Combination computer keyboard and mouse data entry system

• US 4,917,516 A
• Filed: 08/15/1988
• Issued: 04/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Retter, Dale J.
• Original Assignee: Retter, Dale J.
• Inventors: Retter, Dale J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eickholt, Eugene H.
• Application Number:
  US07/231,952
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 400/485, 400/489, 400/100, 340/710, 340/711, 340/365 A
• US Class Current: 400/489
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A data input device particularly suited for computers includes a housing which also contains a computer mouse. The mouse functions are executed by moving the entire housing member, and the fingers never move away from their constant "home" key positions for the data input keys. The normal left and right hand keyboard functions are split between two separate keyboard housings adapted to underlie the palms of the left and right hands, respectively. A mouse is in one or both of these housings. Finger wells are provided for the fingers of the operator along with a thumb well in each keyboard member. Data input keys are mounted at various positions within these wells for producing keyed input data to the computer; and the mouse (mice) has (have) a surface movement detecting apparatus for inputting spatial mouse movement signals to the computer.

Claims

1. A computer data input control system including in combination:

a first housing member having a graspable raised, substantially convex, central portion adapted to underlie and support the palm of at least one hand of an operator in a natural relaxed concave position, with the fingers freely dangling so that the fingertips of each finger extend substantially vertically downwardly, said housing member having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a plurality of data input keys arranged adjacent said raised central portion in groups of predetermined three dimensional patterns at each of the thumb and fingertip positions of the hand of such operator on the upper surface of said housing member, each group operated by different fingertips of an operator from a constant home position, wherein each finger is capable of activating all of the keys of the associated group through finger movement alone, said finger positions comprising individual fingertip wells, each having a bottom and vertical sides with discrete key surfaces thereon for freely receiving the fingertips of an operator to permit multiple direction movement of the fingertips to contact different discrete ones of said key surfaces corresponding to the direction of movement of the fingertips, and wherein said data input keys are located in various positions in said wells so that said data input keys may be operated by the fingertips in said constant home position;

at least a first mouse means mounted within said housing member having a push button switch and having a movement detection input means extending from the lower surface of said housing member for contacting a support surface;

first control means on said housing member comprising a push button switch actuator located at said thumb position for engagement by the thumb and coupled with said first mouse means for operating said push button switch of said first mouse means, said entire first housing member being movable by said hand of such operator without removal of said fingertips from said constant home position to operate said movement detector input means of said first mouse means as said first housing member is moved on a support surface; and

means for coupling said mouse means and said data input keys with a processing device.

2. The combination according to claim 1 further including means mounted on said first housing member for disabling said movement detection input means of said first mouse means when operation of said first mouse means is not desired.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said movement detection input means comprises a surface engaging means, said disabling means on said first housing member includes a spring member for lifting said surface engaging means out of engagement with a surface underlying said first housing member, and wherein the force of said spring member is overcome by a downward pressure through the palm of the hand of said operator to cause the surface engaging means of said first mouse member to engage a surface underlying the lower surface of said first housing member when operation of said first mouse means is desired.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said housing member is adapted to underlie the palm of only one hand of an operator.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said first housing member is graspable and is adapted to underlie and support the palm of only one hand of an operator;

and further including a second physically separate housing member having a graspable raised, substantially convex, central portion adapted to underlie and support the palm of the other hand of an operator in a natural relaxed concave position, with the fingers freely dangling so that the fingertips of each finger extend substantially vertically downwardly, said second housing member having a plurality of data input keys thereon physically arranged in a mirror image of the groups of keys on said first housing member for operation by the fingertips of said other hand of an operator from a constant home position, said second housing member including a second mouse means mounted within said second housing member and having a movement detection input means extending from the lower surface of said second housing member for contacting a support surface;

second control means on said second housing member coupled with said second mouse means for operating a switch of said second mouse means, said entire second housing member being movable by a hand of such operator without removal of the fingertips from said constant home position to operate said movement detector input means of said second mouse means as said second housing member is moved independently of said first housing member on a support surface;

wherein said data input keys are divided between said first and second housing members; and

said means for coupling said mouse means couples said first and second mouse means and said data input keys on both of said first and second housing members with said processing device.

8. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said second control means on said second housing member is located at said thumb position and comprises a push button switch actuator for engagement by the thumb;

and wherein said second mouse means has a push button switch thereon, said second mouse means being mounted within said second housing memebr to cause the push button switch on said second mouse means to be operated by said push button thumb switch actuator.

9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said first and second mice means function to provide vernier mouse control with said first mouse means supplying rapid mouse movement signals and said second mouse means providing mouse movement signals which are slower than said first mouse means.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the signals from said first and second mice means are integrated into a single composite mouse control signal.

11. The combination according to claim 8 wherein the signals produced by said first and second mice means are mutually independent signals such that the signal generated by said first mouse means may be differentiated from the signal generated from said second mouse means.

12. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said mouse means is removably mounted in a cavity in the lower surface of the housing member.

13. The combination according to claim 5 further including means on said second housing member for disabling said movement detector input means of said second mouse means when operation of said second mouse means is not desired.

14. The combination according to claim 13 wherein said disabling means on said second housing member includes a spring member for lifting said movement detecting input means out of engagement with a surface underlying said second housing member, and wherein the force of said spring member is overcome by a downward pressure through the palm of the hand of said operator to cause said input means of said second mouse member to engage a surface underlying the lower surface of said second housing member when operation of said second mouse means is desired.

15. A computer data input control system including in combination:

a first housing member having a graspable raised, substantially convex, central portion adapted to underlie and support the palm of at least one hand of an operator in a natural relaxed concave position, with the fingers freely dangling so that the fingertips of each finger extend substantially vertically downwardly, said housing member having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a plurality of data input keys arranged adjacent said raised central portion in groups of predetermined three dimensional patterns at each of the thumb and fingertip positions of the hand of such operator on the upper surface of said housing member, each group operated by different fingertips of an operator from a constant home position, wherein each finger is capable of activating all of the keys of the associated group through finger movement alone, said finger positions comprising individual fingertip wells, each having a bottom and vertical sides with discrete key surfaces thereon for freely receiving the fingertips of an operator to permit multiple direction movement of the fingertips to contact different discrete ones of said key surfaces corresponding to the direction of movement of the fingertips, and wherein said data input keys are located in various positions in said wells so that said data input keys may be operated by the fingertips in said constant home position;

at least a first mouse means mounted within said housing member and having a movement detection input means extending from the lower surface of said housing member for contacting a support surface;

first control means on said first housing member coupled with said first mouse means for operating a switch of said first mouse means, said entire first housing member being movable by said hand of such operator without removal of said fingertips from said constant home position to operate said movement detector input means of said first mouse means as said housing is moved on a support surface;

a second physically separate housing member having a graspable raised, substantially convex, central portion adapted to underlie and support the palm of the other hand of an operator in a natural relaxed concave position, with the fingers freely dangling so that the fingertips of each finger extend substantially vertically downwardly, said second housing member having a plurality of data input keys thereon physically arranged in a mirror image of the groups of keys on said first housing member for operation by the fingertips of said other hand of an operator from a constant home position, said second housing member including a second mouse means mounted within said second housing member and having a movement detection input means extending from the lower surface of said second housing member for contacting a support surface;

second control means on said second housing member coupled with said second mouse means for operating a switch of said second mouse means, said entire second housing member being movable by a hand of such operator without removal of the fingertips from said constant home position to operate said movement detector input means of said second mouse means as said second housing member is moved independently of said first housing member on a support surface;

wherein said data input keys are divided between said first and second housing members and the signals produced by said first and second mice means are mutually independent signals such that the signal generated by said first mouse means may be differentiated from the signal generated by said second mouse means; and

means for coupling said first and second mouse means and said data input keys on both of said first and second housing members with said processing device.

6. The combination according to claim 15 wherein said first and second mice means function to provide vernier mouse control with said first mouse means supplying rapid mouse movement signals and said second mouse means providing mouse movement signals which are slower than said first mouse means.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the signals from said first and second mice means are integrated into a single composite mouse control signal.

16. A computer data input control system including in combination:

a first housing member having a graspable raised, substantially convex, central portion adapted to underlie and support the palm of at least one hand of an operator in a natural relaxed concave position, with the fingers freely dangling so that the fingertips of each finger extend substantially vertically downwardly, said housing member having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a plurality of data input keys arranged adjacent said raised central portion in groups of predetermined three dimensional patterns of each of the thumb and fingertip positions of the hand of such operator on the upper surface of said housing member, each group operated by different fingertips of an operator from a constant home position, wherein each finger is capable of activating all of the keys of the associated group through finger movement alone, said finger positions comprising individual fingertip wells, each having a bottom and vertical sides with discrete key surfaces thereon for freely receiving the fingertips of an operator to permit multiple direction movement of the fingertips to contact different discrete ones of said key surfaces corresponding to the direction of movement of the fingertips, and wherein said data input keys are located in various positions in said wells so that said data input keys may be operated by the fingertips in said constant home position;

at least a first mouse means having an operating switch mounted within said housing member and having a movement detection input means extending from the lower surface of said housing member for contacting a support surface;

first control means on said housing member coupled with said operating switch of said mouse means for operating said operating switch of said mouse means, said entire first housing member being movable by said hand of such operator without removal of said fingertips from said constant home position to operate said movement detector input means of said mouse means as said housing is moved on a support surface; and

means for coupling said mouse means and said data input keys with a processing device.

17. The combination according to claim 16 wherein said mouse means is removably mounted in a cavity in the lower surface of said housing member.