Multi-button mouse

• US 9,261,984 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Farag, Abraham, Huppi, Brian Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US14/195,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 345/163
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A mouse with multi button functionality is disclosed. The mouse includes a housing that surrounds the internal components of the mouse. The housing includes at least a first member and a second member, each of which forms a substantial portion of the housing. The first member moves relative to the second member so as to implement at least one of the multiple button functions of the mouse.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a multi-function input device, comprising:

selecting a location from a number of possible portions of a surface of a housing of the multi-function input device;

assigning a distinct input zone to the selected location of the surface of the housing;

sensing an input at an assigned input zone;

generating a signal corresponding to the input at an assigned input zone;

interpreting the signal received from the associated assigned input zone as a corresponding input function; and

performing the input function corresponding to the signal received from the multi-function input device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the multi-function input device to a computer having a display screen arranged to display an image and a processor unit operatively coupled to the display screen, wherein the processor unit receives and interprets the signal received from the multi-function input device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the input function is selected from a group comprising:

a single click function, a double click function, and/or a dragging and dropping function.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the single click function causes the computer to select a particular image on the display screen, and wherein the double click function causes the computer to open a document and/or launch a program, and wherein the dragging and dropping function generally causes the computer to move an item on the display screen.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the input is a user applying pressure to the housing at the assigned input zone.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the input function corresponding to the user applied pressure to the housing is a clicking action.

7. An input device, comprising:

a multi-function surface on at least a portion of the input device;

at least one electrical component beneath the multi-function surface; and

a sensor arranged to sense the user input event at the multi-function surface and, based upon the location of the user event, generate a signal corresponding to input functionality associated with an activated input zone;

wherein

the activated input zone is configured to incorporate user-programmable multi-input functionality, said functionality corresponding to a user input event at a corresponding input zone.

8. The input device as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

an interface arranged to provide a communication channel between at least the sensor and a computing device other than the input device, wherein the computing device receives and interprets the signal received from the sensor.

9. The input device as recited in claim 8, wherein when the input device is user programmable, then the interpreting the signal received from the sensor is updated to correspond to an updated user provided function.

10. The input device as recited in claim 9, wherein the input function is selected from a group comprising:

a single click function, a double click function, and/or a dragging and dropping function.

11. The input device as recited in claim 10, wherein the single click function causes the computing device to select a particular image on a display screen, and wherein the double click function causes the computing device to open a document and/or launch a program, and wherein the dragging and dropping function generally causes the computing device to move an item on the display screen.

12. The input device as recited in claim 7, wherein the user input event is sensed by the sensor is the user applying pressure to the multi-function surface at the activated input zone.

13. The input device as recited in claim 12, wherein the input functionality corresponding to user applied pressure to the multi-function surface is a clicking action.

14. A computer program product storing instructions executable by a processor for configuring a multi-function input device by a user, the multi-function input device having a multi-function surface, comprising:

a first set of instructions, stored in at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by at least one processing unit to receive a selection of a location from a number of possible portions of the multi-function surface;

a second set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to assign a distinct input zone to the selected location of the multi-function surface;

a third set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to generate a signal from an assigned input zone by actuating an associated indicator configured to sense a user input event at the associated assigned input zone;

a fourth set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to interpret the signal received from the associated assigned input zone as a corresponding input function; and

a fifth set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to perform the input function corresponding to the signal received from the multi-function input device.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a fifth set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to connect the multi-function input device to a computer having a display screen arranged to display an image and a processor unit operatively coupled to the display screen, wherein the processor unit receives and interprets the signal received from the multi-function input device.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the input function is selected from a group comprising:

a single click function, a double click function, and/or a dragging and dropping function.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein the single click function causes the computer to select a particular image on the display screen, and wherein the double click function causes the computer to open a document and/or launch a program, and wherein the dragging and dropping function generally causes the computer to move an item on the display screen.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein multi-function input device is utilizable by the user to at least one of move an indicator displayed by the computer on the display screen or make selections with respect to a graphical interface displayed by the computer on the display screen.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the input function corresponding to user applied pressure to the multi-function surface is a clicking action.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the user input event sensed by the indicator is a user applying pressure to the multi-function surface at the assigned input zone.