Multi-touch mouse

• US 9,041,651 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Primax Electronics Limited
• Original Assignee: Primax Electronics Limited
• Inventors: Yasutake, Taizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Giesy, Adam R
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEYI, HENOK G
• Application Number:
  US13/676,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A multi-touch mouse includes a mouse body, a touch pad, and a controlling unit. In a case that the touch pad is not touched and the touch state is OFF, the multi-touch mouse is in a conventional two-dimensional mouse mode. In a case that the touch state of the touch pad is ON in response to a touch action and the mouse body is moved, the controlling unit switches the control mode of the multi-touch mouse to a touch gesture control mode and generates a touch gesture command.

Claims

1. A multi-touch mouse in communication with a computer system, said multi-touch mouse comprising:

a mouse body;

a first touch pad disposed on a top surface of said mouse body, wherein a touch state of said first touch pad is changed to an ON state when said first touch pad is touched, wherein if said first touch pad is in said ON state, a control mode of said multi-touch mouse is switched from a conventional two-dimensional mouse mode to a touch gesture control mode;

an optical sensor disposed within said mouse body for tracking a motion of said mouse body; and

a controlling unit connected with said first touch pad and said optical sensor for detecting said touch state of said first touch pad and receiving a result of tracking said motion of said mouse body, wherein if said first touch pad is in said ON state and said result of tracking said motion of said mouse body is received by said controlling unit, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and issues a one-finger touch gesture command to said computer system, so that said computer system executes a one-finger touch gesture function corresponding to said one-finger touch gesture command, wherein if said control mode of said multi-touch mouse is in said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode, a tracking sensitivity of said optical sensor has a first default tracking sensitivity value, wherein if said control mode of said multi-touch is switched from said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode to said touch gesture control mode, said tracking sensitivity of said optical sensor is changed from said first default tracking sensitivity value to second default tracking sensitivity value, wherein said second default tracking sensitivity value is larger than said first default tracking sensitivity value.

2. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 1, wherein said computer system comprises:

a computer host in communication with said multi-touch mouse for receiving said one-finger touch gesture command from said multi-touch mouse, thereby executing said one-finger touch gesture function; and

a display screen connected with said computer host, wherein if said multi-touch mouse is in said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode, a cursor icon is shown on said display screen, wherein if said multi-touch mouse is in said touch gesture control mode, a one-finger touch gesture icon is shown on said display screen.

3. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 1, wherein said first touch pad is a four-way directional digital switch or a digital toggle switch.

4. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 1, wherein said first touch pad comprises:

a middle touch region, wherein a touch state of said middle touch region is changed to said ON state when said middle touch region is touched;

a top touch region located at a top side of said middle touch region, wherein a touch state of said top touch region is changed to said ON state when said top touch region is touched;

a left touch region located at a left side of said middle touch region, wherein a touch state of said left touch region is changed to said ON state when said left touch region is touched;

a bottom touch region located at a bottom side of said middle touch region, wherein a touch state of said bottom touch region is changed to said ON state when said bottom touch region is touched; and

a right touch region located at a right side of said middle touch region, wherein a touch state of said right touch region is changed to said ON state when said right touch region is touched.

5. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second touch pad located at a first side of said mouse body, wherein a touch state of said second touch pad is changed to said ON state when said second touch pad is touched; and

a third touch pad located at a second side of said mouse body, wherein a touch state of said third touch pad is changed to said ON state when said third touch pad is touched,

wherein if said first touch pad and said second touch pad are both in said ON states and said result of tracking said motion of said mouse body is received by said controlling unit, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and issues a two-finger touch gesture command to said computer system, so that said computer system executes a two-finger touch gesture function corresponding to said two-finger touch gesture command,

wherein if said first touch pad, said second touch pad and said third touch pad are all in said ON states and said result of tracking said motion of said mouse body is received by said controlling unit, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and issues a three-finger touch gesture command to said computer system, so that said computer system executes a three-finger touch gesture function corresponding to said three-finger touch gesture command.

6. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 5, wherein said computer system comprises:

a computer host in communication with said multi-touch mouse for receiving said two-finger touch gesture command or said three-finger touch gesture command from said multi-touch mouse, thereby executing said two-finger touch gesture function or said three-finger touch gesture command; and

a display screen connected with said computer host, wherein if said multi-touch mouse is in said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode, a cursor icon is shown on said display screen, wherein if said multi-touch mouse is in said touch gesture control mode, a two-finger touch gesture icon or a three-finger touch gesture icon is shown on said display screen.

7. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 5, wherein said first touch pad comprises:

an inner touch region, wherein a touch state of said inner touch region is changed to said ON state when said inner touch region is touched, wherein if said inner touch region is in said ON state, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and issues said one-finger touch gesture command to said computer system; and

an outer touch region disposed around said inner touch region, wherein a touch state of said outer touch region is changed to said ON state when said outer touch region is touched, wherein if said outer touch region and said second touch pad or said third touch pad are both in said ON states, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and issues said two-finger touch gesture command to said computer system, wherein if said outer touch region, said second touch pad and said third touch pad are all in said ON states, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and issues said three-finger touch gesture command to said computer system.

8. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 5, wherein after said first touch pad and said second touch pad or said third touch pad are both touched to be in said ON states, said controlling unit judges whether a time period of maintaining said ON states of said first touch pad and said second touch pad or said third touch pad is longer than a predetermined time threshold or not, wherein if said time period of maintaining said ON states of said first touch pad and said second touch pad or said third touch pad is longer than said predetermined time threshold, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and generates a graphic object manipulation command, wherein if said time period of maintaining said ON states of said first touch pad and said second touch pad or said third touch pad is not longer than said predetermined time threshold, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and generates said two-finger touch gesture command.

9. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 8, wherein after said graphic object manipulation command is received by a computer host of said computer system, a cursor icon shown on a display screen of said computer system is converted into a first finger touch gesture icon and a second finger touch gesture icon by said computer host, and a graphic object manipulation function corresponding to said graphic object manipulation command is executed by said computer host.

10. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 5, wherein in response to a tap action on said first touch pad and a touch action on said second touch pad or said third touch pad, said touch states of said first touch pad and second touch pad or said third touch pad are changed to said ON states, and said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and generates a graphic object manipulation command, wherein a force of applying said tap action on said first touch pad is larger than a force of applying said touch action on said second touch pad or said third touch pad.

11. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 10, wherein after said graphic object manipulation command is received by a computer host of said computer system, a cursor icon shown on a display screen of said computer system is converted into a first finger touch gesture icon and a second finger touch gesture icon by said computer host, and a graphic object manipulation function corresponding to said graphic object manipulation command is executed by said computer host.

12. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 5, further comprising a fourth touch pad, which is located at said first side of said mouse body and located near said second touch pad, wherein a touch state of said fourth touch pad is changed to said ON state when said fourth touch pad is touched, wherein if said fourth touch pad is in said ON state, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and generates a graphic object manipulation command.

13. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 12, wherein after said graphic object manipulation command is received by a computer host of said computer system, a cursor icon shown on a display screen of said computer system is converted into a first finger touch gesture icon and a second finger touch gesture icon by said computer host, and a graphic object manipulation function corresponding to said graphic object manipulation command is executed by said computer host.

14. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 1, wherein after said control mode of said multi-touch mouse is in said touch gesture control mode, if a time period of maintaining said ON state of said first touch region is not longer than a predetermined time threshold, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode.

15. A multi-touch mouse in communication with a computer system, said multi-touch mouse comprising:

a mouse body;

a first touch pad disposed on a top surface of said mouse body, and comprising;

an inner touch region, wherein an touch state of said inner touch region is changed to an ON state when said inner touch region is touched, wherein if said inner touch region is in said ON state, a control mode of said multi-touch mouse is switched from a conventional two-dimensional mouse mode to a touch gesture control mode; and

an outer touch region located near said inner touch region, wherein a touch state of said outer touch region is changed to said ON state when said outer touch region is touched; and

a controlling unit connected with said first touch pad for detecting said touch states of said inner touch region and said outer touch region, wherein if said inner touch region and said outer touch region are both in said ON states, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and issues a two-finger touch gesture command to said computer system, so that said computer system executes a two-finger touch gesture function corresponding to said two-finger touch gesture command, wherein if said control mode of said multi-touch mouse is in said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode, a tracking sensitivity of said optical sensor has a first default tracking sensitivity value, wherein if said control mode of said multi-touch mouse is switched from said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode to said touch gesture control mode, said tracking sensitivity of said optical sensor is changed from said first default tracking sensitivity value to a second default tracking sensitivity value, wherein said second default tracking sensitivity value is larger than said first default tracking sensitivity value.

16. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 15, wherein said computer system comprises:

a computer host in communication with said multi-touch mouse for receiving said two-finger touch gesture command from said multi-touch mouse, thereby executing said two-finger touch gesture function; and

a display screen connected with said computer host, wherein if said multi-touch mouse is in said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode, a cursor icon is shown on said display screen, wherein if said multi-touch mouse is in said touch gesture control mode, a two-finger touch gesture icon is shown on said display screen.

17. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 15, further comprising a second touch pad, which is located at a first side of said mouse body, wherein a touch state of said second touch pad is changed to said ON state when said second touch pad is touched, wherein if said second touch pad is in said ON state and said first touch pad is continuously in said ON state, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and issues a graphic object manipulation command to said computer system, so that said computer system executes a graphic object manipulation function corresponding to said graphic object manipulation command.

18. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 17, wherein after said graphic object manipulation command is received by a computer host of said computer system, a cursor icon shown on a display screen of said computer system is converted into a first finger touch gesture icon and a second finger touch gesture icon by said computer host, and said graphic object manipulation function corresponding to said graphic object manipulation command is executed by said computer host.

19. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 15, further comprising:

a second touch pad located at a first side of said mouse body, wherein a touch state of said second touch pad is changed to said ON state when said second touch pad is touched; and

a fourth touch pad located at said first side of said mouse body and located near said second touch pad, wherein a touch state of said fourth touch pad is changed to said ON state when said fourth touch pad is touched, wherein if said fourth touch pad is in said ON state, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said touch gesture control mode and generates a graphic object manipulation command.

20. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 19, wherein after said graphic object manipulation command is received by a computer host of said computer system, a cursor icon shown on a display screen of said computer system is converted into a first finger touch gesture icon and a second finger touch gesture icon by said computer host, and a graphic object manipulation function corresponding to said graphic object manipulation command is executed by said computer host.

21. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 15, wherein said outer touch region comprises:

a first outer touch part located at a first side of said inner touch region, wherein a touch state of said first outer touch part is changed to said ON state when said first outer touch part is touched, wherein if said first outer touch part is in said ON state, said controlling unit issues a first button command to said computer system, so that said computer system executes a first button function corresponding to said first button command; and

a second outer touch part located at a second side of said inner touch region, wherein a touch state of said second outer touch part is changed to said ON state when said second outer touch part is touched, wherein if said second outer touch part is in said ON state, said controlling unit issues a second button command to said computer system, so that said computer system executes a second button function corresponding to said second button command.

22. The multi-touch mouse according to claim 15, wherein after said control mode of said multi-touch mouse is in said touch gesture control mode, if a time period of maintaining said ON state of said inner touch region is not longer than a predetermined time threshold, said controlling unit switches said control mode of said multi-touch mouse to said conventional two-dimensional mouse mode.