Computer mouse with enhance control button (s)

• US 6,198,473 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anascape, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Anascape, Ltd.
• Inventors: Armstrong, Brad A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M.
• Application Number:
  US09/167,314
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 345/163, 345/164, 345/165, 345/166, 345/167, 345/168, 345/169
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A desktop operated computer control mouse including a housing, electronic circuitry within the housing, a user manipulable rotatable ball for pointing control, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on the housing and interfacing with sensors electrically connected with the circuitry. At least some of the finger depressible buttons are for user selection of signals to be sent to the computer for window or screen scroll control, and are associated with sensor(s) which are pressure-sensitive analog sensors structured for varying electrical conductance through at least three readable states or values. The readable states are dependant upon depressive pressure applied to the sensor(s) through the finger depressible button(s). The circuitry is structured to read the at least three readable states of the pressure-sensitive analog sensor(s) and to produce signals representing the state or value of the sensor(s). In one embodiment, the analog sensor(s) are elastomeric dome-cap sensor(s) including pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material positioned over proximal circuit elements of the circuitry. In another embodiment the sensors are packaged sensors including button depressible concavo-convexed conductive disks positioned to compress pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material forming at least a portion of an electrical flow path through the packaged sensor. The analog sensors are associated with window or screen scroll control, and provide user determinable scroll rates dependant upon pressure applied by the user through ergonomically correct finger depressible buttons. Methods of use and manufacture are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An improved desktop operated computer control device of the type having a rotatable ball for pointing control, said control device further of the type including a housing, electronic circuitry within said housing and coupled to communication means for communicating control signals from said electronic circuitry to a computer, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on said housing and interfacing with sensors electrically connected with said electronic circuitry for allowing user selection of control signals communicated to a computer;

at least two of said sensors each capable of providing at least three readable states of varied conductance, at least two states of said at least three readable states dependant upon depressive pressure applied to the variable-conductance sensors through depression of an associated button;

wherein the improvement comprises;

said electronic circuitry including means for reading said at least three readable states and for producing a distinct control signal for each state of said at least two states, the distinct control signals are

screen scrolling control signals used to determine scrolling speed rates, whereby a pointer controlled by said control device is not required to be located on a scrolling elevator showing on a monitor.

2. An improved desktop operated computer control device according to claim 1 wherein said at least two of said sensors are analog sensors each including pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material.

3. An improved desktop operated computer control device of the type having a rotatable ball for pointing control, said control device further of the type including a housing, electronic circuitry within said housing and coupled to communication means for communicating control signals from said electronic circuitry to a computer, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on said housing and interfacing with sensors electrically connected with said electronic circuitry for allowing user selection of control signals communicated to a computer;

wherein the improvements comprise;

at least two of said sensors are analog sensors each including pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material to provide at least three readable states of varied conductance, said states dependant upon depressive pressure applied to the pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material;

said electronic circuitry including means for reading said at least three readable states and for producing a distinct control signal for each of at least two states of said at least three readable states, whereby said control device outputs the distinct control signal regardless of a pointer position on a display.

4. An improved desktop operated computer control device according to claim 3 wherein the distinct control signals are screen scrolling control signals, and are used to determine scrolling speed rates.

5. An improved desktop operated computer control device of the type having a rotatable ball for pointing control on a computer monitor, said control device further of the type including a housing, electrical power source means for powering electronic circuitry, said electronic circuitry located within said housing, said electronic circuitry coupled to communication means for communicating control signals from said electronic circuitry to a computer, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on said housing and interfacing with sensors electrically connected with said electronic circuitry for allowing user selection of control signals communicated to a computer;

wherein the improvements comprise;

at least two of said sensors are analog sensors including pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material, each said analog sensor structured to provide at least three readable states of varied conductance, said states dependant upon depressive pressure applied individually to the sensors of said at least two sensors;

said electronic circuitry including means for reading said at least three readable states and for producing scroll control signals representative of each of at least two states of said at least three readable states;

a first sensor of said at least two sensors, said first sensor associated with a first button of said finger depressible buttons, said first button variably depressible to allow applying varied depressive pressure to said first sensor, said first sensor connected to said electronic circuitry, said electronic circuitry for reading said at least three readable states and producing at least two different scroll-up values as said scroll control signals;

a second sensor of said at least two sensors, said second sensor associated with a second button of said finger depressible buttons, said second button variably depressible to allow applying varied depressive pressure to said second sensor, said second sensor connected to said electronic circuitry, said electronic circuitry for reading said at least three readable states and producing at least two different scroll-down values as said scroll control signals, whereby a pointer controlled by said control device is not required to be located on a scrolling elevator showing on a monitor.

6. An improved desktop operated computer control device in accordance with claim 5 wherein the first and second sensors include elastomeric dome-caps including the pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material carried by and within said dome-caps.

7. An improved desktop operated computer control device in accordance with claim 5 wherein the first and second sensors are each packaged sensors each comprising:

a package housing;

an electrically conductive concavo-convex resilient disk within the package housing;

two normally electrically separated proximal circuit elements at least in-part within the package housing;

a depressible button retained to the package housing and positioned such that depression of the button depresses said disk;

said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material positioned within the package housing to receive compressive pressure thereagainst from and upon depression of said disk, said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material further positioned to define at least a portion of an electrically conductive path defined between said proximal circuit elements upon depression of said disk, whereby said electrically conductive path is of varied electrical conductivity dependant upon an amount of compression applied to said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material.

8. An improved computer control mouse of the type including a housing, electrical power source means for powering electronic circuitry, said electronic circuitry located within said housing, pointer control means coupled to said electronic circuitry for allowing user control of a pointer on a computer monitor, said electronic circuitry coupled to communication means for communicating output control signals from said electronic circuitry to a computer, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on said housing and interfacing with sensors electrically connected with said electronic circuitry for allowing user selection of output control signals communicated to a computer;

wherein the improvements comprise;

at least one of said sensors structured as a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor for varying conductance through multiple readable states, said states dependant upon depressive pressure applied to a finger depressible button associated with said at least one of said sensors; and

said electronic circuitry structured for reading said multiple readable states, and for communicating to a computer

a first output control signal type, and

a second output control signal type,

communication of either one of the first and second output control signal types determined by an amount of time of depression of said button, and said second output control signal type further communicating data representing a depressive level of depressive pressure applied to said button.

9. An improved computer control mouse according to claim 8 wherein said first signal type is a previous address Back signal type, whereby a user is allowed to press and release said button and have activated the command to return along a most recently followed link.

10. An improved computer control mouse according to claim 9 wherein said second signal type is a variable rate screen scroll signal type, whereby a user is allowed to press and continuously hold said button to achieve a scrolling of data on a computer monitor screen.

11. An improved computer control mouse according to claim 9 wherein said second signal type is a activate menu of Back addresses signal type, whereby the user is allowed to press and continuously hold said button to achieve display of a selectable list of previously visited addresses.

12. An improved method of controlling window scrolling of a computer using a desktop operated computer control device of the type having a rotatable ball for pointing control, the control device further of the type including a housing, electrical power source means for powering electronic circuitry, said electronic circuitry located within said housing, said electronic circuitry coupled to communication means for communicating control signals from said electronic circuitry to a computer, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on said housing and interfacing with sensors electrically connected with said electronic circuitry for allowing user selection of control signals communicated to a computer;

said control device further of the type wherein a user depresses an analog scroll control button of said buttons to activate a scroll control signal related to the depressed button, and releases the depressed button to deactivate said scroll control signal;

wherein the improvement comprises;

depressing, by the user, said analog scroll control button with any user selectable pressure level of a plurality of user selectable pressure levels, the user selectable pressure levels associated with various distinct values of said scroll control signal, whereby the user controls screen scrolling rate by way of selecting the pressure applied to said analog scroll control button, and a pointer controlled by said control device is not required to be located on a scrolling elevator showing on a monitor.

13. An improved method of controlling window scrolling of a computer using a desktop operated computer control device according to claim 12 wherein the method further comprises

increasing pressure applied to said analog scroll control button for increasing scrolling rate.

14. An improved method of controlling window scrolling of a computer using a desktop operated computer control device according to claim 12 wherein the method further comprises

decreasing pressure applied to said analog scroll control button for decreasing scrolling rate.

15. A method of manufacturing an improved desktop operated computer control device of the type having a rotatable ball for pointing control including the known prior art steps of:

molding a housing;

installing means for receiving a power source;

installing electronic circuitry within said housing and connected to said means for receiving said power source;

connecting communication means to said electronic circuitry for communicating from said control device to a computer;

installing a rotatable ball;

connecting to said electronic circuitry means for sensing rotation of said ball for pointing control;

installing a plurality of finger depressible buttons positioned for bearing on sensors electrically connected with said electronic circuitry;

said electronic circuitry for reading a plurality of said sensors as sensors having only two readable values; and

further including the novel combined steps of;

installing pressure-sensitive variable-conductance analog sensors positioned to be activated by depression of at least some buttons of said finger depressible buttons, said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance analog sensors structured to provide at least three readable values, said values dependant upon depressive pressure applied to said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance analog sensors;

installing circuitry for reading an immediate value of said at least three readable values of the pressure-sensitive variable-conductance analog sensors, and for communicating data representative of the immediate value from said control device to a computer,

whereby said improved device is manufactured for communicating data representative of the depressive pressure applied to said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance analog sensors regardless of the position of a pointer controlled by said computer control device.

16. A computer mouse for use with a computer, the computer running network browser software for visiting network addresses, said mouse having:

a housing; and

at least one user depressible surface exposed on said housing for communicating a first command signal to the computer, said first command signal being dedicated to moving the network browser software backward to a previously visited network address, whereby depression of said user depressible surface causes the network browser software to move backward to a previously visited network address without a requirement of a pointer controlled by said mouse having to be located on a browser software back button.

17. A computer mouse according to claim 16 further including a second user depressible surface for communicating a second command signal to the computer, said second command signal being dedicated to moving the network browser software to a forward address.

24. A computer mouse according to claim 16 wherein the network navigation software navigates the Internet.

25. A computer mouse according to claim 16 wherein the computer has a display, and the mouse further includes a cursor controller for communicating cursor command signals to the computer, the cursor command signals instructing the computer to move a cursor on the display, said first command signal causing the network navigation software to move to the previously visited network address regardless of a current location of the cursor on the display.

26. A computer mouse according to claim 16, wherein the user depressible surface is located on a side of said housing.

27. A computer mouse according to claim 17, wherein the user depressible surfaces are located on a side of said housing.

28. A computer mouse according to claim 17 wherein the network navigation software navigates the Internet.

18. An improved computer mouse of the type including a housing, electrical power source means for powering electronic circuitry, said electronic circuitry located within said housing, pointer control means coupled to said electronic circuitry for allowing user control of a pointer on a computer monitor, said electronic circuitry coupled to communication means for communicating output control signals from said electronic circuitry to a computer, a plurality of finger depressible buttons exposed on said housing and interfacing with sensors electrically connected with said electronic circuitry for allowing user selection of output control signals communicated to a computer;

wherein the improvement comprises;

at least one of said buttons being a back button, depression of said back button causes reception of a back control signal by network browsing software initiating said software to display a previously viewed network address, said network browsing software recognizing said back control signal without a requirement of the pointer being located on the software back button displayed on the monitor.

19. An improved computer mouse according to claim 18 further including at least one of said buttons being a forward button, depression of said forward button causes reception of a forward control signal by network browsing software initiating said software to display a previously viewed network address, said network browsing software recognizing said forward control signal without a requirement of the pointer being located on the software forward button displayed on the monitor.

20. An improved method of using a computer mouse, said mouse having cursor control means for describing a cursor position on a display, and user activatable buttons,

wherein the improved use of said computer mouse includes the step of activating one of the buttons to send a back signal, regardless of the cursor position on the display, to network navigating software for displaying a previously visited address.

21. An improved method of using a computer mouse according to claim 20 further including a step of activating one of the buttons to send a forward signal, regardless of the cursor position on the display, to network navigating software.

22. An improved method of browsing or navigating a network using a computer mouse, said mouse having cursor control means for describing a cursor position on a display, and user depressible buttons,

wherein the improved method includes the step of depressing one of the buttons to send a signal, regardless of the cursor position on the display, to network browsing or navigating software for commanding display of a previously visited address.

23. An improved method of browsing or navigating a network according to claim 22 further including a step of depressing one of the buttons to send a signal, regardless of the cursor position on the display, to network browsing or navigating software for commanding display of a most recent previously visited address.