The present invention generally relates to a computer pointing device that translates the motion of a user's hand into signals interpreted by a computer, and more particularly to a computer pointing device that includes an inaudible moveable input activated by a user.
Pointing devices, such as a mouse for example, have two primary functions. The pointing device is used to translate the motion of the user's hand into signals that the computer can identify, which is typically referred to as “pointing.” The pointing device is also used to send user selection criteria from the user to the computer, which is typically referred to as “clicking.”
In a typical “pointing” application for a mouse, the translation is accomplished by using components such as: a ball, a set of rollers, a shaft/disk assembly, an infrared assembly comprised of an infrared LED and infrared sensor, and an on-board processor chip. These components are mounted within a housing. The housing includes a moveable input, such as a button, which cooperates with the other mouse components in response to a user input.
In one configuration, the pointing is accomplished by rolling the ball, which is in contact with the desktop and the rollers. The set of rollers includes a first roller that contacts the ball to translate the x-component of the rolling motion into linear motion and a second roller, typically set 90° apart from the first roller, contacts the ball to translate the y-component of the rolling motion into linear motion. Each roller is connected to a shaft, which spins a disk having a series of holes. The infrared LED and infrared sensor are located on either side of the disk. The holes in the disk break a beam of light coming from the LED such that the infrared sensor sees pulses of light. The rate of the pulsing is directly related to the speed of the mouse and the distance the mouse travels. The on-board processor chip then reads the pulses from the infrared sensors, translating them into binary data that the computer can understand.
Once the mouse has been used to “point” to a desired location, “clicking” is employed. “Clicking” occurs when the user presses and releases an input on the top of the mouse. A small fixed protrusion on the internal face of the button actuates a spring which comprises an electrical contact. When a button is pressed, the spring electrical contact breaks the signal path. When the button is released, the spring electrical contact closes the signal path, indicating a user selection or relocating the cursor to the users newly chosen position.
An optical version of the traditional “wheeled” mouse replaces the “wheeled” translation componentry of the traditional mouse with a tiny camera that takes approximately 1,500 pictures every second. The optical mouse offers several advantages over the traditional “wheeled” mouse. For example, the optical mouse has no moving parts, which means less wear, a lower chance of failure, and increased tracking for a smoother response. However, both the optical mouse and the traditional “wheeled” mouse have an audible “click” when the user actuates an input. This audible “click” can be objectionable to the user and/or to others in the near vicinity. This “click” can be especially objectionable, when the application the user is running requires multiple or successive user inputs, for example when the user is playing a computer game. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a “clickless” or inaudible mouse that offers the user a variable click, or a choice of click or no click.