Computer mouse, touchpad, input suite, and mobile device

• US 10,877,574 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2017
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventec Appliances Company Limited (Inventec Corporation), Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Inventors: Zheng, Yongping, Tsai, Shih-Kuang, Chang, Jing-song
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jr., Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US16/476,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20190369751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0336 Mouse integrated fingerprint sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• 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: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1376 Matching features related to ridge properties or fingerprint texture

Abstract

A computer mouse includes at least one first fingerprint recognition device disposed on an outside surface of the computer mouse, and configured to recognize fingerprint data; and an output converting unit connected to the first fingerprint recognition device, wherein a mapping relation of a plurality of fingerprint data and a plurality of output characters is pre-stored in the output converting unit, and one of the output characters is outputted, by the output converting unit, in response to the received fingerprint data coming from the first fingerprint recognition device.

Claims

1. A computer mouse, comprising:

at least one first fingerprint recognition device disposed on an outside surface of the computer mouse, and configured to recognize fingerprint data; and

an output converting unit connected to the first fingerprint recognition device, wherein a mapping relation of a plurality of fingerprint data and a plurality of output characters is pre-stored in the output converting unit, and one of the output characters is outputted, by the output converting unit, in response to a received fingerprint data coming from the first fingerprint recognition device.

2. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein the first fingerprint recognition device is located on an upper surface of the computer mouse, and the fingerprint recognition device comprises a plurality of fingerprint contacting areas;

and

wherein the mapping relation of the output characters and the fingerprint data, identified by each of the fingerprint contacting areas, is pre-stored in the output converting unit, and each of the fingerprint data, identified by each of the contacting areas, is corresponding to one of the output characters.

3. The computer mouse according to claim 2, wherein the fingerprint recognition devise comprises a plurality of fingerprint contacting areas arranged along a direction in length of the computer mouse.

4. The computer mouse according to claim 3, wherein the fingerprint recognition device comprises four fingerprint contacting areas;

wherein the fingerprint recognition device respectively comprises a first fingerprint contacting area, a second fingerprint contacting area, a third fingerprint contacting area and a fourth fingerprint contacting area; and

wherein the output converting unit pre-stores;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

1” and

a first fingerprint of the first fingerprint contacting area, a mapping relation of a single output character “

2” and

a second fingerprint of the first fingerprint contacting area, and a mapping relation of a single output character “

3” and

a third fingerprint of the first fingerprint contacting area;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

4” and

a first fingerprint of the second fingerprint contacting area, a mapping relation of a single output character “

5” and

a second fingerprint of the second fingerprint contacting area, and a mapping relation of a single output character “

6” and

a third fingerprint of the second fingerprint contacting area;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

7” and

a first fingerprint of the third fingerprint contacting area, a mapping relation of a single output character “

8” and

a second fingerprint of the third fingerprint contacting area, and a mapping relation of a single output character “

9” and

a third fingerprint of the third fingerprint contacting area; and

a mapping relation of a single output character “

*” and

a first fingerprint of the fourth fingerprint contacting area, a mapping relation of a single output character “

0” and

a second fingerprint of the fourth fingerprint contacting area, and a mapping relation of a single output character “

#” and

a third fingerprint of the fourth fingerprint contacting area.

5. The computer mouse according to claim 2, wherein the fingerprint recognition devise comprises a plurality of fingerprint contacting areas arranged along a direction in width of the computer mouse.

6. The computer mouse according to claim 2, wherein the fingerprint recognition devise comprises a plurality of fingerprint contacting areas grid-likely arranged on the upper surface of the computer mouse.

7. The computer mouse according to claim 6, wherein the fingerprint recognition device comprises six fingerprint contacting areas grid-likely arranged in three columns and two rows, wherein the fingerprint contacting areas comprises a first fingerprint contacting area arranged in a first column and a first row, a second fingerprint contacting area arranged in a second column and the first row, a third fingerprint contacting area arranged in a third column and the first row, a fourth fingerprint contacting area arranged in the first column and a second row, a fifth fingerprint contacting area arranged in the second column and the second row and a sixth fingerprint contacting area arranged in the third column and the second row;

and

wherein the output converting unit pre-stores;

a mapping relation of a first fingerprint and the output characters of each of the fingerprint contacting areas, from the first fingerprint contacting area to the sixth fingerprint contacting area, and a mapping relation of a second fingerprint and the output characters, a mapping relation of a third fingerprint and the output characters, and a mapping relation of a fourth fingerprint and the output characters, of each of the fingerprint contacting areas, from the fourth fingerprint contacting area to the sixth fingerprint contacting area.

8. The computer mouse according to claim 7, wherein the output converting unit pre-stores:

a mapping relation of a single output character “

Y” and

a first fingerprint of the first fingerprint contacting area;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

H” and

a first fingerprint of the second fingerprint contacting area;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

N” and

a first fingerprint of the third fingerprint contacting area;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

U” and

the first fingerprints;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

I” and

the second fingerprint;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

O” and

the third fingerprint, a mapping relation of a single output character “

P” and

the fourth fingerprint, of the fourth fingerprint contacting area;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

J” and

the first fingerprint, a mapping relation of a single output character “

K” and

the second fingerprint;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

L” and

the third fingerprint;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

;

” and

the fourth fingerprint, of the fifth fingerprint contacting area;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

M” and

the first fingerprint;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

,” and

the second fingerprint;

a mapping relation of a single output character “

.” and

the third fingerprint; and

a mapping relation of a single output character “

I” and

the fourth fingerprint, of the fifth fingerprint contacting area.

9. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein the output characters are key characters input by a right hand in keyboard fingering or the output characters are key characters input by a left hand in the keyboard fingering.

10. The computer mouse according to claim 2 further comprising a switch connected to the output converting unit and the first fingerprint recognition device, switched between configurations of different fingerprint contacting areas in response to control signals of the switch, wherein each of the configurations of the fingerprint contacting areas comprises a combination of at least one column and at least one row of the fingerprint contacting areas, and the mapping relation of the output characters and the fingerprint data of the first fingerprint recognition device in different configurations.

11. The computer mouse according to claim 10, wherein the switch is a second fingerprint recognition device with fingerprint contacting areas, and the output converting unit pre-stores a mapping relation of a configuration of the fingerprint contacting areas and at least one of the fingerprint data of each of the fingerprint contacting areas of the second fingerprint recognition device.

12. The computer mouse according to claim 11, wherein, the configuration of the fingerprint contacting areas comprises at least one of following combinations of the fingerprint contacting areas:

a combination of the fingerprint contacting areas arranged along a direction in length of the computer mouse;

a combination of the fingerprint contacting areas arranged along a direction in width of the computer mouse;

a combination of the six fingerprint contacting areas grid-likely arranged in three columns and two rows;

a combination of the eight fingerprint contacting areas grid-likely arranged in four columns and two rows; and

a combination of the twelve fingerprint contacting areas grid-likely arranged in four columns and three rows.

13. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein the output character comprises at least one of letters, numbers, symbols, emoji, and formulas.

14. A touchpad, comprising:

at least one touch-detection and fingerprint-recognition device disposed on an outer surface of the touchpad, wherein the touch-detection and fingerprint-recognition device is configured to recognize fingerprint data and detect touch motion information, wherein the touch motion information is used as a moving track of the cursor; and

an output converting unit connected to a first fingerprint recognition device of the touch-detection and fingerprint-recognition device, wherein the output converting unit pre-stores a mapping relation of a plurality of fingerprint data and a plurality of output characters, wherein one of the output characters is outputted, by the output converting unit in response to a received fingerprint data coming from the first fingerprint recognition device.

15. An input suite, comprising:

a keyboard and a computer mouse, wherein the computer mouse comprises at least one first fingerprint recognition device disposed on an outside surface of the computer mouse, and configured to recognize fingerprint data, wherein an output converting unit is connected to the first fingerprint recognition device;

wherein a mapping relation of a plurality of fingerprint data and a plurality of output characters is pre-stored in the output converting unit, and an output character is outputted, by the output converting unit, in response to a received fingerprint data coming from the first fingerprint recognition device; and

wherein the keyboard is configured to output a portion of English letters, and the computer mouse is configured to output the remaining portion of the English letters and/or all numeric numbers in response to different fingerprints.