JP2004206489A - Mouse input device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a stress of blinking of a light emitting element in a standby state on an operator who operates a personal computer or the like. <P>SOLUTION: A mouse input device for optically detecting a coordinate position has in a case 2 a printed circuit board 8 mounted with the red LED 6 for emitting detection light and with a semiconductor chip 7 having a light receiving element as optical coordinate detecting means, and a control part. The red LED 6 is, in a standby state, controlled so as to blink at a specific rhythm of blinking periods capable of offering a visual effect, and differently from conventional blinking of monotonous constant periods, offer a high visual effect. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mouse input device connected to a personal computer or the like and for inputting coordinate position information, and more particularly to a mouse input device for optically detecting a coordinate position.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In general, in a personal computer (hereinafter, abbreviated as a personal computer), a mouse is used as a pointing device for moving a cursor or a pointer indicating a coordinate point on a screen displayed on a monitor to an arbitrary position, specifying a range, and the like. An input device is used. This mouse input device is provided with a device having mechanical detection means for detecting a coordinate position from the amount and direction of rotation of a trackball, and a device having an optical detection means for optically detecting a coordinate position. ing.
[0003]
The mouse input device provided with the optical detection means includes a light emitting element that emits detection light from a detection hole provided in the case body, for example, a light emitting diode (LED), and the detection light from the LED is reflected on a mouse pad or the like. A photodetector and the like for detecting the reflected light are contained in the case body. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-353050
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, an operator such as a personal computer does not always perform an input operation using a mouse input device, and does not use the mouse input device during an operation such as a key input. At this time, the mouse input device intermittently emits, that is, blinks, the LED for emitting detection light without constantly emitting light, thereby reducing current consumption.
[0006]
However, since the light of the detection light emitting LED is strong, light leaks from between the mouse input device and the mounting surface of the mouse pad or the like, and the light of the LED enters the eyes of the operator. The blinking of the LED at this time is a monotonous one that is repeated at a constant cycle, and sometimes becomes an obstacle to an operator performing another operation and may cause a stress to the operator.
[0007]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a mouse input device in which the blinking of the light emitting element is controlled to have a visual effect, and reduces the stress of the operator accompanying the operation of a personal computer or the like.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A mouse input device according to the present invention that achieves the above object is a mouse input device that optically detects a coordinate position, a light emitting element that emits detection light, and a control unit that controls a light emitting state of the light emitting element. In the standby state, the control unit controls the light emitting element to perform a blinking operation having a visual effect, for example, to blink at a specific rhythm, or to sequentially emit and blink a plurality of colors. It is characterized by.
[0009]
In the mouse input device according to the present invention having the above-described configuration, the light emitting element in the standby state is controlled by the control unit to perform a blinking operation having a visual effect. As a result, the blinking of the light-emitting element in the standby state has a high visual effect, unlike the conventional blinking at a fixed period, which can entertain the operator and can be used for the operation of the operator's personal computer or the like. The accompanying stress is reduced.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the mouse input device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 1A, the mouse input device 1 includes a case body 2 including an upper half 2a and a base 2b, and a left click button 3 and a right click button 4 provided on the upper surface of the upper half 2a. For example, it is connected to a personal computer via a connection cord 5 such as USB specification or PS / 2 specification which is connected based on the USB standard, and power is also supplied from the connection cord 5.
[0012]
The mouse input device 1 is an optical pointing device that optically detects a coordinate position. As shown in FIG. 1B, the mouse input device 1 includes a red LED 6 that is a light emitting element that emits detection light, and an optical coordinate detection unit. A printed wiring board 8 on which a semiconductor chip 7 having a light receiving element as a component and a control unit for controlling the light emitting state of the red LED 6 and the like is mounted is disposed inside the case body 2. In the mouse input device 1, a detection hole 9 for irradiating the detection light emitted from the red LED 6 to the outside of the case body 2 is formed in the base 2b.
[0013]
In such a mouse input device 1, the detection light emitted from the red LED 6 is radiated from the detection hole 9 to the surface of a desk or a mouse pad on which the mouse input device 1 is mounted, and is reflected (hereinafter, referred to as a mouse pad). The surface of a desk or the like to which the detection light is irradiated is referred to as a reflection surface S.) The reflection light again passes through the detection hole 9 and enters the light receiving element of the semiconductor chip 7. Then, a change in the surface state of the reflection surface S is determined based on the reflected light incident on the light receiving element, and the relative movement direction and the movement amount in two horizontal directions with respect to the reflection surface S are detected. .
[0014]
Although detailed illustration and description are omitted, the mouse input equipment value 1 is the same as that of a general optical mouse input device, and the detection light emitted from the red LED 6 is converted into a parallel light flux or the reflection surface S The lens member for condensing the reflected light reflected by the light receiving element on the light receiving element, a switch which is turned on / off by pressing the left click button 3 and the right click button 4, and the like are provided in the case body 2.
[0015]
The red LED 6 emits red (R) monochromatic light, and is connected to an external power supply, in this embodiment, an external power supply via the printed wiring of the printed wiring board 8, and is connected to the mouse input device 1 by a connecting cord. 5 is connected to the personal computer that supplies power. The red LED 6 emits the detection light for detecting the coordinate position as described above, but does not always emit the light, and is used when the mouse input device 1 is operated by the operator (hereinafter, referred to as “light emitting LED”). (It will be described as a use state) and emit light constantly, and if the operator has not operated the mouse input device 1 for a certain period of time or more (hereinafter referred to as a standby state), it emits light intermittently. That is, it is controlled by the control unit of the semiconductor chip 7 to blink.
[0016]
In the mouse input device 1, the red LED 6 in the standby state blinks at a specific rhythm having a blinking cycle having a visual effect, for example, a rhythm of 3.3.7 beats. The flashing cycle of the red LED 6 is controlled by executing firmware in the control unit of the semiconductor chip 7.
[0017]
In the mouse input device 1, in the standby state, the red LED 6 is caused to blink by the specific rhythm as described above, so that unlike the conventional monotonous blinking at a constant cycle, the operator is entertained and the operator is stressed. A visual effect that can reduce the leakage of light from the space between the base 2b and the reflection surface S, or when the upper half 2a is formed of a light-transmitting material, passes through the upper half 2a to allow the operator The detection light entering the eyes can be provided.
[0018]
In the above-described mouse input device 1, by controlling the red LED 6 to blink at a specific rhythm, the blinking of the detection light in the standby state is configured to have a visual effect. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, like the mouse input device 11 shown in FIG. 2A, a green LED 12 and a blue LED 13 are mounted on the printed wiring board 8 in addition to the red LED 6 for emitting the detection light, and the green LED 12 and the blue LED 13 are put on standby. You may comprise so that it may blink with the red LED6 blinking in a state. In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are given to portions having the same configuration as the mouse input device 1. In the mouse input device 11, for example, three-color LEDs are turned on and off so as to sequentially emit light at a fixed period, or the voltage applied to each LED is changed to adjust the light-emitting state. Each LED is controlled so that mixed colors are sequentially emitted at a constant cycle. As described above, by using a plurality of LEDs to produce an illumination effect of emitting and blinking a plurality of colors, a visual effect is enhanced, and stress on the operator can be reduced.
[0019]
In the mouse input device having a plurality of LEDs as described above, only the red LED 6 is turned on in order to prevent a malfunction in a use state, and a plurality of colors of a plurality of colors are used only when shifting from the use state to the standby state as described above. The control unit is controlled so as to sequentially emit light and blink.
[0020]
In addition, the LEDs other than the red LED 6 for emitting the detection light, that is, the blue LED 12 and the green LED 13 in the above-described example, are used to enhance the visual effect in the standby state, for example, as shown in FIG. 11 may be provided so as not to hinder the coordinate detection operation and to emit light from the window 14 formed on the side surface of the case body 2 that stands out from the outside. In addition, although not shown in detail, a plurality of windows for emitting light of the blue LED 12 and the green LED 13 may be provided on the upper surface of the upper half 2a having a sufficient space so as to form a pattern or the like. Good.
[0021]
Further, the mouse input device 11 may be configured to blink each LED at a specific rhythm like the mouse input device 1 described above.
[0022]
In the mouse input device 11 provided with the above-described LEDs of a plurality of colors, the blinking cycle of each color LED in the standby state is controlled by executing firmware in the control unit of the semiconductor chip.
[0023]
The mouse input device of the present invention further includes a voice recognition sensor in addition to the above-described configuration, and detects surrounding voices detected by the voice recognition sensor, for example, human voices such as an operator, and various voices output from a personal computer or a stereo. Specifically, the intensity of the LED emission is adjusted according to the magnitude of the detected sound, or the blinking is adjusted in accordance with the rhythm of the sound. The control unit may be configured to execute and control the firmware so that the LED emits light and blinks. According to such a configuration, the blinking state of the LED in the standby state is changed by the sound generated at each time, so that the blinking of the LED can have a visual effect, and the stress on the operator can be reduced. Can be.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
As described in detail above, in the mouse input device according to the present invention, the blinking of the light emitting element for the detection light in the standby state causes the light emitting element of a specific rhythm having a visual effect or a light emitting element of a plurality of colors to be sequentially displayed. By giving the illumination effect of emitting light, the operator can be entertained and the stress accompanying the operation of the operator on the personal computer or the like can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a mouse input device according to the present invention, wherein (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a side view.
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a mouse input device having another configuration according to the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the mouse input device provided with a window.
[Explanation of symbols]
1,11 mouse input device 2 case body 2a upper half 2b base 3 left click button 4 right click button 5 connection code 6 red light emitting diode 7 semiconductor chip 8 printed wiring board 9 detection hole 12 green light emitting diode 13 blue light emitting diode 14 window S reflective surface

Claims (6)

In a mouse input device that optically detects a coordinate position,
A light emitting element that emits detection light,
A control unit for controlling the light emitting state of the light emitting element,
The mouse input device, wherein the control unit controls the light emitting element to perform a blinking operation having a visual effect in a standby state. The mouse input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the light emitting element to blink at a specific rhythm. The light-emitting element further includes a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light of different colors,
2. The mouse input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the light emitting elements of the different colors to emit light sequentially together with the light emitting elements that emit the detection light so as to blink in a standby state. 4. The mouse input device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting elements of different colors are provided at positions that do not hinder the coordinate detection operation. Further comprising a voice recognition sensor,
The mouse input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the light emitting element to blink in response to a sound detected by the sound recognition sensor in a standby state. The mouse input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes firmware for controlling a blinking state of the light emitting element.

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