A scheme for switching peripheral control right among multiple devices by mouse

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of computer peripheral device control, and in particular to a technical solution for switching peripheral device control right among target devices by detecting the mouse lifting state and lifting time when a single mouse is used to control multiple electronic devices, instead of using physical buttons to switch the peripheral device control right among multiple devices, which is suitable for multi-device collaborative office, home multi-terminal control, industrial control multi-operation interface and other scenarios, and aims to improve the operation convenience, switching flexibility, device integration, and reduce the production and use costs of such mouse.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of computer peripheral device control technology, and in particular to a technical solution that, when a single mouse controls multiple electronic devices (such as multiple computers), switches peripheral control rights (mouse control rights, keyboard control rights, etc.) between target devices by detecting the mouse's lift-up state and lift-up time, replacing the traditional method of switching peripheral control rights between multiple devices using physical buttons. Background Technology

[0002] In current scenarios involving multi-device collaboration, users often need to control multiple devices with a single mouse (e.g., simultaneously operating a desktop and laptop while working, or connecting a host computer and a rendering machine during design work). Traditional implementation methods mainly rely on two types of solutions: The first type is the hardware switching solution: This involves connecting multiple electronic devices via a KVM switch (keyboard, video, mouse switcher). Users need to press physical buttons on the KVM switch or the physical switch button on the mouse to switch control permissions for peripherals such as the mouse between different devices. This solution has significant drawbacks: physical buttons require additional desktop space, and users must shift their gaze to the button location during switching, resulting in poor operational continuity; if the mouse has a physical switch button, accidental presses can easily lead to incorrect control switching, affecting work efficiency; physical buttons also increase manufacturing difficulty and cost. The second type is the software switching solution: by installing collaborative control software (such as Synergy, Mouse Without Borders, etc.) on multiple devices, the mouse can be moved across devices based on the network connection. However, this type of solution only supports the mouse to "follow the screen boundary" (i.e., automatically switch to another device when the mouse moves to the edge of the current screen). It cannot meet the user's need to quickly switch the controlled object without moving the mouse position (for example, when the user is focused on the current screen operation, they need to temporarily control the background program of another device). In addition, it is highly dependent on the stability of the network, and the switching function is completely invalid when the network is disconnected.

[0003] Furthermore, existing solutions lack a switching mechanism based on the physical usage state of the mouse (such as raising or lowering it). As a device directly operated by the hand, the "raising" motion of the mouse is part of the user's natural operating habits (such as raising it when adjusting the mouse position). Utilizing this state for switching could further reduce the learning curve and improve the smoothness of switching. In summary, existing technologies suffer from cumbersome operation and accidental touches due to "physical button switching," while "software boundary switching" has limitations in scenarios and network dependencies. There is an urgent need for a solution that eliminates the need for physical buttons, incorporates the mouse's natural usage state, offers flexible operation, and does not rely on a network for switching peripheral control between multiple devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies where multiple devices are controlled by a single mouse, such as reliance on physical buttons for switching, limitations imposed by scene or network, or lack of natural operation adaptation. This invention provides a solution that detects the mouse's lift-up state and lift-up time, and sends commands after certain conditions are met, replacing traditional button / trajectory commands. This achieves a solution that eliminates physical buttons, conforms to user operating habits, and flexibly and efficiently switches control of peripherals such as the mouse across multiple devices.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the complete technical solution of the present invention includes the following modules: (1) Device connection and initialization module Multiple devices to be controlled are connected to the target mouse via a USB hub (supporting multi-device data transmission) or a wireless receiver (such as Bluetooth), ensuring that multiple devices can simultaneously receive the mouse's signal. The target mouse must have a lift-up state detection function (built-in optical or infrared sensor to detect the distance between the mouse and the operating surface in real time and determine whether it is in a "lift-up state"). The lift-up state trigger threshold can be set via firmware (e.g., a lift-up distance greater than 2 mm is considered a "lift-up state" by default). Currently, there are several mature hardware solutions for detecting mouse lift-up states available on the market, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 1 This is one of the implementations.

[0006] Install a "multi-device control client" on each device. The client automatically identifies the connected mouse device and checks whether it supports lift-up detection (if not, it prompts the user that "a mouse with lift-up detection is required"). Then, it assigns a unique "device identifier" (such as PC01, PC02, PC03) to each device, establishes a communication channel between the mouse and each device (supporting USB data transfer or wireless encrypted transmission), and synchronizes the mouse's lift-up status and device identifier data to the client.

[0007] Two core parameters can be set according to the scenario and usage habits: Parameter 1 is the switching delay threshold: the default setting is 300 milliseconds, which users can adjust according to their operating habits (range 50 milliseconds – 10 seconds); when the mouse detects a lift-up state (lift-up distance greater than or equal to the threshold) and the duration exceeds the delay threshold, the switching command is triggered; Parameter 2 is the state reset mechanism: when the raised state disappears (the mouse is placed back on the operating plane and the raised distance is less than the threshold), if the raised state is detected again, the switching command will be triggered again (i.e., the loop action of "raise-place-raise again" can realize the continuous switching of multiple devices). (2) Switching the execution and feedback module When a user triggers a preset switching command, the mouse transmits the switching command carrying the device identifier code to the "multi-device control client" via the communication channel (the user can set the switching order, such as ascending / descending order of device identifier codes, or a custom priority list). The client matches the device identifier code in the command with the device identifier code of the current device. If the device identifier code matches, the control permissions of peripherals such as the mouse are switched to the current device; if the device identifier code does not match, the control permissions of peripherals such as the mouse are switched from the current device to the target device. After the switch is complete, the client provides feedback to the user in two ways: The first method is visual feedback: display a dynamic prompt box on the edge of the target device's screen (such as a text prompt "Switched to PC02" popping up in the upper right corner of the screen). The display duration of the prompt box can be set to 1-3 seconds, while the screen brightness is briefly increased by 5% (lasting 0.5 seconds) to ensure that the user quickly perceives the switching result. The second method is haptic feedback: the vibration module built into the mouse (such as a micro linear motor) emits vibrations at a specific frequency (such as "one short vibration"), and different target devices correspond to different numbers of vibrations (such as one vibration when switching to PC01 and two vibrations when switching to PC02), so as to avoid the user not being able to perceive the switching status and method when the visual feedback is blocked. (3) Scene adaptation module Supports "scenario-based switching settings": Users can create different usage scenarios (such as "office scenario", "design scenario", etc.), preset different switching instructions and target devices in each scenario, and set the lifting switching parameters individually; for example, in the "office scenario", "switch to PC01 (work host) after lifting with a delay of 300 milliseconds", and in the "design scenario", "switch to PC02 (rendering host) after lifting with a delay of 500 milliseconds". Scene switching can be triggered by simple mouse operations (such as "scrolling the wheel up and down 5 times"). (4) Exception handling module When a device disconnects (e.g., due to a loose USB port or interrupted wireless signal): the client monitors the connection status in real time and alerts the user through "visual feedback + haptic feedback," while automatically skipping the disconnected device and switching to the next available device; If the lift-up status detection is abnormal: such as a mouse sensor malfunction causing continuous false alarms for lift-up status (e.g., not lift-up but judged as lift-up), the client will analyze the mouse coordinate changes (if the mouse coordinates continue to change in the lift-up state, it is judged as a false alarm), automatically pause the lift-up switching function, and prompt the user "Lift-up status is abnormal, this switching method has been paused, please check the mouse sensor"; If the control permission switch is not completed within 1 second after the switch command is triggered (due to communication delay): the client will automatically retry the switch operation (up to 3 times). If the retry fails, the user will be prompted "Switch failed, please check device connection".

[0008] Compared with the prior art and the original solution, the new beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention discloses a solution for switching peripheral control by detecting mouse lift-up state. This solution conforms to natural operating habits and reduces the learning cost: it uses the natural user operation action of "lifting up" the mouse to achieve switching, eliminating the need to memorize complex key combinations or trajectories and reducing the operation learning cost; the 300-millisecond delay trigger threshold can effectively avoid accidental triggering when the user adjusts the mouse position (such as a brief lift-up to adjust the posture), taking into account both switching sensitivity and the need to prevent accidental touches.

[0009] This solution enables continuous and rapid switching, improving the efficiency of multi-device operation: the mechanism of "switching again after the raised state disappears" allows users to continuously switch multiple devices (such as PC01→PC02→PC03) through the cycle of "raise-place-raise again" without having to repeatedly trigger other commands, improving the efficiency of multi-device switching by more than 50%.

[0010] This solution offers more flexible switching options and adapts to a wider range of usage scenarios: the newly added lift-to-switch feature can be combined with the original button presses and trajectory commands to complement each other. For example, when typing (with hands on the keyboard), users can quickly switch devices by lifting their hands; when precisely operating the mouse (such as designing or drawing), users can choose to switch to trajectory commands to meet different operational preferences in various scenarios.

[0011] This solution offers more comprehensive anomaly detection, improving overall stability: Addressing false alarms related to the lift-up state, an anomaly detection mechanism based on mouse coordinate changes prevents erroneous switching due to hardware failures, resulting in an overall stability improvement of over 30%.

[0012] This solution can effectively reduce production costs and equipment hardware complexity: it can completely replace the traditional physical switch button function, eliminating the need for a hardware switch button on the mouse, thus improving the integration of the device and reducing hardware implementation costs.

[0013] This solution is highly scalable and can flexibly switch to other peripherals: In addition to mouse control, this solution can be expanded to add control over other peripherals, allowing the mouse to control other peripherals (such as keyboards, external audio playback devices, etc.) and switch between multiple devices. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1This diagram illustrates the principle of lift-off detection, showing the relationship between the mouse sensor, the operating plane, the lift-off distance, and the lift-off threshold. The mouse's LOD (Lift-Off Distance, i.e., the sensor's response height, which is the height at which displacement can still be detected after the mouse is lifted) and the sensor (image sensor) are mounted on the same plane, typically with the LOD in front and the sensor behind. The formula for calculating D (effective lift-off height of the sensor) is: D (effective lift-off height of the sensor) equals A (LOD lift-off height) multiplied by C (distance from the sensor to the pivot point between the mouse's tail and the desktop) divided by B (distance from the LOD to the pivot point between the mouse's tail and the desktop). As shown in the diagram, assuming an effective lift of 1 mm is considered a lift-off state, the sensor's lift-off state can be determined based on the value read from the LOD. When the LOD lifts by 1 mm, the effective lift-off height is 0.625 mm, still within the normal range; when the LOD lifts by 1.6 mm, the effective lift-off height is 1 mm, reaching the threshold and being determined as a lift-off state. Detailed Implementation

[0015] To make the technical solution of the present invention clearer and easier to understand, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments of "lift switching". It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention; that is, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0016] The features and performance of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. Example 1

[0017] This invention discloses a scheme for switching control of three computers based on a raised state in an office setting, comprising the following steps: (1) Device Connection and Initialization: The user has an office host (PC01), a file server (PC02), and a video conferencing terminal (PC03). A wireless mouse with lift-up detection (optical sensor, lift threshold 2 mm) is used. Each of the three computers is connected to a wireless mouse receiver. After installing the "Multi-Device Control Client," the client detects that the mouse supports lift-up detection, assigns device identifiers PC01, PC02, and PC03, and synchronizes the mouse lift-up detection status data. The "Lift-up Switching" function is enabled by default after the mouse is powered on. (2) Switching command settings: The user sets the lifting switching height threshold to 2 mm, sets the switching delay threshold to 300 milliseconds, and enables the status reset mechanism; the switching sequence is set to “PC01→PC02→PC03→PC01” loop; (3) Switching execution: The user is currently processing a document on PC01 and needs to switch to PC02 to view the file: Raise the mouse. The sensor detects that the raised height is greater than the raised switching threshold (i.e., raised state). After 300ms, the client triggers the switching command and switches the control permission to PC02. The upper right corner of the PC02 screen pops up a "Switched to PC02" prompt (displayed for 2 seconds), and the mouse vibrates twice. After the user finishes viewing the file on PC02, he / she needs to switch to PC03 to attend the meeting: Put the mouse back on the desktop (raised state disappears), and then raise the mouse again. The client detects that it is in the raised state again and immediately triggers the switching command and switches the control permission to PC03. The PC03 screen prompts "Switched to PC03", and the mouse vibrates three times. (4) Abnormal handling: If the mouse sensor is blocked by dust, causing it to be continuously judged as raised when not raised (and the coordinates do not change), the client detects that the raised state lasts for 10 seconds and the coordinates do not change, judges it as abnormal, automatically pauses the raised switching function, and displays "Raised state abnormal, this switching mode has been paused, please clean the mouse sensor" on the current computer screen. At the same time, the mouse will vibrate continuously 3 times to remind the user. Example 2

[0018] This invention discloses a scheme for switching peripheral control between two computers in a game live streaming scenario, comprising the following steps: (1) Device connection and initialization: The game streamer uses a game host (PC01, running the game) and a live streaming control host (PC02, controlling the live streaming software), and a wired mouse with an infrared lift detection sensor, connected to the two computers respectively via a USB hub; after installing the client, a device identification code is assigned and lift data is synchronized. The "lift switching" function is enabled by default after the mouse is powered on; (2) Switching command settings: The streamer sets "lift switching delay 500 milliseconds (to avoid accidental triggering when quickly adjusting the mouse in the game)," sets the lift switching height threshold to 2 millimeters, and the switching order to "PC01→PC02"; (3) Switching execution: When the streamer is playing the game on PC01, the live broadcast screen of PC02 needs to be temporarily adjusted: Raise the mouse and hold it for 500 milliseconds, the client triggers the switching command, and the control permission is switched to PC02; the PC02 screen prompts "Switched to PC02", and the mouse vibrates twice; after the adjustment is completed, the streamer puts the mouse back to the desktop (the status disappears), raises the mouse again, the control permission is switched back to PC01, and the game operation continues. The whole process does not require interrupting the game rhythm.

[0019] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the specific implementation of the present invention. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A scheme for switching peripheral control when controlling multiple devices with a single mouse, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Connect the target mouse that supports triggering notification after the lift height detection reaches the threshold (hereinafter referred to as lift status) to multiple devices to be controlled, install a "multi-device control client" on each device, assign a unique device identifier code to each device, and receive control signals sent by the mouse to synchronize mouse lift status data; (2) Set the lift state switching command through the client; the lift state switching command is set with a switching delay effective threshold (e.g., a 300-millisecond delay effective threshold) and a state reset mechanism. When the mouse detects the lift state and the duration exceeds the delay effective threshold, the switching is triggered. When the lift state disappears and the state is detected again, the switching is triggered again. (3) After the user triggers the switching command, the client receives the command and switches the control permissions of peripherals such as the mouse from the current device to the target device. At the same time, it informs the user of the switching result through visual and tactile feedback. (4) The client detects whether the device connection status and lifting status are abnormal in real time. When the device disconnects, it automatically skips and reminds the user. When the lifting status is abnormal, it automatically pauses the switching mode and prompts the user. If the switching fails, it will automatically retry.

2. The solution according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target mouse in step (1) detects the lifting state through a built-in optical sensor or infrared sensor. When the lifting distance is greater than or equal to a preset threshold (e.g., the threshold is 2 mm), it is determined to be in the lifting state, and the threshold can be adjusted.

3. The solution according to claim 1, characterized in that, The delay threshold for the lifting state switching command mentioned in step (2) can be adjusted by the mouse driver or related settings software.

4. The solution according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system detects mouse lift-up states to determine whether to switch mouse control on the device.

5. The solution according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mouse can control the switching of other peripherals (such as keyboards, external audio playback devices, etc.) and switch between multiple devices.

6. The solution according to claim 1, characterized in that, Use a mouse to control multiple devices, including but not limited to electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones.

Images