Mouse roller module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11061493-B1
Application number	US-202016911230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2020
Priority date	Apr 30, 2020
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A mouse roller module includes a roller assembly, a sensing unit and a control unit. The roller assembly includes a stator and a rotator. When the roller assembly is in a first usage mode, the rotator is rotated relative to the stator in response to an applied force of a user. A rotating speed of the rotator relative to the stator is sensed by the sensing unit. If the rotating speed of the rotator relative to the stator reaches a threshold value when the roller assembly is in the first usage mode, the roller assembly is switched form the first usage mode to a second usage mode under control of the control unit. While the first usage mode is switched to the second usage mode, the roller assembly is switched to an enabled state, so that the stator drives rotation of the rotator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mouse roller module, comprising:
a roller assembly comprising a stator and a rotator, wherein the stator is covered by the rotator, wherein when the roller assembly is in a first usage mode, the rotator is rotated relative to the stator in response to an applied force of a user,
wherein the rotator comprises an accommodation structure, a rotating shaft and a plural permanent magnets, and the accommodation structure comprises a bottom wall and a lateral wall, which are connected with each other, wherein the rotating shaft is installed on the bottom wall, the plural permanent magnets are discretely arranged and distributed on an inner surface of the lateral wall, and the plural permanent magnets are arranged around the rotating shaft,
wherein the stator comprises a housing, a first bearing and a second bearing, wherein the housing comprises a first opening and a second opening, and the first opening and the second opening are opposed to each other, wherein the first opening is disposed within the accommodation structure of the rotator, the second opening is located outside the accommodation structure of the rotator, the first opening is arranged between the bottom wall of the accommodation structure and the second opening, the first bearing is located at the first opening, the second bearing is located at the second opening, and the rotating shaft of the roller assembly is penetrated through the first bearing, the housing and the second bearing sequentially;

a sensing unit located beside the roller assembly, wherein a rotating speed of the rotator relative to the stator is sensed by the sensing unit; and
a control unit electrically connected with the roller assembly and the sensing unit, wherein if the rotating speed of the rotator relative to the stator reaches a threshold value when the roller assembly is in the first usage mode, the roller assembly is switched form the first usage mode to a second usage mode under control of the control unit,
wherein while the first usage mode is switched to the second usage mode, the roller assembly is switched from a disabled state to an enabled state, so that the stator drives rotation of the rotator.

2. The mouse roller module according to claim 1 , wherein if the rotating speed of the rotator relative to the stator is lower than the threshold value when the roller assembly is in the second usage mode, the roller assembly is switched form the second usage mode to the first usage mode under control of the control unit, wherein while the second usage mode is switched to the first usage mode, the roller assembly is switched from the enabled state to the disabled state.

3. The mouse roller module according to claim 1 , wherein the stator further comprises a permeability structure, and the permeability structure is circumferentially arranged on an outer surface of the housing and disposed within the accommodation structure of the rotator, wherein the permeability structure comprises plural permeability units and plural coil units, wherein the plural permeability units are extended toward the lateral wall of the accommodation structure and aligned with the corresponding permanent magnets, and the plural coil units are wound around the corresponding permeability units.

4. The mouse roller module according to claim 3 , wherein each permeability unit has a permeability surface that faces the corresponding permanent magnet.

5. The mouse roller module according to claim 3 , wherein the permeability units of the permeability structure are made of silicon steel.

6. The mouse roller module according to claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit is a Hall sensor.

7. The mouse roller module according to claim 1 , wherein the mouse roller module further comprises a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is installed on the stator of the roller assembly, the stator is arranged between the rotator and the circuit board, and the sensing unit and the control unit are installed on the circuit board.

Assignees

• Primax Electronics Ltd

Inventors

• Cheng Li-Kuei
• Tsai Yung-Ming
• Wu Chun-Che

Classifications

• G06F3/0383

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/0362 Primary

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G06F3/03543

  Mice or pucks (G06F3/03541 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title