Ergonomic input device

• US 6,031,518 A
• Filed: 05/30/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McLoone, Hugh Edward Jr., Ledbetter, Carl J., Kaneko, Steven T., Wada, Stanley Hiroshi, Adams, Aditha M., Arbak, John Richard, Cruz, Edward V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US08/866,868
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/163, 345/167
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

The device comfortably supports the hand of the user while the thumb and fingers are associated with keys, a trackball, and a scrolling wheel carried on the device. The overall configuration of the device and the arrangement of these actuators permits the user to operate all of the functions provided by the actuators while the forearm is in a neutral posture zone between pronation and supination of the forearm, and the wrist and fingers are minimally extended and comfortably flexed, respectively.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a body having an upper surface, an inner surface and an outer surface, a portion of the upper surface being exposed for supporting the palm of a user'"'"'s hand with the user'"'"'s hand in an operating position.

first and second rotatable members rotatably mounted to the upper surface, the first and second rotatable members being arranged to be operable by the user'"'"'s index and middle fingers, respectively; and

first and second keys mounted to the inner surface, the first and second keys being individually depressible by the user'"'"'s thumb while the user'"'"'s palm is in the operating position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein, apart from the first and second keys and the first and second rotatable members, no other components are provided on the body for actuation by a finger of the user while the user'"'"'s hand is in the operating position.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first rotatable member is a trackball that is rotatable about more than one axis.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the second rotatable member is a wheel.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the outer surface is substatially opposite the inner surface and wherein the second rotatable member is spaced from the outer surface by an amount sufficient to permit the user'"'"'s ring finger to rest on the upper surface between the second rotatable member and the outer surface.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the second rotatable member is located on the upper surface to be aligned with the user'"'"'s middle finger and is between the trackball and the outer surface.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the center of the trackball and the center of the wheel are spaced apart by an amount less than amount 30 millimeters, thereby to minimize the amount of abduction required of the index and middle fingers as the index finger touches trackball and as the middle finger touches the wheel while the user'"'"'s hand is supported in the operating position.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the center of the first rotatable member and the center of the second rotatable member are spaced apart by an amount less than about 30 millimeters, thereby to minimize the amount of abduction required of the index and middle fingers as the index finger touches the first rotatable member while the user'"'"'s hand is supported in the operating position.

9. An input device, comprising:

a body having a flat bottom portion for resting on a support surface, a curved upper surface, an inner surface and an outer surface, the curved upper surface having a crest defining the thickest part of the device as measured perpendicularly to the curved upper surface exposed for supporting at least part of the palm of a user'"'"'s hand;

a spherical member having a centerpoint and a radius and being rotatable mounted to the body to protrude from the upper surface and arranged for manipulation by the index finger of the user while the user'"'"'s palm is supported on the upper surface, the spherical member being spaced about a one-radius distance from the crest, thereby to facilitate support of the user'"'"'s hand with the region underlying the second metacarpal-phalangeal joint upon the crest while the tip of the user'"'"'s index finger rests on the spherical member, wherein the portion of the upper surface surrounding the spherical member is recessed, thereby to expose a hemisphere of the spherical member at a height, as measured perpendicularly from the flat bottom portion, relatively lower than would occur if the hemisphere were exposed without a recess in the surrounding upper surface portion;

a depressible key mounted to the inner surface and exposed for contact by a user'"'"'s palm is supported on the upper surface; and

the device being configured and arranged so that the centerpoint of the spherical member is closer to the inner surface than to the outer surface and so that the inner surface is spaced no more than about a one and one-half radii distance from the spherical member, thereby to minimize the distance between the user'"'"'s thumb and index finger as the spherical member is manipulated by the index finger and the key is contacted by the thumb.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the inner surface is spaced about one radius from the spherical member.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising:

a wheel rotatably mounted to the body to protrude from the upper surface of the body and arranged for manipulation by the middle finger of the user while the user'"'"'s palm is supported on the upper surface; and

wherein

the device is configured and arranged so that the distance from the wheel to the spherical member is no more than about one and one-half radii of the spherical member, thereby to minimize abduction required of the user'"'"'s index and middle fingers as the spherical member is manipulated by the index finger and the wheel is manipulated by the middle finger.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the distance from the wheel to the spherical member is no more than about one radius of the spherical member.

13. The device of claim 9 wherein the crest is adjacent to the side surface and the thickness of the device gradually diminishes in a direction away from the crest and toward the outer surface, so that the user'"'"'s metacarpal-phalangeal joint ridge is supported such that the user'"'"'s forearm is in a neutral zone between pronation and supination.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the upper surface from a location continuous with the crest is disposed in a continuous slope in the direction away from the crest beneath the user'"'"'s palm thereby to support the user'"'"'s palm, including the thenar eminence and the palm gutter.

15. The device of claim 9 wherein the user may have a hand sized within a range of a 5^th percentile female to a 95^th percentile male of North American adults and wherein a hand sized within the range will be supported on the device with the crest substantially adjacent to and supporting the region underlying the second metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the hand while the tip of the user'"'"'s index finger rests on the spherical member and while the thumb of the hand contacts the key.

16. The device of claim 15 further comprising:

a wheel rotatable mounted to the body to protrude from the upper surface and arranged for manipulation by the middle finger of the user while the user'"'"'s palm is supported on the upper surface; and

wherein

a hand sized within the range will be supported on the device with the middle finger touching the wheel.

17. The device of claim 9 wherein the uppermost part of the spherical member, as measured perpendicularly from the flat bottom portion, is substantially the same or lower than the crest.

18. The device of claim 9 wherein the uppermost part of the spherical member, as measured perpendicularly from the flat bottom portion, is substantially the same or lower than the crest.

19. A computer input device carrying at least one actuator that is operable for providing information to a connected computer, the device comprising:

a body including;

an inner surface;

an outer surface substantially opposite the inner surface;

a proximal portion adapted to support at least part of the palm of a user'"'"'s hand while the user'"'"'s hand is in an operating position;

a distal portion adapted to carry at least one actuator for manipulation by a finger of the user while the user'"'"'s palm is in the operating position;

a flat bottom portion adapted for resting on a support surface; and

a curved upper surface having a crest defining the thickest part of the device as measured perpendicularly to the bottom portion, wherein the crest is adjacent to the inner surface and the thickness of the device gradually diminishes in a direction away from the crest and toward the outer surface, so that the user'"'"'s metacarpal-phalangeal joint is supported with the palm in the operating position such that the user'"'"'s forearm is in a neutral zone between pronation and supination; and

a depressible key mounted on the inner surface and having a slightly concave contact surface adapted for contact with the thumb of the user while the user'"'"'s palm is in the operating position.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the key is depressible but normally disposed such that the contact surface is substantially flush with the inner surface.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein the key contact surface is slightly concave shaped.

22. The device of claim 19 further comprising a second key mounted on the inner surface adjacent to the other key and having a contact surface for contact with the thumb of the user while the user'"'"'s palm is in the operating position.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the second key is depressible but normally disposed such that the contact surface is substantially flush with the inner surface.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the second key is depressible and the contact surface thereof is slightly concave shaped.

25. The device of claim 19 further comprising an actuator including a rotatable member carried by the distal portion and mounted to protrude from the upper surface and arranged for manipulation by the index or middle finger of the user while the user'"'"'s palm is in the operating position.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the rotatable member is spaced distally from the crest in the direction that the user'"'"'s fingers extend while the user'"'"'s palm is in the operating position, thereby to facilitate support of the user'"'"'s hand with the crest adjacent to the region of the hand underlying the second metacarpal-phalangeal joint, while the tip of the user'"'"'s index or middle finger rests on the rotatable member.

27. The device of claim 25 wherein the uppermost part of the rotatable member, as measured perpendicularly from the flat bottom portion, is at an elevation substantially the same as or lower than the crest.

28. The device of claim 25 wherein the rotatable member is a spherical member having a radius and being rotatably mounted to the body to protrude from the upper surface;

and wherein

the device is configured and arranged so that the inner surface is spaced no more than about a one and one-half radii from the spherical member, thereby to minimize the distance between the user'"'"'s thumb and index finger as the spherical member is manipulated by the index finger and the key is contacted by the thumb.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein the inner surface is spaced no more than about one radius from the spherical member.

30. The device of claim 28, further comprising:

a wheel rotatably carried by the distal portion and mounted to protrude from the upper surface, and arranged for manipulation by the middle finger of the user while the user'"'"'s palm is in the operating position; and

wherein

the device is configured and arranged so that the distance from the wheel to the spherical member is no more than about one and one-half radii of the spherical member, thereby to minimize abduction required of the user'"'"'s index and middle fingers as the spherical member is manipulated by the index finger and the wheel is manipulated by the middle finger.

31. The device of claim 30 wherein the distance from the wheel to the spherical member is no more than about one radius of the spherical member.

32. The device of claim 30 wherein the distance from the wheel is spaced from the outer surface by an amount sufficient to permit the user'"'"'s ring finger to rest on the upper surface between the wheel and the outer surface.

33. The device of claim 28 wherein the user may have a hand sized within a range of a 5^th percentile female to a 95^th percentile male of North American adults and wherein a hand sized within the range will be supported on the device with the crest located for supporting the second metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the hand while the tip of the user'"'"'s index finger rests on the spherical member and while the thumb of the hand contacts the key.

34. The device of claim 19 wherein the upper surface contiguous with the crest is disposed in a continuous slope in the direction away from the crest beneath the user'"'"'s palm thereby to support the user'"'"'s palm, including the thenar eminence and palm gutter.

35. In a manually operated input device connected to a computer for providing cursor movement and switching information to the computer to which the input device is connected, an improvement comprising:

a body having a flat bottom portion for resting on a flat surface and an upper surface for supporting at least a portion of a user'"'"'s hand in a position for manually operating the input device; and

first and second rotatable members adapted to provide input to the computer as a function of their rotation, the first and second rotatable members mounted to the body and exposed for movement by the fingers of a user, thereby to operate the input device.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein one of the rotatable members is mounted for rotation and depression by a finger.

37. The device of claim 35 wherein only one rotatable member is mounted for rotation about more than two axes.

38. The device of claim 35 wherein the uppermost part of both rotatable members is substantially the same or lower than the thickest part of the device, as measured perpendicularly from the flat bottom portion.

39. The device of claim 35 wherein the portion of the upper surface surrounding at least one of the rotatable members is recessed.

40. The device of claim 39 wherein the portion of the upper surface surrounding both of the rotatable members is recessed.

41. The device of claim 40 wherein the recess surrounding the first rotatable member is contiguous with the recess surrounding the second rotatable member.