Computer mouse and method for operating a computer mouse, remote control, smart device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11775091-B2
Application number	US-202117799794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2021
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A computer mouse for carrying out inputs into a computer unit that can be coupled to the mouse. The mouse has a mouse body that can be at least partially gripped and a mouse wheel that is rotatably supported on a carrying structure of the mouse body. The mouse wheel is able to be rotated by a finger to carry out an input. The mouse wheel has at least two actuation zones. A movement of the mouse wheel can be damped by a controllable brake device in a targeted manner in dependence on the actuation zone from which the mouse wheel is actuated and/or in dependence on which actuation zone has been previously activated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer mouse, comprising:
a mouse body to be manually gripped;
a mouse wheel rotatably mounted to said mouse body and configured to be rotated for carrying out an input to a computer device coupled to the computer mouse;
said mouse wheel having at least two actuation zones,
a controllable magnetorheological braking device configured to control a movement of said mouse wheel and selectively damping the movement in dependence on the actuation zone from which said mouse wheel is being actuated or in dependence on which actuation zone had been previously activated.

2. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein said braking device comprises at least one field generation device for generating a controlled magnetic field and a magnetorheological medium, and said at least one field generation device is configured to influence the medium in order to adjust a torque for a rotatability of said mouse wheel.

3. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein said actuation zones are connected to one another for conjoint rotation and/or said actuation zones have a common axis of rotation.

4. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for sensing an angle of rotation of said mouse wheel, and wherein a damping is selectively adjustable depending on the angle of rotation of said mouse wheel detected by said sensor.

5. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , which comprises a monitoring device configured to detect, by way of sensors, from which of the actuation zones the actuation is taking place.

6. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein the respective actuation zones are activated by depressing said mouse wheel.

7. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation zones are haptically distinguishable and are formed with at least one feature selected from the group consisting of different surface, different surface structure, different size, different geometry, different color, and different material.

8. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , further comprising a control device configured for controlling said braking device in dependence on a control command and for converting the control command into a haptic signal to be perceived at the mouse wheel, the haptic signal being a defined sequence of deceleration torques providing a user with haptic feedback at said mouse wheel as a consequence of an input made and/or during an input.

9. The computer mouse according to claim 8 , wherein the haptic feedback is provided depending on the actuation zone in which said mouse wheel is actuated and touched.

10. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein a particular input is made depending on the actuated actuation zone, and wherein an assignment of actuation zone and input is programmable and/or dynamically adaptable.

11. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein said mouse wheel is configured with a rotational movement subject to an adjustable detent effect during scrolling, and wherein the detent effect is generated by a targeted deceleration or blocking and a targeted release of the rotational movement at specific time intervals and/or at specific angles of rotation, and wherein the detent effect is also set depending on the actuation zone from which said mouse wheel is actuated.

12. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein said mouse wheel is arranged on said mouse body with optimization for a right-handed user or said mouse wheel is arranged on said mouse body with optimization for a left-handed user.

13. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein said mouse body is formed with at least a first contact portion for an index finger and at least a second contact portion for a thumb, and wherein at least one mouse wheel is arranged in the first contact portion and wherein at least one mouse wheel is arranged in the second contact portion.

14. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein a rotatability of said mouse wheel is adjustable by said braking device between freely rotatable and completely blocked for a manually generated force occurring at the mouse wheel during operation.

15. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein said mouse wheel is configured to be pressed and/or axially displaced to carry out a specific input.

16. The computer mouse according to claim 1 , wherein said mouse wheel is a rocker having a rocker bearing between the at least two actuation zones, enabling the mouse wheel to be pressed to both sides of said rocker bearing to carry out an input, and wherein a specific input is made depending on the actuation zone being pressed.

17. A method for operating a computer mouse, the method comprising:
providing a computer mouse that is configured for carrying out inputs into a computer device to be coupled to the computer mouse;
selectively rotating a mouse wheel that is rotatably mounted to the mouse body, that has at least two actuation zones, and that is configured for carrying out an input to the computer device coupled to the computer mouse;
controlling a movement of the mouse wheel with a controllable magnetorheological braking device and selectively damping the movement in dependence on the actuation zone from which the mouse wheel is actuated or in dependence on which actuation zone had been previously activated.

18. The method according to claim 17 , which comprises indicating by an optical signal the actuation zone that is currently intended for carrying out an input, and automatically adapting a movement resistance for a movability of the mouse wheel to the currently intended execution of the input.

19. A remote control for carrying out inputs into a receiving device to be coupled to the remote control, the remote control comprising:
a remote control body to be at least partially gripped;
at least one remote control wheel rotatably mounted on a support structure of said remote control body for rotation by at least one finger to carry out an input;
said remote control wheel having at least two actuation zones;
a controllable braking device configured to damp a movement of said remote control wheel in a targeted manner depending on the respective actuation zone from which said remote control wheel is being actuated and/or depending on which of the actuation zones had been previously activated.

20. A smart device, comprising:
a device body to be at least partially gripped and at least one wheel rotatably mounted on a support structure of said device body;
said wheel having at least two actuation zones and being rotatable by a finger of a user to carry out an input;
a controllable braking device configured for damping a movement of said wheel in a targeted manner depending on the respective actuation zone from which said wheel is being actuated and/or depending on which of the actuation zones had been previously activated.

Assignees

• Inventus Eng Gmbh

Inventors

• Battlogg Stefan

Classifications

• G06F3/0383 Primary

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/0362

  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 Primary

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