Patent Publication Number: US-7719518-B2

Title: Computer peripheral device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a computer peripheral device, and more particularly to a computer peripheral device operated in different function modes by switching the configurations thereof. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Nowadays, cursor control devices such as mice become essential input devices of computer systems. By using a mouse, a cursor is moved to a command option on a screen, so that the user can input instructions to control processing operations of the computer system. With increasing demands of using the mouse as the control device of the computer system, the functions, the appearances and the user-friendliness of the mouse are improved and associated technologies are well established. For example, the mechanism for sensing the moving direction and the displacement of the mouse is shifted from a trackball mechanism to an optical sensing mechanism. Furthermore, the method for transmitting signals is advanced from the wired signal transmission technology to the wireless transmission technology. For practicability, a scroll wheel assembly is arranged between two click buttons. 
   Conventionally, the scroll wheel assembly is roatable in either a forward direction or a backward direction to scroll the image upwardly or downwardly. For minimization, another type of mouse having a thin film switch array is commercially available. By touching the thin film switch array, such a mouse has the functions identical to those activated by rotating the scroll wheel assembly. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , schematic perspective views of two conventional mice are shown. The mouse  100  of  FIG. 1  has a scroll wheel assembly  10 . The mouse  101  of  FIG. 2  has a thin film switch array  11  in replace of the scroll wheel assembly. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , since the level of the mouse  101  relatively to the desk plane is lower than that of the mouse  100  having the scroll wheel assembly  10 , the mouse  101  is slimmer. 
   For minimization, a slim mouse was disclosed in a co-pending Taiwanese Patent Application No. 95107510, which was filed by the same assignee of the present application on Mar. 7, 2006, and the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Referring to  FIG. 3(   a ), a schematic perspective view of the slim mouse disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 95107510 is illustrated. The slim mouse  200  as shown in  FIG. 3(   a ) comprises a first housing  201 , a second housing  202  and a connecting member  203 . The first housing  201  includes a first slant  2021 . The second housing  202  includes a second slant  2022 . Via the connecting member  203 , the first housing  201  is coupled with the second housing  202 . The connecting member  203  has a rotating shaft  2031 . By means of the rotating shaft  2031 , the second housing  202  is rotatable relative to the first housing  201 . Please also refer to  FIG. 3(   b ), which is a schematic perspective view of the connecting member  203 . As shown in  FIG. 3(   b ), the connecting member  203  further includes a first connecting plate  2032  and a second connecting plate  2033 . The first connecting plate  2032  and the second connecting plate  2033  are fixed onto the first slant  2021  and the second slant  2022 , respectively. The first connecting plate  2032  is coupled to the second connecting plate  2033  via the rotating shaft  2031 , such that the second connecting plate  2033  is rotatable relative to the first connecting plate  2032 . As a consequence, the second housing  202  is rotatable relative to the first housing  201  via the rotating shaft  2031 . The operating mechanism of the slim mouse  200  will be illustrated in more details with reference to  FIGS. 4(   a )˜ 4 ( c ). 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4(   a )˜ 4 ( c ), the operating mechanism of the slim mouse  200  is schematically illustrated. In a case that the slim mouse  200  is not acted as the cursor control device to be moved on the desk plane, the first slant  2021  of the first housing  201  is in contact with the second slant  2022  of the second housing  202 . Under this circumstance, the slim mouse  200  has a flat configuration and the volume of the slim mouse  200  is reduced, as is shown in  FIG. 4(   a ). If the user intends to move the mouse on the desk plane, the second housing  202  should be rotated, as is shown in  FIG. 4(   b ). After the second housing  202  is rotated by 180 degrees, the first slant  2021  of the first housing  201  is in contact with the second slant  2022  of the second housing  202  again, as is shown in  FIG. 4(   c ). Due to the contact between the first slant  2021  and the second slant  2022 , the slim mouse has a cambered configuration as is indicated in the dashed circle. Under this circumstance, the slim mouse  200  can be used as a cursor control device to be moved on the desk plane when the user&#39;s hand is placed on the cambered surface. Therefore, the slim mouse  200  may function as either a cursor control device or a remote controller by switching the configuration between a flat configuration and a cambered configuration. 
   This slim mouse  200 , however, still has some drawbacks. For example, when the slim mouse  200  functions as a remote controller by adjusting the configuration to be flat, the function of using as a cursor control device is still enabled. In other words, even though the functions involving the cursor control device are not needed, power is continuously supplied to the components associated with the mechanism of the cursor control device. Under this circumstance, the power consumption of the battery inside the slim mouse  200  is considerable. 
   In views of the above-described disadvantages resulted from the prior art, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly to develop a computer peripheral device according to the present invention through wholehearted experience and research. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer peripheral device operated in different function modes by switching the configurations thereof. 
   In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer peripheral device. The computer peripheral device comprises a first housing, a second housing, a connecting member and a judging circuit. The connecting member is used for connecting the first housing and the second housing. The connecting member is made of a conducting material and includes a rotating shaft. The second housing is rotatable relative to the first housing with rotation of the rotating shaft, so that the computer peripheral device is switched between a first configuration and a second configuration. The judging circuit is disposed inside the first housing and includes a first conducting contact and a second conducting contact. The judging circuit activates a first function when the computer peripheral device is adjusted to the first configuration such that the first conducting contact is electrically connected to the second conducting contact through the connecting member. The judging circuit activates a second function when the computer peripheral device is adjusted to the second configuration such that the electrical connection between the first conducting contact and the second conducting contact is interrupted. 
   The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view illustrating a conventional mouse; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view illustrating another conventional mouse; 
       FIG. 3(   a ) is a schematic perspective view illustrating a conventional slim mouse; 
       FIG. 3(   b ) is a schematic perspective view illustrating a connecting member used in the slim mouse of  FIG. 3(   a ); 
       FIGS. 4(   a )˜ 4 ( b ) are schematic views illustrating the operating mechanism of the conventional slim mouse; 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic perspective view of a cursor control device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic perspective view illustrating a connecting member used in the cursor control device of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIGS. 7(   a ) and  7 ( b ) are partially schematic perspective views illustrating electrical connection and electrical disconnection between the first conducting contact and the second conducting contact. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , a schematic perspective view of a computer peripheral device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. An exemplary computer peripheral device is a cursor control device  5 . The cursor control device  5  as shown in  FIG. 5  comprises a first housing  51 , a second housing  5 , a connecting member  53  and a judging circuit  54 . The cursor control device  5  further includes an optical sensor  60  inside the first housing  51  and triggered to generate a cursor control signal. A receptacle (not shown) is defined within the second housing  52  for accommodating at least a battery (not shown) therein. The connecting member  53  is made of a conducting material. Via the connecting member  53 , the first housing  51  is coupled with the second housing  52 . The connecting member  33  has a rotating shaft  530 . By means of the rotating shaft  530 , the second housing  52  is rotatable relative to the first housing  51 . Likewise, since the second housing  52  is rotatable relative to the first housing  51 , the cursor control device  5  may be switched between a cambered configuration (as shown in  FIG. 4(   c )) and a flat configuration (as shown in  FIG. 4(   a )) according to the user&#39;s requirement. 
   Moreover, the judging circuit  54  is arranged inside the first housing  51 , and includes a first conducting contact  541  and a second conducting contact  542 . Selectively, the first conducting contact  541  and the second conducting contact  542  are electrically connected to the connecting member  53  through a first flexible metallic plate  543  and a second flexible metallic plate  544 , respectively. 
   A major feature of the present invention will be illustrated in more details as follows. In a case that the second housing  52  is rotated relative to the first housing  51  with rotation of the rotating shaft  530  such that the cursor control device  5  has a cambered configuration, the first conducting contact  541  is electrically connected with the second conducting contact  542  through the connecting member  53 . Under this circumstance, the judging circuit  54  will activate the function of controlling cursor movement. In another case that the second housing  52  is rotated relative to the first housing  51  with rotation of the rotating shaft  530  such that the cursor control device  5  has a flat configuration, the connecting member  53  is not electrically interconnected between the first conducting contact  541  and the second conducting contact  542 . Under this circumstance, the judging circuit  54  will activate the function as a remote controller. As a consequence, the cursor control device  5  can be operated in different function modes by switching the configurations thereof. Moreover, when the cursor control device  5  is operated in a function mode, the other function mode is disabled, and thus the power consumption of the battery is saved. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , a schematic perspective view of the connecting member  53  used in the cursor control device  5  of the present invention is illustrated. In addition to the rotating shaft  530 , the connecting member  53  further includes a first connecting plate  531  and a second connecting plate  532 . The first connecting plate  531  and the second connecting plate  532  are fixed onto the first housing  51  and the second housing  52 , respectively. The first connecting plate  531  is coupled to the second connecting plate  532  via the rotating shaft  530 , such that the second connecting plate  532  is rotatable relative to the first connecting plate  531  and the second housing  52  is rotatable relative to the first housing  51  via the rotating shaft  530 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , a rotating surface  5302  of the rotating shaft  530  further includes a notch  5301 . When the second housing  52  is rotatable relative to the first housing  51 , the notch  5301  is also rotated to different positions. Depending on the positions of the notch  5301 , the first conducting contact  541  is electrically connected with the second conducting contact  542  through the connecting member  53  or electrically disconnected from the second conducting contact  542 . The related principles will be illustrated in more details as follows. 
   Please refer to  FIGS. 7(   a ) and  7 ( b ), which are partially schematic perspective views illustrating electrical connection and electrical disconnection between the first conducting contact  541  and the second conducting contact  542 . As shown in  FIG. 7(   a ), in the case that the second housing  52  is rotated relative to the first housing  51  such that the cursor control device  5  has a cambered configuration, the notch  3201  of the rotating surface  5302  of the rotating shaft  530  is rotated to a first position, which is distant from the second flexible metallic plate  544 . Under this circumstance, the first flexible metallic plate  543  is in contact with the first connecting plate  531  of the connecting member  53 , and the second flexible metallic plate  544  is in contact with the rotating surface  5302  of the rotating shaft  530 . Consequently, the first conducting contact  541  is electrically connected to the second conducting contact  542  through the connecting member  53 , so that the judging circuit  54  will activate the function of controlling cursor movement. As shown in  FIG. 7(   b ), in another case that the second housing  52  is rotated relative to the first housing  51  such that the cursor control device  5  has a flat configuration, the notch  3201  of the rotating surface  5302  of the rotating shaft  530  is rotated to a second position, which is next to the second flexible metallic plate  544 . When the notch  3201  is rotated to the second position, the second flexible metallic plate  544  is received in the notch  3201  but separated from the rotating surface  5302  of the rotating shaft  530 . Under this circumstance, the connecting member  53  is not electrically interconnected between the first conducting contact  541  and the second conducting contact  542 , so that the judging circuit  54  will activate the function as a remote controller. Since the power supplied to the optical sensor for detecting of the cursor control signal is interrupted, the function of controlling cursor movement is disabled and the power consumption of the battery is saved. 
   In the above embodiments, when the cursor control device  5  is adjusted to have the cambered configuration and the first conducting contact  541  is electrically connected to the second conducting contact  542 , the cursor control device  5  is operated in a first mode to control cursor movement. Whereas, when the cursor control device  5  is adjusted to have the flat configuration and the connection between the first conducting contact  541  and the second conducting contact  542  is interrupted to save power, the cursor control device  5  is operated in a second mode and acted as a remote controller. It is noted that, however, those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. For example, when the cursor control device  5  is adjusted to have cambered configuration and the connection between the first conducting contact  541  and the second conducting contact  542  is interrupted, the cursor control device  5  can be operated in a first mode to control cursor movement; and when the cursor control device  5  is adjusted to have the flat configuration and the connection between the first conducting contact  541  and the first conducting contact  541  is electrically connected to the second conducting contact  542 , the cursor control device  5  is operated in a second mode to be acted as a remote controller and the power supplied to the optical sensor is interrupted for reducing power consumption. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be limited only by the bounds of the following claims. 
   From the above description, the cursor control device of the present invention can be operated in different function modes by switching the configurations thereof. By rotating the second housing relative to the first housing, the cursor control device of the present invention can be switched between a cambered configuration like a mouse and a flat configuration like a remote controller. Moreover, the judging circuit of the cursor control device will activate either the function of controlling cursor movement or the function as a remote controller according to the configuration of the cursor control device. When the cursor control device is used the remote controller, the power supplied to the optical sensor is interrupted, so that the power consumption is reduced. More especially, by adjusting the notch of the rotating surface between a first position and a second position with rotation of the rotating shaft, the first conducting contact is electrically connected to or separated from the second conducting contact. Therefore, the drawbacks occurred in the prior art are overcome. 
   While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.