Combined mouse and trackball

Abstract: When keyboard 1 is set on the upper side, ball 10 is inserted between stopper 8 and the coordinate converting unit 4. As a result, the coordinate converting unit 4 is fixed by ball 10. When the user moves the pointing device on the flat surface, the ball 6 then moves according to the user's operation. Furthermore, when the user pushes keyboard 1, detecting switch 7 is pressed by protrusion 3, and then detecting switch 7 is switched to the ON state. On the other hand, when the pointing device is set upside down by the user, ball 10 moves to the opposite side via gravitation. Then ball 10 is inserted between stopper 8 and keyboard 1 and, as a result, keyboard 1 is fixed by ball 10. When the user spins ball 6, the ball moves in all directions in accordance with the user's operation. Furthermore, when the user pushes coordinate converting unit 4, detecting switch 7 is pressed by protrusion 3, and then detecting switch 7 is switched to the ON state.

Description: The present invention relates to a pointing device which is used as an input device for providing coordinate data of a CRT display of a computer. Conventionally, there are some kinds of pointing devices, such as a track ball, a mouse and so on, which are used as an input device to move the cursor around on a computer display. The track ball consists of a mounting which is usually in the form of a box, a ball which is set in the upper portion of the box, and one or more buttons. When the user spins the ball directly, the cursor moves at the speed in the direction of the ball's motion. Furthermore, the buttons are used for specific actions. On the other hand, the mouse consists of a box, a ball which is set thereunder, and one or more buttons. When the user moves the mouse on a flat surface, the ball rotates, and then the cursor moves at the speed in the direction of the ball's motion. The buttons are also used for specific actions. Recently, a pointing device having both functions of the track ball and mouse has been developed. In this pointing device, when the ball is set at the upper side thereof, it becomes a track ball. On the other hand, when the ball is set at the bottom side of the box, it becomes a mouse. This type of pointing device is disclosed in US patent 5,063,289 for example. This device has a cover which can take an open position for use as a mouse or a closed position for use as a track ball, and one of these positions is manually selected by hold or release of a latch. However, in this pointing device, the function for switching from between the track ball to the mouse, and vice verse, is manually switched by the user. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pointing device which can automatically control a function for switching from the track ball to the mouse and vice verse. In order to achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a pointing device for inputting coordinate information of a CRT display of a computer, with said pointing device comprising: a keyboard means for inputting at least an on-off signal which is mounted at one side of the case of said pointing device so that it is capable of an up-and-down motion; a coordinate converting means for converting a movement of a ball, which is rotatably mounted thereabout, and a portion of the ball which is protruded from said coordinate converting means, where said coordinate converting means is mounted on the opposite side of the case of the pointing device so that it is capable of an up-and-down motion; a switching means for detecting an on-off operation of the user, where said switching means is mounted on a reverse side of said coordinate converting means; a protrusion means for pushing said switching means when user pushes either said keyboard means or said coordinate converting means, where said protrusion means is mounted on a reverse said of said keyboard means; and a rocking means for fixing either said keyboard means or said coordinate converting means, and, in addition, when said keyboard means is set at upper side, said rocking means is moved by gravitation toward said coordinate converting means to fix the up-and-down motion of said coordinate converting means whereas, on the other hand, when said coordinate converting means is set on the upper side, said rocking means is moved by gravitation toward said keyboard means to fix the up-and-down motion of said keyboard means. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown. Fig. 1 (A) is a sectional side elevation showing a construction of a pointing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1 (B) is a sectional side elevation showing an upside-down view of a construction of the pointing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 (A) is a sectional side elevation showing a construction of a pointing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 (B) is a sectional side elevation showing an upside-down view of a construction of the pointing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 (A) is a sectional side elevation showing a construction of a pointing device 11 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1 (A), a keyboard 1 consists of a plurality of keys on the upper side and a protrusion 3 on the bottom side. The keyboard 1 is rotatable and set around an axis 2. A coordinate converting unit 4 consists of a ball 6 which is rotatable in all directions around the center thereof. In addition, the coordinate converting unit 4 is rotatable and set around an axis 5. When the ball 6 rotates, the coordinate converting unit 4 supplies information relating to an amount of motion and a direction of motion according to the amount of motion of the ball 6 with respect to a computer (not shown). A detecting switch 7 is an on-off button switch, in which the detecting switch 7 is switched to the ON state when it is pressed by the protrusion 3. A stopper 8 is fixed on the box (not shown), and the ball 10 moves between the upper side and bottom side along a guide 9. In the above condition, that is, when the keyboard 1 is set on the upper side, the ball 10 moves to the bottom side along the guide 9, and is inserted between the stopper 8 and the coordinate converting unit 4. Consequently, the coordinate converting unit 4 is fixed by ball 10. When the user moves the pointing device 11 on the flat surface as shown in Fig. 1 (A), then the ball 6 moves according to the user's operation. The coordinate converting unit 4 supplies the information such as the amount of motion and the direction of motion, according to the amount of motion of the ball 6 with respect to the computer. Furthermore, when the user pushes the keyboard 1, the detecting switch 7 is pressed by the protrusion 3, and then the detecting switch 7 is switched to the ON state. Fig. 1 (B) is a sectional side elevation showing an upside-down view of a construction of the pointing device 11 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1 (B), when the pointing device is set upside down by the user, the ball 10 moves forward to the keyboard 1 by itself via gravity. The ball 10 is then inserted between the stopper 8 and the keyboard 1, and as a result, the keyboard 1 is fixed by the ball 10. When the user spins the ball 6, the ball 6 moves in all directions in accordance with the user's operation. The coordinate converting unit 4 supplies the information such as the amount of motion and the direction of motion, according to the amount of motion of the ball 6 with respect to the computer. Furthermore, when the user pushes the coordinate converting unit 4, the detecting switch 7 is pressed by the protrusion 3, and then the detecting switch 7 is switched to the ON state. Fig. 2 (A) is a sectional side elevation showing a construction of a pointing device 15 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. An protrusion 12 is constructed under the keyboard 1, and is slightly shorter than the protrusion 3. A rotating portion 14 is rotatable and set around an axis 13 which is provided in the case of the pointing device 15. The rotating portion 14 has a center of gravity at point A, as shown in Fig. 2 (A). In the above condition, that is, in the case where keyboard 1 is set on the upper side, then the rotating portion 14 rotates around the axis 13, and is stopped at an edge of the base of the coordinate converting unit 4 as shown in Fig. 2 (A). As a result, the coordinate converting unit 4 is fixed by the rotating portion 14. When the user moves the pointing device 15 on the flat surface, the ball 6 moves according to the user's operation. The coordinate converting unit 4 supplies the information such as the amount of motion and the direction of motion, according to the amount of motion of the ball 6 with respect to the computer. Furthermore, when the user pushes the keyboard 1, the detecting switch 7 is pressed by the protrusion 3, and then the detecting switch 7 is switched to the ON state. Fig. 2 (B) is a sectional side elevation showing an upside-down view of a construction of the pointing device 15 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. When the pointing device 15 is set upside down by the user, the rotating portion 14 is rotated around the axis 13 by itself via gravitation, and then the rotating portion 14 contacts and stops at the edge of the protrusion 12. As a result, the keyboard 1 is fixed by the rotating portion 14. When the user spins the ball 6, the ball 6 moves in all directions in accordance with the user's operation. The coordinate converting unit 4 then supplies the information such as the amount of motion and the direction of motion, according to the amount of motion of the ball 6 with respect to the computer. Furthermore, when the user pushes the coordinate converting unit 4, the detecting switch 7 is pressed by the protrusion 3, and then the detecting switch 7 is switched to the ON state.

Claims: A pointing device (11; 15) for inputting coordinate information of a CRT display of a computer, with said pointing device comprising: a keyboard (1) for inputting at least an on-off signal which is mounted at one side of the case of said pointing device (11; 15) so that it is capable of an up-and-down motion; a coordinate converting unit (4) for converting a movement of a ball (6), which is rotatably mounted thereabout, and a portion of the ball (6) which is protruded from said coordinate converting unit (4), where said coordinate converting unit (4) is mounted on the opposite side of the case of the pointing device (11, 15) so that it is capable of an up-and-down motion; characterized by a detecting switch (7), for detecting an on-off operation of the user, where said detecting switch (7) is mounted on a reverse side of said coordinate converting unit (4); a protrusion (3) for pushing said detection switch (7) when user pushes either said keyboard (1) or said coordinate converting unit (4), where said protrusion (3) is mounted on a reverse side of said keyboard (1); and a rocking means (10; 14) for fixing either said keyboard (1) or said coordinate converting unit (4), and, in addition, when said keyboard (1) is set at upper side, said rocking means (10; 14) is moved by gravitation toward said coordinate converting unit (4) to fix the up-and-down motion of said coordinate converting unit (4) whereas, on the other hand, when said coordinate converting unit (4) is set on the upper side, said rocking means (10; 14) is moved by gravitation toward said keyboard (1) to fix the up-and-down motion of said keyboard (1). A pointing device according to claim 1, characterized by a stopper (8) which is constructed between said keyboard (1) and said coordinate converting unit (4); wherein said rocking means is a ball (10), which is provided so that it can move back and forth from the upper side to the bottom side, and vice versa, of said pointing device (11), along a guide (9); wherein both distances between said stopper (8) and said keyboard (1), and between said stopper (8) and said coordinate converting unit (4), are equal to the diameter of said ball (10); and when said keyboard (1) is set on the upper side of said pointing device (11), said ball (10) moves toward said coordinate converting unit (4) along said guide (9), and is inserted between said stopper (8) and said coordinate converting unit (4), so that said coordinate converting unit (4) is set on the upper side of said pointing device (11), said ball (10) moves toward said keyboard (1) along said guide (9), and is inserted between said stopper (8) and said keyboard (1) so that said keyboard (1) is fixed. A pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said rocking means is an unsymmetrical rotating portion (14) with respect to a rotating axis (13) thereof, and which has a center of gravity at a point of the rotating portion (14) apart from the axis (13), wherein said rocking means is provided so that it can rotate from the upper side to the bottom side, and vice versa, by itself via gravitation, of said pointing device (15); and when said keyboard (1) is set on the upper side of said pointing device (15), said rotating portion (14) rotates toward said coordinate converting unit (4) by itself via gravitation, and contacts a bottom of said coordinate converting unit (4), so that said coordinate converting unit (4) is fixed whereas, on the other hand, when said coordinate converting unit (4) is set on the upper side of said pointing device (15), said rotating portion rotates toward said keyboard (1) by itself via gravitation, and contacts a bottom of said keyboard (1) so that said keyboard (1) is fixed.

Inventors: ITO YOSHIYUKI, TANAKA SHINYA, ITO, YOSHIYUKI, TANAKA, SHINYA, Tanaka, Shinya, c/o ASCII CORPORATION
Applicants: ASCII CORP, ASCII CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G06K11
IPC codes: G06F3