Patent Publication Number: US-2009240658-A1

Title: Search button on input device

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a search function button on a mouse, track ball, or a touch pad. With this button, users may obtain search results without having to type the words in the search engine. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to pointing input devices for computer systems that are used to move cursor on the screen. In many computer systems, users can control functions and select display items by using a pointing device such as a mouse, track ball or touch pad. Information about the state of the pointing input device, such as cursor movement and the activation of the switches on the input device is exchanged periodically between the computer system and the input device. The data packets from input device is generally received by software programs known as drivers, that works between the hardware of the input device and the operating system of the computer. 
     Currently, most pointing input devices come with two buttons, with exception such as the Apple mouse that only has one button. It has been made possible to implement more than two buttons on a pointing input device in such a way that additional functions can be invoked from currently available applications by pressing one of the additional buttons. 
     Navigating the web has been used primarily with the pointing input device such as mouse, track ball, or touch pad. However, the web search engines require user to enter text via keyboard to perform search, which pointing input devices can not operate alone. There is a need to enhance the capability of the pointing input device to include the search function. It is also in the interest of the users to conveniently gain search results from just using the pointing input device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a pointing input device with a search button, in which the button signal performs a combination of functions that the operating system can identify by using firmware without the need for additional driver installed on the operating system. This capability enhancement is to combine several functions in one button click resulting convenient access to more information on the Internet. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pointing input device with a search button. The pointing input device can communicate with an operating system of a computer and comprises a case, one primary button, one secondary button, one search button, a switch and a button signal simulation module. The button signal simulation module is disposed within the case for converting the signals identifiable by the operating system. 
     In an embodiment, the button signal simulation module is implemented by firmware in the control circuit and the operating system executes the following commands in sequence: a copy command, an open default browser window command to the preset search engine web page, the paste command, and the enter command. 
     The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of an operating environment according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention on a laptop computer 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a hand holding a mouse type pointing input device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a mouse type pointing input device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a hand handling a touch pad type pointing input device according to the present invention 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of a touch pad type pointing input device according to the present invention 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is intended to provide a brief description of a suitable computing environment in which the invention is operated. The invention carries out program modules to be executed by a personal computer. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention works with other computer system configuration, including personal handheld devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor based or customized consumer electronics, network PCs, mini computer, mainframe computers, and etc. The invention also works in the distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing powers that are linked through a communication network. 
     The computer system  1000  of  FIG. 1  comprises of Operating System (OS)  120 , display system  124 , browser application  121 , network interface  125 , other hardware  130 , driver  123 , and peripheral device interface  122  that connects to the pointing input device  1   10 . The computer system  1000  connects to the internet  150  and the search engine  160  through the network interface  125 . 
     The operating system  120  may be any of the following that includes but not limited to Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista, Mac OS, and Linux. 
     The browser application  121  is the Internet browser application that user sets as default on the operating system  120 . Such browser application  121  may be any of the following that includes but not limited to Microsoft Internet Explorer, AOL explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Opera, or Apple Safari. 
     The search engine  160  may be any of the following that includes but not limited to Google, Yahoo, Baidu, MSN, NHN, Ebay, AOL, Ask.com, Yandex, Alibaba, ODP, and Sogou. 
     In  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , the pointing input device  110  in the case of the mouse comprises of a search button  111 , a case  119 , the primary button  112 , secondary button  113 , the scroll wheel  114 , a switch  115 , and a control circuit  116 . The primary button  112  and secondary button  113  have the same functions as the left and right buttons of the conventional mouse. The search button  111  is positioned to be easily accessible by press of the thumb. 
     In  FIGS. 2 ,  5  and  6 , the pointing input device  110  in the case of the touch pad comprises of a search button  111 , a primary button  112  and a secondary button  113  that rest on top of the computer system  1000  main body. The switch  115  and a control circuit  116  are hidden beneath the input device  110 . The primary button  112  and secondary button  113  have the same functions as the left and right buttons of the conventional touch pad. The search button  111  is positioned to be easily accessible by press of the thumb. 
     The process flow of  FIG. 7  is described in detail below. A user can highlight text and graphics by using the search button  111  the same way as the primary button  112  when pressed and held across text or graphics that user sees on the display system  124 . When there is text or graphics highlighted by using search button  111 , as the pressing of the search button  111  is released, the switch  115  is triggered to activate the signals in the control circuit  11   6 . Control circuit  116  first sends the signal copy (Ctrl +C) of the highlighted text to the Operating System  120 . Subsequently, control circuit  116  sends the signal to Operating System  120  to open a new default browser window  121  with the preset search engine  160  web page. Then, control circuit  116  sends the signal paste (Ctrl+V) of the highlighted text to the default browser  121  and the enter command on the search engine  160  web page. Lastly, search engine  160  returns the search result and shows on the display system  124 . If the text is highlighted by using the primary button  112 , a subsequent click of the search button  111  also returns the same result as described above. 
     The button signal module is implemented by firmware provided in the control circuit  116 . Therefore it is not necessary to install additional device driver. The control circuit  116  also stores unique device identification number. 
     Although only one search button  111  shape is shown above, other button location and shapes are within the scope of the invention and include shapes that with more or less edges or level of protrusion. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to a right handed pointing input device, those skilled in the art will recognize that a left handed pointing input device is within the spirit of the invention. A left handed pointing input device of the present invention would be a mirror image of the right handed pointing input device described above. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.