the plurality of scaling factors to a second scaling factor of the plurality of scaling factors.

20. A computer mouse comprising:

a mouse shell having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion includes an anterior portion and a posterior portion;

a first cursor positioning input device that controls the positioning of a two-dimensional cursor in a two-dimensional screen area wherein the first cursor positioning input device produces a first input in response to motion of the mouse shell relative to a stationary reference;

a touch pad that is substantially centrally located on the anterior portion of the top portion of the mouse shell and that controls the positioning of the two-dimensional cursor in the two-dimensional screen area, wherein the touch pad is readily accessible to all index finger of a user of the mouse when the user'"'"'s palm resides upon the anterior portion of the mouse shell, and wherein the touch pad produces a second input in response to motive touch having motion relative to the mouse shell;

circuitry operably coupled to the fist cursor positioning input, the touch pad, and a coupled computer, wherein the circuitry scales the second input by a scaling factor to produce a scaled second input, wherein the circuitry combines the scaled second input with the first input to produce a composite output and when the circuitry provides the composite output to the coupled computer for two-dimensional cursor positioning in the two-dimensional screen area;

wherein the scaling factor is selected such that user input to the first cursor positioning input device produces coarse two-dimensional cursor positioning and user to the second cursor position input produces fine two-dimensional cursor positioning;

wherein the scaling factor may be chosen from a plurality of scaling factors; and

wherein the composite output is provided to the coupled computer in a standardized format such that it is indistinguishable from a signal provided to the coupled computer from a mouse having a singe two-dimensional cursor positioning input.

21. The computer mouse of claim 20, wherein:

the mouse further comprises a toggle input; and

a toggling of the toggle input causes the scaling factor to be altered from a first scaling factor of the plurality of scaling factor of the plurality of scaling factors.