JPH08147101A - Mouse device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To realize a cordless mouse device and to eliminate a need of battery replacing work by transmitting the data signal from a mouse main body by radio and using light as a medium to supply the power to the mouse main body from the light supply means of a mouse pad. CONSTITUTION: A mouse main body 20 transmits the data signal corresponding to movement operation to the reception part of a personal computer main body by radio. The optical energy is supplies to a solar battery 23, which is attached to the lower face, by a light emitting part 31 provided as the light supply means of a mouse pad 30 which is essentially used for smooth mouse operation of the mouse main body. The light from the light emitting part 31 is thrown to the solar battery 23 on the lower face of the mouse main body 20, and this optical energy is converted to electric energy by a photovoltaic part, and this power is supplied to a potential detection part 21 and a transmission part 22 in the mouse main body 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mouse device for inputting data to an information processing device such as a personal computer or a word processor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an information processing apparatus has been developed in which a menu displayed on the display screen can be selected and input by operating the cursor on the display screen. It has become common to use mouse devices.

According to such a mouse device, by moving the mouse body in a plane on the mouse pad, the mouse body is moved (referred to as mouse operation).
A data signal corresponding to the plane moving direction and the amount of movement is transmitted to the information processing device via the signal line, and the cursor on the display screen is moved and displayed according to the signal. Therefore, the operator selects the menu by transmitting a click signal generated by operating the switch on the upper surface of the mouse body to the information processing device with the cursor set at a predetermined menu position on the display screen by operating the mouse. It can be performed. However, in such a mouse device, a code such as a signal line for transmitting a signal to the information processing device is entangled with the mouse body, which is troublesome in operation. In addition, it was not possible to operate the mouse in a place where the code length limit was exceeded. Therefore, at present, a cordless mouse device is proposed,
For example, a mouse device having a built-in dry battery as a power source and transmitting a data signal to an information processing device wirelessly (such as optical communication) has been developed. However, in such a cordless mouse device, the above-mentioned operational troublesomeness can be eliminated, but since a dry battery is used as a power source, a complicated battery replacement work is required.

On the other hand, it has been proposed that the mouse pad be provided with a solar cell as a power source of the mouse device, and that the mouse body be supplied with electric power from the solar cell (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 4).
-33016 publication). However, even with such a device, a cord for supplying power from the solar battery of the mouse pad to the mouse body is required, so when operating the mouse, the cord is attached to the mouse body during operation. The annoyance of has not been eliminated.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional mouse device in which the cordless connection between the information processing device and the mouse body is achieved, complicated battery replacement work is required. Further, in the mouse device that receives power from the solar battery of the mouse pad, a code for power supply is required even if battery replacement is unnecessary.

[0006] The present invention is intended to realize a cordless mouse device which can eliminate the work of battery replacement and is free from cords.

[0007]

The mouse device of the present invention comprises:
A mouse body provided with a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a data signal corresponding to a mouse operation to an information processing device and a photovoltaic unit for supplying power to the transmitter, and a light is emitted to the photovoltaic unit of the mouse body. It consists of a mouse pad with a light supply means for supplying.

The mouse device of the present invention comprises a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a data signal corresponding to a mouse operation to the information processing device, and an electromotive force unit for supplying electric power to the transmitter. A mouse device comprising a conversion element for converting energy wirelessly supplied from the outside into electric power.

[0009]

According to the mouse device of the present invention, the data signal from the mouse body is wirelessly transmitted, and power is supplied to the mouse body from the light supply means of the mouse pad to the photovoltaic section of the mouse body by using light as a medium. Since it is carried out in a cordless manner, a complete cordless operation is realized, and since it is not necessary to provide a dry battery in the mouse body, the battery replacement work can be dispensed with.

Further, according to the mouse device of the present invention, the data signal from the mouse body is wirelessly transmitted, and the power consumption of the mouse body can be self-sufficient by the electromotive force section that converts the energy obtained from the outside into electric power. The body is completely cordless, and battery replacement work is unnecessary.

[0011]

1 is an external view of a system example of an information processing apparatus using a mouse device of the present invention. The information processing apparatus shown in the figure comprises a personal computer main body P, a display D, and a keyboard K. The personal computer body P includes a microcomputer,
It has a basic configuration of a general personal computer such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk memory, a floppy disk memory, an input / output control unit, and a receiving unit 11 described later.

In the system shown in FIG. 1, the feature of the present invention resides in a mouse device M including a mouse body 20 and a mouse pad 30, and a cordless mouse body 20.
In order to self-sufficiently consume the power consumed by
The electromotive force unit includes a conversion element that converts energy wirelessly supplied from the outside into electric power.

An embodiment using a solar cell that performs photoelectric conversion as the conversion element of such an electromotive force section will be described below. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the mouse device M of such an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the mouse body seen from below in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram of the device configuration of FIG. Shown in.

In the embodiment of the mouse device M shown in these figures, the solar cell 23 forming the electromotive force portion of the mouse body 20 is mounted on the upper surface of the mouse body 20 which is wrapped in the palm of the operator and shielded from light. Instead, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it is attached to the lower surface of the mouse body 20. Further, the mouse body 20 is cordless by being configured to wirelessly transmit a data signal corresponding to a moving operation of the mouse body to the receiving unit 11 of the personal computer body.

As described above, the light energy is supplied to the solar cell 23 attached to the lower surface of the mouse main body 20.
This is performed by the light emitting section 31 provided as a light supplying means in the mouse pad 30 which is originally used for smoothly operating the mouse of the mouse body.

In the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned solar cell 23 is attached to the entire lower surface of the mouse body as shown in FIG. 3, and a hole for exposing the ball 24 is formed in the center. ing. Solar cell 23 having such a shape
If a glass substrate having a hole in the center is used, can be manufactured by a usual method for manufacturing an amorphous silicon solar cell in which an amorphous silicon semiconductor layer is laminated on this substrate.

Since such an amorphous silicon solar cell has an area of about 20 square cm, a power of 200 mW can be obtained.

As the light supply means (light emitting portion 31) of the mouse pad 30, a rod-shaped light source such as a general fluorescent lamp is combined with a light guide plate for guiding the light to a flat surface.
A fluorescent lamp formed in a flat plate shape, an electroluminescence plate, or the like is used.
A material that is transparent and holds the frictional force between the mouse body 20 and the ball 24, such as a transparent rubber plate 32, is coated. Electric power for causing the light emitting unit 31 to emit light may be supplied from a single power source, or may be supplied from the power source of the personal computer main body P via the power source line L as illustrated. Further, the light supply means is not limited to the light emitting section 32 having the electric / light conversion function as described above, but a plate coated with a light storing material that stores light, or introducing ambient light and guiding it to a flat surface. A light guide plate can also be used.

The displacement detecting section 21 and the transmitting section 22 of the mouse body 20 may be of conventional general construction. For example, the displacement detection unit 21 includes an encoder for detecting the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the ball 24 corresponding to the movement direction and the movement amount of the mouse body 20. In addition, the transmission unit 7
The detection result (data signal according to the movement operation of the mouse body 20) from the detection unit 21 is used as the reception unit 11 of the PC body.
It is intended to be wirelessly transmitted to. As the wireless transmission medium, there are radio waves, infrared rays, sound waves, etc., but currently infrared rays are generally used. A photodiode is used.

Therefore, the displacement detector 2 of the mouse body 20
1, the maximum value of each current consumption of the transmitter 22, LED,
Since the power consumption is about 15 mA and the power consumption is 100 mW or less, sufficient power can be supplied by the above-described 200 mW output solar cell 23.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the light from the light emitting portion 31 on the upper surface of the mouse pad 2 is applied to the photovoltaic portion (solar cell 23) on the lower surface of the mouse body 20. Therefore, this light energy is converted into electric energy by the photovoltaic section, and this power is transferred to the mouse body 2
The mouse device M configured to be supplied to the displacement detector 21 within 0 and the transmitter 22 is shown.

In the embodiment of the present invention in which light energy is converted into electric power to supply power to the mouse body 20 as described above, the solar cell 23 is connected to the mouse body 20 as shown in the figure.
It is not limited to mounting on the bottom surface of the. For example, a pole is set up on the mouse body 23 and the solar cell 2 is placed on this pole.
It can also be configured in a shape in which 3 is mounted (so-called mushroom shape). In this case, even if the mouse body 20 is wrapped in the palm of the operator, the solar cell 23 is not shielded from light, and power can be reliably supplied to the mouse body. Further, in this case, a combination with a secondary battery battery is possible if necessary.

However, the present invention is not limited to light energy as the energy which is wirelessly supplied from the outside in order to convert the mouse body 20 into electric power. For example, the mouse pad may be provided with an electromagnetic generation coil, and the mouse body 20 may be provided with an electromagnetic induction coil so that power can be wirelessly supplied by electromagnetic coupling.

Further, the mouse body 20 can be equipped with a generator for converting power energy applied to the mouse into electric power when the operator operates the mouse. In this case, since power cannot be obtained when the mouse body 20 is not moved, by mounting the secondary battery together,
You can expect stable power supply.

[0025]

As described above, according to the mouse device of the present invention, the data signal from the mouse body is wirelessly transmitted, and power is supplied to the mouse body from the light emitting function of the mouse pad using light energy as a medium. Since the operation is performed on the photovoltaic section of the mouse body, it is possible to avoid the operational troubles that the cord is attached to the mouse body and to eliminate the complicated work of battery replacement.

Further, according to the mouse device of the present invention, the data signal from the mouse body is wirelessly transmitted, and the power consumed by the mouse body can be self-supplied by the electromotive force section provided in the mouse body. It is possible to avoid the troublesome operation involved, and to eliminate the complicated work of battery replacement.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a system example of an information processing device using a mouse device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of an embodiment of the mouse device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mouse body used in the mouse device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a functional configuration diagram of a main part of an embodiment of a mouse device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Receiver 20 Mouse Main Body 21 Displacement Detector 22 Transmitter 23 Solar Cell 30 Mouse Pad 31 Light Emitting Section

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A mouse main body comprising a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a data signal corresponding to a mouse operation to an information processing device and a photovoltaic unit for supplying electric power to the transmitter, and a photovoltaic device for the mouse main body. A mouse device comprising a mouse pad provided with a light supply means for supplying light to an electric power section. 2. A transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting a data signal corresponding to a mouse operation to an information processing device, and an electromotive force unit for supplying electric power to the transmission unit, wherein the electromotive force unit is wirelessly supplied from the outside. A mouse device comprising a conversion element for converting energy into electric power.