Computer mouse glove with remote communication

• US 5,444,462 A
• Filed: 12/16/1991
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mark L. Wambach
• Original Assignee: Mark L. Wambach
• Inventors: Wambach, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAO, LUNYI
• Application Number:
  US07/807,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/709, 340/710, 341/20, 341/22, 400/489, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/168, 345/169
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0024 with accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/0221 the switches being fixed to the operator's hand, e.g. integrated in a glove or fixed to a ring

Abstract

A glove worn on the hand of a computer operator provides a computer mouse function for a computer having a video display highlighted by a cursor, in which the apparatus senses the direction of movement of an element of a computer operator'"'"'s body and transmits corresponding commands to the computer to move the cursor in the video display in a corresponding direction, whereby two-dimensional movement of the cursor reflects movements of the body element. In one embodiment of the invention, cursor motion is controlled by lateral motion of the operator'"'"'s wrist and vertical motion of the operator'"'"'s index finger, whereby movement of said cursor follows the direction of movement of the wrist and index finger. Click button on various fingers of the glove are activated by the thumb to provide mouse click functions.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a computer mouse function on the hand of a computer operator relative to a computer controlling a video display capable of displaying graphics and having a cursor moveable in said video display in at least opposing UP and DOWN directions in said video display, said apparatus comprising:

a glove-like body to be worn on the hand of the computer operator;

first direction sensing means for sensing the direction of movement of an index finger of said hand relative to said hand mounted on said glove-like body near a joint of said index finger, said first direction sensing means consisting of UP and DOWN microswitches near opposite sides of said joint, each one of said UP and DOWN microswitches having and ON state and an OFF state and being confined on a surface of said glove to a respective area generally centered about said joint of said index finger, leaving said index finger freely movable;

means mounted on said glove-like body for converting outputs of said UP and DOWN microswitches to a plurality of sequential chronologically independent respective UP and DOWN move commands to move said cursor in respective ones of said UP and DOWN directions in said video display for as long as a respective one of said UP and DOWN microswitches is in said ON state; and

means for conveying said commands to said computer, whereby movement of said cursor on said video display reflects bending of said index finger about said joint.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a set of click buttons mounted at different locations on said glove-like body, wherein said means for converting further comprises means for generating respective mouse click commands in response to respective ones of said click buttons being pushed, and wherein said means for conveying further comprises means for conveying said respective mouse click commands to said computer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an ON/OFF button mounted on said glove-like body, whereby said operator may temporarily deactivate said apparatus whenever it is desired to move said hand without affecting movement of said cursor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said mouse click functions comprise a set function and a drag function.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising second direction sensing means comprising RIGHT and LEFT microswitches near opposite sides of a wrist joint of said hand.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for converting comprises a microprocessor connected to first and second direction sensing means, said microprocessor being programmed to respond to respective ones of said first and second direction sensing means whereby to produce UP/DOWN and RIGHT/LEFT cursor movement commands in response to said first and second direction sensing means, respectively;

and

wherein said means for conveying comprise a remote transmitter mounted on said glove-like body and connected to receive cursor movement commands generated by said microprocessor, said transmitter comprising means for transmitting said commands, and a receiver connected to said computer and comprising means for receiving the commands transmitted by said transmitter whereby to enable said computer to respond to said commands.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said transmitter and receiver comprises an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for converting comprises an on-board microprocessor mounted on said glove-like body and programmed to convert analog signals from said means for sensing to digital signals comprising said commands.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a battery on-board said glove-like body providing power to said on-board micro-processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 herein said glove-like body is fingertipless.

11. Apparatus for providing a computer mouse function on the hand of a computer operator relative to a computer controlling a video display capable of displaying graphics and having a cursor moveable in said video display in at least opposing UP and DOWN directions in said video display, said apparatus comprising:

a glove-like body to be worn on the hand of the computer operator;

first direction sensing means for sensing the direction of movement of an index finger of said hand relative to said hand mounted on said glove-like body near a joint of said index finger, said first direction sensing means consisting of microswitch means adjacent said joint for generating signals indicative of direction of movement of said index finger, said microswitch means having a first ON state indicative of movement of said index finger in an UP direction relative to said hand and a second ON state indicative of movement of said index finger in a DOWN direction relative to said hand, said cursor being movable in response to'"'"'said microswitch means in said UP and DOWN directions only said microswitch means being confined on a surface of said glove to an area adjacent said joint of said index finger, leaving said index finger freely movable;

means mounted on said glove-like body for converting outputs of said microswitch means to a plurality of sequential chronologically independent respective UP and DOWN move commands to move said cursor in respective ones of said UP and DOWN directions in said video display for as long as said microswitch means is in a respective one of said first and second ON states; and

means for conveying said commands to said computer, whereby movement of said cursor on said video display reflects bending of said index finger about said joint.

12. Apparatus for providing a computer mouse function on the hand of a computer operator relative to a computer controlling a video display capable of displaying graphic and having a cursor moveable in said video display in at least a first direction and a second direction in said video display, said first direction being opposite said second direction, said apparatus comprising:

a glove-like body to be worn on the hand of the computer operator;

direction sensing means for sensing the direction of movement of an index finger of said hand relative to said hand in at least each of two opposing directions of movement of said index finger, said direction sensing means being mounted on said glove-like body near a joint of said index finger, said direction sensing means consisting of microswitch means adjacent said joint for generating signals indicative of direction of movement of said index finger, said microswitch means having an ON state and an OFF state for each one of said two opposing directions of movement of said index finger, said cursor being movable in response to said microswitch means in said first and second directions only, said microswitch means being confined on a surface of said glove to a respective area adjacent said joint of said index finger, leaving said index finger freely movable;

means mounted on said glove-like body for converting outputs of said microswitch means to a plurality of sequential chronologically independent respective direction and second direction move commands move said cursor in respective ones of said first direction and second direction in said video display for as long as said microswitch means is in the ON state corresponding to a respective one of said two opposing directions of movement of said index finger; and

means for conveying said commands to said computer, whereby movement of said cursor on said video display reflects bending of said index finger about said joint.