Mouse with improved input mechanisms

• US 20060274042A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Corbin, Sean, Nishibori, Shin, Krah, Christoph H., Low, Wing Kong, Doar, Jeffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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;

a plurality of button zones on the surface of the housing, the button zones representing regions of the housing that are capable of detecting touch events that occur on the surface of the housing in the region of the button zones.

2. The mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the button zones are based on touch sensing.

3. The mouse as recited in claim 2 wherein the mouse includes a plurality of touch sensors located underneath the surface of the housing, the working area of the touch sensors forming the button zones.

4. The mouse as recited in claim 3 wherein the touch sensors are capacitance touch sensors in the form of electrodes, the capacitance in each electrode being measured by a capacitance sensing circuit so as to determine when a touch event is performed on the surface of the housing in the region of the button zones.

5. The mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the button zones are based on force sensing.

6. The mouse as recited in claim 5 wherein the housing provides a minimal amount of flex in the area of the button zones so that forces exerted on the button zones are distributed to a force sensor located underneath the housing in the region of the button zones.

7. The mouse as recited in claim 6 wherein the force sensors correspond to force sensitive resistors or force sensitive capacitors.

8. The mouse as recited in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the button zones are based on touch sensing and force sensing.

9. A mouse, comprising:

a mouse housing having an outer member;

a first touch sensor configured to sense the presence of an object at a first region of the outer member;

a second touch sensor configured to sense the presence of an object at a second region of the outer member, the second region being different than the first region; and

a sensor management circuit that monitors the signals output by the first and second touch sensors and reports button events based at least in part on the signals generated at the first and second touch sensors.

10. The mouse as recited in claim 9 wherein the outer member is a physical button capable of performing a clicking action.

11. The mouse as recited in claim 10 wherein the first region is the left side of the physical button, and wherein the second region is the right side of the physical button.

12. The mouse as recited in claim 10 wherein a first button event signal is reported when an object is sensed at the first region but not the second region, and wherein a second button event signal is reported when an object is sensed at the second region but not the first region.

13. The mouse as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

an internal switch that generates an activation signal when the button performs the clicking action, and wherein the sensor management circuit monitors the activation signal and reports button events based at least in part on the signals output by the first and second touch sensors and the activation signal generated at the internal switch.

14. The mouse as recited in claim 13 wherein a first button event signal is reported when an object is sensed at the first region and the internal switch generates an activation signal, and

wherein a second button event signal is reported when an object is sensed at the second region and the internal switch generates an activation signal.

15. The mouse as recited in claim 14 wherein,

a third button event signal is reported when an object is sensed at the first region and the internal switch does not generate an activation signal, and

a fourth button event signal is reported when an object is sensed at the second region and the internal switch does not generate an activation signal.

16. The mouse as recited in claim 14 wherein a third button event is reported when the first and second touch sensors simultaneously sense one or more objects.

17. The mouse as recited in claim 14 wherein the first button event is reported when the first and second touch sensors simultaneously sense one or more objects.

18. The mouse as recited in claim 9 wherein the first and second touch sensors are capacitance sensors.

19. A configurable mouse capable of operating as a single button or multi-button mouse, the mouse comprising:

an internal switch that generates an activation signal;

a single moving member that provides a clicking action, the moving member activating the internal switch during the clicking action;

a touch sensing arrangement that generates a first touch signal when the movable member is touched in a first region and a second touch signal when the movable member is touched in a second region,

wherein the signals of the internal switch and the touch sensing arrangement indicating one or more button events of the mouse.

20. The configurable mouse as recited in claim 19 wherein the touch sensing arrangement includes a right touch sensor configured to detect the presence of a touch on the right side of the moving member and a left touch sensor configured to detect the presence of a touch on the left side of the moving member.

21. The configurable mouse as recited in claim 19 wherein the touch signals generated by the touch sensing arrangement are ignored when the mouse operates as a single button mouse, and wherein the signals generated by the touch sensing arrangement are used to determine the meaning of the clicking action when the mouse operates as a multiple button mouse.

22. The configurable mouse as recited in claim 19 wherein the first region is located on a left side of the moving member, and wherein the second region is located on a right side of the moving member.

23. The configurable mouse as recited in claim 19 wherein a left button event is reported when the first touch signal and the activation signal are the only signals generated, and wherein a right button event is reported when the second touch signal and the activation signal are the only signals reported.

24. The configurable mouse as recited in claim 19 wherein the touch sensing arrangement includes capacitance sensors positioned within or underneath the moving member.

25. The configurable mouse as recited in claim 19 wherein the capacitance sensors are embodied as conductive electrodes that are spatially separated and positioned on opposites sides of the moving member, a first electrode being placed in the front left side of the moving member, a second electrode being placed in the front right side of the moving member.

26. The configurable mouse as recited in claim 19 wherein the mouse is a unibody mouse, and wherein the moving member is a top member of the unibody mouse.

27. A mouse, comprising:

a housing having one or more pressure sensitive areas;

a force sensing device located behind each of the pressure sensitive areas, the force sensing devices being configured to measure the force exerted at the pressure sensitive areas.

28. The mouse as recited in claim 27 wherein the pressure sensitive areas are located on the sides of the housing in an opposed relationship.

29. The mouse as recited in claim 27 wherein the force sensing devices are force sensitive resistors or force sensitive capacitors.

30. The mouse as recited in claim 27 wherein the mouse is a unibody mouse including a top member that pivots relative to a base member, the base member including wings at both sides of the mouse, the wings providing the pressure sensitive areas of the mouse.

31. The mouse as recited in claim 27 wherein the force sensing devices are force sensitive capacitors, the force sensitive capacitor being located between the wings and a bridge located within the mouse.

32. A mouse, comprising:

a jog ball device positioned at a surface of the mouse, the jog ball device including a ball that spins within a sealed housing, the ball having a diameter that is less than 10 mm.

33. The mouse as recited in claim 32 wherein the jog ball utilizes a non contact magnetic configured ball and a hall integrated circuit.

34. The mouse as recited in claim 32 wherein the jog ball device includes a ball switch that generates an activation signal when the ball is pushed down inside the sealed housing.

35. The mouse as recited in claim 34 further including an internal mouse switch that generates an activation signal when a component of the mouse performs a clicking action, and wherein a button event signal is generated when both the ball switch and the internal mouse switch generates an activation signal.

36. The mouse as recited in claim 32 wherein a first button event signal is generated when the ball is moved to the left, and a second button event signal is generated when the ball is moved to the right.

37. The mouse as recited in claim 32 wherein horizontal scrolling performed when the ball is spun horizontally and wherein vertical scrolling is performed when the ball is spun vertically.

38. The mouse as recited in claim 32 further including a speaker that provides an audio clicking noise when the ball is spun.

39. The mouse as recited in claim 32 wherein the ball has a diameter between about 5 mm and about 8 mm.

40. A unibody mouse including a base and a movable top member, the unibody mouse comprising:

a base including a first wing located on a right side of the mouse, and a second wing located on a left side of the mouse;

a movable top member coupled to the base;

a first touch sensor located on a front left side of the top member, the first touch sensor generating a first touch signal when the front left side of the top member is touched;

a second touch sensor located on a front right side of the top member, the second touch sensor generating a second touch signal when the front right side of the top member is touched;

a jog ball device located in a front middle portion of the top member between the first and second touch sensors, the jog ball device including a ball configured to generate multidirectional motion signals when the ball is spun within a sealed housing, the jog ball device including a switch configured to generate a first activation signal when the top member is moved relative to the base;

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

an internal switch configured to generate a second activation signal when the top member is moved relative to the base;

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

a microcontroller that monitors all the signals of the above mentioned devices and reports tracking and multiple button events based at least in part on these signals solely or in combination with one another.

41. The unibody mouse as recited in claim 40 wherein the touch sensors are capacitance touch sensors, and the force sensors are force sensitive capacitors, and wherein the capacitance of the capacitance touch sensors and the capacitance of the force sensitive capacitors are monitored with the same capacitive sensing circuit.

42. The unibody mouse as recited in claim 40 further including an onboard 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 the input mechanisms of the mouse.

43. The unibody mouse as recited in claim 42 wherein the unibody mouse includes one or more audio feedback generators, haptics generators and visual feedback generators.

44. A mouse, 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.

45. The mouse as recited in claim 44 wherein the feedback system includes an audio feedback generator.

46. The mouse as recited in claim 45 wherein the audio feedback generator is a piezo electric speaker configured to output a clicking noise when a user performs an action with at least one of the input mechanisms.

47. The mouse as recited in claim 44 wherein the feedback system includes a haptics mechanism configured to output a vibration when a user performs an action with at least one of the input mechanisms.

48. The mouse as recited in claim 44 wherein the feedback system includes 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.

49. The mouse as recited in claim 48 wherein the visual feedback system is based on light or electronic inks.

50. The mouse as recited in claim 44 wherein the input mechanisms are selected from touch sensors, force sensors, and jog balls.

51. A mouse method, comprising:

monitoring pressure at the surface of a mouse;

performing an action based on a change in pressure at the surface of the mouse.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the action includes tiling and scaling down all open windows in a display screen.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein the action includes tiling and scaling down open windows associated with a particular application in a display screen.

54. The method of claim 51 wherein the action includes moving all open windows to the edges of a display screen.

55. The method of claim 51 wherein change in pressure is cause by squeezing the sides of the mouse.

56. A mouse method, comprising:

monitoring a force at a surface of a mouse;

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, and reporting a button event signal when the force is above the first force threshold;

if the mouse has been lifted off the surface, determining if a second force threshold has been exceeded, and reporting the button event signal when the force is above the second force threshold.

57. A mouse method, comprising:

monitoring pressure at mouse surface;

determining if a squeeze gesture is performed; and

if a squeeze gesture is performed, performing an action in a window management program based on the pressure at the mouse surface.

58. A mouse method, comprising:

monitoring a left touch sensor;

monitoring a right touch sensor;

monitoring a switch;

reporting a left button event when only the left sensor and switch are activated;

reporting a right button event when only the right sensor and switch are activated;

reporting a button event when the right sensor, left sensor and switch are activated, the button event being selected from a left button event, a right button event, a third button event, or simultaneous left and right button events.

59. A mouse method, comprising:

detecting a touch at a surface of a mouse;

differentiating whether the touch is a light or hard touch;

performing a first action when a touch is a light touch; and

performing a second action when a touch is hard touch.