JP4777400B2 - Wireless mouse - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless mouse that wirelessly transmits information to a computer main body, and more particularly to an optical wireless mouse that optically detects a moving distance and a moving direction of a mouse.

  Since the optical wireless mouse does not have a mechanical movable part like a ball type mouse, there is an advantage that there is little failure and less maintenance is required (for example, see Patent Document 1). However, since an optical sensor such as an LED or a CCD sensor is used to detect the moving distance and moving direction of the mouse, the battery consumption of the mouse is large. Therefore, this type of optical wireless mouse employs a power saving technology called a power save mode.

Hereinafter, the power save mode of the conventional optical wireless mouse will be described. That is, the battery consumption is reduced by turning off the LED of the optical sensor when the click button or the wheel is not operated for a certain period of time. On the other hand, when the mouse case is touched or a click button or the like is operated in the power save mode state, the LED is turned on to return from the power save mode.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-96548 (paragraphs 0024 to 0026, FIGS. 2 and 3)

However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems.
That is, if the mouse is lifted during normal use, the LED of the optical sensor remains lit (or intermittently lit), which increases battery consumption.
Further, when the mouse is lifted in the power save mode, if the click button or the wheel is accidentally pressed, the power save mode is restored unintentionally, resulting in a malfunction.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless mouse that can reduce battery consumption and avoid malfunction.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention has the following configuration.
In other words, the invention described in claim 1 is a wireless mouse that wirelessly gives information to a computer, and an optical device provided on the bottom surface of the mouse casing in order to detect a moving distance and a moving direction of the mouse casing. A sensor, posture detection means for detecting whether or not the bottom surface of the mouse case is horizontally downward, and a detection signal of the optical sensor, with the bottom surface of the mouse case in contact with the work table. A grounding detecting means for detecting whether or not the mouse housing has moved, and a control means for controlling the operating state of the wireless mouse, wherein the control means has the following two conditions:
(1) The posture detection means detects that the bottom surface of the mouse casing is horizontally downward,
(2) An operation state in which the wireless mouse can be used normally when the ground detection means detects that the mouse case has moved while the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with the work table. When at least one of the two conditions is not satisfied, the power saving mode is set.

[Action / Effect]
According to the first aspect of the invention, during normal use, for example, when the operator lifts the mouse and points the bottom of the mouse housing upward, the posture detection means does not indicate that the bottom of the mouse housing is horizontally downward. The mouse enters the power save mode. Thereby, useless consumption of the battery can be suppressed. Even if the mouse is lifted and operated in the power save mode, the posture detection means detects that the bottom surface of the mouse housing is not horizontally downward, so that the mouse returns from the power save mode unintentionally. There is nothing. Therefore, even if the mouse is lifted and operated, the mouse does not malfunction.

  In the present invention, preferably, when the wireless mouse is in an operation state in which the wireless mouse is normally usable, the control means detects that the bottom surface of the mouse housing is not horizontally downward. The posture detection means is in an operating state, and shifts to a first power save mode in which at least the optical sensor is in a non-lighting state (the invention according to claim 2). According to this configuration, when the mouse is in a normally usable operating state, if the mouse is lifted and the bottom surface of the mouse housing is not horizontally downward, the optical sensor is not lit. Wasteful consumption can be suppressed.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the control means detects that the bottom surface of the mouse casing is horizontally downward when the wireless mouse is in an operation state in which the wireless mouse is normally usable, and When the ground detection means detects that the mouse case is not moving with the bottom surface of the mouse case being in contact with the work table, the posture detection means is in an operating state, and at least the optical The sensor shifts to a second power saving mode that is in an intermittent lighting state (the invention according to claim 3). According to this configuration, when the mouse is in a normally usable operation state, the bottom surface of the mouse housing is horizontally downward, but the mouse housing is moving with the bottom surface of the mouse housing being in contact with the work table. If not, the posture detection means is in an operating state, and at least the optical sensor shifts to the second power saving mode in which the lighting is in an intermittent lighting state, so that wasteful consumption of the battery can be suppressed. Further, since the optical sensor is in an intermittent lighting state, it can be constantly monitored whether or not the mouse housing has moved with the bottom surface of the mouse housing in contact with the work table. Therefore, when the mouse case moves while the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with the work table, the wireless mouse can be immediately shifted to an operation state in which the mouse can be normally used.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit further includes a third mode in which, when the wireless mouse is not operated for a predetermined time, the posture detection unit is in a non-operating state and at least the optical sensor is in a non-lighting state. The power saving mode is entered (the invention according to claim 4). According to this configuration, when the mouse is not operated for a predetermined time, the posture detecting means is in a non-operating state, and at least the optical sensor shifts to the third power save mode in which the light sensor is in a non-lighting state. Unnecessary consumption can be further suppressed.

  In the present invention, preferably, when the wireless mouse is operated in the third power save mode, the control means sets the attitude detection means to an operating state when the wireless mouse is operated, and the attitude detection means However, when it is detected that the bottom surface of the mouse housing is horizontally downward, the optical sensor is turned on (the invention according to claim 5). According to this configuration, when the mouse is in the third power save mode, when the mouse is operated, the optical sensor is not suddenly turned on, but the posture detecting means is first set in the operating state, and the mouse housing is turned on. Since the optical sensor is turned on when it is detected that the bottom surface of the body is horizontally downward, wasteful battery consumption by the optical sensor can be reduced as much as possible. Further, even when the mouse is erroneously operated while the mouse is lifted, the optical sensor is not turned on, so that a malfunction of the mouse can be avoided.

  In the present invention, preferably, using the detection signal of the lighted optical sensor, the ground detection means moves the mouse case while the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with the work table. When this is detected, the wireless mouse is returned to an operation state in which the mouse can be normally used. On the other hand, the grounding detection means detects that the mouse case is moving while the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with the work table. When it is detected that there is not, the process returns to the third power save mode (the invention according to claim 6). According to this configuration, even when the optical sensor is turned on based on the operation of the mouse in the third power save mode, the mouse remains in contact with the work table while the bottom surface of the mouse housing is in contact with the work table. When the casing is not moving, the process returns to the third power saving mode, so that wasteful consumption of the battery can be further suppressed.

  According to the present invention, when the mouse case moves while the bottom surface of the mouse case is horizontally downward and the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with the work table, the wireless mouse is put into an operation state in which the wireless mouse can be normally used. In other cases, the power save mode is used, so that wasteful consumption of the battery can be suppressed and a malfunction of the mouse can be avoided.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
<Configuration of wireless mouse>
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the wireless mouse according to the embodiment as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the wireless mouse as viewed from the back side.

  1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a wireless mouse according to the present embodiment. The wireless mouse 1 wirelessly transmits information to a computer main body (not shown) and has an operation function for operating a television (not shown).

  The wireless mouse 1 includes a hollow box-like mouse housing 2 that is circular in plan view. On the peripheral surface of the mouse housing 1 are a left-click push button switch (hereinafter referred to as “left click switch”) 3L, and a right-click push button switch (hereinafter referred to as “right click switch”) 3R. Is provided. A wheel 4 is provided between the left and right click switches 3L, 3R. On the back surface of the mouse housing 2, a ring-shaped convex portion 5 that is slightly overhanging is formed. A plurality of operation buttons 6 for operating the television are arranged in a ring shape inside the ring-shaped convex portion 5. A cross-shaped window 7 through which light from an optical sensor 13 (see FIG. 3) described later is emitted is provided at the center of the ring-shaped convex portion 5.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the wireless mouse according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a controller that controls the operating state of the wireless mouse. The controller 10 is connected to the left and right click switches 3L, 3R described in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a group of operation buttons 6 for operating the television. Furthermore, an infrared LED 11, an RF module 12, an optical sensor 13, a wheel encoder 14, and an attitude sensor 15 for transmitting operation information to the television are connected to the controller 10.

  The RF module 12 is a high-frequency power amplifier for transmitting various operation information in addition to the moving distance and moving direction of the mouse housing 2 to a computer (not shown). The optical sensor 13 receives, via the window 7, an LED that emits light emitted from the window 7 provided on the back surface of the mouse housing 2 and reflected light from the work table on which the wireless mouse 1 is placed. CCD sensor. The wheel encoder 14 converts the amount of rotation of the wheel 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 into an electrical signal. The posture sensor 15 is composed of an acceleration sensor and detects the posture of the mouse housing 2.

  Based on the detection signal of the posture sensor 15, the controller 10 determines whether the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is horizontally downward. Therefore, the posture sensor 15 and the posture determination function of the controller 10 in this embodiment correspond to the posture detection means in the present invention.

  The controller 10 determines whether or not the mouse housing 2 is in contact with the work table based on whether or not the reflected light of the light emitted from the optical sensor 13 is detected. Further, when reflected light is detected, it is determined whether or not the mouse housing has moved by monitoring changes in the image received by the CCD sensor of the optical sensor 13. Therefore, the determination function of the optical sensor 2 and the controller 10 in this embodiment corresponds to the ground detection means in the present invention.

  A DC voltage Vc is supplied from the power supply unit 16 to the controller 10 and various sensors described above. The power supply unit 16 includes a battery 16a, a power switch 16b, a DC-DC conversion circuit 16c, and the like.

<Operation of wireless mouse>
Next, operations of the wireless mouse 1 having the above-described configuration, in particular, operations related to the power supply mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence when shifting from the normal use state to the power save mode, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence when returning from the power save mode to the normal use state.

<Transition from normal use to power save mode>
With reference to FIG. 4, the transition operation from the normal use state to the power save mode will be described.

<Normal operation mode>
When the power switch 16b is turned on and the power is turned on, power is first supplied to the attitude sensor 15, the optical sensor 13, and the RF module 12, and these elements are turned on (step S1), and wireless The mouse 1 enters an operation state in which it can be normally used (step S2). In this embodiment, this state is referred to as “normal operation mode”.

In the normal operation mode, the controller 10 takes in the detection signals of the attitude sensor 15 and the optical sensor 13,
(1) The bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is horizontally downward. (2) It is constantly monitored that the mouse housing 2 has moved while the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is in contact with the work table (step S3). , S4).
When the two conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied, the “normal operation mode” is maintained.

<First power save mode>
When the posture sensor 15 detects that the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is not horizontally downward, the power supply to the optical sensor 13 and the RF module 12 is stopped and turned off (step S5). This state is the “first power save mode” (step S6). For example, when the operator lifts and tilts the mouse housing 2 in the normal use mode, the light emitted from the window 7 on the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 disappears. As a result, wasteful consumption of the battery 16a can be suppressed, and it can be prevented that the light from the optical sensor 13 enters the operator's eyes and causes discomfort.

<Second power save mode>
In step S4, when the optical sensor 13 detects that the mouse case 2 is not moving with the bottom surface of the mouse case 2 being in contact with the work table (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “non-grounded state”). The optical sensor 13 is switched from the continuous lighting state to the intermittent lighting state, and the RF module 12 is turned off (step S7). This state is the “second power save mode” (step S8). Note that in the second power save mode, the attitude sensor 15 is in the on state. Therefore, when the mouse housing 2 is tilted in this state, the first power save mode is entered, and the optical sensor 13 changes from the intermittent lighting state to the extinguishing state. For example, when the mouse housing 2 is placed on the work table without being moved, the second power save mode is entered and wasteful consumption of the battery 16a is suppressed. However, since the optical sensor 13 is intermittently lit, when the mouse housing 2 is moved, it is immediately detected and the normal operation mode is entered, and the optical sensor 13 is continuously lit.

  In step S4, the second power save mode is entered when the state in which the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is in contact with the work table and the mouse housing 2 is not moving continues for a predetermined number of seconds. Since the shift is made, the normal operation mode is maintained without shifting to the second power saving mode as long as the operator lifts the mouse casing 2 momentarily during the work.

  It should be noted that the posture sensor 15 is always on in the normal operation mode, the first power save mode, and the second power save mode described above.

<Third power save mode>
The controller 10 always monitors whether the left and right click switches 3L and 3R and the wheel 4 are operated (step S9). When these elements have not been operated for a predetermined time (30 minutes in this embodiment), the power supply to the attitude sensor 15, the optical sensor 13, and the RF module 12 is stopped and the state is turned off. (Step S10). This state is the “third power save mode” (step S11). In the third power save mode, power supply to the attitude sensor 15, the optical sensor 13, and the RF module 12 is stopped, so that consumption of the battery 16a is suppressed most. Therefore, in this mode, the optical sensor 13 is in a non-lighting state (light-off state).

  It should be noted that the power supply to the controller 10 is continued even in the third power save mode. In the third power save mode, the controller 10 monitors whether or not the left and right click switches 3L and 3R and the wheel 4 are operated, and when any of these elements is operated (step S12). A return determination is made to shift from the third power save mode to the normal operation mode (step S13). Hereinafter, the return determination operation will be described with reference to FIG.

<Return judgment>
In the third power save mode, when any of the left and right click switches 3L, 3R and the wheel 4 is operated, the controller 10 supplies power to the attitude sensor 15 to turn it on (operating state) (step S13-). 1). Then, based on the detection signal of the posture sensor 15, it is determined whether or not the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is horizontally downward (step S13-2). When it is detected that the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is not horizontally downward, the process returns to step S11 and the third power save mode is maintained. Accordingly, even when the operator lifts and tilts the mouse housing 2 and tilts the left and right click switches 3L and 3R in the third power save mode, the wireless mouse 1 does not operate (the first power save mode). Therefore, the wireless mouse 1 can be prevented from malfunctioning.

  In step S13-2, when it is detected that the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is horizontally downward, the optical sensor 13 is powered and turned on (step S13-3). Then, it is determined (step S13-4) whether or not the mouse housing 2 has moved with the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 in contact with the work table. If the contact determination is “No”, the process returns to step S11 and the third power save mode is maintained. On the other hand, if the grounding determination is “Yes”, the process shifts to the normal operation mode shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the third power save mode, when the left and right click switches 3L, 3R, etc. are operated, both the posture sensor 15 and the optical sensor 13 are not suddenly turned on, but first the posture sensor. 15 is turned on. Then, the posture of the mouse housing 2 is determined, and if the mouse housing 2 is not in a normally used posture (that is, the bottom surface of the mouse housing 2 is not horizontally downward), the optical sensor 13 is not turned on. Accordingly, in the third power save mode, even if the left and right click switches 3L and 3R are operated by mistake while the mouse case 2 is lifted and tilted, the optical sensor 13 will not be turned on. In addition to preventing this, wasteful consumption of the battery 16a can be suppressed.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as follows.

(1) In the embodiment, the wireless mouse provided with the operation button 6 for operating the television is taken as an example, but the present invention is also applicable to a wireless mouse not provided with such an operation button 6.
(2) In the embodiment, the attitude sensor 15 is configured by an acceleration sensor. However, the attitude sensor is not limited thereto, and for example, a gyroscope or a geomagnetic sensor may be used.
(3) Although the RF module is turned off in the first and second power save modes in the embodiment, the RF module may be turned on.
(4) In the embodiment, in the third power save mode, the return determination is performed when the left and right click switches 3L, 3R, etc. are operated. However, the mouse case 2 is provided with a capacitance switch. In addition, the return determination may be performed when the operator touches the mouse housing 2.

It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the wireless mouse which concerns on an Example from the front side. It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the wireless mouse which concerns on an Example from the back side. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the wireless mouse which concerns on an Example. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement order when transfering from a normal use state to power saving mode. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement order when returning from a power save mode to a normal use state.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wireless mouse 2 ... Mouse housing 3L ... Left click switch 3R ... Right click switch 4 ... Wheel 10 ... Controller 12 ... RF module 13 ... Optical sensor 15 ... Attitude sensor

Claims (6)

A wireless mouse that gives information to computers wirelessly,
In order to detect the moving distance and moving direction of the mouse casing, an optical sensor provided on the bottom surface of the mouse casing;
Posture detection means for detecting whether the bottom surface of the mouse housing is horizontally downward;
Using the detection signal of the optical sensor, a ground detection means for detecting whether the mouse case has moved in a state where the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with a work table;
Control means for controlling the operating state of the wireless mouse,
The control means has the following two conditions:
(1) The posture detection means detects that the bottom surface of the mouse casing is horizontally downward,
(2) An operation state in which the wireless mouse can be used normally when the ground detection means detects that the mouse case has moved while the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with the work table. West,
A wireless mouse, wherein a power save mode is set when at least one of the two conditions is not satisfied. The wireless mouse according to claim 1,
When the wireless detection device detects that the bottom surface of the mouse housing is not horizontally downward when the wireless mouse is in an operation state in which the wireless mouse is normally usable, the posture detection device is in an operating state. A wireless mouse, wherein at least the optical sensor shifts to a first power save mode in a non-lighting state. The wireless mouse according to claim 1,
The control means, when the wireless mouse is in a normally usable operating state, the posture detection means detects that the bottom surface of the mouse housing is horizontally downward, and the grounding detection means, When it is detected that the mouse case is not moving while the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with the work table, the posture detection means is in an operating state, and at least the optical sensor is in an intermittent lighting state. A wireless mouse characterized by transitioning to a second power save mode. The wireless mouse according to claim 1,
When the wireless mouse is not operated for a predetermined time, the control means further shifts to a third power save mode in which the posture detection means is in a non-operating state and at least the optical sensor is in a non-lighting state. A wireless mouse characterized by that. The wireless mouse according to claim 4, wherein
The control means, when the wireless mouse is in a third power save mode,
When the wireless mouse is operated, the posture detection unit is put into an active state, and when the posture detection unit detects that the bottom surface of the mouse housing is horizontally downward, the optical sensor is turned on. A wireless mouse characterized by The wireless mouse according to claim 5, wherein
Using the detection signal of the lighted optical sensor, when the ground detection means detects that the mouse casing has moved while the bottom surface of the mouse casing is in contact with the work table, When the wireless mouse is returned to an operation state in which the wireless mouse can be normally used, while the grounding detection unit detects that the mouse case is not moving while the bottom surface of the mouse case is in contact with the work table. Returning to said 3rd power save mode, The wireless mouse characterized by the above-mentioned.

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