Ambidextrous mouse

• US 8,704,769 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steve, Huppi, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US12/188,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0332 Ergonomic shaped mouse adjustable to suit one of both hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03544 having dual sensing arrangement, e.g. two balls or two coils used to track rotation of the pointing device

Abstract

An ambidextrous mouse is disclosed. The ambidextrous mouse is configured for both left and right handed use. The mouse may include right handed buttons on the front side of the mouse and left handed buttons on the back side of the mouse. The user may change the handedness of the mouse by rotating the mouse about a vertical axis of the mouse such that the left hand can use the left hand buttons and the right hand can use the right hand buttons. The mouse may include a handedness selection system for configuring the mouse for right handed or left handed use even though the mouse has the capability for both right and left hands.

Claims

1. An ambidextrous mouse configurable for left and right handed use, the mouse comprising:

a touch sensitive surface divided into an array of sensing points, each sensing point configured for generating a signal when the sensing point detects that an object is touching the sensing point, the generated signal indicating a location of the sensing point on the touch sensitive surface, wherein signals generated at one or more sensing points are combined to form a current hand signal; and

a handedness selection system coupled to the touch sensitive surface, the handedness selection system capable of comparing the current hand signal to a baseline hand signal and based on the comparison, automatically configuring the mouse for left-handed or right-handed use,

wherein the touch sensitive surface comprises a forward portion and a rear portion, and wherein the mouse is capable of being configured for right hand use if the current hand signal indicates that a first object is touching the forward portion and a second object is touching the rear portion, and the mouse is capable of being configured for left hand use if the current hand signal indicates that the first object is touching the rear portion and the second object is touching the forward portion.

2. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein both the forward and rear portions of the ambidextrous mouse include one or more button zones, each button zone configurable for generating a function signal when the button zone is touched to actuate a function.

3. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 2, wherein the button zones are implemented via a button cap.

4. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein the button zones are implemented in a unibody housing, the unibody housing comprising the touch sensitive surface.

5. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein the button zones comprise capacitive touch sensors.

6. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, further including a side portion for receiving a thumb, the side portion including one or more buttons zones, wherein the mouse is capable of being configured for right hand use if the current hand signal indicates that the first object is touching the forward portion and a third object is touching the side portion, and the mouse is capable of being configured for left hand use if the current hand signal indicates that the first object is touching the rear portion and the third object is touching the side portion.

7. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 6, wherein the side portion further comprises a wheel.

8. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein the handedness selection system includes a switch that allows a user to manually select which hand is desired for using the mouse.

9. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, further including a mouse housing, the mouse housing having an asymmetric cross section in the lateral direction and a symmetric cross section in the longitudinal direction, the lateral direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

10. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 9, wherein the mouse housing includes a base and a movable body that moves relative to the base, the base defining a lower portion of the mouse and supporting an upper portion of the mouse, the movable body defining the upper portion of the mouse and implementing functions of the mouse.

11. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein the baseline hand signal comprises one or more baseline right hand signals pre-stored in different user settings.

12. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 11, wherein the handedness selection system is further capable of determining that the current hand signal is similar to at least one of the baseline right hand signals and configuring the mouse for right-handed use.

13. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein the baseline hand signal comprises one or more baseline left hand signals pre-stored in different user settings.

14. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 13, wherein the handedness selection system is further capable of determining that the current hand signal is similar to at least one of the baseline left hand signals and configuring the mouse for left-handed use.

15. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more motion axes configurable for left-handed or right-handed use.

16. The ambidextrous mouse as recited in claim 1, wherein the mouse allows a user to rotate the mouse about a vertical axis of the mouse by 180 degrees for left-handed or right-handed use of the mouse.

17. A method for configuring the handedness of a mouse, comprising:

detecting a touch made by an object in contact with a touch sensitive surface of the mouse, the touch sensitive surface divided into an array of sensing points, each sensing point configured for generating a signal in response to sensing a touch on the sensing point;

generating a hand signal in response to the detected touch, wherein the hand signal is generated by combining signals generated at one or more sensing points that sense the detected touch;

comparing the generated hand signal to a baseline hand signal; and

based on the comparison, automatically configuring the mouse for left-handed or right-handed use,

wherein automatically configuring the mouse for left-handed or right-handed use further comprises automatically configuring the mouse for right hand use if the generated hand signal indicates a first object present in a forward portion of the touch sensitive surface and a second object present in a rear portion of the touch sensitive surface, and configuring the mouse for left hand use if the generated hand signal indicates the first object present in the rear portion and the second object present in the forward portion of the touch sensitive surface of the mouse.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising storing one or more baseline right hand signals and baseline left hand signals for different user settings.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising determining the generated hand signal is similar to at least one of the baseline right hand signals and configuring the mouse for right-handed use.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising determining the generated hand signal is similar to at least one of the baseline left hand signals and configuring the mouse for left-handed use.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising automatically configuring the mouse for a right hand use if the generated hand signal indicates the first object present in the forward portion and a third object present in a side portion of the mouse, and configuring the mouse for a left hand use if the generated hand signal indicates the first object present in the rear portion and the third object present in the side portion of the mouse.

22. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising configuring one or more motion axes of the mouse for right-handed or left-handed use.

23. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising allowing a user to manually select the handedness of the mouse via a switch.

24. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the touch sensitive surface of the mouse comprises one or more button zones, each button zone configurable for generating a functional signal when the button zone is pressed to actuate a function.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the button zones are capable of capacitive touch sensing.