JP2002244812A - Self-power generating mouse - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a self-power generation mouse applicable to both of a ball type mouse and an optical mouse and capable of always accumulating the electricity necessary to operate the mouse itself. SOLUTION: The self-power generating mouse to transmit such as operation information of a cursor on a display screen to a computer main body, has a first power generating part (thermoelectric transducing part) mounted on a part to be the upper surface of the mouse in the operation condition for generating electricity by using the difference of temperature and an accumulating part for storing the electric power generated in the first generating part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mouse which is an input device of a computer, and more particularly to a technique which is useful when applied to a self-powered cordless mouse.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a pointing device called a "mouse", which is a simple operation, is one of the input devices of a computer as an input device for freely moving an instruction mark called a "cursor" displayed on a display screen. Are known. A general mouse used in recent years has a rotatable ball inside the main body, and moves the mouse on a plane to rotate the ball, so that the moving direction and the moving distance are measured by sensors inside the mouse main body. The information is detected, and the information is sent to a control device (CPU). The control device moves a cursor displayed on a display screen based on the input information.

Recently, when a mouse is moved on a mouse pad on which a line pattern (X-line pattern, Y-line pattern) is formed, the number of times of crossing the line pattern is detected by a photodetector or the like, and a cursor is detected. An optical mouse for designating a moving direction and a moving distance has attracted attention as a mouse having excellent operability.

[0004] These ball type mouse and optical mouse are usually connected to a computer main body via a cord, but recently, an oscillator provided on the mouse side using radio waves or infrared rays and a computer main body side are provided. Also, cordless mice capable of transmitting data by a receiver have been provided, and the operability of the mouse has been further improved. Since this cordless mouse is not connected to the computer main body, it is necessary to provide a power supply circuit in the mouse. Usually, a primary battery such as a dry battery or a secondary battery such as a rechargeable battery is used. In this case, when the power of the battery is exhausted, the dry battery must be replaced or the rechargeable battery must be charged. In particular, when the computer is used frequently, the power is quickly consumed, and replacement of dry batteries and charging of rechargeable batteries must be performed frequently.

In order to solve such a problem, a self-powered cordless mouse has been proposed.

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-332615 discloses a mouse equipped with a generator that generates electric power by the rotating force of a ball of a ball type mouse. The electric power generated by driving this electric generator is generated. The power supply circuit is charged, and the power charged in the power supply circuit is supplied to the control circuit to operate the mouse.

Although there is a slight difference in the mechanism for converting the rotational force of the ball into electric power, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. Hei 7-225649 and 2000-56922 similarly disclose a self-rotational force caused by the rotational force of the mouse ball. A mouse that generates power is disclosed. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-225649 discloses a technique in which a solar cell is mounted as a secondary battery, and an electromotive force generated by photoelectric conversion is charged in a storage battery.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-119907, a coil is provided inside a mouse body, a magnet is movably disposed in the coil, and the coil is disposed in the coil in accordance with a mouse operation or mouse transport. A mouse having a configuration capable of generating power by vibrating and rocking a magnet is disclosed. That is, in the present invention, the magnetic field changes as the magnet arranged in the coil moves, so that a current flows through the coil to generate an electromotive force.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned ball-type mouse which generates electric power by using the rotational force of the mouse ball, when dust accumulates on a portion such as a roller which comes into contact with the mouse ball, the mouse ball is removed. However, there is a problem that it is not possible to efficiently transmit the rotational force of the ball to the generator to generate electric power. In addition, when dust accumulates on the roller portion, it is necessary to perform cleaning or the like, which is troublesome. In addition, this technique is only effective for ball-type mice, not for optical mice.

[0010] In a mouse that uses a solar cell to generate power, when the mouse is used, most of the mouse is covered with hands, so that light is blocked and charging cannot be performed. There was a problem. That is, since the charging with the solar cell is limited when the mouse is not used and is not charged while the mouse is used, the power may be completely consumed during the use, which is not practical.

In the mouse disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-119907 and having a built-in generator using a coil and a magnet, a generator capable of generating sufficient electric power to make the mouse function is equivalent. It is difficult to incorporate the coil into a palm-sized mouse, and there is a disadvantage that the mouse becomes large and the operability is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-powered mouse which can be applied to both a ball mouse and an optical mouse, and which can always store electric power required for operating the mouse.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a mouse for transmitting information for moving a cursor on a display screen to a computer main body is provided. A first power generation unit (thermoelectric conversion unit) that is arranged at a position to be an upper surface and generates power using a temperature difference, and a power storage unit that stores the power generated by the first power generation unit is provided. Things. In particular, if the first power generation unit is arranged in a portion where the user's hand contacts the mouse, it is possible to generate power using the body temperature of the mouse user.

[0014] Since power is generated by converting heat given by the user of the mouse into electric power while the mouse is in use, there is no need to replace dry batteries or charge the rechargeable battery. Further, unlike the self-powered ball-type mouse described in the related art, dust and the like easily accumulate inside the mouse, the operability of the mouse does not deteriorate, and there is no need to perform special maintenance. Further, the present invention can be applied to a ball mouse and an optical mouse.

In addition, the first power generation section (thermoelectric conversion section)
Can be constituted by a thermoelectric conversion element such as a Peltier element. Thereby, the body temperature of the user can be efficiently converted to electricity. Further, since the Peltier device is small in size, it can be easily incorporated into a palm-sized mouse, and there is no concern that the mouse becomes large and the operability is reduced.

Further, it is preferable to provide a heat radiating means for releasing the heat inside the mouse to the outside. In other words, a thermoelectric conversion element such as a Peltier element generates an electromotive force due to a temperature difference between both ends (both sides) of the element. Power can be generated.

For example, an air vent may be provided on the surface of the mouse as the heat radiating means. This allows the outside air to enter the inside of the mouse when the mouse is operated, so that the temperature inside the mouse can be maintained at the same level as in the room. At this time, it is desirable to provide a ventilation port in a portion that is not covered by the palm of the user. Further, a guide wing or the like may be provided on the surface of the mouse to make it easier for external air to enter the ventilation hole, or a cooling fan or the like may be provided inside the mouse so that the inside is efficiently cooled.

Further, it is preferable to provide a second power generation section comprising a photoelectric conversion element such as a solar cell. As a result, a considerable amount of power is stored even when the mouse is not used, so that it is possible to solve a problem that the power is exhausted and the mouse cannot be used anytime. In this way, the self-power generation is always performed inside the mouse unless the light is blocked, so that the power for operating the mouse can be sufficiently stored.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a ball-type wireless mouse according to the present invention. The wireless mouse according to the present embodiment includes a mouse operation detecting unit 60 that detects information such as a moving direction and a moving amount accompanying the mouse operation.
And a wireless communication unit 50 that wirelessly transmits information detected by the mouse operation unit 60 to a computer using infrared rays or radio waves. The mouse operation detection unit 40
Can be configured in the same manner as the configuration of the conventional ball-type mouse, and thus the description is omitted.

Further, the power supply circuit section 40 includes a thermoelectric conversion power generation section 10 composed of a Peltier element or the like, an auxiliary power generation section 20 composed of a solar cell or the like, and a power storage section 30 composed of a capacitor for storing electric power or a secondary battery. The thermoelectric conversion power generation unit 1
0 and the power generated by the auxiliary power generation unit 20 are stored in the power storage unit 30.

Specifically, the thermoelectric conversion power generation unit 10 generates power using heat (body temperature) given by a user while using the mouse, and the auxiliary power generation unit 20 uses a fluorescent lamp when the mouse is not used. And generate light by receiving light from the sun. In conventional mice using only solar cells, power could not be generated because the light was blocked while the mouse was in use.However, with this configuration, the power for operating the mouse was always stored. Can be kept. Moreover, since the Peltier element is small in size, the mouse does not become large. The power thus generated is stored in the power storage unit 30 and supplied to the mouse operation detection unit 60 and the wireless communication unit 50.

The mouse operation detecting section 60 includes the power storage section 30
, The sensor detects the amount of rotation of the ball mainly due to the movement of the mouse, and detects the click operation of the input operation button on the upper surface of the mouse. And
The signal detected by the mouse operation detection unit 60 is transmitted to the wireless communication unit 5
0 and transmitted to the computer main body by infrared rays or radio waves. On the other hand, the computer body converts the amount of movement of the cursor on the screen of the computer based on the received signal related to the mouse operation, determines the content of work performed at the position where the cursor is located, and reflects it on the screen. .

FIG. 2 is an external view of the wireless mouse according to the present embodiment.
Reference numeral 20 denotes left and right switch buttons used for key input (click), 130 denotes an air vent as a heat radiating means for efficiently cooling the inside of the mouse, and 10 denotes a thermoelectric converter for generating electric power from the body temperature of the mouse user. Section 10. Also,
Although not shown, a ball used to measure the amount of movement of the mouse is arranged on the lower surface of the mouse of the present embodiment.

The thermoelectric conversion unit 10 can use a thermoelectric conversion element such as a Peltier element (see FIG. 3), for example.
A portion where the mouse user contacts the mouse when the mouse user uses the mouse (for example, a portion where the palm touches).
It is arranged in. As shown in FIG. 3, the Peltier device 10 is configured such that one end of adjacent different types of heat transfer materials 11 and 12 is
Are joined in a matrix and further sandwiched between support members 13a and 13b such as ceramic plates. According to this Peltier device, an electromotive force can be generated by giving a temperature difference to both surfaces of the device, and power can be stored in the power storage unit 30 connected to the metal piece 14 via a lead wire.

In other words, if the Peltier element is arranged at a location where the palm of the user comes into contact when using the mouse, one surface 13a of the Peltier element will be at a temperature of about body temperature (about 35 ° C.) and the other surface Since 13b has a temperature of about room temperature (about 20 ° C.), a temperature difference is generated between the two and an electromotive force can be generated. By using the existing Peltier element, the temperature difference of this degree (about 15
C) can generate the electromotive force necessary to operate the mouse.

When the Peltier element is incorporated in the mouse, an opening of an appropriate size may be provided in the mouse cover 110, and the Peltier element may be fitted into the opening, or the mouse cover 110 may be incorporated in the mouse. A Peltier element may be formed integrally with the mouse cover 110 as the pointing member 13a on one side of the element.

The ventilation port 130 is provided for cooling the inside of the mouse. When the mouse is operated vertically and horizontally, external air can be taken into the interior of the mouse from the ventilation ports provided particularly on the side surfaces. it can. The ventilation port may be provided on the bottom surface of the mouse, a guide wing may be provided to facilitate introduction of external air into the mouse, or a cooling fin may be provided. As a result, the temperature difference between the two sides of the Peltier element is further increased, and a larger electromotive force can be generated.

As described above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the present invention is not limited to a ball-type mouse and can be applied to an optical mouse. In this embodiment, both the Peltier element and the photoelectric conversion element are provided, but a mouse provided with only a thermoelectric conversion element such as a Peltier element may be used as long as the electromotive force is sufficient to operate the mouse. Furthermore, it can be used together with a primary battery or a secondary battery.

Further, a cooling fan may be provided inside the mouse to circulate the air introduced from outside to the inside of the mouse to efficiently cool the inside of the mouse, thereby generating a larger electromotive force. it can.

[0031]

According to the present invention, in a mouse for transmitting operation information and the like of a cursor displayed on a screen to a computer main body, a portion which becomes an upper surface in an operation state, particularly a portion where a user's hand contacts the mouse. A first power generation unit (thermoelectric conversion unit) that generates power using a temperature difference between a mouse user's body temperature and room temperature, and a power storage unit that stores the power generated by the first power generation unit , It is possible to save the trouble of replacing a dry battery or charging a rechargeable battery. Also, unlike a conventional self-powered mouse using the rotational force of a mouse ball, dust and the like do not accumulate inside the mouse and lower the power generation efficiency, so that there is no need to perform separate maintenance. further,
The present invention can be applied to both a ball mouse and an optical mouse.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a ball-type wireless mouse according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the wireless mouse of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a Peltier device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 thermoelectric conversion unit (first power generation unit) 20 auxiliary power generation unit (second power generation unit) 30 power storage unit 40 power supply circuit unit 50 wireless communication unit 60 mouse operation detection unit 110 mouse body cover 120 mouse switch 130 ventilation port (heat radiation) Part)

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A first power generation unit comprising a thermoelectric conversion element such as a Peltier element or the like, which is arranged at an upper surface in an operation state and generates electric power using a temperature difference, and a ventilation provided on a mouse surface A radiator for releasing heat inside the mouse such as a mouth to the outside; a second power generation unit including a photoelectric conversion element such as a solar cell; and power generated by the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit. A self-powered mouse, comprising: a power storage unit that stores power. 2. A first power generation unit that is disposed on a top surface in an operation state and generates electric power using a temperature difference, a power storage unit that stores electric power generated by the first power generation unit, A self-powered mouse comprising: 3. The self-powered mouse according to claim 2, wherein the first power generation unit is configured by a Peltier device. 4. The self-powered mouse according to claim 2, further comprising a radiator for releasing heat inside the case to the outside. 5. The self-powered mouse according to claim 4, wherein the heat radiating means is a ventilation hole formed on a case surface. 6. A power generation unit comprising a second power generation unit comprising a photoelectric conversion element, wherein the power storage unit stores power generated by the first power generation unit and the second power generation unit.
A self-powered mouse according to claim 5.