Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
  • G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
  • G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
  • G06F3/0354—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
  • G06F3/03549—Trackballs
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/00 - G06F3/048
  • G06F2203/033—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/033
  • G06F2203/0334—Ergonomic shaped mouse for vertical grip, whereby the hand controlling the mouse is resting or gripping it with an attitude almost vertical with respect of the working surface

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a pointing device for input of screen cursor positioning commands or the like to a computer and of the type mentioned in the introductory part of claim 1.
• a pointing device for input of screen cursor positioning commands or the like to a computer and of the type mentioned in the introductory part of claim 1.
• Such a unit is generally and in the following named a "trackball". It is used for the same purpose as - and as an alternative to - a so-called “mouse" which is moved on a pad to give pointing signals for the computer.
• the hand in its natural position of rest with the forearm resting on a table is turned such that the ulnar margin (little finger edge) rests downwards against the table and the palm is lifted 45° from the horizontal plane.
• the two forearm bones - spoke bone (radius) and elbow bone (ulna) - lie parallel and thus not twisted at all.
• the hand is partially closed (cup-shaped) and the thumb points towards the other fingers and is aligned with the wrist (carpus) .
• This position should allegedly be taken during work with the pointing device.
• provisions should be made for variations in the working posture, as much and as often as possible during work with the pointing device.
• the wrist must not be bent backward when using the pointing device as this can cause the carpal tunnel syndrome.
• the wrist being bent backwards should not be prevented by using a wrist supporting device as this entails an unfortunate pressure against the underside of the wrist .
• the hand should not be constantly bent inwards with a horizontal palm as when working with many known mouses, or constantly bent outwards with vertical palm as when working with a joystick.
• Occupation-related diseases of the same kind as mouse injuries (RSI) are known from pilots who control aircrafts by means of joysticks.
• carpometacarpal joint of the thumb (articulatio carpometacarpea prima) - which is a saddle joint with a large mobility - will not stand loads in its extreme positions, i.e. with the thumb drawn away from or bent inwards towards the other fingers.
• a pointing device of the initially stated kind is known and marketed by the firm Logitech under the name "TrackMan Marble”, see e.g. the brochure from said firm “Enter Cyberspace” (Nordic Version), Logitech S.A., 1122 Romanel, CH, n.d.
• the hand lies stretched and only slightly bent over the pointing device.
• the wrist is forced backwards which as stated is injurious.
• the first phalanx (phalanx proximalis) of the index finger will be placed quite close to the ball whereby the pulp (pulpa) of the thumb will have its working area correspondingly close to the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger when using the ball.
• the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb articula- tio carpometacarpea pri a
• an abutment face is provided below on which the little finger edge (ulnar margin) rests and on the underside of this face a conventional mouse ball is journalled. The entire hand and the forearm are thus moved across the working face when commands are to be given to the computer.
• the object of the invention is to provide a pointing device of the initially stated kind where the said inconveniences are avoided and where the user's hand in a main position of use occupies a natural, partly closed neutral position with straight wrist [ carpus) and with abutment for the entire hand against the pointing device.
• a further object of the invention is to provide a pointing device which can be operated without being supported and which provides the user with the possibility of working standing up and/or moving around when working with the device .
• the handle means at the little finger side (ulnar side) of the hand protrudes from an essentially plane surface (the second abutment faces) permits that the pointing device used without rest on a supporting face (i.e. held freely in air) is by itself kept in place in the hand as the fingers - and in particular the little finger - in a relaxed and par- tially closed position can retain the pointing device in a safe way.
• the elbow bone (ulna) and spoke bone (radius) of the forearm do not occupy a more or less entwined position but the very neutral position described above. Furthermore, an increased security against backward bending of the wrist is obtained as under these circumstances, gravity acts in a more oblique angle in relation to the main rotational axis (flexion axis) .
• the features in claim 3 it is obtained that the hand is supported against the tendency caused by gravity to slide down from the oblique angle stated in claim 2. Furthermore, the area of the hand surface abutting against faces on the pointing device is increased, and thus the relaxation of the hand is furthered.
• the user is permitted to let the pointing device hang in his hand, while the forearm hangs downwards, relaxed.
• the pointing device so to speak "hangs by itself" in the hand, when the little finger is merely kept arched, for which thanks to the design described in claim 3 a quite small force is required, which of course is in accordance with the natural grasping movement of the little finger.
• the pointing device can be erected such that the handle means occupies an alternative oblique position pointing forward whereas the weight of the hand rests on the second abutment surfaces. The working position of the hand is thus changed which implies a desirable variation in the user's working conditions.
• the pointing device can be tilted further forwards whereby the handle means occupies yet another alterna- tive, oblique position pointing forwards, said position being even continuously variable in all directions and variable during use .
• the basic joint of the thumb (articulatio carpometacar- pea prima) is in its neutral position during use of the pointing device whereby, the very injurious loading of the basic joint near its extreme positions is avoided.
• the hand position obtained by the measures in claim 8 corresponds nearly completely to the writing position of the hand when using traditional writing utensils. This position is ideal to avoid the initially stated occupation-related diseases (RSI) .
• RSSI occupation-related diseases
• Fig. 1 shows a side view of a right-hand version of a pointing device according to the invention in a main position of use, seen from the thumb side,
• Fig. 2 shows the pointing device in Fig. 1, seen from the end facing away from the user's arm
• Fig. 3 shows the pointing device in Fig. 1, seen from the little finger side
• Fig. 4 shows the pointing device in Fig. 1, seen from the end facing the user's arm
• Fig. 5 shows the pointing device in Fig. 1, seen from below
• Fig. 6 shows the pointing device from Fig. 1, seen from above
• Fig. 7 corresponds to Fig. 1 and shows the user's hand resting on the pointing device
• Fig. 8 corresponds to Fig. 3 and show the user's hand resting on the pointing device
• Fig. 9 shows the pointing device resting in the user's hand hanging downwards
• Fig. 10 shows the pointing device during use, tilted up for abutment of the second bottom face against the working face in a first alternative position of use.
• the pointing device has a handle means 6 (Figs. 1, 3-4, 6) which extends in an oblique angle in relation to a working surface 9 (the base on which the pointing device rests) .
• the top ridge 7 of the handle means thus extends under an angle A (Figs. 3-4) of about 45° with the working surface 9. As it is seen in Fig. 8, this ridge serves as abutment for the foremost edge of the palm from which the four fingers protrude.
• the face 8 forms an angle C with the working face 9 of about 22°, see Fig. 2.
• the distal phalanxes of these three fingers will have a distance D of preferably 30-40 mm to the ball of the thumb (thenar) 10, see Fig. 10.
• the index finger grasps around along an edge 11 on a collar 12 which forms a termination of the handle means 6 at the finger side of the pointing device 1 and in the thumb end of the handle means 6 , see Figs. 2, 3, 6, and 8.
• the index finger is thus somewhat less bent than the other three fingers.
• a freely rotatable ball 5 is embedded in a surface portion 13 in the pointing device 1 at the end of the handle means 6, see Figs. 1-2, 4-7 and 10, and preferably near a centre axis 20 (Figs. 1, 4-6) in the handle means 6.
• the surface portion 13 is preferably concavely limited by edges 17 as shown in Figs. 1-2.
• the surface portion 13 has in general an angle F of about 58° with the working surface 9. This angle corresponds to the angle which the purely sideways working direction (the adduction- abduction direction) for the metacarpophalangeal joint 26 of the thumb (fig. 7) has when the hand is positioned on the pointing device as described above. It is thus obtained that when operating the ball 5 for giving "sideways" commands to the computer, the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb must make a purely sideways movement (adduction-abduction) , essentially without any contents of bending movement (flexion- extension) .
• the thumb is extended forwards, slightly bent and in straight extension of the wrist, see Figs. 7, 9 and 10.
• the ball of the thumb 10 abuts against a portion 14 of the handle means 6 which portion extends from the ball 5 against the little finger end of the handle means 6, see Figs. 1, 4 and 6.
• the portion 14 adjoins the edge 11 of the collar 12 along an acute-angled edge 15 (Figs. 1-2, 5-6), the thumb is being directed in a direction towards the distal phalanx (phalanx distalis) 16 of the index finger, see Figs. 7 and 10.
• the handle means 6 with the back 7 and the faces 8, 11, 14 constitute together first abutment faces which form abutment for the entire palm except for the heel of the hand (carpus) itself and for the grasping faces of the index, middle, ring and little finger in their entire extensions.
• the entire hand thus being supported by the pointing device 1, the best conditions for the relaxation of the hand during use of the pointing device are obtained which further improves the security against RSI.
• a disc or wall 19 (Figs. 1, 3, 4, 6, 9) protrudes in an oblique angle relative to the centre axis 20 of the handle means 6.
• the wall 19 is approximately parallel to the collar 12 in the thumb end of the handle means.
• the wall 19 forms an angle E of about 130° with the working surface 9, see Fig. 4.-
• the faces 21 facing the handle means 6 (Figs. 1- 2, 4, 6) of the wall 19 form second abutment faces for the little finger edge of the intermediate portion of the hand (metacarpus) together with the side of the first phalanx (phalanx proximalis) and preferably also the middle phalanx (phalanx media) of the little finger facing away from the other fingers.
• the wall 19 thus acts as a support for the hand against the tendency caused by gravity to slide down the sloping ridge 7 of the handle means 6. Furthermore, the area of the surface of the hand abutting against faces on the pointing device is increased and thus the relaxation of the hand is furthered.
• the pointing device 1 can hang in the user's hand while the forearm hangs down, relaxed, as shown in Fig. 9. If only the little finger is kept arched, ,for which thanks to the design of the handle means 6 and the wall 19 merely a quite small force is required, the pointing device hangs by itself in the hand.
• the user's hand is in Fig. 9 shown in an almost completely relaxed condition corresponding to the user taking a break from the work in front of the screen to relax or think; when the user resumes the data-entry from the pointing device, the grasp of the four fingers around the pointing device is tightened before the pointing device is ready for control of the ball 5 and the push-buttons.
• Fig. 9 shown in an almost completely relaxed condition corresponding to the user taking a break from the work in front of the screen to relax or think; when the user resumes the data-entry from the pointing device, the grasp of the four fingers around the pointing device is tightened before the pointing device is ready for control of the ball 5 and the push-
• a second bottom face 22 (Figs. 3-4, 10) is provided approximately parallel to the second abutment faces 21.
• the second bottom face 22 forms an abutment against the working surface 9 when the pointing device 1 is raised to the position shown in Fig. 10. Thanks to the weight of the hand resting on the second abutment faces 21 on the inside of the wall 19, the pointing device 1 rests stably against the working surface 9 in this position and supports and retains therefore the hand in its neutral position.
• the forearm bones are thus twisted turn, relative to the main position of use in Figs. 7-8, and the position in Fig. 10 should thus be used only as a variation which, however, as stated initially, is very important.
• the edge is provided with a curved surface form, such as a ball, ellipsoid, or egg shape.
• the pointing device 1 can thus in a way not shown be tilted forwards from the position shown in Fig. 10, the pointing device rolling over the surface 9. In this position, the pointing device can roll freely through a considerable solid angle with the vertex approximately on the working surface 9 at the same time as the weight of the pointing device and the hand is resting on the working surface. This provides extraordinarily good possibilities for variations of the user's hand position while working, which counteracts locking in the wrist. Experiments have shown that the user's hand is approximately in balance in very large parts of the said solid angle with the shown location of the curved surface 24. The hand is thus at rest also in these alternative positions of working.
• the pointing device according to the invention thus at least provides one possible main position of use with an optimum position of the arm and hand, and three alternative positions of use to be used in particular cases or as variations.
• a first alternative position of use the pointing device 1 is tilted upwards such that the second bottom face 22 rests against the working surface 9 (Fig. 10) ; in a second alternative position of use, the pointing device 1 is further tilted forwards so that the curved surface 24 rests against the working surface 9; in a third alternative position of use the user's arm hangs down, relaxed (Fig. 9) .
• the pointing device according to the invention can in a fifth way simply be held in the hand in any desired position of the device, e.g. while the hand rests in the lap or is held behind the neck. Using these many possibilities of variation when working will to a very high degree counteract RSI.
• the pointing device 1 is as generally known pointing devices provided with one, two, or preferably three push-buttons, preferably operated by the index, middle and ring finger.
• the third push-button can, however, preferably be adapted for operation by both the ring and little finger (optional, or by both fingers simultaneously) , as many users find it difficult to distinguish between the ring and little finger when activating only one finger.
• a push-button 27 for the index finger is in the shown embodiment embedded in the edge 11 of the collar 12 on which the index finger rests, see Figs. 3 and 8.
• Push-buttons for the remaining three said fingers are not shown, but the person skilled in the art will on the basis of the here stated information be able to position these push-buttons in or at the f ngertip portion 8.
• the pointing device may be manufactured with a soft, rugged, or slightly sticky surface thus assuring that the hand is supported and retained at optimum on the pointing device.
• the ball 5 can in a way not shown be embedded in a detachable part mainly comprising the surface 13, with e.g. a round or polygonal contour. This part is inserted into a corresponding recess in the pointing device whereby the device corresponds to the one shown in the figures.
• the ball 5 can then according to the invention be eccen- trically embedded in the detachable part whereby when inserting the detachable part in different orientations, there is obtained correspondingly different placements of the ball 5. It is thus obtained that the placement of the ball 5 can be adapted to users with different thumb lengths relative to the hand size.
• the pointing device 1 is adapted for use not only as a stationary trackball but also as a movable mouse. This provides the user with yet a possibility for variation in the position and conditions of use, beside the five positions of use which have been described previously.
• a mouse ball 2 known per se is built into the first bottom face 3.
• the pointing device can according to the invention be provided with a sliding switch for switching between the mouse function and the trackball function, or the pointing device can be adapted for automatic response to the one of the balls 2, 5 which may be moved.
• the pointing device needs in a manner known per se to be connected to the computer by a signal path which ' can be a cable or a wireless connection.
• the cable is not shown in the drawings, but will preferably extend from the point L in Figs. 2, 3, and 5.
• a transmitter device for a wireless connection is not shown, either, but may preferably be placed at the point T in Figs . 2 and 3.
• the pointing device can be produced in several sizes for users with differ- ent sizes of hands.
• the optimum rest which the hand is to find on the pointing device is thus further improved .
• the pointing device according to the embodiment here described can easily be designed in a laterally reversed version to be used by left-handed users.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Position Input By Displaying (AREA)

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Publications (1)

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• 1998
  • 1998-06-22 CA CA002294184A patent/CA2294184A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-06-22 AU AU80121/98A patent/AU726911B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-06-22 EP EP98928181A patent/EP0992018A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-06-22 WO PCT/DK1998/000269 patent/WO1998059316A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1999
  • 1999-12-22 NO NO996393A patent/NO996393L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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