WO2001015133A1

WO2001015133A1 - Computer mouse with retractable cable

Info

Publication number: WO2001015133A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/040710
Authority: WO
Inventors: Craig Lovecky; Robert Steller; Richard Rolfe
Original assignee: Shape Global Technology, Inc.
Priority date: 1999-08-26
Filing date: 2000-08-22
Publication date: 2001-03-01
Also published as: AU7884600A

Abstract

A computer mouse (10) with retractable cable (17) includes a retraction system (30) for extending and retracting a cable (17) into and out of a conventional mouse housing (12). The retraction system (30) includes a housing with first (301) and second (302) retention sections, wherein the first retention section (301) retains a first cable section (305) and the second retention section (302) retains a second retractable cable section (306). A rotatable spindle (309) passes through a common wall of the two retention sections. It includes a slot (308) for retaining a transition section (307) of the cable passing from the first retention section (301) to the second retention section (302). The first cable section (305) is decoupled from the second retention section (302) in a manner that permits the first cable section (305) to wind about a spindle (309) while retained in the first retention section (301), while the second cable section (306) moves into and out of the second retention section (302) without stress on the cable itself or the coupling of the cable to the internal circuit board (50). The first retention section (301) is preferably designed to be large enough to allow the first cable section (305) to expand and contract with rotation of the spindle (309) without causing that section to reverse the course of its rotation. The retractable cable (17) terminates at the end opposite from the internal circuit board in a standard terminal (18). An optional adapter may be used to convert the terminal from serial to parallel and vice-versa, with a switching mechanism (21) deployed on the mouse (10) housing to ensure appropriate circuit board interfacing.

Description

COMPUTER MOUSE WITH RETRACTABLE CABLE

Background Of The Invention

1. Field of the Invention. The present invention relates to a computer mouse. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system to facilitate the use of a computer mouse easily transportable from one location to another. The present invention relates to a computer mouse having a retractable cable.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

A computer mouse is a peripheral device designed to aid a computer user to interface with a computing system such as, for example, a personal desktop computer or a portable laptop computer. The computer mouse simplifies the process of transmitting instructions in that there are typically only two or three buttons to push to generate computing activity, as opposed to the multitude of buttons of a keyboard. For this reason, the computer mouse has become a key piece of peripheral computing equipment. Most computing systems have a mouse coupled thereto.

Although it is possible to couple the mouse by remote means to the computing system, most connections are established through a cable. That cable includes wiring terminating at one end with male pin connectors for insertion into a female parallel or serial port of the computing system, or to an intermediary coupling compatible with such a port. The other end of the cable is preferably permanently affixed to a mouse interface board contained within the mouse's housing.

The interface board, in most instances, fills a significant portion of the interior of the housing. Additional mechanical devices related to moving a cursor across a computer monitor and the selection of program options visible on the monitor fill the remaining space available in the interior. Specifically, a roller ball that the user moves to generate movement of the cursor on the monitor is substantially contained within the housing and is coupled to the interface board. A portion of the roller ball extends beyond an exterior bottom surface of the housing. Switch mechanisms linked to one or more push buttons positioned on an exterior top surface of the housing are used to direct button-generated signals to the computing system to establish computing activity. An exemplar mouse structure is shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,157,381 issued to Cheng.

It is well known that the computer mouse has made the process of interfacing with the computing system easier and faster. Although laptop computers have built-in devices to enable cursor manipulation, it has been established in the marketplace that the separate, large standard mouse is the preferred device for cursor manipulation. Therefore, it is desirable to have one available with each computing system, including with portable systems such as laptop computers for example. This computer peripheral is therefore often one component that is carried by a user along with the computing system itself. Increasingly, as Internet use expands and portable computing systems become more powerful, users have available other types of peripherals deemed to be of sufficient value to transport with the mouse. Such peripherals include, but are not limited to, communications links for Internet access, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, and printer couplings. Unfortunately, all of these peripherals have their own cables to establish the necessary interfaces with the computing system. Although in an ideal world these various peripherals make the user's computing life easier, the tangle of cables of various lengths, types, and port-interface configurations can make the ultimate convenience exasperating initially. For the person who moves the portable system regularly, the time and convenience consumed by making sure that a plurality of peripheral cables are separate as they are moved into and out of a carrying case can make the use of such peripherals less desirable. For that reason, it would be preferable to have a computer peripheral, and a computer mouse in particular, with a computer-system coupling mechanism designed to avoid such inherent problems. To that end, a mouse with a stowable cable would result in a desirable computer peripheral without the limitations associated with existing mouse devices. In general, it is well known that there exist many types of stowable cable systems. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 3,773,987 issued to Davis et al. and U.S. Patent No. 5,593,316 issued to Lyons for retractable cable and cord devices. In regard to the Davis design in particular, it is to be noted that there is described a reel system that permits about one half of power cable to play out for usage. However, the other half of the cable is not deployable, thereby severely limiting the length of cable available in relation to the size of the housing required to retain the cable of a particular total length. Davis further describes the inclusion of a relatively complex wind motor to regulate cable retraction.

These prior-art devices have no apparent restriction on the size of the housing in which they may be contained. In addition, the cables to be stowed are clearly sufficiently robust to withstand multiple insertions and removals, with interface limitations of minimal concern in that they tend to be directed to power cords. It is to be noted that in other retractable cord designs, such as those described with respect to telephone lines, there are rotatable contacts used to maintain the electrical connection. Unfortunately, such mechanisms wear at the swivel contact interface such that, over time, the necessary electrical connection is lost or, even worse, the mouse may generate intermittent signals, potentially leading to system lock-up.

The application of a retractable coupling to a mouse peripheral is not clear in view of the noted prior art. Specifically, the mouse cables presently in use for coupling to computer serial and/or parallel ports are of significant dimensions relative to the size of the mouse housing within which one would want to stow them. That is, one would have to provide a housing of much greater dimensions than those currently in use in order to fit a cable of adequate length therein. Although fabrication of a bigger mouse is possible, but ergonomically undesirable, it is preferable to maintain the mouse with the same dimensions to which users have grown accustomed. In addition, portability and manufacturing costs would be adversely affected by increasing the size of the mouse housing. Further, the integrity of the cable must be maintained through hundreds, and possibly thousands, of retractions and extensions that can wear on the cable exterior and stress conductive components therein. If the cable size were long enough to permit suitable usage at a distance from the computing system, reducing the cross-sectional area of the existing cabling to fit it within the existing housing dimensions would likely adversely affect cable integrity.

Therefore, what is needed is a computer mouse peripheral capable of being coupled to an interface port of a computing system. What is also needed is such a mouse having a stowable cable suitable establishing that interface. Further, what is needed is a mouse with stowable cable wherein the cable is substantially retainable within the mouse having a housing with dimensions substantially the same as existing mouse devices without effect on standard operating capabilities of the mouse. Moreover, what is needed is such a mouse with a stowable cable capable of being retracted and extended over an expected life cycle with little to no interface degradation, particularly in regard to maintaining the necessary electrical connection between the mouse interface board and the computing system. Finally, what is needed is such a mouse device capable of coupling to the computing system via either a serial port or a parallel port.

Summary Of The Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer mouse capable of being coupled to an interface port of a computing system. It is another object of the present invention to provide a computer mouse having a stowable cable suitable establishing the interface with the computing system. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel computer mouse with stowable cable wherein the cable is substantially retainable within a mouse housing having dimensions substantially the same as existing mouse devices without effect on standard operating capabilities of the mouse, particularly in regard to the electrical connection. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a mouse with a stowable cable capable of being retracted and extended over an expected life cycle with little to know interface degradation. Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a mouse device capable of coupling to the computing system via either a serial port or a parallel port.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a computer mouse having a retractable cable. The retractable cable is preferably designed to be substantially flat relative to existing computer peripheral cables, but with a sufficient number of individual wires required to establish complete connection to interface pins of the computing system linkage port. Specifically, in its preferred design, the mouse cable component of the present invention is a ribbon cable of a certain minimum length and flatness suitable to be coiled into an interior retraction housing of specified dimensions. Alternatively, a small round cable may be deployed. The retractable cable has one end preferably terminating in a standard DIN male pin connection that may be inserted into either a standard female communication port of the computing system. However, the computer-coupling end of the cable may be any sort of available connector, such a female connector for coupling into a male port or a male adapter. A USB connector may also be employed. The other end of the retractable cable is wired to a modified mouse interface circuit board sized to fit, along with the retraction housing, within the standard mouse housing.

While the retractable cable is to be described throughout this disclosure as being formed of a unitary cable, it is to be understood that a pair of cables may be deployed, one for coupling to the internal printed circuit board and the other for coupling to the computer device. The pair of cables may be electrically connected in a suitable manner, such as by rotatable contacts in which the internal cable of the pair is essentially fixed, while the second retractable cable of the pair may be rotated about a wind-up spindle or hub. Both of the cables of the pair terminate in electrical contacts of suitable design and similar to that used in regard to the retractable telephone line.

A key aspect of the mouse with retractable cable of the present invention, when a unitary cable is preferably employed, is the design of the reel unit mechanism used to regulate movement of the cable within the retraction housing. Specifically, the retraction housing used to regulate the movement includes a spindle around which a first section of the cable is wound within a first cable retention section formed between a first region and a first retention frame. It also includes a second cable retention section for retaining a second section of the cable. The second cable section is also windable around the spindle and is displaced above or below the first cable section as desired. The retraction housing is of dimensions sufficient to fit it within a conventional mouse housing. Winding may be initiated either through manual or automatic means. In a preferred design of the invention, a manual wind-up mechanism is deployed. It preferably includes means to ensure that the user is permitted to wind up the cable on the spindle in only one direction in order to prevent improper cable winding that could cause stress to the point of failure. Such means may be a unidirectional, universal, non-graphic structural configuration that allows winding only in one direction selected by the manufacturer.

The first section of the cable includes the end of the cable that is couplable to the interface circuit board. The first section of the cable at an end opposite to that circuit-board-coupling end is fixed to a slotted section of a first region of the spindle. In addition, that portion of the cable is a cable transition section designed to be retained within a slot of the spindle. The slot is formed axially through a substantial portion of the spindle such that it provides an interface between the first and second cable retention sections for passage of the cable from one retention section or the other. The second cable retention section is an annular gap formed between a second region of the spindle, a common-wall face of the retraction housing, and an interior wall of the mouse housing. The first cable retention section is similarly configured. The second cable section is extendibly retainable within the second cable retention section. The retraction system is designed such that the first cable section is retained within the first cable retention section and winds about the first spindle region of the spindle.. The second cable section is retainable with the second cable retention section and is windable about the second spindle region of the spindle. In order to provide for maximum retractable cable length available while keeping the device operable, the first cable retention section must be large enough such that the first cable section cannot reverse its winding direction within the first cable retention section as the second cable section is extended or retracted.

In the design of the retraction system it is important to note that the slot of the spindle essentially decouples the first cable section from the second cable section. That is, there is an effective disconnect of those two sections in that extension and retraction of the second cable section does not result in long term stress on the interface between the end of the first cable section and the circuit board to which it is affixed. Instead, as the entire reel unit is manually or automatically rotated by the user, the movement of the spindle causes the second cable section to move within the second cable retention section and the first cable section to move in the first cable retention section in a manner independent of the movement of the second cable section. In order to permit appropriate movement of the first cable section, the first cable retention section is preferably of substantially greater cross-sectional area than the area filled by the first cable section when it is wound about the first hub. The manner of this configuration and operation will be described in greater detail in the Preferred Embodiment with respect to several of the drawings.

As earlier noted, in addition to the importance of the retraction system, the present invention requires the substitution of the existing interface circuit board with one of reduced size sufficient to permit inclusion within the mouse housing of the retraction system and the necessary mechanical components associated with the roller ball and the push buttons. It may also be desirable to fit within the mouse housing a portion of the retractable cable that includes the end terminating in the male DIN connector. It is well within the skill of those familiar with the art of fabricating printed circuit boards to make them of more efficient design so as to fit within smaller available spaces. To that end, the circuit board of the mouse of the present invention is designed and configured to be proximate to the first hub of the retraction system to provide the necessary interface to the terminal end of the first section of the cable. Of course, the hardware and embedded software of the circuit board remain substantially the same as that used in prior mouse devices so as to create the desired interface between the mechanical components of the mouse and the computing system. In addition to reducing the size of the printed circuit board, it is a preferable feature of the present invention to include as part of the circuitry a switching mechanism to allow for the use of either a serial male DIN connector or a parallel male DIN connector. The switching mechanism is preferably employed to minimize the number of coupling wires required to establish the interface between the mouse circuit board and the computer system's mouse driver. Alternatively, the switching mechanism may be used to establish a connection with other sorts of interfaces, whether male-to-male, female-to-female, male-to-female, female-to-male, serial-to- parallel, parallel-to-serial, or one pin convention to another. In any event, the computer-interface end of the cable of the present invention is preferably formed with a conventional PS-2 parallel connector. Therefore, in that instance, a parallel-to-serial adapter may be provided alone or as part of a kit including the novel mouse, or obtained separately. In either case, a mechanical switching component is preferably established on the mouse housing and is coupled within the interior of the mouse to the printed circuit board. In one position, the switch couples the connector to modified board circuitry necessary for parallel connector operation. In another position, the switch couples the connector, with serial adapter, to corresponding circuitry required to complete a serial connector interface. In this way, the mouse of the present invention may be employed with any sort of computing system having mouse interface capability. These and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon review of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description Of The Drawings

FIG. 1 is a simplified top plan view of the mouse with retractable cable of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified bottom plan view of the mouse with retractable cable of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a simplified front elevation view of the mouse with retractable cable of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a simplified top plan view of the optional serial-to-parallel port adapter couplable to the cable of the mouse of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a simplified front elevation view of the optional serial-to-parallel port adapter couplable to the cable of the mouse of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a simplified plan view of the preferred design of the retraction system of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a simplified elevation view of the preferred design of the retraction system of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A-7I are detailed top plan views of an alternative design of the retraction system of the mouse of the present invention, showing the process of reeling an extended cable into the retraction housing in various stages until retraction is complete.

FIG. 8 is a simplified top plan view of the exterior surface of the wind-up mechanism including the preferred universal unidirectional windup configuration.

Detailed Description Of The Preferred Embodiments Of The Invention

A mouse with retractable cord 10 of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3. Those elements displayed by way of dashed lines are deemed to be contained within the mouse's interior. Conventional prior components of the mouse 10 include a plurality of push buttons 11 on a top mouse surface 12 of mouse housing 13, and a roller ball 14 retained within a ball capture frame 15 on a bottom mouse surface 16 of the mouse housing 13. In addition to those conventional elements, the mouse 10 further includes a retractable cable 17 terminating in a standard terminal 18 suitable for coupling to a port of a computing device (not shown). The terminal 18 is preferably designed to be extendible beyond a front surface 19 of the mouse housing 13. The terminal 18 may preferably be a male connector suitable for coupling to a female port. However, it is to be understood that alternative terminal configurations may be employed, including female, DIN, or USB, arrangements, without deviating from the scope of the present invention. The retractable cable 17 is designed to transmit electrical signals generated by movement of one or more of the push buttons 11 and the roller ball 14 to the computing system. The cable 17 is preferably formed as a ribbon cable using braided wires or tinsel wire within a sealed insulative sleeve, rather than standard round wires, for purposes of robustness. It is to be noted that the cable 17 is primarily essentially flat so as to minimize its bulk when retained within the mouse housing 13. Moreover, the flat material is easier to wind with minimal drag. Alternatively, the cable 17 may be formed of a suitable small round wire, provided it has sufficient tensile strength and sufficient flexibility in order to be easily wound within the framework of the housing 13 of the present invention. Of course, a terminal end 20 of the cable 17 is spliced onto the terminal 18 in a manner well known to those skilled in cable terminus splicing. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the terminal 18 is preferably a six-pin parallel male terminal at 18a.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 1-3, the mouse 10 of the present invention includes a retraction system 30 and a modified printed circuit board 50 within the interior of the mouse housing 13. Further, a port switch 21 permits a mouse user to selectably couple the mouse 10 to either a serial port or a parallel port as desired, using the optional adaptive male coupling to be described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5. The retraction system 30 will be described in detail with respect to FIGS. 6A and 6B for the preferred design, and FIGS. 7A-7I for an alternative design. However, it can be seen that the retraction system 30 includes a retraction housing 31 positioned within an interior of the mouse housing 13 that is, in turn, of conventional dimensions. The circuit board 50 is also designed to fit within the mouse housing 13. The retraction system 30 also includes a mechanical wind-up element 32 used to regulate movement of the cable 17 into and out of the mouse housing 13 via interior cable sleeve 22. The wind- up element 32 is preferably substantially flush with the bottom surface 16 of the mouse housing 13. It also preferably includes one or more finger depressions 33 to provide a site for easier rotation of the element 32. The wind-up element 32 is of any type of conventional mechanical wind-up interface. However, as described herein with reference to FIG. 8, the wind-up mechanism interface is preferably a unidirectional device that ensures the cable 17 is retracted into the housing 13 in only one direction.

As earlier noted, an optional feature of the present invention is a sub system that enables the user to select for connection of the cable 17 to either a serial or a parallel female port of the computing system. A coupling adapter 23 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 provides a means for converting the six-pin parallel male terminal 18a into a standard nine-pin serial terminal for coupling into a female serial port of the computing system. The adapter 23 includes a parallel-terminal-coupling end 24 that is a six-hole female parallel port for receiving the terminal 18a of the cable 17. An adapter transition section 25 includes well-known circuitry for transitioning between the six-pin arrangement and the conventional nine-pin serial pin design. A standard nine-pin serial male pin terminus 26 completes the transition from a parallel to a serial pin coupling for connection to the computing system as desired. Of course, the adapter 23 may be of any sort suitable to enable the user to connect the modified printed circuit board 50 to the computer system. The preferred design of the retraction system 30 is shown with respect to FIGS.

6A and 6B. The retraction system includes a first cable retention section 301 and a second cable retention section 302 spaced in parallel with and adjacent to one another. A retention separation wall 303 isolates the two sections from one another. Common exterior walls 303 and 304 define the outer perimeters of the two sections wherein walls 303 and 304 may represent a substantially rectangular retraction housing or, preferably, they represent a cylindrical housing within which the cable 17 may reside. Surface 16, walls 303 and 304, and wall 303 define the perimeter dimensions of first retention section 301. Surface 12, walls 303 and 304, and wall 303 define the perimeter dimensions of second retention section 302. In order to ensure that the cable 17 may be extended and retracted a suitable number of times over the life of the mouse 10, the cable 17 is arranged into two decoupled sections, first cable section 305 and second cable section 306. First cable section 305 is designed to be retained within first retention section 301 while second cable section 306 is designed to be extendibly retained within second retention section 302. While the cable 17 is actually a single continuous link, sections 305 and 306 are effectively decoupled from one another for retraction and extension purposes by way of a cable transition section 307 that is fixed within slot 308 of spindle 309. In the preferred design of the retraction system 30, the spindle is rotatably pinned between surfaces 12 and 16 of the mouse 10 and passes through wall 303. It is coupled to the mechanical wind-up mechanism 32 such that rotation of mechanism 32 causes rotation of the spindle 309.

In operation, movement of mechanism 32 causes the spindle 309 to rotate so that both first cable section 305 and second cable section 306 wind or unwind about the spindle 309. Transition section 307 is fixed within the slot 308 such that it rotates but does not extend, retract, or move into or out of the slot 308. However, with spindle rotation, first cable section 305 either winds around the spindle 309 or expands about the spindle 309. In order to minimize long-term stress on the cable 17, the first retention section 301 is preferably sized of sufficient dimensions to ensure that when first cable section 305 winds or unwinds about spindle 309 it does not reverse the direction of winding or unwinding throughout the entire rotation process. That is, the first retention section 301 must be of suf icient holding volume to allow the first cable section 305 to relax and expand about the spindle 309 when necessary, without being forced up against walls 303 and 304 in a manner that would force a reversal in winding direction in order to continue the rotation thereof. The extent to which this may occur is dependent upon the number of rotations of the spindle 309 required to completely extend or retract the second cable section 306 into and out of second retention section 302. That number is clearly dependent on the amount of usable cable required, the diameter of spindle 309, the thickness of the cable 17, its flexibility, and the dimensions of section 302. Of course, it can be seen that as the spindle 309 is rotated in one direction or another, the second cable section 306 will pass into or out of extension opening 310 of the second retention section 302 into cable sleeve 22, and is substantially retained therein when fully retracted.

An alternative design of the retraction system 30 of the present invention will now be described with respect to FIGS. 7A-7I, a series of illustrations showing operation of the retraction system 30 at various stages of the cable retraction process. This series of depictions clearly show the novel arrangement of the decoupled cable sections previously noted. This alternative design may be used if one has significant space constraints, if there is highly tolerant wire within the cable 17, and/or the required life cycle of the device is relatively low. The retraction housing 31 may be formed of any shape suitable for insertion within the mouse housing 13 and designed to accommodate the circuit board 50. The retraction housing 31 is preferably fabricated of a plastic material but may be made of other durable material including, but not limited to, metal. A first retraction frame 34 and a second retraction frame 35 are included within the retraction housing 31. The first retraction frame 34 includes an inner cylindrical wall 34a, an outer cylindrical wall 34b, and a pair of opposing sidewalls, one of which is shown in FIGS. 7A-7I as first frame sidewall 34c. A first cable retention space 34d is established by the space defined by the annular gap between the outside perimeter of a first hub 36 and the inner cylindrical wall 34a. The second retraction frame 35 includes cylindrical casing 35a and a pair of opposing sidewalls, one of which is shown in FIGS. 7A-7I as second frame sidewall 35b, both of which maintain the cable 17 therein. A second cable retention space 35c is established by the space defined by the annular gap between the outer cylindrical wall 34b and the cylindrical casing 35a.

Also within the retraction housing 31 is the first hub 36, a component designed to be mechanically coupled to the wind-up element 32 to enable selectable rotation thereof. A first cable section 17a includes a first cable end that is mechanically coupled to the hub 36 and electrically coupled to the circuit board 50 in a manner suitable to establish the appropriate electrical connections of the plurality of braided wires. An interface end 37 of the first cable section 17a is fixed to a slotted section 38 of the first interior frame 34 that is an opening through cylindrical walls 34a and 34b. The cable 17 at section 17a is further designed to pass through the slotted section 38 and therefore through the first interior frame 34 and transitions into a second cable interface section at 39 beyond the perimeter of outer cylindrical wall 34b. At that point, the cable 17 enters the second cable retention space 35c. As noted, the second cable retention space 35c is an annular gap formed between the outer cylindrical wall 34b and the cylindrical casing 35a. In effect, the outer cylindrical wall 34b forms a second hub around which a second cable section 17b may be wound. The retraction system 30 is designed such that the first cable section 17a is retained within the first cable retention space 34d, and the second cable section 17b is retainable with the second cable retention space 35c. In order to provide for maximum cable length available while keeping the device operable, the second cable section 17b may be substantially longer than the first cable section 17a. In particular, the second cable section 17b establishes the length of the entirety of the cable 17 that is available for extension. In general, it is important to note that the first cable retention space 34d and the second cable retention space 35c may be designed as desired in order to establish the length of the second cable section 17b that may be extended in relation to the winding and unwinding space available to the first cable section 17a.

In the design of the retraction system 30 it is important to note that the slotted section 38 essentially decouples the first cable section 17a from the second cable section 17b. That is, there is an effective disconnect of those two sections in that extension and retraction of the second cable section 17b does not result in long term stress on the interface between the end of the first cable section 17a and the circuit board 50 to which it is affixed. Instead, as the entire reel unit that includes the first frame 34, the second frame 35, the first hub 36, and the wind-up element 32, is manually or automatically rotated by the user, movement of the first frame 34 causes the second cable section 17b to move within the second cable retention space 35c and the first cable section 17a to move in the first cable retention space 34d in a manner independent of the movement of the second cable section 17b. In order to permit appropriate movement of the first cable section 17a, the first cable retention space 34d is preferably of substantially greater cross-sectional area than the area filled by the first cable section 17a when it is wound about the first hub 36. The manner of this configuration and operation can be seen with respect to rotation of the wind-up element 32 in a manner that causes counter-clockwise rotation of the first hub 36 and the first frame 34 represented by arrow 40 as described herein with regard to FIGS. 7A-7I which show the cable 17 changing from a fully extended position to a fully retracted position.

In FIG. 7A, the cable 17 is in a fully extended position, with section 17b essentially completely out of space 35c and with cable section 17a wound about hub 36. The cable 17 transits into and out of the retention frame 31 via frame guide 31a designed to interface with sleeve 22. As illustrated in FIG. 7B, as the counterclockwise rotation proceeds, the second cable section 17b begins to wind about outer cylindrical wall 34b and the first cable section 17a begins to unwind from around first hub 36 so as to produce minimal stress on the cable 17 at sections 37 and 39. In FIG. 7C it can be seen that continual rotation in the direction designated by arrow 40 causes the second cable section 17b to wind on wall 34b within space 35c, and the first cable section 17a to unwind from first hub 36 so that it extends into space 34d in a manner that causes it to contact inner cylindrical wall 34a. It can be seen in FIG. 7C that at this stage of the process the first cable section 17a is essentially completely unwound from the first hub 36. As illustrated in FIGS. 7D and 7E, the first cable section 17a begins to wind back again onto the first hub 36 while the second cable section 17b continues to fill space 35c. It can be seen in FIG. 7F through the retraction progression that the first cable section 17a utilizes a substantial portion of the space 34d to traverse the transition from wound on the first hub 36, to unwound and back to wound thereon. FIGS. 7G and 7H show the retraction process essentially complete with the second cable section 17b filling a substantial portion of space 35c and the first cable section 17a nearly re-wound on first hub 36. Finally, in FIG. 71, it can be seen that the cable 17 is completely retracted, with terminal 18 spaced from the guide 31a relative to the sleeve 22. The terminal 18 is preferably designed to be retained within the dimensions of the mouse housing 13 for safe stowage during travel; however, it may alternatively be configured to reside beyond those dimensions when the cable 17 is fully retracted. It is to be noted again that making space 34d substantially greater than the wound annulus established by the first cable section 17a about the first hub 36 enables the decoupling of the two cable sections via slotted section 38 in a manner that causes minimal mechanical and electrical stress on the cable 17 itself after repeated cycling. It is to be noted that the modified interface circuit board 50 couplable to cable 17 may be formed in any number of ways known to those skilled in the art of making such components. In general, the circuit board 50 must include the same components as those included in existing mouse circuit boards. In order to provide additional space within the housing 13 and still permit the use of the adapter 23 if desired, the board 50 is preferably a standard double-sided board wherein circuitry for serial connections and for parallel connections are deployed thereon. The port switch 21 may then be used to select circuitry associated with either of the connection types. The coupling of the cable 17 to the board 50 may be achieved using suitable conventional means, including for example, a standard wire-plug interface with strain relief mechanisms forming a part thereof.

The wind-up element 32 when a manual rather than an optional automatic device, includes one or more finger depressions 33 to regulate the retraction of the cable 17 into the housing. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the finger depressions 33 are preferably arcuate in design such that they allow the user to only rotate the mechanism 32 in one direction. Doing so ensures that the cable 17 will only wind up in one direction, thereby eliminating the possibility of applying catastrophic stress at the slotted section 38. The unidirectional limitation provided by depressions 33 is established by forming a first depression end 33a of a depth sufficient to enable a user to put at least a portion of a finger therein. A depression edge wall 33b provides a site against which the finger may be pushed to cause rotation of the mechanism 32 in the direction of arrows 32a. At second depression end 33c, the depression is substantially more shallow and is essentially at the same depth as the surrounding regions of the mechanism 32. Should the user attempt to rotate the mechanism 32 in a direction opposite to that of the direction of arrows 32a, there is edge against which to push in region 33c that would cause rotational movement. This design does not require the use of written or illustrative directions to ensure that the correct rotational direction is followed. It can be seen that this sort of universal unidirectional wind-up mechanism may be deployed in any system requiring rotation in only one direction. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with specific reference to certain detailed designs, it will be apparent to those skilled in this field that alternative embodiments will achieve the same results without deviating from the basic concept of the invention. All such embodiments and their equivalents are deemed to be within the scope of the invention as set out in the description. In addition, the computer mouse 10 of the present invention may be coupled together with other computer peripherals, such as the telephone-line adapter unit described in U.S. Patent No. 5,600,719 issued to Lovecky et al., to form a kit suitable for a user to conveniently transport and use a plurality of such peripherals within a relatively small container and with minimal concern in regard to cable tangling.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A computer mouse having a housing of conventional dimensions with a housing interior, the mouse comprising: a. a retractable cable having a first end including an interface terminal for coupling to a standard interface port of a computer system, a first cable section, a second cable section, and a second end couplable to means for converting mechanical movement into electrical signals; b. a retraction system designed to fit within the mouse housing, said retraction system including a first cable retention space and a second cable retention space, wherein said first cable retention space includes a hub around which to wind said first cable section within said first cable retention space and wherein said second cable retention space is designed to retain substantially all of said second cable section therein; c. means for winding substantially all of said second cable section into and out of said retraction system; and d. means for decoupling said first cable section from said second cable section.

2. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said means for winding said second cable section includes a reel unit including said hub and a wind-up element arranged to be accessible from an exterior of the mouse housing.

3. The mouse as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said wind-up element is an automatic wind-up element.

4. The mouse as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said wind-up element is a manual wind-up element.

5. The mouse as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said wind-up element includes a unidirectional-rotation regulation structure thereof.

6. The mouse as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said unidirectional-rotation regulation structure includes one or more surface depressions in a surface of said wind-up element.

7. The mouse as claimed in Claim 6 wherein each of said one or more surface depressions including a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is of larger dimensions than said second end, and wherein a depth of said first end is deeper than a depth of said second end.

8. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said retraction system further includes a first retraction frame and a second retraction frame spaced from said first retraction frame, wherein said first retraction frame includes an inner cylindrical wall and an outer cylindrical wall, wherein said second retraction frame includes a cylindrical casing, wherein dimensions of said first retention space are defined by a gap between an outer perimeter of said hub and said inner cylindrical wall, and wherein dimensions of said second retention space are defined by a gap between said outer cylindrical wall of said first retraction frame and said cylindrical casing.

9. The mouse as claimed in Claim 8 wherein said means for decoupling said first cable section from said second cable section is a slotted section formed in said first retraction frame between said inner cylindrical wall and said outer cylindrical wall, wherein said cable is fixed to said slotted section to form an immovable interface between said first cable section and said second cable section.

10. The mouse as claimed in Claim 9 wherein a volume defined by said first cable retention space is substantially greater than a volume defined by said first cable section when wound about said hub.

11. The mouse as claimed in Claim 10 wherein said second cable section is proportionately longer than said first cable section.

12. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a sleeve for retaining a portion of said second cable section between said terminal and said retraction system.

13. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said terminal at said first end of said cable is a standard six-pin serial DIN male connector.

14. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said terminal at said first end is a USB connector.

15. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising an adapter for converting said terminal from one terminal type to a second terminal type.

16. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a switching mechanism to enable selective use of one of a plurality of configurations of said terminal.

17. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said cable includes flat braided wire.

18. The mouse as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said cable includes tinsel wire.

19. A kit for use with a portable computing system, the kit comprising a mouse with retractable cable, a telephone-line adapter, and a serial-to-parallel port adapter.

20. A computer mouse having a housing and a retractable cable forming a part thereof, the mouse comprising means to extend the retractable cable therefrom such that in an extended mode the retractable cable is external to the housing and such that when the retractable cable is in a retracted position it is substantially stored within the housing.

21. A system to control the direction of rotation of a take-up device designed to retract a windable component, the system comprising a wind-up element coupled to the windable component, and a unidirectional-rotation control configuration coupled to said wind-up element.

22. The system as claimed in Claim 21 wherein said unidirectional-rotation control configuration includes one or more finger depression elements forming a portion of an exterior surface of said wind-up element, wherein a first end of said one or more finger depressions is of greater depth than an opposing end of said one or more finger depression elements.

23. A computer mouse having a housing of conventional dimensions with a housing interior, the mouse comprising a. a retractable cable having a first end including an interface terminal for coupling to a standard interface port of a computer system, a first cable section, a second cable section, and a second end couplable to means for converting mechanical movement into electrical signals; b. a retraction system designed to fit within the mouse housing, said retraction system including a first cable retention space for retaining said first cable section therein and a second cable retention space for retaining said second cable section therein; c. means for winding substantially all of said second cable section into and out of said second cable retention space; and d. means for decoupling said first cable section from said second cable section.

24. The mouse as claimed in Claim 23 wherein said retraction system further includes a rotatable spindle coupled to said means for winding and passing between said first cable retention space and said second cable retention space, wherein said retractable cable further includes a transition section between said first cable section and said second cable section, wherein said rotatable spindle includes a slot for receiving and retaining said transition section and wherein said slot is designed to allow said retractable cable to pass between said first cable retention space and said second cable retention space.

25. The mouse as claimed in Claim 24 wherein said first cable retention space is established between a first interior wall of the housing and a common interior wall of said retraction system, wherein said second cable retention space is established between a second interior wall of the housing and said common interior wall, and wherein said first cable retention space is positioned in mechanical communication with said means for winding.

26. The mouse as claimed in Claim 23 wherein said first cable section and said second cable section each includes a set of rotatable contacts, wherein said set of rotatable contacts of said first cable section and said set of rotatable contacts of said second cable section are electrically couplable such that said first cable section and said second cable section remain in electrical contact with one another as said second cable section moves in and out of said second cable retention space.