Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Cursor mark position control device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-11
2001-12-04
Saras, Steven (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Cursor mark position control device
C345S156000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06326949
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to computer mice or track balls, and in particular to those including a roller.
In one type of computer mouse, a ball protrudes from the bottom of the mouse housing, and rolls across a supporting surface. The movement of the ball is typically detected by shafts which are in contact with the ball and turn an encoder wheel having a number of slots. An LED is on one side of the encoder wheel, and a detector on the other, so that the turning of a encoder wheel, corresponding to the movement of the ball in one direction, can be detected by the intensity of light when it shines through a slot, and is subsequently blocked between slots. Track balls will have a ball mounted on the top with the housing being stationary, but similarly operate with two encoder wheels at 90° angles to detect X and Y movement. Optical mice and trackballs have also been developed.
Such mice and track balls typically also have buttons which can be depressed or clicked by a user, and which depress a microswitch. These provide additional inputs to the computer, in addition to the position of the mouse or trackball. Some mouse designs have added a roller or wheel which can be used for such functions as scrolling or zooming. The roller is operated by a user finger much like a dial on a radio.
One roller design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,919 assigned to Multipoint Technology Corporation. This has a user operable roller which has a shaft extending out from it, and an encoder wheel attached to the shaft. The encoder wheel is like the optical encoders used on the mice or trackball balls. Microsoft U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,344 shows a design similar to the Multipoint one in which a shaft from the roller is connected to a separate optical encoder wheel. One Microsoft product has a shaft supporting the roller and encoder wheel, with the shaft being itself mounted on forks extending up from the lower housing of the mouse through openings in a circuit board.
Another design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,230 assigned to Apple Computer. This shows two finger rollers with a shaft which drives a belt which is connected to a pulley on a separate encoder. A similar pulley system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,455 assigned to Mouse Systems.
Yet another design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,481 assigned to Mouse Systems. In this design, the roller has a shaft attached to a gear outside the roller, which drives an optical encoder wheel with the gear.
In addition to the rollers being turnable, a number of designs allow the roller itself to actuate a switch. In Microsoft U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,344, this is done with a roller which pivots inward under pressure from the finger, in addition to rolling about its axis. When pivoted inward, it will depress a microswitch to send an activation signal to the computer. Mouse Systems U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,455 shows a design in which the entire housing for the roller is depressed against supporting springs, and when depressed actuates an underlying microswitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,303 to Apple Computer shows a graphic controller with three dials, with at least one of the dials shown with an encoder ring and detectors, with the detectors being shown on either side of the dial in one drawing. However, unlike some of the designs discussed above, the dials are on a fixed axis and cannot be depressed to actuate a microswitch and provide another input signal.
A roller design having slots in the roller wheel itself is shown in Primax Electronics' U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,568. That patent also shows a support for the wheel which pivots with the wheel to depress a switch. A related application of the Assignee of this application is entitled “Optical Mechanical Roller With Ratchet”, filed Oct. 14, 1997, application Ser. No. 08/949,681. That application shows a roller with integral slots which moves up and down relative to an aligned light emitter and detector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a roller wheel structure having a simplified design. Support columns constrain and allow movement of a roller wheel and roller support.
In a preferred embodiment, the support columns are integrally formed with the lower housing, reducing the part count and enabling a more compact design. On one side of the wheel, the support columns extend from the lower housing to support the ends of a lift spring. The center of the lift spring is wound around an axle connected to a support for the roller wheel. When the roller wheel is depressed by a user, the lift spring allows the roller support to depress until a micro-switch is activated. On a second side of the roller wheel, the roller support consists of a mechanism which slides up and down within the support columns connected to the lower housing when the user depresses the roller wheel. Here, the support columns act as guides for the vertically moving roller support. This side includes a ratchet spring biased against an open inside of the roller wheel. The ratchet spring is biased against an undulating surface on the inside perimeter of the wheel, providing a ratcheting effect when a user rotates the wheel.
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Bidiville Marc A.
Merminod Antoine A.
Sung Alex
Anyaso Uchendu O.
Logitech Europe S.A.
Saras Steven
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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