FR2931965A1 - Manual multimedia control i.e. mouse, for e.g. laptop, has body hand-gripped in manner of handle, where body is maintained between palm of hand and fingers closed on hand, in position permitting attaining anterior end at thumb - Google Patents

Abstract

The control has a body (1) with a sliding lateral face applied on a support surface in a utilization mode such that displacement of the body on the surface is evaluated by a detection unit to control multimedia representation or a position of a pointer of a video screen. The body is hand-gripped in a manner of a handle in another utilization mode that does not require a support, and has an elongated shape between anterior and posterior ends. The body is maintained between a palm of a hand and fingers closed on the hand, in a position permitting attaining the anterior end at a thumb.

Description

Multimedia manual control. The invention relates to a multimedia control.

The invention relates more particularly to a multimedia control usually referred to as a mouse, which conventionally consists of a body provided with a sliding surface adapted to be applied to a bearing surface, so that the movement of the body on said surface is evaluated by a sensing element to control a multimedia representation, such as the position of a pointer or cursor on a video screen.

Such computer mice conventionally designed to be used exclusively on a flat support are known. Their design prohibits other modes of use.

On the other hand remote controllers are known, which can be taken in hand and used in space, independently of a medium, in order to control multimedia representations. Note also that hybrid commands between mouse and remote control or joystick appear on the market. The MX Air Mouse model manufactured by Logitech is an example, in which the movements of the control are detected in space. Another known model The Fish Handheld Mouse is more conventionally equipped with a trackball.

Existing controls show that they are specifically designed for use in support of a flat support, or for use in the hand in space. These commands therefore have only targeted use possibilities, and therefore offer no real versatility. A user will therefore have to provide two different equipment if he needs a mouse and a conventional remote control. -2

The object of the present invention is to overcome all or part of the above disadvantages and to offer a multimedia manual control versatile, compact and particularly ergonomic.

For this purpose, the object of the invention is a manual multimedia control consisting of a body provided with a sliding face adapted, in a first mode of use, to be applied to a bearing surface, so that the movement of the body on said surface is evaluated by a sensing member to control a multimedia representation, such as the position of a pointer on a video screen, characterized in that the body has a generally elongate shape between a front end and a rear end, adapted, in a second mode of use, to be taken in hand in the manner of a handle, the body being held between the palm of the hand and one or more finger (s) closed (s) on this one, in a position allowing the thumb to reach an anterior end of the body.

Thus, the control according to the invention can be used according to two modes of use. A first mode, classic, is to manually move the mouse on a work plane. A second mode is to get rid of a work plan and hold the mouse in the manner of a power tool or pistol grip, which corresponds to an optimal ergonomic position. This two-in-one control offers outstanding versatility, and comes in the form of an extremely compact computer or multimedia accessory.

According to other advantageous features of the invention:

the body has a generally elongated flattened shape comprising two lateral faces joining at the front end and at a rear end opposite the front end, and between these two ends, in a palmar region and in a digital region opposite to the palmar region, said palmar and digital regions being intended to cooperate in contact respectively with the palm and the fingers when the command is used in the second mode, - 3

the control comprises a control element of the multimedia representation, disposed at the front end of the body, in a zone that can be reached by the thumb when the control is used in the second mode,

the control comprises automatic switching means making it possible, during the transition from the first to the second mode of use, to activate the control member of the multimedia representation and simultaneously to inhibit the displacement detection member, and act inversely when going from the second mode to the first mode of use,

the switching means consist of a contact and / or proximity sensor, such as a resistive or capacitive or optical or mechanical sensor disposed near the rear end, so as to detect the gripping of the corresponding hand typically in the second mode of use,

the switching means consist of a resistive and / or capacitive sensor comprising at least a first conductor located near the posterior end, in particular in the digital region, and at least a second conductor located near the end posterior, in the palmar region, the multimedia control comprises a selection trigger located in the digital region, close to the front end, so that it can be controlled by the index when the command is used in the second mode, the multimedia control comprises at least one selection button disposed near the front end and the palmar region,

the digital region is provided with at least one boss near the anterior and / or posterior end, and the multimedia control comprises a scroll wheel located near the front end, and part of which protruding in the digital region.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description and in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate, from different angles of view, the multimedia control according to the invention, FIGS. 8 are views of the multimedia control of FIG. 1, respectively illustrating the first and second modes of use.

FIGS. 1 to 6 show the multimedia control according to the invention. The control has the general shape of a body 1 elongated between two ends 11, 12, substantially flattened between two lateral faces 13, 14, and provided with regions or slices 15, 16 closing the volume of the body, on its longitudinal edges, between its side faces 13, 14 and its ends 11, 12. In the example illustrated, the side faces 13, 14 are substantially symmetrical with respect to a plane of symmetry passing through the body 1 in its longitudinal direction.

The control according to the invention can be used according to two modes of use: in a first mode of use, illustrated in FIG. 7, the control is conventionally used in the manner of a mouse that is manually moved in sliding it on a work surface or a suitable support surface, generally substantially horizontal; in a second mode of use, illustrated in FIG. 8, the control is used as a portable object that can be held in the hand, independently of a bearing surface.

For the clarity of the presentation, the mouse is classically presented lying down in the first mode of use and standing in the second mode of use, it being understood that this presentation is schematic. In reality, the first mode of use does not prohibit the use of the mouse on a 2931965 -5

inclined support surface, and the second mode of use does not prohibit the use of the mouse lying down. The main idea is that the first mode assumes a support surface, while the second mode is free from it and allows to keep the mouse freely in space in view of its use as a multimedia manual control.

Given the position of the mouse in the first mode of use (FIG. 7), one of the two side faces 13, 14 specially designed and adapted to rest on an external bearing surface constitutes a face of 10 slip 13 (Figures 1 to 5). This sliding face 13 comprises a body 20 for detecting the movement of the control, of the type conventionally used in traditional mice and well known to those skilled in the art, such as optical means with transmitter and infrared sensor. .

To ensure a plane support of the control on the outer bearing surface, studs or support pads 21 may be provided at a distance from each other on the sliding surface. Three pads or pads 21 are sufficient to define a plane support; in the example illustrated in the figures the control comprises four pads or pads 21 forming the corners of a quadrilateral.

Taking into account the position of the hand when gripping the control in the second mode of use (Figure 8), the ends of the controls are called the front end 11, for that which is adjacent to the thumb, and rear end 12 , for the opposite end. When the arm holding the control is stretched along the body, and the longitudinal axis of the control is oriented horizontally, the anterior 11 and posterior 12 ends are as their name indicates turned respectively forward and vers the back of the person. Taking also into account the handling of the command in this second mode of use, the regions 15, 16 of contact with the hand are called palmar region 15 and digital region 16. The palmar region is intended to varnish in contact with the palm of the hand while the digital region must cooperate in contact with the fingers of the user. In this second mode 2931965 -6

of use, the body 1 of the control is therefore adapted to be taken in hand and gripped in the manner of a tool handle or a gun, as shown in Figure 8.

According to the invention, the control comprises a control member 22 of the multimedia representation, typically the pointer or cursor, able to substitute, in the second mode of use, the detection member 20 of the movement of the mouse. , at least for certain types of applications. The control member 22 is for example a pointing knob or trackpoint of the type of those known and used on laptops, especially the IBM brand, T42 or X32 models, for controlling the movement of a pointer in a two-dimensional space, similar to the movement of a mouse using a ball or optical means. This control member 22 is located at the center of the front end 11, so as to be in a natural access area of the thumb, as shown in FIG. 8.

The control also includes automatic switching means 23 for activating the control member 21 and simultaneously inhibiting the displacement detecting member 20 when switching from the first to the second mode of use. Conversely, when switching from the second to the first mode of use of the control, the switching means enable the movement detection member to be activated and simultaneously to inhibit the control member 21. These switching means comprise in particular a resistive and / or capacitive sensor, of a type known to those skilled in the art and which will therefore not be described further, provided with conductors 23, able to identify that the control is taken in hand according to the second how to use. The conductors 23 are intended to come into contact with the hand, at the level of the palm and the ring and / or the little finger, near the rear end 14 of the control, on which the hand is located. typically when the control is used according to the second mode of use (Figure 8). A first rear conductor is disposed near the posterior end 12 and also near the palmar region 15. One or two other leading conductors are disposed on the end 2931965 -7

posterior 12 or close to the latter, and also close to the digital region 16. In the case where the control comprises two front conductors 23, they are arranged on either side of a rear boss 120 formed at the junction the posterior end 12 and the palmar region 16. The resistive and / or capacitive sensor is adapted to send a signal (activation of the control member 22 and inhibition of the detection member 20) when the simultaneous contact of the front and rear drivers with the user's hand is detected.

The control according to the invention further comprises a trigger 27 disposed on the digital region 16, near the front end 11 (Figures 1, 2, 5, 6). The trigger 27 is therefore accessible to the index and can be actuated by the latter in the second mode of use (Figure 8). In the first mode of use, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the index can also access the trigger 27 so as to be able to actuate it. When the control is seen from above (FIG. 6) and laid flat in its first mode of use, the control member 22 being oriented towards the front, it will be noted that the trigger 27 is disposed laterally to the right of the longitudinal axis of the body 1. The control also comprises at least one selection button 24, 25 disposed at the junction of the front end 11 and the palmar region 15 (Figures 1, 4, 5). In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, two buttons are located on either side of the plane of symmetry of the body 1. These buttons 24, 25 are located in an area accessible to the thumb of the hand in the second mode. of use (Figure 8). In the first mode of use (Figure 7), the selection button 25 located on the side of the side face 14 opposite the sliding face 13, is accessible to the index and can be actuated by the latter. Similarly to its posterior boss 120, the control also comprises an anterior boss 110 located at the junction of its anterior end 11 and the digital region 16. These bosses 110, 120 delimit the digital region 16 and border tactile and intuitive the zone in which the user's fingers are supposed to place. For ergonomics 2931965 -8

refined, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 and 8, the digital region 16 may also have a corrugated shape providing hollow in which the fingers of the user will place naturally.

The control according to the invention is also provided with a scroll wheel 26 housed in the volume of the front boss 110, and a part of which protrudes into the digital region 16, so that it can be actuated by the index, indifferently in the first or second mode of use. The multimedia manual control according to the invention will be used as follows:

In the first mode of use (FIG. 7), pressing on a surface, the switching means 23 activate the detecting member 20 of the movement of the control, so that it can be used in a manner similar to a conventional mouse. Moving the control over the surface moves a pointer or cursor on a video screen. The control member 20 is then inhibited. The trigger 27 provides the left-click function of a conventional mouse, while the selection button 25 opposite the support surface provides the right-click function. The scroll wheel 26 constitutes the wheel that is conventionally known on a mouse.

In the second mode of use, the control is held in the hand as shown in FIG. 8. The switching means 23 detect the characteristic gripping of the second mode of use. The control member 22 is activated, so as to be able to control the movement of the pointer or cursor on a video screen, from the stress exerted by the thumb on this member 22. The displacement detecting member 20 is inhibited. The trigger 27 also provides the left click function, while a selection button 24 provides the right click function. The scroll wheel 26 provides the same effect as the conventional wheel of a mouse. 35 2931965 -9

For ergonomic reasons, it can be provided that in the first mode of use, the selection button 25 opposite the support surface and the trigger 27 respectively adapt to ensure the left-click and right-click functions, taking into account the their respective positions on the left and right. It is furthermore possible to provide the possibility of setting the control and selection means according to the needs of the user. The selection button 24 facing the support surface when the control is used in the first mode of use can be provided for this purpose. On the other hand, the multimedia control according to the invention can incorporate other means to ensure increased ease of use, or allowing it to constitute a real communication interface in relation to a computer or a multimedia terminal. For example, the control may be provided with means of vibration or sound emission, enabling it to send a signal or an alert to the user in the event of receiving a mail or an electronic message. A signal of this type may also be addressed when the user seeks to locate the command in a given room or space, and requests the transmission of that signal by a suitable command entered on the computer or terminal.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments that have just been described and includes all the technical equivalents of these means. For example, the switching means 23 may be mechanical or optical actuating means capable of detecting the grip of the control according to the second mode of use.

It will also be appreciated that the foregoing description as well as the figures illustrate a control particularly suited to a right-handed person. It is of course possible within the scope of the invention to provide two types of control, having forms that are substantially symmetrical with respect to each other, a first type being specifically intended for right-handed users, whereas the second type is specifically intended for left-handed people. 25 2931965 - 10 -

Furthermore, according to a variant embodiment not illustrated, the control can have a unique shape adapted to both left-handed and right-handed users, in which the detection member is adapted to selectively identify displacements on one side or side. the other of the control, according to the face which is in vis-à-vis the support in the first mode of use. For example, it is possible for the detection member to be mounted according to two possibilities suitable for right-handed and left-handed users. 10

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Multimedia manual control consisting of a body (1) provided with a sliding face (13) adapted, in a first mode of use, to be applied on a bearing surface, so that the displacement of the body (1 on said surface is evaluated by a sensing member (20) to control a multimedia representation, such as the position of a pointer on a video screen, characterized in that the body (1) has a generally elongated overall shape between an anterior end and a rear end, adapted, in a second mode of use not requiring support, to be taken in hand in the manner of a handle, the body (1) being held between the palm of the hand and one or more finger (s) closed on it, in a position allowing the thumb to reach an anterior end (11) of the body (1). 2. Multimedia control according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (1) has a generally elongate flattened shape having two lateral faces (13; 14) joining at the front end (11) and at a rear end (12). ) opposite to the anterior end (11), and between these two ends, in a palmar region (15) and in a digital region (16) opposite to the palmar region, said palmar (15) and digitalis (16) regions being intended to cooperate in contact respectively with the palm and the fingers when the command is used in the second mode. 3. Multimedia control according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a control member (22) of the multimedia representation, disposed at the front end (11) of the body (1), in an area reachable by the thumb when the command is used in the second mode. 4. Multimedia control according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises automatic switching means (23) allowing, during the transition from the first to the second mode of use, to activate the control member (22) of the multimedia representation and to simultaneously inhibit the detecting member (20) of the displacement, and -12- to act inversely during the reverse passage of the second mode to the first mode of use. 5. Multimedia control according to claim 4, characterized in that the switching means (23) consist of a contact sensor and / or proximity, such as a resistive or capacitive or optical or mechanical sensor disposed near the the posterior end (12), so as to detect the grip of the hand typically corresponding to the second mode of use. 6. Multimedia control according to claim 5, characterized in that the switching means (23) consist of a resistive and / or capacitive sensor comprising at least a first conductor located near the rear end (12), in particular in the digital region (16), and at least one second conductor located near the posterior end (12), in the palmar region (15). Multimedia control device according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a selection trigger (27) situated in the digital region (16), close to the front end (11), so can be controlled by the index when the command is used in the second mode. Multimedia control device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that it comprises at least one selection button (24; 25) arranged near the front end (11) and the palmar region ( 15). Multimedia control device according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the digital region (16) is provided with at least one boss (110; 120) near the front end (11) and or posterior (12). 10. Multimedia control according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a scroll wheel (26) located near the front end (11), and a part of which protrudes into the digital region ( 16).