WO2003067419A1

WO2003067419A1 - Computer mouse

Info

Publication number: WO2003067419A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/000251
Authority: WO
Inventors: To-Mun Kim
Original assignee: To-Mun Kim
Priority date: 2002-02-06
Filing date: 2003-02-05
Publication date: 2003-08-14
Also published as: AU2003206237A1; KR200274062Y1

Abstract

The object of this invention is to provide a computer mouse different in shape and manipulation method from a conventional mouse. The mouse (1) includes a main body (2) contoured so as to be held by a user with one hand. A positioning ball (3) is rollably provided in the main body (2) to change a position of the cursor. The mouse (1) also has at least one input button (4) inputting designated input signals at a position of the cursor designated by the positioning ball (3). With this configuration, the computer mouse improves efficiency in working with the mouse, and is used anywhere without limitation. The mouse (1) also performs any job assigned thereto with a small amount of manipulation and without need to fix the user's arm upon a desk, thus preventing a user from having any fatigue or pain while using the mouse.

Description

COMPUTER MOUSE

Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to a computer mouse and, more particularly, to a computer mouse completely different in shape and manipulation method from a conventional computer mouse so as to improve efficiency of working with the mouse, whereby the mouse is used anywhere without any limitation, etc., thereby increasing a user's convenience when using the mouse, and the mouse also performs any job assigned thereto with a small amount of manipulation and without need to fix the user's arm upon a the desk, thereby preventing the user from having any fatigue or pain while using the mouse.

Background Art

As well known to those skilled in the art, a computer mouse is a small mobile manual device that controls movement of the cursor and selection of functions on a computer display (so called "a monitor"), as one of the most commonly-used computer pointing devices. A variety of computer mice have been disclosed depending upon their shapes. According to operating principles, such devices are classified into a roller-ball mouse, an optical mouse, etc.

The roller-ball mouse 11 that has been the most widely used is illustrated in FIG. 4. As shown therein, a conventional roller-ball mouse 11 is comprised of a main body 12, a positioning ball 13, a pair of input buttons 14 and a scroll button

15. The main body 12 is contoured to be held in a user's hand, the positioning ball 13 is provided on the underside of the mouse, being rolled responsively as the main body 12 moves to change a position of the cursor, the input buttons 14 in pair are provided on the upper side of the main body 12, so as to allow a signal to be inputted at the position of the cursor designated by the positioning ball 13, and the scroll button 15 is provided between the pair of input buttons 14.

Different from the roller-ball mouse 11, the optical mouse (not shown) includes a separate sensor installed in the main body 12, to replace the functions of the positioning ball 13 in the roller-ball mouse 11, the sensor sensing the distance moved by, and the position of, the cursor.

The mouse 11 has been manipulated through the following processes. The main body 12 is first seated on a mouse pad having a dimension appropriate for moving the main body 12 thereon. A user then puts the palm of his/her hand (normally the right hand) on the main body to hold it while his/her wrist is in contact with the desk on which the mouse moves, and puts his/her index finger and middle fmger, respectively, on the input buttons 14. The user manipulates the mouse 11 by moving the main body 12 and at the same time separately pressing or clicking the pair of input buttons 14 with the index fmger and middle fmger. However, to manipulate the conventional mouse 11, since the main body

12 has had to be seated on a desk or a table and a space within which the main body 12 could move to the smallest degree is also needed, it has been impossible to use the mouse 11 on a desk or table that is too narrow.

In addition, in the conventional mouse 11, since the user has manipulated the mouse while taking the posture of fixing his/her wrist on the desk as described above, this has caused the user to feel fatigue or pain in his/her wrist and/or shoulder after usage of the conventional mouse 11 for a long period of time.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a computer mouse completely different in shape and manipulation method from conventional computer mice, whereby the mouse of the present invention is used in any location without limitation, thereby increasing a user's convenience in using the mouse. Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer mouse which is used with a small amount of manipulation and without fixing the user's wrist upon the desk, thereby causing no fatigue or pain to the user and improving working efficiency.

In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a computer mouse serving to transmit designated input signals to a computer's main body in order to move the cursor displayed on a monitor connected to the computer's main body, comprising a mouse's main body contoured so as to be held by a user with one hand; a positioning ball rollably provided in a predetermined portion of the mouse's main body, changing a position of the cursor; and at least one input button inputting the designated input signals at the position of the cursor designated by the positioning ball.

In the computer mouse, the mouse's main body takes the form of a long bar so as to allow the user to hold it with his/her fingers, and one or more lateral faces of the mouse's main body are provided with a means for preventing the user's fingers from slipping from the sides of the mouse's main body.

The mouse's main body, taking the form of the long bar, has cross sections increasing in size upwardly from the bottom to the top thereof, the positioning ball is disposed in the center of the top surface of the mouse's main body, and two input buttons are provided in tandem, between which the position ball is disposed.

The computer mouse further includes a scroll button provided adjacent to the positioning ball.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a computer mouse according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view demonstrating use of the mouse shown in FIG. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a computer mouse according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional roller-ball computer mouse. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. First embodiment

A computer mouse 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated in FIG. 1. The mouse 1 is an inputting device used to transmit input signals, as designated, to a computer's main body (not shown) to thereby change a position of the cursor displayed on a monitor (not shown) connected to the computer's main body.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mouse 1 is comprised of a main body 2, contoured to be held within a user's hand; a positioning ball 3, rollably provided in the center, and on the upper side of, the main body 2 so as to allow the user to change a position of a cursor displayed on the monitor; a pair of input buttons 4 provided on both sides of the positioning ball 3, serving to input designated input signals at the position of the cursor designated by the positioning ball; and a scroll button 5 provided adjacent to the positioning ball 3.

The main body 2 takes the form of a long vertical bar having different areas in the upper end and the lower end thereof, so as to allow it to be held with the four fingers opposing the thumb. That is, an external appearance of the main body 2 is in the shape of a long bar whose cross section increases upwardly in area from the bottom to the top thereof.

On the sides of the main body 2 are formed depressions 2a as means for preventing the four fingers from slipping from the sides of the main body 2. When the main body 2 is held with the fingers, slipping of the fingers is prevented owing to the depressions 2a.

The positioning ball 3 is provided in the center of, and on the top of, the main body 2 so as to allow the user to roll the positioning ball 3 for manipulation of the mouse 1 with the thumb while holding the main body 2 with the four fingers of the hand holding the main body 2, as described above. The positioning ball 3 is preferably made of rubber.

The input buttons 4 may be provided in tandem as in a conventional computer mouse 11 (see FIG. 4). In the first embodiment of the present invention, the input buttons 4 are provided in tandem, between which the positioning ball 3 is located.

The scroll button 5 is used to move pictures and change a position of the cursor displayed on the monitor, and is preferably provided in front of the positioning ball 3. Here, to locate the scroll button 5 in front of the positioning ball 3 means to position it before the positioning ball, in terms of the thumb, when the main body 2 is held by the user's hand as shown in FIG. 2. This positioning is advantageous because the positioning ball 3 is easily rolled without interference from the scroll button 5.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a position of the cursor can be changed by rolling the positioning ball 3 or the scroll button 5 while holding the main body 2 with the four fingers, several of which are disposed in the depressions 2a. The mouse 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be used by pressing any one of the two input buttons 4 when the cursor moves to a desired position.

This mouse 1 is completely different from the conventional mouse 11 (see FIG. 4) in shape and manipulation method. It is unnecessary to seat the mouse 1 on a desk, therefore there are no spatial limitation in using the mouse. The mouse

1 is also used with a minimum amount of manipulation and the user's arm is free while manipulating the mouse, thereby causing no fatigue or pain to the user's wrist and shoulder, thus working efficiency is increased. Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, it has been described that the scroll button 5 is disposed in front of the positioning ball 3. However, the scroll button 5 may be positioned in rear of the positioning ball as shown in FIG. 3, which will be referred to as a second embodiment of the present invention.

To position the scroll button 5 in back of the positioning ball 3 means that it is positioned in a region between the thumb and the positioning ball 3 when the main body 2 is held by the user's hand as depicted in FIG. 2. The depressions 2a described with respect to the first embodiment have been circular in a regular manner, but those to be described with respect to the second embodiment are elliptical. Even though the depressions 2a are elliptical in shape as shown in FIG. 3, slipping of the user's fingers is prevented when the main body 2 is held by the fingers.

Description of the same elements and configuration in the second embodiment as those in the first embodiment will be omitted herein.

In the above-described embodiments, the depressions 2a as means for preventing the fingers from slipping from the main body 2 are circular or otherwise elliptical. However, the depressions 2a may be formed in any shape, without limitations. As alternative means to prevent the fingers from slipping, a rubber pad may be attached to a side of the main body 2, embossed uneven projections very closely disposed may be provided on a side of the main body 2, or a separate elastic band (or strip) may be hung from the main body 2 so as to facilitate contact between the four fingers and the main body 2 with the use of elasticity therefrom.

In the above-described embodiments, two input buttons 4 are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the positioning ball 3. Instead, a single input button 4 may be formed in some cases.

However, a handicapped person lacking an operable thumb is not able to use the mouse 1 according to the present invention. In order to solve this problem inherent in such a handicapped person, and to allow any and every person to manipulate the mouse 2, the input buttons 4 and the scroll button 5 may be provided on either side of the main body 2 regardless of the position and the number thereof, different from the embodiments described above. Referring to the figures with respect to the above-described embodiments, the main body 2 takes the form of a long bar whose cross section decreases in area from the upper side toward the lower side thereof. In addition, the main body 2 may take the form of a circular column, a rugby ball or an oval, etc. so long as it can be held by a user with one hand. Referring to the figures with respect to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, it seems difficult to manipulate the input buttons 4 and the scroll button 5, with moving the positioning ball 3 with the thumb, at the same time. In this regard, in order to make it available to manipulate the positioning ball 3, the input buttons 4 and the scroll button 5 simultaneously, the positioning ball 3 may be provided on the top of the main body 2 so as to allow a user to manipulate it with the thumb, and either of the input buttons 4 or the scroll button

5 may be disposed on a side of the main body 2 and the other may be disposed on the opposite side of the main body 2.

If the computer mouse 1 according to the present invention is used along with a conventional computer mouse 11, the working efficiency will further increase. For this purpose, by simply installing a separate connection terminal for the mouse 1 and a program for controlling the two mice 1 and 11 on the computer' s main body, the mouse 1 according to the present invention and the conventional mouse 11 can be used together.

Industrial Applicability As described above, the present invention provides a computer mouse entirely different in shape and manipulation method from conventional computer mice. To specify, the mouse according to the present invention has no need to be seated on a desk or table, thereby accomplishing an efficient utilization of space. Further, since the mouse according to the present invention is manipulated with a minimum amount of manipulation and the user's arm is free while manipulating the mouse, fatigue that may be caused while using the mouse is thereby decreased. In addition, the mouse according to the present invention brings about a number of conveniences in using the mouse, increasing working efficiency.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A computer mouse serving to transmit designated input signals to a computer's main body in order to move a cursor displayed on a monitor connected to the computer's main body, comprising: a mouse's main body contoured so as to be held by a user with one hand; a positioning ball rollably provided in a predetermined portion of the mouse's main body, changing a position of the cursor; and at least one input button inputting the designated input signals at the position of the cursor designated by the positioning ball.

2. The computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein the mouse's main body takes the form of a long bar so as to allow the user to hold it with his/her fingers, and one or more lateral faces of the mouse's main body are provided with means for preventing the user's fingers from slipping from sides of the mouse's main body.

3. The computer mouse according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mouse's main body taking the form of the long bar has cross sections increasing in size upwardly from a bottom to a top thereof, the positioning ball is disposed in a center of a top surface of the mouse's main body, and two input buttons are provided in tandem, between which the position ball is disposed.

4. The computer mouse according to claim 3, further comprising a scroll button provided adjacent to the positioning ball.