Peripheral devices for portable computer

• US 7,233,319 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Newton Peripherals LLC (AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Newton Peripherals LLC (AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Mixter, Jonathan C., Johnson, Kevin M., Gundlach, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLTON, STEVEN E
• Application Number:
  US11/192,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345163-166, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0335 Finger operated miniaturized mouse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

The present invention relates to the storage and recharging of peripheral devices within a computer. In one exemplary embodiment the invention relates to an expandable computer mouse that may be stored and recharged in a port, such as a PCMCIA slot, of a portable computing device.

Claims

1. A wireless device capable of communicating with a computer, said computer including a location for storing and recharging said device, said device comprising:

a structure including a body portion and electro-optical system in a first collapsed state configured to engage at least partially within said location in said computer to be recharged and/or stored;

the structure in a second elevated state when removed from said computer capable of controlling movement of an on-screen computer reference, wherein said structure houses an electro-optical system comprising a sensing chip, an illumination source and optics;

wherein upon elevating of said body portion and electro-optical system from a surface said electro-optical system is optimized for the sensing of reflected light and said sensing chip, illumination source and optics maintain their positions relative to each other when said electro-optical system is elevated.

2. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein said computer is a laptop computer.

3. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein said pointing device comprises a computer mouse.

4. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein said structure expands in size when configured in said second state.

5. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein said location comprises a slot or a port in said computer.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said device further includes a top side and a bottom side and said device expands in height due to pivoting of a spring loaded member from said bottom side to engage a support surface.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said device includes a member that in a first state is constrained and which in an unconstrained state bends and expands said device in height.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said device is an optical mouse wherein said optical mouse includes a light-emitting diode (LED).

9. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said structure in said first state is capable of communicating with said computer.

10. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein said location comprises a touch pad area of said laptop computer.

11. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein said location comprises the keyboard area of said laptop computer.

12. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein said device further includes a dongle which interfaces between said device and said laptop.

13. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein said device includes touch pad functions capable of communicating with said laptop when stored in said touch pad area and when removed therefrom.

14. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein said device comprises a mouse capable of communicating with said laptop when stored in said touch pad area and when removed therefrom.

15. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein said dongle remains in said storage and charging location when said device is removed from said location.

16. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein said dongle is removable from said location with said device and said dongle is insertable in another port in said laptop and said dongle is capable of communicating between said device and said laptop.

17. The wireless device of claim 3, further including a mouse port module for providing an interface between said mouse and said laptop.

18. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein said mouse further includes one or a plurality of finger activated switches capable of generating an input to said computer.

19. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein said mouse includes a top side and bottom side and said mouse includes one or a plurality of buttons for generating an input to said computer, wherein said buttons are located on said bottom side of said mouse.

20. The wireless device of claim 18 wherein said finger activated switches provide a first functionality when engaged with said computer and a second functionality when removed from said computer, wherein said first and second functionality are the same or different.

21. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein said mouse further includes a top side and two finger activated switches are located on said top side including a slider mechanism for generating an input to the computer.

22. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein said mouse further includes a top side wherein said finger activated switches are located on said top side and a touch pad finger zone is located between said switches, said touch pad finger zone capable of generating an input to the computer.

23. The wireless device of claim 19 comprising at least two buttons on said bottom side separated by a pivot location that elevates said mouse from a supporting surface and wherein said top side of said mouse includes a finger activated input which can be activated when depressed without activating said buttons on said bottom side of said mouse.

24. The wireless device of claim 21, wherein said slider mechanism may be depressed to generate an input to the computer.

25. The wireless device of claim 4 wherein said expansion in size comprises an expansion in the height of said device at one or more locations on said device.

26. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein said device includes a component hinged to said device in which said component may be rotated to expand the size of said device.

27. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein said height of said mouse is expanded by a 4-bar linkage.

28. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein said height of said mouse is expanded by the expansion of a compressed plastic.

29. The wireless device of claim 5, wherein said slot is a PCMCIA slot or express card slot.