AMBIDEXTROUS MOUSE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A user configurable mouse, comprising:
- a unibody housing having a touch sensitive surface divided into an array of independent and spatially distinct sensing regions wherein at least some of the sensing regions are positioned around a periphery of the unibody housing, each sensing region being configured to generate a signal when the sensing region detects that a portion of a user'"'"'s hand is touching the sensing region, the signal including information identifying a particular location of the sensing region in the unibody housing;
wherein signals from at least two sensing regions of the array of sensing regions are combined to form a hand signal that represents a contact produced by the user'"'"'s hand touching the unibody housing; and
wherein a first hand signal representing a first contact produced by the user'"'"'s hand touching the unibody housing is compared to a second hand signal representing a second contact produced by the user'"'"'s hand touching the unibody housing to generate a function signal for implementing a user-intended operation of the mouse.
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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.
51 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A user configurable mouse, comprising:
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a unibody housing having a touch sensitive surface divided into an array of independent and spatially distinct sensing regions wherein at least some of the sensing regions are positioned around a periphery of the unibody housing, each sensing region being configured to generate a signal when the sensing region detects that a portion of a user'"'"'s hand is touching the sensing region, the signal including information identifying a particular location of the sensing region in the unibody housing; wherein signals from at least two sensing regions of the array of sensing regions are combined to form a hand signal that represents a contact produced by the user'"'"'s hand touching the unibody housing; and wherein a first hand signal representing a first contact produced by the user'"'"'s hand touching the unibody housing is compared to a second hand signal representing a second contact produced by the user'"'"'s hand touching the unibody housing to generate a function signal for implementing a user-intended operation of the mouse. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for operating a unibody mouse having a touch sensitive surface comprising a plurality of sensing regions, wherein each sensing region is configured to generate a touch signal in response to a touch detected in the sensing region and the touch signal identifies at least a location of the touched sensing region in the touch sensitive surface, the method comprising:
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generating a first hand signal in response to a first touch detected in a first group of sensing regions amongst the plurality of sensing regions on the touch sensitive surface; generating a second hand signal in response to a second touch detected in a second group of sensing regions amongst the plurality of sensing regions on the touch sensitive surface; and comparing the first and second hand signals to generate a function signal reflecting a user-intended operation of the mouse; wherein the first hand signal is formed by combining touch signals from at least two sensing regions in the first group of sensing regions, the first hand signal representing a pixilated image of the first touch caused by a user'"'"'s hand touching the house, and wherein the second hand signal is formed by combining touch signals from at least two sensing regions in the second group of sensing regions, the second hand signal representing a pixilated image of the second touch caused by the user'"'"'s hand touching the mouse. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A user configurable mouse, comprising:
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a unibody housing having a buttonless touch sensitive surface divided into an array of independent and spatially distinct sensing regions, wherein signals from at least two sensing regions of the array of sensing regions are combined to form a hand signal that defines a pixilated image of a contact patch produced by the portion of the hand in contact with the mouse. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A user configurable mouse, comprising:
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a unibody housing having a buttonless touch sensitive surface divided into an array of independent and spatially distinct sensing regions wherein at least some of the sensing regions are positioned substantially around most of the periphery of the unibody housing, each sensing region being configured to generate a signal when the sensing region detects that a portion of a user'"'"'s hand is touching the sensing region, the signal including information identifying a particular location of the sensing region and a time at which the sensing region detected the portion of the user'"'"'s hand on the sensing region, wherein signals from at least two sensing regions of the array of sensing regions are combined to form a hand signal that defines a pixilated image of a contact patch produced by the portion of the hand in contact with the mouse at a time that the portion of the user'"'"'s hand touches the associated sensing regions regardless of where the portion of the user'"'"'s hand contacts the touch sensitive surface, and wherein a first hand signal corresponding to first positions of a user'"'"'s hand on the unibody housing at a first time is compared to a second hand signal corresponding to second positions of the user'"'"'s hand on the unibody mouse at a second time such that a comparison can be made between which portions of the touch sensitive surface are being touched at the first time and which portions of the touch sensitive surface are being touched at the second time, and whereby at least one function is implemented based upon the comparison of the first hand signal and the second hand signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A user configurable mouse, comprising:
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a unibody housing having a buttonless touch sensitive surface divided into an array of independent and spatially distinct sensing regions, each sensing region being configured to generate a signal when the sensing region detects that the sensing region is being touched by a portion of a user'"'"'s hand, the signal including information identifying a particular location of the sensing region and a time at which the sensing region was touched, wherein a function is generated by using at least a first signal corresponding to a sensing region at a first location being touched at a first time and at least a second signal corresponding to at least a second sensing region at a second location being touched at a second time; wherein signals from at least two sensing regions of the array of sensing regions are combined to form a hand signal that defines a pixilated image of a contact patch produced by the portion of the hand in contact with the mouse at a time that the portion of the user'"'"'s hand touches the associated sensing regions regardless of where the portion of the user'"'"'s hand contacts the touch sensitive surface.
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Specification