Patent Application
20160071492
The present invention relates generally to human input devices for computing systems, and, more particularly, to a computer keyboard and mouse combo device.
A most popular way to position a cursor on a computer display is to use a mouse, which functions by detecting two dimensional motions relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse comprises an object held under one of a user's hands, with one or more buttons. Clicking or hovering (stopping movement while the cursor is within the bounds of an area) can select files, programs or actions from a list of names, or (in graphical interfaces) through small images called “icons” and other elements. For example, a text file might be represented by a picture of a paper notebook, and clicking while the cursor hovers over this icon might cause a text editing program to open the file in a window.
When mice have more than one button, software may assign different functions to each button. Often, a primary (leftmost in a right-handed configuration) button on the mouse will select items (primary click), and a secondary (rightmost in a right-handed) button will bring up a menu of alternative actions applicable to that item (secondary click).
A conventional keyboard can detect a pressing of any key thereof, but cannot detect mere touches on the keys. Here, the “touch” refers to a surface of the keyboard being contacted by an object regardless if the key is pressed or not. If the conventional keyboard is a tactile one, the key pressing results from the key being depressed. If the conventional keyboard is a surface one, such as Touch Cover for Microsoft Surface, the key pressing results from a force being applied on the key. As long as the key remains depressed in tactile keyboard or forced upon in surface keyboard, the key is pressed.
While conventional mice can be highly accurate pointing devices for computers, being a separate device the conventional mice have some short-comings, such as every time when a computer user wants to move a cursor, he or she has to move his or her hand away from the keyboard and to the mouse, and move the mouse as a physical object. It is not only less efficient but also may cause injury to the hand over an extended period of time of use.
As such, what is desired is a computer input device, particularly a pointing device that does not rely on moving any additional object other than the user's fingers.
The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification are included to depict certain aspects of the invention. A clearer conception of the invention, and of the components and operation of systems provided with the invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference numbers (if they occur in more than one view) designate the same elements. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the description presented herein.
The present invention relates to a computer input device utilizing a touch sensing device and a conventional keyboard to provide cursor input for the computer. A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings.
Referring back to
Although an infrared-light touch sensing system is described hereinbefore, other touch sensing systems, such as the one using a video camera or ultrasound can also be used.
Referring again to
If a single touch is detected in step 520, the keyboard-mouse operation further detects if there is any key being pressed in step 530. In case there is no key being pressed, the keyboard-mouse operation enters into a mouse mode in step 535, in which relocations of the single touch will be interpreted as cursor movement on the display 420. In case a key press is detected in step 530, the keyboard-mouse operation further detects if the pressed key is released within a first predetermined time period (T1) in step 540. In order to execute step 540, the timer 432 is started upon a key is pressed, and stopped when the key is released. Then a time recorded by of the timer 432 is compared with T1. In some embodiments, T1 is set at 300 milliseconds and the value is stored in the I/O processor 430.
In case the pressed key is released within T1 time period in step 540, the keyboard-mouse operation enters into the keyboard mode in step 560 and treats the key press as a keyboard entry. In case the pressed key is released after the T1 time period, the keyboard-mouse operation further detects, in step 550, if the pressed key is released within a second predetermined time period (T2) which is longer than T1. In some embodiments, T2 is set at 2 seconds and the value is stored in the I/O processor 430.
Following step 550, in case the pressed key is released within T2 time period, the keyboard-mouse operation enters into the mouse mode and performs a left click operation in step 553. In case the pressed key is released after the T2 time period, the keyboard-mouse operation enters into the mouse mode and performs a right click operation in step 557.
Referring back to
Although much of the keyboard-mouse operation steps as described above is executed by the I/O processor 430, in other embodiments, all or some of the same steps may be executed by the CPU 440 instead.
The above illustration provides many different embodiments or embodiments for implementing different features of the invention. Specific embodiments of components and processes are described to help clarify the invention. These are, of course, merely embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention from that described in the claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.
