Patent Abstract:
A mouse having an adjustable body size includes a mouse body having a first side and a second side; and a palm rest coupled to the mouse body, wherein the palm rest has a first size and the palm rest is configured to be removed from the mouse body to fit another palm rest to the mouse body having a second size that is different from the first size. The palm rest includes a first arm, a second arm, and a body portion that couples the first arm and the second arm. The first arm and the second arm are respectively coupled to the first side and second side of the mouse body.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to an input device, such as a mouse, and more particularly relates to a mouse that includes an exchangeable palm rest for adjusting the size of the mouse. 
     Input devices for computers and the like typically include mice, keyboards, joysticks, touch pads and the like for computer control. These input devices are typically used to control computer applications that typically include graphical objects that may be manipulated by the input device. Typical input devices often include one or more buttons and a roller for computer control. Mice often do not comfortably fit a user&#39;s hand size as the mice do not have adjustable body sizes. For example, may designers make mice to fit men&#39;s hands but fail to make mice that fit women and children&#39;s hands. 
     Examples of mice having adjustable body elements include: Logitech Europe S.A. U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,003, Felton U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,359, Sharp Laboratories U.S. Pat. No. 6,567,073, Shearn U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,527, IBM U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,085, Wacom U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,196, France Telecom U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,431, and Harskamp U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,138. 
     The mouse industry continues to strive to develop new mouse devices that are adjustable to comfortably fit a user&#39;s hand. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally provides an input device, such as a mouse, and more particularly provides a mouse that includes a dead front display. 
     According to one embodiment, the mouse includes a mouse body having a first side and a second side; and a palm rest coupled to the sides of the mouse body. The palm rest has a first size and the palm rest is configured to be removed from the mouse body to fit another palm rest to the mouse body having. The size of the other palm rest has a second size that is different from the first size. The palm rest includes a first arm, a second arm, and a body portion that couples the first arm and the second arm. The first arm and the second arm are respectively coupled to the first side and the second side of the mouse body. According to a specific embodiment, the mouse body has a different width, a different length, and/or a different height from the other mouse body. The palm rest is configured to be pivoted to raise and lower the body portion of the palm rest. The mouse body includes a back side between the first and second sides, and the body portion of the palm rest is coupled to back side of the mouse body. The body portion of the palm rest is coupled to the back side by a retractable attachment device. The mouse body includes a front side that is oppositely disposed with respect to the back side and includes a least one control button and a scroll wheel that are disposed substantially on the front side of the mouse body. The first and second arms respectively include first and second pins, the first and second sides respectively include first and second pin cavities, and the first and second pin cavities are removably coupled to the first and second pins to removably couple the palm rest to the mouse body. The first and second pins are configured to slide from the first and second cavities to decouple the palm rest from the mouse body. 
     The palm rest is coupled to the mouse body such that a gap is formed between the palm rest and the mouse body and the gap is configured as a vent. The mouse body may include a fan device configured to circulate air in the gap. The mouse body may also include a weight disk removably coupled to a bottom surface of the mouse body, wherein the weight disk is configured to include a set of removable weights to adjust the balance and/or weight of the mouse. 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, the mouse includes a mouse body having a first side and a second side, wherein a first plurality of indents are formed in the first side and a second plurality of indents are formed in the second side; and a palm rest coupled to the mouse body. The palm rest has a first size and is configured to be removed from the mouse body to fit another palm rest to the mouse body having a second size that is different from the first size. The palm rest includes a first arm, a second arm, and a body portion that couples the first arm and the second arm. The first arm includes a first pin device formed thereon, and the second arm includes a second pin device formed thereon. The first arm and the second arm are respectively coupled to the first side and second side of the mouse body. The first pin and the second pin are respectively configured to be positioned in the first plurality of indents and the second plurality of indent to tilt the body portion of the palm rest up or down. The mouse body has a different width, a different length, and/or a different height from the width, the length, and/or the height of the other mouse body. 
     A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be gained with reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  are simplified side and top views of a mouse having a mouse body and an exchangeable palm rest according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2A-2C  are simplified top views of exemplary palm rests having various sizes; 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  are simplified side views of the palm rests shown respectively in  FIG. 2A-2C ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a pin cavity formed in the mouse body according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are simplified top and side views of a mouse according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are bottom and side views of a mouse having a weight disk according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  are side and top views of a mouse according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  are simplified side and top views of a mouse  100  having a mouse body  102  and an exchangeable palm rest  105  according to one embodiment of the present invention. Palm rest  105  generally has a u-shape with two arms  110   a  and  110   b  that extend from a body portion  110   c  of the palm rests. Arms  110   a  and  110   b  are configured to generally extend along the sides of the mouse body, which may have a generally curved shape. Arms  110   a  and  110   b  form a portion of the sides of mouse  100 . Body portion  110   c  generally extends along a back portion of the mouse body and forms a back portion of mouse  100 . Various size palm rests  105  may be coupled to the mouse body to adjust the width, height, and/or length of the mouse. It should be understood the while element  105  is referred to as a palm rest, the palm rest may have a relatively short body portion  110   c  such that the palm rest does not extend under a palm portion of a user&#39;s hand, but may only extend under the user&#39;s fingers. It should also be understood that the palm rest may be substantially long such that the palm rest may also extend beyond the user&#39;s palm. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, mouse body  102  includes first and second control buttons  120   a  and  120   b  and a roller wheel  125  disposed on a front portion of the mouse body. The control buttons may be configured to perform traditional control button functions on a computer controlled by the mouse, such as making a selection on the computer&#39;s monitor and/or launching a drop down menu. A selection may include a selection of a portion of text from a document or the like. Document as referred to herein may include a text document, a table, a graphic image, computer code, a web page, or the like. The scroll button may be configured to scroll the document on the monitor, enlarge or reduce the document or the like. Such functions are well known to those of skill in the art and will not be described in further detail herein. 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  are simplified top views of exemplary palm rests  105   a - 105   c , respectively. Palm rests  105   a - 105   c  have various sizes. For example, palm rest  105   a  has a relatively larger width “w” than palm rests  105   b  and  105   c , and palm rest  105   b  has a relatively larger width than palm rest  105   c . Palm rest  105   a  also has a relatively longer length “1” than palm rests  105   b  and  105   c , and palm rest  105   b  has a relatively longer length than palm rest  105   c.    
       FIGS. 3A-3C  are simplified side views of palm rests  105   a - 105   c , respectively. Palm rests  105   a - 105   b  have various heights “h”. For example, palm rest  105   a  has a relatively larger height than palm rests  105   b  and  105   c , and palm rests  105   b  has a relatively larger height than palm rest  105   c . It should be understood that the height, widths, and lengths of palm rests  105   a - 105   c  are exemplary and that palm rests according to embodiments of the present invention may have a variety of heights, widths, and lengths. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 2A-2C , each palm rests includes a clip  135  on a front portion of the palm rest&#39;s body portion. The clip might include a pin, a spring or the like that is configured to couple to an indented portion  140  of the mouse body. Each palm rest may include a retraction device  145  or the like that is configured to retract clip  135  from indent  145 . 
     According to one embodiment, mouse  100  includes first and second pin cavities  150   a  and  150   b  that are disposed on opposite side of mouse body  102 . Each palm rest includes first and second pins  155   a  and  155   b  respectively disposed on inside portions of arms  110   a  and  110   b . Pin cavities  150   a  and  150   b  are configured to respectively receive pins  155   a  and  155   b  to removably attach the palm rest to the mouse body. 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of pin cavity  150   a  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The pin cavity includes a first slotted portion  160  configured to receive pin  155   a  to attach the palm rest to the mouse body. The pin cavity includes a second slotted portion  165  in which the pin  155   a  is configured to slide “back” to couple the palm rest to the mouse body as the palm rest is rotated to fit clip  135  into indent  140 . Pin cavity  150   b  is configured similarly to pin cavity  150   a  on the opposite side of the mouse body and is configured to receive pin  155   b.    
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the palm rest is configured such that a vent region  167  is formed between the palm rest and the mouse body. The vent may extend from the bottom of the mouse to the top of the mouse. According to one embodiment, the mouse body includes a fan  170  (see  FIG. 4 ) that is configured to blow air from a vent  175 , through gap  167 , and up to a user&#39;s hand. The fan may be configured to dry perspiration that forms on the user hand as the user uses the mouse. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  are simplified top and side views of a mouse  500  according to another embodiment of the present invention. Mouse  500  is similar to mouse  100  in that mouse  500  includes a mouse body  102 ′ and a palm rest  105 ′, which are similar to mouse body  102  and palm rest  105  described above. Mouse  500  differs from mouse  100  in that the palm rest  105 ′ is configured to be tilted up or down (indicated by arrow  502 ) to raise or lower the body portion  110   c  of the palm rest. Specifically, palm rest  105 ′ includes first and second button devices  505   a  and  505   b  disposed respectively on the left and right arms  110   a  and  110   b  of the palm rest. The button devices are configured to be positioned in various indents  510  formed on the sides of mouse body  102 ′ to hold the palm rest in various tilted positions. The back of mouse body  102 ′ might also include a number of indents, such as indent  140 , that are configured to receive clip  135  to hold the palm rest in the various tilted positions. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  are bottom and side views of a mouse  600  according to one embodiment of the present invention. Mouse  600  includes a weight disk  605  that may be removably attached to the bottom of the mouse. The weight disk includes a set of weight cavities  610  formed therein. The weight cavities are configured to receive a set of weights  615 . As shown in  FIG. 6B , the four of the weight cavities are filled with weights  615 , and four of the weight cavities are not filled with weights. The user of mouse  600  may fill the weight cavities with weights to adjust the weight and the weight balance of the mouse. While the weight cavities and weights are shown as generally round, the weight cavities and weights may have a variety of shapes, such as arced or the like. According to one embodiment of the present invention, mouse body  102  includes a weight disk  605  that may be variously filled with weights  615 . 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  are side and top views of a mouse  700  and of the mouse&#39;s associated body portion  705 . Mouse  700  differs from various mice embodiments described above in that mouse  700  includes a palm rest  710  that includes a palm rest portion  110   c  that extends over the top of the body and includes arms  710   a  and  710   b  that extend farther toward the front of the mouse. The arms may include first and second pins  755   a  and  755   b  respectively disposed on inside portions of arms  710   a  and  710   b , and that are configured to fit into pin cavities  750   a  and  750   b  that are at the front of the mouse body. Similar to mice embodiments described above, mouse  700  include a clip (not shown) that is configured to couple to an indented portion of the mouse body. Similar to mouse embodiments described above, palm rest  710  may have a variety of widths and lengths. 
     According to one embodiment, one or more palm rests include a dead front display for displaying information to a user. A dead front display is configured to display lighted information through the palm rest, but the information is configured not to be visible if the information is not lighted. For a detailed explanation of dead front displays see U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/356,386, titled Dead Front Mouse, filed Feb. 15, 2006, of David Shaft et al., which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     It is to be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the above description should not be understood as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6