Computer mouse with data retrieval and input functionalities

• US 6,992,656 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micheal L. Hughes
• Original Assignee: Micheal L. Hughes
• Inventors: Hughes, Micheal L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US10/604,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20050035945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 345/163, 345/168, 345/169, 345/156, 345/157, 345/172, 341/22, 341/23, 400/486, 400/489, 715/780
• 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

Abstract

The current invention is a desktop operated computer control mouse including a housing, electronic circuitry within the housing, a user manipulable rotatable ball, optical technology, or other means for pointing control, and a plurality of front mounted buttons that are in addition to the standard depressible buttons known in the prior art of a computer control mouse, which are exposed on the housing and are electronically connected with circuitry. At least some or all of the additional finger depressible buttons are for user selection of signals to be sent to the computer for the purpose of initiating functioning macros, inputting specified user data, or launching user pre-selected commands, and are associated with electronic switches that allow for at least three input stages; depressing and holding, pressing once, and pressing twice.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a computer mouse having a plurality of buttons a single click selects a first queue and a double click selects a second queue that appear on a display, the first queue has a first plurality of data fields assigned to the plurality of buttons and the second queue has a second plurality of data fields assigned to the plurality of buttons, both first plurality of data fields and second plurality of data fields are selected by a pointer on the display that is positioned by moving the computer mouse.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of buttons are on a front edge of the computer mouse and are assigned names button 1, button 2, button 3 and button 4.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click, the four data fields having a drop down menu to select predetermined data that is added to the data fields.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click, the four data fields having a drop down menu to manually enter user data in the data fields.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein all data fields are filled with information supplied from an operating system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the operating system supplies the information from an operating system sign-in screen.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the functional manner activates commends through specified software programs.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all data fields are for credit card information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all data fields are for usernames and passwords.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all data fields are for personal information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all data fields are user defined.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all data fields are for a plurality of users each user has information that is saved in a database.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the data fields is for a first name.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the data fields is for a last name.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the data fields is for an address.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the data fields is for a city.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the data fields is for a state.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the data fields is for a zip code.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the data fields is for an email address.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the data fields is for a phone number.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein all the data fields are encrypted.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein software programs save data in a database for a plurality of users that is accessible by a plurality of users through a LAN, WAN or Internet connection.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein software programs save data in a database that is accessible through the use of usernames and passwords.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a computer mouse having a plurality of buttons a single click on any of the buttons selects a first queue and a double click on any of the buttons selects a second queue in a plurality of templates that appear on a display, the first queue having first plurality of data fields assigned to the plurality of buttons and the second queue having a second plurality of data fields assigned to the plurality of buttons, both first plurality of data fields and second plurality of data fields are selected by a pointer on the display that is positioned by moving the computer mouse.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the plurality of buttons are on a front edge of the computer mouse and are assigned names button 1, button 2, button 3 and button 4.

27. The device of claim 25 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click.

28. The device of claim 25 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click, the four data fields having a drop down menu to select predetermined data that is added to the data fields.

29. The device of claim 25 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click, the four data fields having a drop down menu to manually enter user data in the data fields.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein all data fields are filled with information supplied from an operating system.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the operating system supplies the information from an operating system sign-in screen.

32. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the functional manner activates commends through specified software programs.

33. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein all data fields are for credit card information.

34. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein all data fields are for usernames and passwords.

35. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein all data fields are for personal information.

36. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein all data fields are user defined.

37. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein all data fields are for a plurality of users each user has information that is saved in a database.

38. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein one of the data fields is for a first name.

39. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein one of the data fields is for a last name.

40. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein one of the data fields is for an address.

41. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein one of the data fields is for a city.

42. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein one of the data fields is for a state.

43. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein one of the data fields is for a zip code.

44. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein one of the data fields is for an email address.

45. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein one of the data fields is for a phone number.

46. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein all the data fields are encrypted.

47. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein software programs save data in a database for a plurality of users that is accessible by a plurality of users through a LAN, WAN or Internet connection.

48. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein software programs save data in a database that is accessible through the use of usernames and passwords.

49. A method comprising:

activating a plurality of buttons on a computer mouse;

selecting a first queue with a single click on any of the buttons;

selecting a second queue with a double click on any of the buttons;

assigning a first plurality of data fields of the first queue to the plurality of buttons and a plurality of templates that appear on a display, the first plurality of data fields selected by a pointer on the display that is positioned to the first plurality of data fields by moving the computer mouse; and

assigning a second plurality of data fields of the second queue to the plurality of buttons and the plurality of templates that appear on the display, the second plurality of data fields selected by a pointer on the display that is positioned to the second plurality of data fields by moving the computer mouse.

50. The device of claim 49 wherein the plurality of buttons are on a front edge of the computer mouse and are assigned names button 1, button 2, button 3 and button 4.

51. The device of claim 49 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click.

52. The device of claim 49 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click, the four data fields having a drop down menu to select predetermined data that is added to the data fields.

53. The device of claim 49 wherein the plurality of templates have four data fields for each single click and double click, the four data fields having a drop down menu to manually enter user data in the data fields.