Abstract:
In a mouse connected to a personal computer, a casing body is provided with a space for housing a data storage medium therein. A data processor communicates data between the personal computer and the data storage medium housed in the casing body. A door member covers an opening formed on the casing body, through which the data storage medium is attached or detached, in a closed position thereof. The door member constitutes a part of an outer face of the casing body at the closed position thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a coordinate input device, and more particularly to a mouse. 
   A so-called mouse for being moved on a flat surface to carry out an input operation has widely been utilized as a coordinate input device, for example. 
   Such a mouse comprises a mechanical movement detector for detecting a direction and a rotation amount of a ball which is rotatably supported in a case, or an optical movement detector for optically detecting the horizontal movement of the case, for example. 
   According to the mouse having such a structure, the case is horizontally moved so that the amount of the movement in an XY direction is detected by the mechanical or optical movement detector corresponding to the amount of the movement, and a detection signal is output to a connected personal computer. 
   While coordinates are input, a plurality of operation buttons are properly operated so that various input operations can be carried out. 
   Recently, a mouse comprising an interface in the USB standard has spread. Such a mouse can be connected to a USB connector commonly provided with another keyboard of a personal computer or various peripheral apparatuses. 
   On the other hand, a small-sized storage medium such as a compact flash, a smart medium or a memory stick has been used with the spread of a digital camera. By using these storage medium, data fetched by the digital camera can be easily transferred to the personal computer so that the data can be edited on the personal computer. 
   However, many personal computers which have currently been used do not comprise an interface capable of directly accessing these storage medium. In such a personal computer, therefore, it is necessary to add an interface device for mutually connecting the storage medium to the personal computer in order to use the storage medium. 
   In such an interface device, for example, there has been known an adapter attached to a PC card slot. By using such an adapter, the PC card slot is dedicated. Therefore, there is a problem in that another peripheral apparatus is prevented from being added. 
   Furthermore, in a case where an insertion unit of the storage medium is provided externally on the personal computer, it is necessary to newly maintain a space for providing the insertion unit around the personal computer and a cable for connecting the insertion unit to the adapter is required. Consequently, the periphery of the personal computer becomes messy. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mouse which also serves as an interface device for a storage medium. 
   In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a mouse connected to a personal computer, comprising: 
   a casing body, provided with a space for housing a data storage medium therein; and 
   a data processor, which communicates data between the personal computer and the data storage medium housed in the casing body. 
   In this configuration, various apparatuses to which the mouse is connected such as the personal computer can utilize the data storage medium as an auxiliary storage. The mouse is connected to various apparatuses so that the data storage medium can also be connected to the same apparatuses. 
   Therefore, it is possible to provide a mouse which also serves as an interface device of the data storage medium. 
   Preferably, the mouse further comprises a door member which covers an opening formed on the casing body, through which the data storage medium is attached or detached, in a closed position thereof. The door member constitutes a part of an outer face of the casing body at the closed position thereof. 
   In this configuration, foreign matters such as dust can be prevented from entering the inside through the opening. Further, the data storage medium is not protruded from the outer face of the casing body during the use of the mouse. Therefore, the operability of the mouse is not deteriorated. 
   Here, it is preferable that the door member includes a pair of first doors which is pivotable laterally. 
   Further, it is preferable that the door member includes a second door which is pivotable vertically. 
   In the above configurations, each of the doors may be constituted to be small-sized. Consequently, since the amount of the protrusion of the doors can be lessened when opening the doors, handling can be simplified. 
   Still further, it is preferable that the second door retains the first doors at the closed position thereof, when the second door is closed. 
   In this configuration, the whole structure can be simplified so that a cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the operation for opening or closing each of the doors can be simplified and the data storage medium can be inserted or pulled out easily. 
   Still further, it is preferable that the mouse further comprises an urging member which urges at least one of the first doors and the second door toward an opened position thereof. 
   In this configuration, since the first doors are automatically opened when the retention of the first doors in the closing state is released, the operation for opening and closing the doors can be simplified and the data storage medium can be inserted or pulled out easily. 
   Alternatively, it is preferable that the mouse further comprises an urging member which urges the door member toward the closed position thereof. 
   Here, it is preferable that the mouse further comprises a button member, which opens the door member against the urging force of the urging member when the button member is depressed. 
   Preferably, the mouse further comprises an ejector for moving the data storage medium housed in the casing body toward the opening. 
   In this configuration, when the storage medium is ejected from the housing space, the user operates the ejector so that the data storage medium is pushed out of the housing space and the end of the storage medium is exposed from the opening. Consequently, the user can easily take out the data storage medium by holding the end thereof protruded from the opening by hands and pulling out it from the housing space. 
   Here, it is preferable that the ejector includes a slider which is supported within the casing so as to be slidable in an inserting/ejecting direction of the data storage medium. 
   In this configuration, the data storage medium is moved in the ejecting direction toward the opening together with the slider through the sliding operation of the slider so that the data storage medium is pushed out of the housing space and the end of the data storage medium is exposed from the opening. 
   Further, it is preferable that the slider includes a projection engaged with a concave portion which is previously formed on the data storage medium. 
   In this configuration, the projection of the slider is engaged with the concave portion provided in the data storage medium so that the data storage medium is moved in the ejecting direction through the sliding operation of the slider. 
   Also, it is preferable that the slider includes an operating member which is exposed to the outside of the casing body so as to be movable in the inserting/ejecting direction of the data storage medium. The operating member is moved toward the ejecting direction so that the slider is moved toward the opening. 
   In this configuration, the user slides the operating member exposed to the outside of the case so that the slider is slid and the data storage medium is moved in the ejecting direction. 
   Preferably, the slider is always urged toward the inserting direction of the data storage medium. 
   In this configuration, the slider is not slid accidentally in the ejecting direction when the data storage medium is connected to the data processor. Thus, the data storage medium can be electrically connected to the data processor reliably. 
   Preferably, the mouse further comprises a cable, through which the data processor communicates the data. 
   In this configuration, the mouse can be used in the same manner as a conventional mouse of a cable connection type. 
   Here, it is preferable that the cable is connected to a USB standard connector provided with the personal computer. 
   Alternatively, it is preferable that the cable is connected to a PS/2 standard connector provided with the personal computer. 
   Alternatively, it is preferable that the data processor communicates the data wirelessly. 
   In this configuration, the mouse can be used as a wireless mouse. Consequently, a connection cable is not required. Thus, operability can be enhanced and portability can be further enhanced. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view showing a mouse according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2A  is a schematic plan view of the mouse; 
       FIG. 2B  is a schematic side view of the mouse; 
       FIG. 3  is a partially-sectional plan view of the mouse; 
       FIG. 4  is a longitudinal sectional view of the mouse; 
       FIG. 5  is a partially-sectional plan view showing a mouse according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic perspective view showing a mouse according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a partially-sectional plan view showing the mouse in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a vertical sectional view in a longitudinal direction showing the mouse in  FIG. 6 ; and 
       FIG. 9  is a vertical sectional view in a transverse direction showing only a lower case in the mouse of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying the drawings. 
     FIGS. 1 to 4  show a mouse according to a first embodiment of the invention. 
   In these figures, a mouse  10  is constituted by a case  11 , an optical movement detector  12  provided in the case  11 , an LED  13  to be a light emitter, two operation buttons  14  and  15  provided on the upper face of the case  11 , switches  14   a  and  15   a  provided in the case  11  for being operated by the two operation buttons  14  and  15 , a wheel  16  provided between the operation buttons  14  and  15 , a lens optics  17 , and an adapter unit  20  for accepting a storage medium. 
   The optical movement detector  12  and the LED  13  are mounted on a board  18  provided in the case  11 . 
   Moreover, the case  11  is actually constituted by a lower case  11   a  and an upper case  11   b.    
   The optical movement detector  12  is constituted to be a semiconductor chip and has a light receiving face  12   a  provided on a lower face thereof. 
   The optical movement detector  12  has been put on the market as an optical sensor, for detecting a change in the state on a reflecting surface, which reflects light emitted from the LED  13  to the light receiving face  12   a , so that horizontal directions and an amount of relative movement with respect to the reflecting surface are detected. 
   The LED  13  is attached sideways onto the board  18  and light is emitted downward through the lens optics  17 . 
   The switches  14   a  and  15   a  are attached to the lower case  11   a  of the case  11  and are turned on/off by depressing the two operation buttons  14  and  15  provided on the upper face of the case  11 . 
   Similarly, the wheel  16  is attached to the lower case  11   a  of the case  11  and the rotation amount is detected by a sensor which is not shown. 
   A detection signal detected by the optical movement detector  12 , the on/off operation of the switches  14   a  and  15   a  and the rotation amount of the wheel  16  are processed through a proper processing circuit (not shown) constituted on the board  18  and are then converted into a signal corresponding to a USB interface through a USB control circuit (not shown), and furthermore, the signal is sent from a USB hub (not shown) to a personal computer through a cable  19  or wirelessly by utilizing infrared transmission or the like. 
   In the case of the wireless transmission, a power battery may be provided in the case  11 . 
   The lens optics  17  is provided under the optical movement detector  12  between the board  18  and a bottom face of the lower case  11   a  of the case  11 . 
   The lens optics  17  serves as a reflecting surface for the LED  13  and a convex lens for the light receiving face  12   a . Consequently, light sent from the LED  13  is reflected downward and is collected, while the light reflected from the reflecting surface (not shown) such as a surface of a desk is collected into the light receiving face  12   a  of the optical movement detector  12 . 
   The adapter unit  20  is constituted by a housing portion  22  to accept a storage medium  21 , a connector  23  provided on the innermost portion of the housing portion  22 , and a data processor  100  connected to the connector  23 . 
   The data processor corresponds to the USB interface and is connected to the USB hub. 
   The housing portion  22  forms an internal space having the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped, corresponding to the shape of the storage medium  21  (a memory stick in the drawing) and includes an opening  22   a  on a rear side (closer to the operator&#39;s hand) of the upper case  11   b  of the case  11 . 
   In the accepted state of the storage medium  21 , both sides of a rear end thereof are exposed from both side portion of the opening  22   a  so that the operator can pick the rear end portion of the storage medium  21  to pull it out from the housing portion  22  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
   The opening  22   a  is constituted to be closed by the doors, that is, an upper door  24  and side doors  25  and  26 . 
   The upper door  24  has almost the same width as that of the housing portion  22 , and is pivotally supported around a horizontal shaft  24   a  shown in  FIG. 2B  and is pivoted between a closing position shown in a solid line and an opening position shown in a dashed line. 
   Each of the side doors  25  and  26  is constituted to have almost the same height as that of the housing portion  22  and is formed to cover both sides of the end on this side of the housing portion  22 . They are respectively pivotally supported on rotary shafts  25   a  and  26   a  on the innermost edge so as to pivotable between the closing position indicated by the solid line and the opening position indicated by the dashed line. They are respectively urged by springs  27  and  28  so as to open laterally. 
   Furthermore, the side doors  25  and  26  include projections  25   b  and  26   b  protruded inwardly which are provided on inner side faces opposed to each other. An inner end portion of the upper door  24  is engaged with the projections  25   b  and  26   b  so that the upper door  24  is engaged in the closing position when the side doors  25  and  26  are set in the closing position. In this configuration, when the operator opens the upper door  24  upward, the engagement of the upper door  24  is simultaneously released from the projections  25   b  and  26   b  so that the side doors  25  and  26  are opened laterally over the whole width of the housing portion  22  according to the urging force of the springs  27  and  28 . 
   In this state, the operator inserts the storage medium  21  into the housing portion  22  from the opening  22   a . In such a state that the storage medium  21  is completely inserted, the terminal section on the edge of the storage medium  21  is electrically connected to the connector  23 . When the operator moves the side doors  25  and  26  to the closing position against the urging force of the springs  27  and  28  and moves the upper door  24  to the closing position. At this time, when the operator releases the side doors  25  and  26 , the side doors  25  and  26  are pivoted outward by the urging force of the springs  27  and  28  so that the projections  25   b  and  26   b  are engaged with the inner end of the upper door  24 . Consequently, the upper door  24  is engaged in the closing position and the side doors  25  and  26  are held in the closing position against the urging force of the springs  27  and  28 . 
   The storage medium  21  thus accepted in the housing portion  22  is connected to the USB connector of the personal computer via the connector  23 , the USB hub and the cable  19 . Based on an instruction sent from the personal computer, the data processor  100  writes and/or reads data to/from the storage medium  21 . 
   In order to take out the storage medium  21  from the housing portion  22 , the upper door  24  is opened so that the side doors  25  and  26  are opened laterally by the urging force of the springs  27  and  28 . The operator holds the ends of the storage medium  21  which are exposed to both sides of the housing portion  22 , and then pulls it out. 
   The upper door  24  may be urged toward the opening position through a spring. In this case, the opening and closing operations can be performed more easily. 
   While the closing operation can be carried out by the upper door  24  and the side doors  25  and  26  in the embodiment, it may be performed by only the side doors  25  and  26 , or by only the upper door  24 , in accordance with the shape of the mouse  10 . 
   In this embodiment, a USB plug (not shown) provided with a leading end of the cable  19  is connected to a USB connector provided in a personal computer, thereby the mouse  10  is connected to the personal computer. 
   The mouse  10  serves as a coordinate input device on a flat surface such as a desk top. 
   Here, light emitted from the LED  13  illuminates, through the lens optics  17 , a region of the flat surface which is opposite to the light receiving face  12   a  of the optical movement detector  12 . On the other hand, light reflected from the illuminated region is incident on the light receiving face  12   a  through the lens optics  17 . 
   When a operator moves the case  11  of the mouse  10  in a horizontal direction over the flat surface, the reflected light incident on the light receiving face  12   a  of the optical movement detector  12  is changed with the relative movement of the illuminated region so that the optical movement detector  12  detects the direction and the amount of the relative movement based on the change in the reflected light. Moreover, when the operator depresses the operation buttons  14  and  15 , the switches  14 a and  15 a are operated. When the operator operates the wheel  16 , a sensor which is not shown detects the rotation amount thereof. 
   Consequently, the detection signal of the optical movement detector  12 , the on/off operation of the switches  14   a  and  15   a  and the rotation amount of the wheel  16  are processed by a proper processing circuit, to be transmitted to the personal computer via the USB control circuit, the USB hub and the cable  19 . Consequently, a cursor is moved over a screen of a display unit in the personal computer which is not shown corresponding to the direction and amount of the movement of the case  11  and a proper processing is carried out by the operation of the operation buttons  14  and  15  and the wheel  16 . 
   Moreover, the mouse  10  also serves as an adapter unit for the storage medium  21 . 
   In this case, the operator first opens the upper door  24  of the mouse  10  upward, subsequently opens the side doors  25  and  26  laterally, and then inserts the storage medium  21  into the opening  22   a . In such a state that the storage medium  21  is completely inserted, the terminal section formed on the edge of the storage medium  21  is electrically connected to the connector  23 . In this state, the operator closes again the side doors  25  and  26 , and the upper door  24  to cover the opening  22   a  of the mouse  10 . Consequently, the storage medium  21  is not protruded from the surface of the case  11  during the use of the mouse  10  while preventing foreign matters such as dust from entering from the opening  22   a  to the inside thereof. Therefore, the operability of the mouse  10  is not deteriorated and data is communicated between the storage medium  21  and the personal computer. 
   When the operator takes out the storage medium  21  from the mouse  10 , the operation is repeated to open the upper door  24  and the side doors  25  and  26 , the storage medium  21  is pulled out, and the upper door  24  and the side doors  25  and  26  are then closed. 
   As has been described heretofore, according to the invention, the adapter unit  20  does not occupy the PC card slot differently from the conventional configuration, and the connection cable of the mouse  10  is connected to the USB connector of the personal computer so that the adapter unit  20  is simultaneously connected to the personal computer. Therefore, the connection cable can be prevented from being complicated and the adapter unit  20  can be connected to the personal computer easily and simply. 
   Further, since the opening  22   a  of the housing portion  22  of the adapter unit  20  is always closed by the doors  24 ,  25  and  26  except when the storage medium  21  is loaded or unloaded. Therefore, foreign matters such as dust can be prevented from entering the case  11  through the opening  22   a , and the storage medium  21  is not protruded from the surface of the case  11  during the use of the mouse  10 . Therefore, the operator does not feel incongruousness while operating the mouse  10 . 
     FIG. 5  shows a mouse according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
   In  FIG. 5 , a mouse  30  has basically the same structure as that of the mouse  10  of the first embodiment, and is different in that side doors  31  and  32  are provided in place of the side doors  25  and  26 . Same parts are designated by identical reference numbers and the detailed explanation for the parts will be omitted. 
   The side doors  31  and  32  are pivotally supported on vertical rotary shafts  33  and  34  on front edges thereof and are urged through springs  35  and  36  such that the rear side is opened laterally. 
   Furthermore, the side doors  31  and  32  are formed with projections  31   b  and  32   b  protruded toward the outside of the rotary shafts  33  and  34 . 
   The projections  31   b  and  32   b  are engaged with hooks  37   c  and  38   c  provided on the tips of arms  37   b  and  38   b  of levers  37  and  38  which are pivotally supported on pivotal shafts  37   a  and  38   a  behind the rotary shafts  33  and  34 . 
   Arms  37   d  and  38   d  of the levers  37  and  38  are urged toward the outside through springs  39  and  40  and are pushed toward the inside through the tips of release buttons  41  and  42  protruded from both sides of a case  11 . 
   In the same manner as the mouse  10  described above, the mouse  30  having such a structure is operated as a coordinate input device and an adapter unit of a storage medium  21 . When the release buttons  41  and  42  are pushed, the levers  37  and  38  are pivoted against the urging force of the springs  39  and  40 , and the hooks  37   c  and  38   c  are thereby released from the projections  31   b  and  32   b  of the doors  31  and  32 . Thus, the doors  31  and  32  are pivoted to an opening position by the urging force of the springs  35  and  36 . Consequently, the upper door  24  is pivoted to the opening position by the urging force of a spring which is not shown with the opening operation of the doors  31  and  32 . Therefore, an opening  22   a  of a housing portion  22  is opened so that the storage medium  21  can be inserted in and pulled out from the housing portion  22 . 
   In order to close each of the doors  31 ,  32  and  24 , the operator first moves the upper door  24  to the closing position against the urging force of the springs and then moves the side doors  31  and  32  to the closing position against the urging force of the springs  35  and  36 . Consequently, the side doors  31  and  32  are engaged in the closing position through the levers  37  and  38 , and the upper door  24  is engaged with the projections  25   b  and  26   b  provided on the side faces of the side doors  25  and  26  in the same manner as in the case of the side doors  25  and  26  according to the first embodiment. Consequently, the upper door  24  is also engaged in the closing position. 
     FIGS. 6–9  show a mouse  40  according to a third embodiment of the invention. The mouse  40  has basically the same structure as that of the mouse  10  of the first embodiment, and is different in that the adapter unit  20  is provided with a storage medium ejector  34 , and in that no door member is provided. Same parts are designated by identical reference numbers and the detailed explanation for the parts will be omitted. 
   The storage medium ejector  34  is constituted by a slider  35  slidably supported on the case  11  in the inserting/ejection direction of the storage medium  21  on one of the sides of the housing portion  22 , and an operating portion  36  extended from the slider  35  toward the side of the case  11 . 
   The slider  35  is slidably supported on a guide shaft  35   a  provided in the case  11  and extended in the ejecting direction, and is urged in an opposite direction to the ejecting direction by a tension spring  35   b.    
   Furthermore, the slider  35  has a part  35   c  extended to the upper part of the housing portion  22  and the lower face of the extended portion  35   c  is provided with a projection  35   d  to be engaged with a concave portion  21   b  provided on the upper face of the storage medium  21  through a guide groove  22   b  provided in the housing portion  22 . In the drawing,  35   e  denotes a guide rail capable of causing the slide  35  to run stably. 
   The concave portion  21   b  provided on the upper face of the storage medium  21  is not newly provided for ejecting the storage medium  21  but has already been provided in the storage medium  21  put on the market. 
   Moreover, while the projection  35   d  of the slider  35  is constituted to be engaged with the concave portion  21   b  of the storage medium  21  as described above, the projection  35   d  of the slider  35  may be engaged with the insertion end of the storage medium  21 . 
   Moreover, the operating portion  36  is integrally attached to the slider  35  on the inside of the case  11  and is exposed to the side face of the case  11  through a slot  11   c  provided on the side face of the lower case  11  a of the case  11  and extended in the ejecting direction. 
   During the data writing/reading operations are performed, since the slider  35  of the storage medium ejector  34  is urged in the opposite direction to the ejecting direction by the tension of the spring  35   b , it is possible to prevent such a situation that the slide  35  is accidentally moved in the ejecting direction and the terminal section  21   a  of the storage medium  21  is removed from the connector  23 . 
   In order to eject the storage medium  21  from the housing portion  22 , the user moves the operating portion  36  exposed to the side face of the case  11  in the ejecting direction. Consequently, the slider  35  provided integrally with the operating portion  36  is similarly moved in the ejecting direction against the tension of the spring  35   b . In that case, the projection  35   d  is moved while pushing out the storage medium  21  in the ejecting direction. Accordingly, the storage medium  21  is moved toward the opening  22   a  in the housing portion  22  and an end thereof is stopped in such a position as to be protruded from the opening  22   a  of the housing portion  22  by a predetermined dimension. 
   The user pulls out the end of the storage medium  21  protruded from the opening  22   a  by hands so that the storage medium  21  is taken out of the housing portion  22 . 
   Then, the slider  35  is moved back in an opposite direction to the ejecting direction according to the tension of the spring  35   b.    
   According to this configuration, when the storage medium is ejected from the housing portion, the user operates the storage medium ejector so that the storage medium is pushed out of the housing portion and the end of the storage medium is exposed from the opening. Consequently, the user can easily take out the storage medium by holding the end of the storage medium protruded from the opening by hands and pulling out the storage medium from the housing portion. 
   Of course, this storage medium ejector can be applied to the configurations according to the first and the second embodiments. In this case, a mechanism for interlocking the storage medium ejector and the door members may be provided. 
   While the operation buttons  14  and  15  and the wheel  16  are provided on the upper face or side face of the case  11  in the above embodiments, the operation buttons may be provided in any position of the case in order to enhance operability. 
   While the mouse comprises the two operation buttons  14  and  15  in the above embodiments, it is apparent that three or more operation buttons may be provided. 
   Although the optical movement detector  12  and the LED  13  are mounted on the board  18  in the embodiment, the board  18  may be omitted. In this case, the components, that is, the optical movement detector  12  and the LED  13  are attached into predetermined positions on an inner face of the lower case  11   a  or the upper case  11   b  in the case  11 . 
   While the mouse  10  is constituted as a mouse for a so-called USB interface in the embodiment, it may be constituted as a mouse in the PS/2 standard or may be constituted as a so-called wireless mouse utilizing infrared rays. 
   Although the mouse is constituted to optically detect the horizontal movement of the mouse through the optical movement detector  12  and the LED  13  in the above embodiments, it is apparent that the invention can also be applied to a mouse comprising a mechanical movement detector which mechanically detects the direction and rotation amount of the ball.