The invention relates generally to cursor control units for use with a computer system and, more particularly, to a reversible ergonomic pointer device. As used herein, an ergonomic pointer device is one which supports an operator""s hand in a biomechanically neutral position during use.
Many modern computer systems are configured to use a pointer device to control a screen cursor and/or provide operator input. One illustrative pointer device is the xe2x80x9cmouse.xe2x80x9d As a mouse is moved, a ball is rotated which causes two perpendicular slotted disks to alternately open and close a photosensor assembly. The number of open and close operations is used to generate an unambiguous indication of the mouse""s motion in the X and Y directions. In addition, the number of open and close operations per second indicates the speed of the mouse""s motion. Another illustrative pointer device is the trackball which is, for practical purposes, an upside down mouse. Yet another illustrative pointer device is the eraser-head unit. Eraser-head units are distinguished by their use of a force sensitive resistor to detect direction and speed of motion.
Pointer devices such as those described above generally provide one or more buttons which, when activated, allow operator input. It is common for a pointer device for use in a WINDOWS(copyright) based computer system to have two or three buttons. Pointer devices designed for use in a MACINTOSH(copyright) based computer system typically have one or two buttons.
Many of the original pointer devices were designed for use by either a left-handed or a right-handed operator. More recently, pointer devices have been developed for use by either a left-handed or a right-handed operator. Pointer devices of the latter type are often referred to as xe2x80x9cergonomicxe2x80x9d pointers. There are currently a variety of commercially available ergonomic mice and trackball devices.
Because of their physical construction, ergonomic units designed for a left-handed operator are not easily used by a right-handed operator and visa versa. If a computer system is shared by multiple users, some of which are left-handed and some of which are right-handed, two different ergonomic pointer devices may be needed. This, in turn, may require disconnecting and connecting the different devices as each operator uses the computer system.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a single ergonomic pointer device that may be adapted to either a left-handed or a right-handed operator.
In one embodiment the invention provides a pointer device having an ergonomically contoured shell with a first set of one or more button tabs at a first end and a second set of one or more button tabs at a second end, and a first set of locking elements. The pointer device also includes a base having a second set of locking elements adapted to mate with the first set of locking elements, the first and second sets of locking elements adapted to allow the shell to be removably coupled to the base, and one or more switches adapted to be activated by the first set of one or more button tabs when the shell is coupled to the base in a left-handed configuration and the second set of one or more button tabs when the shell is coupled to the base in a right-handed configuration. In another embodiment of the invention, a computer system includes a pointer device in accordance with the invention coupled to a computer system, wherein the computer system may include a processing module (including a central processing unit and memory) and, perhaps, a display unit.