GB2231182A

GB2231182A - Mouse for right-handed or left-handed actuation

Info

Publication number: GB2231182A
Application number: GB9005903A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hiroko Murai; Hiroichi Yoshida
Original assignee: Sharp Corp
Current assignee: Sharp Corp
Priority date: 1989-03-16
Filing date: 1990-03-16
Publication date: 1990-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 2010-03-16
Also published as: GB2231182B; JPH02242419A; GB9005903D0

Abstract

A control apparatus for data processing equipment with a hand-held position input device that can be operated by a left-handed person with his left hand as naturally as a right-handed person does with his right hand. A control section 5 includes an area of RAM 8 for storing mouse input settings and a table in ROM 7 which changes over the functions of first or left and third or right buttons 4a, 4c on the mouse 3. In use by a left-handed operator who inputs by use of keyboard 11 commands representing setting the apparatus for use by a left-handed person and the mouse input settings. The control section responds to actuation of the buttons on the mouse to determine if the left-handed flag has been set, and, if so, the button change over table is read from the ROM to change over the button functions. <IMAGE>

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A CONTROL APPARATUS FOR DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT 1. Field of the invention: The present invention relates to control apparatuses for data processing equipment with a handheld position input device such as in computers and word processors.

2. Description of the prior art: Hand-held position input devices (mouses) are used, in addition to keyboards, as input devices for the control apparatus of computers, etc. Moreover, the respective functions of the buttons on a mouse are defined by the application software run on the control apparatus. The allocation of these functions, in turn, is made to be convenient only for right-handed persons, with frequently used functions being assigned to the button operated by the index finger.

The positions and functions of the input buttons on a mouse are fixed, and when a left-handed operator operates the mouse, he must either operate it with his right hand or mainly use his middle finger to press the input buttons while operating it with his left hand.

However, operating the mouse buttons with the fingers of the less skillful hand is awkward and there is a difference in the skillfulness between the middle finger and the index finger, so there is a problem of greater inconvenience for left-handed operators than for right-handed operators.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The control apparatus for data processing equipment of this invention, which overcomes the abovediscussed and numerous other disadvantages and deficiencies of the prior art, comprises an output section with a display, a hand-held position input device operated while moving said input device on the surface of said display, and a control section which controls said display by command signals from multiple input buttons on said position input device, said control section having a switching means for changing the functions of said input buttons from either rightto left-handed persons or to the other.

In a preferred embodiment, the hand-held position input device is a mouse.

In a preferred embodiment, the mouse has at least two input buttons, the functions of which are switched from either right- to left-handed persons or to the other by means of said switching means.

Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the objectives of (1) providing a control apparatus for data processing equipment with a handheld position input device, the functions of the input buttons of which are easily switched from either the right- or the left-hand or to the other; and (2) providing a control apparatus for data processing equipment with a hand-held position input device that can be operated by a left-handed person with his left hand as naturally as a right-handed person can with his right hand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This invention may be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings as follows: Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a the control apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the control apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a flow chart of the switching procedure of the control apparatus of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS When a left-handed operator attempts to operate data processing equipment and he inputs the command for making a mouse input setting, a mouse input setting OK message appears on a display. When the command for setting the input buttons on the mouse for a left-handed person is entered, the left-handed mode is set by a control section switching means and the functions of the input buttons on the mouse are switched from the right-handed persons to left-handed persons. The operator can now operate the mouse with his left hand in the same way as right-handed person does with his right hand.

In this way, the functions of the input buttons of the mouse are switched left for right, and operation can be performed by the left hand as naturally as by the right hand.

Example Figures 1 and 2 show a control apparatus of the present invention, which comprises an output section 2 with a display 1, a hand-held position input device 3 which is operated while moving it on the surface of the display 1, and a control section 5 which controls the display 1 by command signals from the multiple input buttons 4 of the position input device 3. The control section 5 has a switching means for changing the functions of the above-mentioned input buttons 4 from either right- to left-handed persons or to the other.

The control section 5 has a CPU 6, a ROM 7, a RAM 8, and an auxiliary storage device 9 comprising a floppy disk drive. The above-mentioned display 1 is connected to the output section 2 of the CPU 6.

The above-mentioned position input device 3 and keyboard 11 are connected to the above-mentioned control section 5 via the input section 10 of the control apparatus.

The position input device 3 is referred to as a mouse, and it has three above-mentioned input buttons 4 on the top of a bowl-shaped unit 12. The input buttons 4 have springs built into them so that the contacts inside of the buttons close by means of snap action and output a signal, whereby a clicking feel is obtained. The buttons 4a, 4b and 4c are numbered No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 from the left.

On the bottom of the unit 12 is a movable ball (not shown) which allows the mouse signal to be freely moved around on the surface of the display 1, and by detecting the direction of rotation and the number of rotations of the movable ball by means of an encoder, the direction of movement of the cursor on the display 1 is determined.

The above-mentioned switching means of the control section 5 comprises an area (left-handed flag) in the RAM 8, which is provided for storage of the mouse input settings, and a table, which is provided in the ROM 7 that changes the left and right orientation of the input buttons 4, whereby the functions of the No. 1 button 4a and the No. 3 button 4c are switched.

By means of the above configuration, as shown in Figure 3, when a left-handed operator attempts to operate the data processing equipment, he inputs the command from the keyboard 11 for making the mouse 3 input settings. When this is done, a mouse input setting OK message appears on the display 1. He inputs the command to set the input buttons 4 for a lefthanded operator, and a left-handed flag is set in the RAM 8.

When the input buttons 4 on the mouse 3 are pressed, a check is performed to determine whether a left-handed flag has been set and the unit is in the left-handed mode. If in the left-handed mode, the mouse button No. changing table is read out from the ROM 7, the No. 1 button 4a is converted to the No. 3 button 4c, the No. 2 button 4b remains as it is, and the No. 3 button 4c is converted to the No. 1 button 4a.

When a left-handed operator operates the mouse 3 with his left hand as a right-handed person would with his right hand, the functions corresponding to the button Nos. are executed.

By changing the functions of the input buttons 4 of the mouse 3 for either right- or lefthanded persons in this way, the mouse can be operated with either the left or right hand in a natural manner.

Instead of three input buttons on the mouse, for example, there may be only two input buttons on the mouse.

It is understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the description as set forth herein, but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty that reside in the present invention, including all features that would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A control apparatus for data processing equipment comprising an output section with a display, a handheld position input device operated while moving said input device on the surface of said display, and a control section which controls said display by command signals from multiple input buttons on said position input device, said control section having a switching means for changing the functions of said input buttons from either right- to left-handed persons or to the other.

2. A control apparatus for data processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein said hand-held position input device is a mouse.

3. A control apparatus for data processing equipment according to claim 2, wherein said mouse has at least two input buttons, the functions of which are switched from either right- to left-handed persons or to the other by means of said switching means.

4. Data processing apparatus in which a remote manually operable input device is operable to control a display formed on a display screen of the apparatus, the device including manually actuable control means which can be manipulated in different ways to achieve the same display control, the apparatus also including means for selecting between different modes of data processing according to the way in which the user wishes to actuate said control means.

5. A computer with a mouse which can be selectively operated right or left-handed, the functions of the controls on the mouse being switchable to provide the same finger-to-control correspondence for left as for right-handed operators.

6. A control apparatus as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A control apparatus as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.