Mouse with improved input mechanisms using touch sensors

• US 7,710,397 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Corbin, Sean, Doar, Jeffrey B., Nishibori, Shin, Krah, Christoph H., Low, Wing Kong
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walthall; Allison
• Application Number:
  US11/144,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20060274042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345163-166, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A mouse having improved input methods and mechanisms is disclosed. The mouse is configured with touch sensing areas capable of generating input signals. The touch sensing areas may for example be used to differentiate between left and right clicks in a single button mouse. The mouse may further be configured with force sensing areas capable of generating input signals. The force sensing areas may for example be positioned on the sides of the mouse so that squeezing the mouse generates input signals. The mouse may further be configured with a jog ball capable of generating input signals. The mouse may additionally be configured with a speaker for providing audio feedback when the various input devices are activated by a user.

Claims

1. A mouse, comprising:

a housing including a unibody top member covering substantially all of a top surface of the mouse and a bottom member, the unibody top member configured to pivot relative to the bottom member to provide a clicking action; and

an internal switch configured to generate an activation signal by the clicking action of the unibody top member,

wherein the mouse further comprises;

a first touch zone and a second touch zone provided on the surface of the unibody top member;

a first touch sensor located underneath the surface of the top member in a region of the first touch zone, the first sensor configured to generate a first touch signal if the top member is touched in the first touch zone;

a second touch sensor located underneath the surface of the top member in a region of the second touch zone, the second sensor configured to generate a second touch signal if the top member is touched in the second touch zone; and

a control circuit configured to report a first input event if the activation signal and the first touch signal are generated without the second touch signal, to report a second input event if the activation signal and the second touch signal are generated without the first touch signal, to ignore the first touch signal if the first touch signal is generated without the activation signal, and to ignore the second touch signal if the second touch signal is generated without the activation signal.

2. The mouse as recited in claim 1, further comprising;

third touch zones provided with a minimal amount of flex; and

force sensors located underneath the housing in the region of the third touch zones, forces exerted on the third touch zones being distributed to a force sensor.

3. The mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to ignore the first touch signal and the second touch signal if the first touch signal and the second touch signal are simultaneously generated without the activation signal.

4. The mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein the mouse is configurable to operate either as a single button mouse or a multiple button mouse.

5. The mouse as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an electronically controlled feedback system configured to provide feedback to the user of the mouse so that the user is able to positively confirm that an action has resulted in an actual activation of one or more input mechanisms of the mouse.

6. The mouse as recited in claim 5 wherein the feedback system includes at least one of:

an audio feedback generator;

a haptics mechanism configured to output a vibration when a user performs an action with at least one of the input mechanisms;

or

a visual feedback generator configured to output visual stimuli at the mouse when a user performs an action with at least one of the input mechanisms.

7. A mouse, comprising:

a housing including a unibody top member covering substantially all of a top surface of the mouse and a bottom member, the unibody top member configured to pivot relative to the bottom member to provide a clicking action, the bottom member includes a first wing and a second wing positioned at a first side and a second side of the housing, respectively, the first and second wings extending from a base of the bottom member into the top member, the top member including a first recess in the first side and a second recess in the second side so as to receive the first wing and the second wing respectively; and

an internal switch configured to generate an activation signal by the clicking action of the unibody top member,

wherein the mouse further comprises;

a first force sensor located behind the first wing, the first force sensor generating a first force signal when increased pressure is exerted on the first wing;

a second force sensor located behind the second wing, the second force sensor generating a second force signal when increased pressure is exerted on the second wing;

a first touch zone and a second touch zone provided on the surface of the unibody top member;

a first touch sensor located underneath the surface of the top member in a region of the first touch zone, the first sensor configured to generate a first touch signal if the top member is touched in the first touch zone;

a second touch sensor located underneath the surface of the top member in a region of the second touch zone, the second sensor configured to generate a second touch signal if the top member is touched in the second touch zone; and

a control circuit configured to generate a control signal if the first and second force signals indicate a squeeze gesture having a force above a threshold, the control signal controlling operation of a computer program, to report a first input event if the activation signal and the first touch signal are generated without the second touch signal, to report a second input event if the activation signal and the second touch signal are generated without the first touch signal, to ignore the first touch signal if the first touch signal is generated without the activation signal, and to ignore the second touch signal if the second touch signal is generated without the activation signal.

8. The mouse as recited in claim 7, wherein the first and second force sensors are force sensitive capacitors, the force sensitive capacitor being located between the wings and a bridge located within the mouse.

9. The mouse as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a jog ball device positioned at a surface of the top member, the jog ball device including;

a magnetic configured ball capable of rotating in multiple directions, the ball having

a diameter that is less than 10 mm;

a sealed housing provided in the top member, configured to receive the magnetic configured ball; and

a hall integrated circuit configured to generate direction signals indicating directions in accordance with rotation of the magnetic configured ball; and

a position sensing device configured to generate tracking signals when the mouse is moved along a surface,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to monitor the activation signal, the first and second touch signal, the first and second force signals, the direction signals, and the tracking signal, and to report tracking and multiple input events based at least in part on the activation signal, the first and second touch signal, the first and second force signals, the direction signals, and the tracking signal solely or in combination with one another.

10. The mouse as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

an electronically controlled feedback system configured to provide feedback to the user of the mouse so that the user is able to positively confirm that an action has resulted in an actual activation of one or more input mechanisms of the mouse.

11. The mouse as recited in claim 10 wherein the feedback system includes at least one of:

an audio feedback generator;

a haptics mechanism configured to output a vibration when a user performs an action with at least one of the input mechanisms;

or

a visual feedback generator configured to output visual stimuli at the mouse when a user performs an action with at least one of the input mechanisms.

12. A mouse, comprising:

a housing including a unibody top member covering substantially all of a top surface of the mouse and a bottom member, the unibody top member configured to pivot relative to the bottom member to provide a clicking action;

an internal switch configured to generate an activation signal by the clicking action of the unibody top member; and

a jog ball device positioned at a surface of the top member,

wherein the jog ball device includes;

a magnetic configured ball capable of rotating in multiple directions, the ball having a diameter that is less than 10 mm;

a sealed housing provided in the top member, configured to receive the magnetic configured ball; and

a hall integrated circuit configured to generate direction signals indicating directions in accordance with rotation of the magnetic configured ball, and

wherein the mouse further comprises;

a first touch zone and a second touch zone provided on the surface of the unibody top member;

a first touch sensor located underneath the surface of the top member in a region of the first touch zone, the first sensor configured to generate a first touch signal if the top member is touched in the first touch zone;

a second touch sensor located underneath the surface of the top member in a region of the second touch zone, the second sensor configured to generate a second touch signal if the top member is touched in the second touch zone; and

a control circuit configured to generate a control signal based on the activation signal and the direction signals, to report a first input event if the activation signal and the first touch signal are generated without the second touch signal, to report a second input event if the activation signal and the second touch signal are generated without the first touch signal, to ignore the first touch signal if the first touch signal is generated without the activation signal, and to ignore the second touch signal if the second touch signal is generated without the activation signal.

13. The mouse as recited in claim 12, wherein the jog ball device further includes:

a ball switch that generates a ball activation signal when the ball is pushed down inside the sealed housing,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate an input event signal if the internal switch and the ball switch both generate the activation signal and the ball activation signal, respectively.

14. The mouse as recited in claim 13, wherein the magnetic configured ball has a diameter between about 5 mm and about 8 mm.

15. The mouse as recited in claim 12, wherein the control circuit generates a third input event signal if the ball is moved to a first direction, and a fourth input event signal if the ball is moved to the second direction.

16. The mouse as recited in claim 12, wherein horizontal scrolling performed when the ball is spun horizontally and wherein vertical scrolling is performed when the ball is spun vertically.

17. A method for operating a mouse to control a user interface having a display screen, the mouse comprising:

a housing including a unibody top member covering substantially all of a top surface of the mouse and a bottom member, the unibody top member configured to pivot relative to the bottom member to provide a clicking action, the top member including a first force sensitive portion on a first side, and a second force sensitive portion on a second side;

an internal switch configured to generate an activation signal by the clicking action of the unibody top member;

a first force sensor located behind the first force sensitive portion, the first force sensor generating a first force signal when increased pressure is exerted on the first force sensitive portion;

a second force sensor located behind the second force sensitive portion, the second force sensor generating a second force signal when increased pressure is exerted on the second force sensitive portion;

a first touch zone and a second touch zone provided on the surface of the unibody top member;

a first touch sensor located underneath the surface of the top member in a region of the first touch zone, the first sensor configured to generate a first touch signal if the top member is touched in the first touch zone; and

a second touch sensor located underneath the surface of the top member in a region of the second touch zone, the second sensor configured to generate a second touch signal if the top member is touched in the second touch zone;

the method comprising;

monitoring the first and the second force signals;

determining if a squeeze gesture above a threshold force occurred, based on the first and second force signals;

generating a control signal if the squeeze gesture has occurred, the control signal controlling operation of a computer program on the display screen;

reporting a first input event if the activation signal and the first touch signal are generated without the second touch signal;

reporting a second input event if the activation signal and the second touch signal are generated without the first touch signal,

ignoring the first touch signal if the first touch signal is generated without the activation signal; and

ignoring the second touch signal if the second touch signal is generated without the activation signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the operation includes at least one of:

tiling and scaling down all open windows in the display screen;

tiling and scaling down open windows associated with a particular application program in the display screen;

or

moving all open windows to the edges of the display screen.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the control signal controlling an operation of a window management program based on an amount of pressure detected from the first and second force signals.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether the mouse has been lifted off a surface;

if the mouse has not been lifted off the surface, determining if a first force threshold has been exceeded based on the first and second force signals, and reporting an input event signal when the force is above the first force threshold; and

if the mouse has been lifted off the surface, determining if a second force threshold has been exceeded based on the first and second force signals, and reporting an input event signal when the force is above the second force threshold.

21. A method for operating a mouse, the mouse comprising:

a housing including a unibody top member covering substantially all of a top surface of the mouse and a bottom member, the unibody top member configured to pivot relative to the bottom member to provide a clicking action;

an internal switch configured to generate an activation signal by the clicking action of the unibody top member;

a first touch zone and a second touch zone provided on the surface of the unibody top member;

a first touch sensor associated with the first touch zone and configured to generate a first touch signal if the top member is touched in the first touch zone; and

a second touch sensor associated with the second touch zone, and configured to generate a second touch signal if the top member is touched in the second touch zone, the method comprising;

monitoring the first and second touch sensors;

monitoring the internal switch;

reporting a first input event if the activation signal and the first touch signal are generated without the second touch signal;

reporting a second input event if the activation signal and the second touch signal are generated without the first touch signal;

ignoring the first touch signal if the first touch signal is generated without the activation signal; and

ignoring the second touch signal if the second touch signal is generated without the activation signal.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

ignoring the first touch signal and the second touch signal if the first touch signal and the second touch signal are simultaneously generated without the activation signal.