Patent Publication Number: US-2009235970-A1

Title: Energy-storage mouse pad capable of absorbing light energy

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to an energy-storage mouse pad capable of absorbing light energy, and particularly, relates to a mouse pad structure capable of transforming ambient light illumination energy into electric energy for storage. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With development of science and technology and widespread availability of information, computers have become an indispensable tool for almost every modern person. Furthermore, new peripheral devices for computers, whether the desktop type or the notebook type, are also researched and developed at an ever-faster pace. Taking the mouse as an example, the earliest generation of ball mice which sense a moving position by means of a scroll ball suffers from a slow response and high failure rate. Accordingly, modern optical mice have been developed to sense a moving position by means of light, which delivers a faster response and lower failure rate. However, as an optical mouse senses a moving position by means of light, it would be difficult to use an optical mouse on a common desktop surface or a transparent material due to lack of effective reflection. In this case, the mouse pad plays a more important role. Unfortunately, common mouse pads only focus on materials, appearance and comfort level thereof without providing additional functions to facilitate use. 
     Accordingly, how to obviate the above problem is a technical challenge to be addressed by the present inventor. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the shortcomings described above and by collecting relevant data and making an evaluation and consideration on all aspects of this problem, the present inventor has made repeated experiments and modifications based on years of experience in the art, and finally works out this novel mouse pad capable of transforming ambient light illumination into electric energy for storage and use. 
     The primary objective of this invention is that, by using a solar panel to absorb ambient light illumination energy and transform it into electric energy for storage in an energy-storage device and outputting electric power via a connecting port, the solar mouse pad can supply electric power to peripheral devices of a computer. 
     Another objective of this invention is that, the solar panel is further provided with a diffusion layer so that by using the diffusion layer to uniformly diffuse a portion of ambient light, the solar panel as a whole can absorb and utilize the ambient light illumination uniformly, thus achieving an optimal light absorption performance. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective outline view of a preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a first applied drawing of the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a second applied drawing of the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a third applied drawing of the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a fourth applied drawing of the preferred embodiment of this invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a fifth applied drawing of the preferred embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, the technical means and structure employed by this invention to accomplish the above objectives and functionalities will be described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment of this invention to facilitate a thorough understanding. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a perspective outline view and a perspective exploded view of a solar mouse pad  1  are illustrated therein respectively. As can be seen clearly from these drawings, the solar mouse pad  1  primarily comprises a base  2 , an energy-storage device  21 , a solar panel  3  and a connecting port  4 . The energy-storage device  21  is disposed on the base  2 . The base  2  is further provided with one or more connecting ports  4  at a side thereof, which may comply with one of the USB connection specification, the PS/2 connection specification, the RS323 connection specification, the IEEE1394 connection specification and other relevant connection specifications for electric signal transmission. Also, the base  2  is provided with a solar panel  3 , which may be a monocrystal silicon solar panel, a polysilicon solar panel or an amorphous silicon solar panel complying with corresponding specifications. A diffusion layer  31  is in turn disposed on the solar panel  3 , and is attached thereon with a refractive layer  32  for refracting and reflecting infrared light from the optical mouse itself back into the optical mouse. Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , a preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated therein. As can be seen clearly from these drawings, when the solar mouse pad  1  is used with a mouse  5 , the solar panel  3  disposed on the solar mouse pad  1  transforms light illumination energy from ambient table lamps, desk lamps, fluorescent lamps or other illuminating devices into electric power to be stored in the energy-storage device  21  on the base  2 . Here, the energy-storage device  21  may be a nickel-hydrogen cell, a nickel-cadmium cell, a hydrocarbon cell, a lithium cell or the like that can store electric power. Furthermore, with the diffusion layer  31  disposed on the solar panel  3 , ambient light illumination and sensing light from the bottom of the optical mouse  5  itself get diffused uniformly so that each part of the solar panel  3  can absorb and utilize light uniformly. 
     Referring further to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , the embodiment of this invention is further illustrated therein. As can be seen clearly from these drawings, the connecting port  4  disposed at a side of the solar mouse pad  1  allows an illumination apparatus  6 , a miniaturized fan  7  or a loudspeaker  8  of a playing device to be plugged therein and powered by the already charged energy-storage device  21  on the base  2 . In this way, the solar mouse pad  1  is not only limited to use with the mouse, but may be further applied to some peripheral devices to achieve the goal of energy conservation and environmental protection.