GB2489478A

GB2489478A - Computer input device with display indicium

Info

Publication number: GB2489478A
Application number: GB201105342A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hitesh Dhulashia
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-03-30
Filing date: 2011-03-30
Publication date: 2012-10-03
Also published as: GB201105342D0

Abstract

A computer input device 10 (e.g. a mouse or keyboard) includes a housing 16 having an upper surface 18 and a lower surface 24, and at least one touch-operable button or key 22 on or in the housing 16. The upper surface 18 includes a light transmissible element 34 (a transparent window) which is spaced from the at least one touch-operable button or key 22, and a display element 48, 54 in the housing 16 substantially aligned with the light transmissible element 34. The display element 48, 54 includes a light emitting element 48 arranged to emit light to be incident on the light transmissible element 34. An indicium (e.g. company logo) on the display element 48, 54 is illuminable and viewable through the light transmissible element 34 of the housing 16. Preferably, the light emitting element 48 is separate to an indicium display element 54 of the display element, whereby emitted light shines through the indicium display element 54 to illuminate an indicium thereon which is then viewable through the light transmissible element 34. Preferably, the indicium display element 54 is selectable so that it can be changed.

Description

Computer Input Device The present invention relates to a computer input device, and more particularly but not necessarily exclusively to a computer mouse.

Peripheral hardware devices for inputting electronic data, such as commands, instructions and text, to a computer terminal are well known, and the most common devices are a mouse and a keyboard. These devices are connected to the computer terminal via physical wiring, such as cables, and/or wirelessly using a wireless data communication protocol such as Bluetooth RTM or other radio frequency transmission.

Powering of the devices is either via an onboard power supply, such as batteries, or via a current drawn from the computer terminal through the wired connection.

However, the display of secondary data not relating to keystroke or button activation on the peripheral input device is lacking. Although the secondary data may relate to brand identity and promotion, it may additionally or alternatively relate to instructional data and/or user guidance.

The present invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem.

According to the present invention, there is provided A computer input device comprising a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least one touch-operable button or key on or in the housing, the upper surface including a light transmissible element which is spaced from the said at least one touch-operable button or key, a display element in the housing and aligned or substantially aligned with the light transmissible element, the display element including a light emitting element arranged to emit light to be incident on the light transmissible element, so that an indicium on the display element is illuminable and viewable through the light transmissible element of the housing.

Preferable and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 18, inclusive.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a top plan view of one embodiment of a touch-sensitive computer mouse, in accordance with the present invention and showing touch-sensitive button areas for clarity, Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the computer mouse of Figure 1, diagrammatically showing a light transmissible element for the display of secondary data or information; and Figure 3 shows a side elevational view of the computer mouse of Figure 2, diagrammatically showing interior components.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown one embodiment of a computer mouse 10 which in this case is physically connectable to a remote computer terminal via a cable 12 extending from a front or leading side 14 of a mouse housing 16. The housing 16 in this case comprises an at least in part touch-sensitive upper surface 18 which is generally convex to be comfortably receivable on a user's pronated palm. The upper surface 18 defines at least one touch-sensitive area 20, and in this case a plurality of touch-sensitive areas preferably being spaced apart. The or each touch-sensitive area 20 typically provides a pad-like button interface 22 for inputting via a user's digital manipulation at least one of point-and-click, drag-and-drop, highlighting, and scrolling commands to the computer terminal.

A lower surface 24 of the housing 16 is preferably substantially planar, and may include one or more supporting pad-like feet 25 for slidable movement of the housing 16 across a flat supporting surface, such as a table top or mouse mat.

The housing 16 is preferably formed from at least two housing parts 26, 28, together defining the upper and lower surfaces 18, 24. Preferably, the two housing parts 26, 28 are separable to enable access to the interior 30. Alternatively, an access cover may be included to provide only partial access to a portion of the interior 30, as will be understood hereinafter.

Spaced from the at least one touch-sensitive area 20, and in this case at, in or towards the trailing edge 32 of the housing 16, is a light transmissible element 34. In this case, the light transmissible element 34 is a transparent window formed in the upper surface 118. The remainder of the upper surface 18, in this embodiment, is opaque to enable implementation of the touch-sensitive pad-like buttons.

At least one PCB 36 is provided within the housing 16 to support an optical unit 38 having a beam output directed through the lower surface 24 of the housing 16. The optical unit 38 is preferably a laser-based unit having a CMOS sensor or other sensing element 40 for receiving reflected light from the laser-based unit. Although laser-based, a light-emitting diode or other suitable light emitting element could be utilised.

A processing unit 42 is also provided on the PCB 36 to interpret signals from the sensing element 40, thereby determining movement of the housing 16, and for outputting appropriate signals to the computer terminal resulting in the displayed cursor tracking movement of the housing 16.

A substrate 44 providing a mounting interface for the touch-sensitive pad-like buttons 22 is provided spaced above the aforementioned PCB 36, and electronically communicates therewith to provide input signals from the touch-sensitive pad-like buttons 22 to the processing unit 42. These are then in turn outputted to the computer terminal in the form of commands.

At the rear of the PCB 36 is mounted a secondary lighting unit 46 comprising a light emitting element 48 arranged to emit a light beam to be incident on the light transmissible element 34 of the upper surface 18 of the housing 16. In this case, the light emitting element 48 is preferably a white light emitting diode. However, different colours can be utilised as necessity dictates, and/or a plurality of light emitting elements 48 can be used. In this latter case, if the light emitting elements 48 are of different colours, the emitable colour may be selectable by the user dependent on, for example, mood. The selection may be manual via an electro-mechanical switch or button, or electronic via a touch-pad button on the mouse 10 and/or via an options menu on the computer terminal.

Interposed between the output of the light emitting element 48 and the underside of the light transmissible element 34 is a holder 50. Preferably, the holder 50 comprises opposing channels 52 to act as runners whereby an indicium display element 54 can be slidably received therein. Beneficially, the channels 52 extend along or adjacent to edges of the light transmissible element 34 of the upper surface 18 of the housing 16, and are suitable dimensioned so that the indicium display element 54 is a reasonably tight push fit therein. For example, the channels 52 may be moulded into the underside of the upper surface 18.

An alternative or additional retaining element 50 for holding the indicium display element 54 can be considered, and this may be or include adhesive. Preferably, the retaining element 50 holds the indicium display element 54 releasably so that it can be interchanged or replaced, if necessary.

The indicium display element 54 is preferably a sheet of plastics or other suitable material which will not sag over time. If the interior side 56 of the upper surface 18 of the housing 16 is concave, beneficially the holder 50 and the indicium display element 54 can be dimensioned to conform the indicium display element 54 to the curvature of the interior side 56, whereby the indicium display element 54 is pressed against the interior side 56 of the light transmissible element 34.

The indicium display element 54 includes at least a light transmissible portion 58 thereby allowing light emitted by the light emitting element 48 to pass through the light transmissible element 34 of the housing 16. With information 60 provided, such as by printing, on the indicium display element 54, the information 60 can thus be illuminated or defined by the light passing through the light transmissible portion 58. For example, the information 60 may be an image, logo or brand of a manufacturer, or may be instructional information or guidance relating to usage of the computer terminal, for example. Beneficially, the light transmissible portion 58 extends around the information 60, extends within the information 60, or defines the information 60.

The light transmissible portion 58 of the indicium display element 54 may be transparent or translucent, or have portions of each. Furthermore, the indicium display element 54 may have more than one light transmissible portion 58, and these may be contiguous or may be spaced from each other, for example, to define a word or phrase.

To enable interchangability of the indicium display element 54, or selection from amongst a plurality of different indicium display elements 54, the holder or other retaining element 50 may be accessible via the above mentioned access cover, or by separating the housing parts 26, 28. If an access cover is utilised, an access chamber covered thereby would preferably allow the indiciurn display element 54 to be slidably removed from the housing 16 and another to be slidably inserted before closing the access chamber with the access cover. To this end, the access cover may conveniently be an elongate press fit member.

The information 60 on the indicium display element 54 relates to secondary information or datum and preferably does not pertain to the function of the buttons or keys of the mouse 10. As such, the indicium display element 54 is typically spaced from the buttons or keys.

In a modification to the first embodiment, the computer input device may be a keyboard instead of a mouse. In this case, the light transmissible element of the keyboard housing is preferably spaced from the keys, and the data again displayable by the indicium display element is preferably not directly related to keyboard operation.

The holder may take many forms, and although preferably between the light emitting element and the light transmissible element, it could be or be mounted to the PCB providing the structure was available to hold the indicium display element over the light emitting element.

Power is provided to the light emitting element via the cable connecting the mouse or keyboard to the computer terminal. However, in the case of a wireless computer input device, power is supplied via the onboard power supply, typically being batteries, and preferably being rechargeable batteries.

Beneficially, the computer input device may be provided with a controller, such as a physical switch on the housing and/or a software-based menu option, enabling the light emitting element to be deactivated as and when necessary.

Although the buttons described above are touch-sensitive pad-like input devices, for example, utilising capacitative material to interpret physical touch and movement, the buttons or keys may be mechanical or electro-mechanical devices requiring a physical force to be exerted in order to operate a mechanical or electro-mechanical switching device within the housing.

Furthermore, although the majority of the upper surface of the housing is preferably opaque aside from the light transmissible element, at least the majority of the upper surface may be light transmissible. However, this may provide more light diffusion from the light emitting element. In this case, one or more baffles may be provided within the interior of the housing to direct the light emitted from the light emitting element to the light transmissible element and the indicium display element.

In a further modification, the indicium display element may be or include an electronic display screen held locally to the light transmissible element within the housing. The light emitting element may be directed to discharge light towards and through the electronic display screen, which would thus itself be at least in part transparent or translucent.

Alternatively, the light emitting element may be incorporated as part of an electronic display forming at least in part the indicium display element. In this case, the electronic display may conveniently be an LED or LCD display. Such an electronic display would provide the option of altering the displayable data remotely and without removal of the indicium display element, for example, via software on the connected computer terminal. In this case, the light emitting element is formed as part of the electronic display, instead of being separate as in the preceding embodiments.

Although the light emitting element preferably faces the upper surface, the emitted light beam may be directed to the upper surface by one or more reflective surfaces. In this way, the light emitting element can be conveniently oriented to face in almost any direction.

It is thus possible to provide a computer input device, such as a mouse or keyboard, having a separate indicium display element for displaying secondary data which is not necessarily associated with the operation of the button or key of the device. It is also possible to illuminate the indicium display element via a dedicated light emitting element. Furthermore, the indicium display element can be easily selected, swapped or changed by opening the housing of the device.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A computer input device comprising a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least one touch-operable button or key on or in the housing, the upper surface including a light transmissible element which is spaced from the said at least one touch-operable button or key, a display element in the housing and aligned or substantially aligned with the light transmissible element, the display element including a light emitting element arranged to emit light to be incident on the light transmissible element, so that an indiciurn on the display element is illuminable and viewable through the light transmissible element of the housing.
2. A computer input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display element includes an indicium display element which is separate of the light emitting element.
3. A computer input device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the indicium display element is at least in part light transmissible.
4. A computer input device as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the indicium display element is selectable, and the housing is openable to insert the indicium display element.
5. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the indicium display element is releasably held by the retaining element, the housing being openable to remove the indicium display element.
6. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the indicium display element is a sheet having the said indicium thereon.
7. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the light emitting element is dedicated to illuminating the light transmissible element.
8. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims I to 7, wherein the light emitting element is oriented to face towards or substantially towards the upper surface of the housing.
9. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the light transmissible element is at least in part transparent.
10. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the light transmissible element is at least in part translucent.
11. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 10, further comprising a retaining element within the housing and on or adjacent to the light transmissible element, the retaining element holding at least part of the display element.
12. A computer input device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the retaining element comprises a holder for holding the indicium display element within the housing.
13. A computer input device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the holder includes opposing channels for slidably receiving edges of the indicium display element.
14. A computer input device as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the holder is on an underside of the upper surface.
15. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the retaining element includes adhesive.
16. A computer input device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display element includes an electronic screen.
17. A computer input device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the light emitting element is part of the electronic screen.
18. A computer input device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the device is at least one of a mouse and a keyboard.
19. A computer input device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.