Abstract:
A method for operating the mouse adapted for right-handed or left-handed includes storing a default operation mode and a current operation mode of the mouse; generating button signals according to click operations exerted on buttons of the mouse; obtaining the current operation mode and the default operation mode; changing the button signals on condition that the default operation mode is different from the current operation mode; and sending the changed button signals to an external computer. A mouse adapted for use by either right-handed or left-handed persons is also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a mouse and, especially, to a mouse adapted for use by either right-handed or left-handed persons. 
         [0003]    2. General Background 
         [0004]    A computer mouse is an input device for a computer. Depending on the configuration of the operating system of the computer, a computer mouse may have one or more operational buttons. A computer mouse with more than one operational buttons generally has a left button and a right button for generating click signals in response to click operations. People usually use their right hand to operate the mouse. Therefore, a default operation mode configured by the operating system is designated for right-handed people. As to left-handed people or people who need to shift the operation mode frequently, it is inconvenient and troublesome to change the operation mode of the mouse in the operating system. 
         [0005]    What is needed, therefore, is an electronic device with a mouse adapted for use by either right-handed or left-handed persons, and a method thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of a mouse adapted for use by persons either right-handed or left-handed and method thereof. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a schematic, plan view of a left/right-hand operated mouse in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of the mouse of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of main function modules of a micro-programmed control unit (MCU) of  FIG. 2  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of an operation mode updating method implemented by a mode-shifting unit of  FIG. 3  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of button signals changing method implemented by a MCU of  FIG. 3  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic, plan view of a left/right-hand operated mouse in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The mouse  100  includes a left-button  101 , a right-button  102 , and a mode-shifting unit  103 . The left-button  101  and the right-button  102  are provided for generating corresponding signals, in response to clicks thereon, such as left-button signals and right-button signals. The mode-shifting unit  103  includes a selection switch or button accessible to the user for inputting a desired shifting command. The mode-shifting unit  103  can be positioned in any appropriate position on the mouse  100 , such as, for example, the left side, the right side, and the rear side of the mouse  100 . 
         [0013]    The selection switch or button of the mode-shifting unit  103  has two selectable positions, namely a left-hand selection and a right-hand selection correspondingly representing a left-handed mode and a right-handed mode. In an exemplary embodiment, the selection switch can be turned to the left or the right to switch between the two selectable positions. In another exemplary embodiment, the button can be pressed down or released up to switch between the two selectable positions. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of the mouse  100  of  FIG. 1 . The mouse  100  further includes the micro-programmed control unit (MCU)  104 , an interface  105  and a memory  106 . The interface  105  is configured for connecting with a computer (unshown). The interface  105  may be one of the followings: a universal serial bus (USB), a wireless transmit interface, or a Bluetooth interface. 
         [0015]    The memory  106  stores a default operation mode and a current operation mode of the mouse  100 . The default operation mode is provided by the computer that the mouse  100  connected to. In general, the default operation mode is a right-handed mode. 
         [0016]    The current operation mode is set to be the default operation mode when the mouse  100  is initialized, and is changed when the selection of the selection switch or position of the button of the mode-shifting unit  103  is changed. That is, the MCU  104  updates the current operation mode after the selection switch or button of the mode-shifting unit  103  is changed. The MCU  104  changes the button signals and transmits the changed button signals to the computer. 
         [0017]    The mouse  100  further includes an indicating lamp (not shown) for indicating if the mouse is in the left-handed mode or the right-handed mode. For example, when the indicating lamp is turned on, this means the mouse  100  is in the left-handed mode. The indicating lamp is controlled by the MCU  104 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of main function modules of the MCU  104 . The MCU  104  includes a mode-detecting module  401 , a mode-shifting module  402 , a click-detecting module  403 , a signal-changing module  404 , and a signal-transmitting module  405 . 
         [0019]    The mode-detecting module  401  is configured for detecting the current operation mode stored in the memory  106 . The mode-shifting module  402  is configured for detecting whether the selection of the selection switch or position of the button of the mode-shifting unit  103  is changed. The click-detecting module  403  is configured for detecting whether the mouse  100  receives a click signal on the left-button  101  or the right-button  102 . The signal-changing module  404  determines whether the left-button signals and the right-button signals need to be changed. The signal-transmitting module  405  is configured for transmitting the left-button signals and the right-button signals to the computer. 
         [0020]    The signal-changing module  404  changes the button signals based on a relationship between the mode-shifting unit  103  and the current operation mode. If the current operation mode is identical to the default operation mode, the signal-changing module  404  sends the left-button signals or the right-button signals to the computer directly. If the current operation mode is different from the default operation mode, the signal-changing module  404  changes the button-signals before the button-signals are sent to the computer. 
         [0021]    In the exemplary embodiment, each button signal is assigned with an identifier for indicating its source. It means the click operation on the left-button or the right-button can be identified through the identifier of the button signal. For example, the identifier of a left-button signal is “001”, and the identifier of a right-button signal is “010”. If the current operation mode is different from the default operation mode, the signal-changing module  404  changes the identifier of the left-button signal “001” to “010”, and the identifier of the right-button signal “010” to “001”. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of describing an operation mode updating method implemented by the mode-shifting unit  103 . Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described below may be removed, others may be added, and the sequence of steps may be altered. 
         [0023]    In step S 410 , the mode-detecting module  401  detects whether the selection of the selection switch or position of the button of the mode-shifting unit  103  is changed. That is, the mode-detecting module  401  determines whether the mode-shifting unit  103  generates a change mode signal. If the mode-detecting module  401  does not detect the change mode signal, the procedure repeats step S 410 . 
         [0024]    If the mode-detecting module  401  detects the change mode signal, in step S 420 , the MCU  104  updates the current operation mode of the mouse  100  according to the change mode signal, for example, if the current operation mode is the left-handed mode, the MCU  104  changes the current operation mode into the right-handed mode. 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of describing button signals changing method implemented by the MCU  104 . Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described below may be removed, others may be added, and the sequence of steps may be altered. 
         [0026]    In step S 510 , the click-detecting module  403  detects whether a click signal generated by the left-button or the right-button. If the click-detecting module  403  doesn&#39;t detect the click signal, the procedure repeats step S 510 . 
         [0027]    If the click-detecting module  403  detects the click signal, in step S 520 , the MCU  104  obtains the current operation mode and the default operation mode, and the signal-changing module  404  decides whether to change the button signals based on the relationship between the default operation mode and the current operation mode. If the current operation mode is identical to the default operation mode, the signal-changing module  404  sends the left-button signals or the right-button signals to the signal-transmitting module  405  directly to the computer. If the current operation mode is different from the default operation mode, the signal-changing module  404  changes the button-signals and sends the converted signal to the signal-transmitting module  405 . That is, the signal-changing module  404  changes the identifier of the button-signals before sending the button-signals to the signal-transmitting module  405 . 
         [0028]    In step S 530 , the signal-transmitting module  405  transmits the button signals from the signal-changing module  404  to the computer. 
         [0029]    Although the present invention has been specifically described on the basis of exemplary embodiment thereof, the invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.