Roller module, mouse equipment and input device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a roller module for an input device and mouse equipment. The roller module comprises a roller support, a roller, a rotation sensor and a control circuit board. The roller is rotatably arranged on the roller support. The rotation sensor is arranged on at least one side of the roller and used for detecting the rotation angle of the roller when the roller is stressed to rotate. The control circuit board is electrically connected to the rotation sensor and defines the corresponding relation between the rotation angle and a display picture controlled by the input device so as to control the input device to execute user-defined input operation. According to the roller module, the motor control design that the motor is driven to vibrate according to the detection result of the roller rotation angle of the rotation sensor is adopted, so that the needed paragraph feeling can be accurately provided in real time in the operation process that a user pushes the roller to rotate with fingers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a scroll wheel module, a mouse device, and an input device, and more particularly to a scroll wheel module, a mouse device, and an input device that controls the input device to perform user-defined input operations based on the rotation angle detection result of a rotation sensor. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement and development of technology, computers have been widely used in everyone's daily life. Currently, the mouse is an indispensable input device for personal computers. For example, users can perform corresponding input operations, such as scrolling through web pages, by rotating the scroll wheel (e.g., by flicking it with their fingers). However, this design does not allow users to adjust the correspondence between the scroll wheel's rotation angle and the display screen controlled by the input device, thus significantly limiting the flexibility and convenience of mouse operation.

[0003] Furthermore, in practical applications, to allow users to effectively control the scroll wheel's rotation, mice typically incorporate a tactile feedback mechanism to provide a tactile feedback during rotation. Users can feel the tactile feedback through their fingers, thus controlling the actual rotation angle. Currently, most tactile feedback mechanisms in mice generate this feedback through contact interference between internal components. However, after a period of use, these mechanisms wear down due to frequent contact interference, causing them to fail and lose their intended tactile feedback. In addition, the numerous internal components used to generate the tactile feedback result in a complex design and occupy excessive internal space, thus limiting the flexibility of internal component placement and hindering the design of a slim and lightweight mouse. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a scroll wheel module, a mouse device and an input device to solve the above problems.

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a roller module for an input device, the roller module comprising:

[0006] Roller bracket;

[0007] A roller, which is rotatably mounted on the roller bracket;

[0008] A rotation sensor, disposed on at least one side of the roller, is used to detect the rotation angle of the roller when it is subjected to force and rotates; and

[0009] A control circuit board is electrically connected to the rotation sensor and defines the correspondence between the rotation angle and the display screen controlled by the input device, so as to control the input device to perform user-defined input operations.

[0010] As an optional technical solution, the rotation sensor includes:

[0011] A magnetic element, the magnetic element being disposed on the roller; and

[0012] At least one Hall effect sensor is disposed on the roller bracket, and the at least one Hall effect sensor and the at least one magnet are opposite to each other. The at least one Hall effect sensor is used to detect the change in magnetic flux of the magnet relative to the at least one Hall effect sensor as the roller rotates under force, so as to determine the rotation angle of the roller.

[0013] As an optional technical solution, the magnet includes multiple arc-shaped magnet blocks, which are arranged in a ring around the center of the roller to form a ring-shaped hollow magnet.

[0014] As an optional technical solution, the roller is formed with a plurality of grating openings arranged radially along the periphery of the roller. The rotation sensor is an infrared transceiver device and is disposed on the roller bracket so as to be opposite to the plurality of grating openings. When the roller is subjected to force and rotates, the rotation sensor emits infrared light and determines the rotation angle of the roller by outputting a detection signal frequency based on the number of times the infrared light passes through the plurality of grating openings.

[0015] As an optional technical solution, when the rotation sensor receives a signal output change representing the blocking and conduction of the light signal, the rotation sensor determines that the roller is under force and rotates it by a preset angle.

[0016] As an optional technical solution, twelve grating openings are formed on the roller.

[0017] As an optional technical solution, it also includes:

[0018] A vibration motor is mounted on the control circuit board;

[0019] The control circuit board controls the vibration motor to vibrate according to the rotation angle of the roller.

[0020] As an optional technical solution, the vibration motor is a DC brushless motor.

[0021] This utility model also provides a mouse device, comprising:

[0022] The mouse body, which has a groove formed therein; and

[0023] As described above, the scroll wheel module is located in the mouse body, and the scroll wheel protrudes from the slot.

[0024] This utility model also provides an input device, comprising:

[0025] As mentioned above, the roller module.

[0026] In summary, compared to previous technologies that used contact interference between internal mouse components to create a tactile feedback, the scroll wheel module of this invention employs a motor control design that drives the motor to vibrate based on the scroll wheel rotation angle detection results from a rotation sensor. This provides the required tactile feedback accurately and in real-time during the user's operation of pushing the scroll wheel with their finger. As a result, this invention not only improves the accuracy of scroll wheel input and the feel of rotation operation, but also effectively solves the problems mentioned in previous technologies, such as the mechanical tactile feedback mechanism being prone to wear and failure, and the complex mechanism design occupying too much internal space of the mouse. This greatly improves the flexibility of the configuration of internal mouse components and is conducive to the design of a thinner and lighter mouse.

[0027] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this is not intended to limit the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a mouse device proposed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the internal structure of a mouse device.

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of the rotation sensor.

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A functional block diagram of the roller module.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional internal view of a mouse device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To provide a better understanding of the purpose, structure, features and functions of this utility model, detailed descriptions are provided below with reference to the embodiments.

[0034] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 , Figure 1This is a perspective view of a mouse device proposed according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A 3D diagram of the internal structure of a mouse device. Figure 3 for Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of the rotation sensor. Figure 4 for Figure 2 A functional block diagram of the scroll wheel module is provided. The scroll wheel module 14 design proposed in this invention is best suited for use in a mouse device 10 (but is not limited thereto; it can also be used in other common input devices, such as keyboards, drawing tablets, game controllers, etc.) for users to perform scrolling input operations. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the mouse device 10 includes a mouse body 12 and a scroll wheel module 14. The mouse body 12 has a slot 13 to provide space for the scroll wheel. The mouse body 12 may include common mouse components, such as mouse buttons and mouse shells. The relevant descriptions are common in the prior art and will not be repeated here.

[0035] The scroll wheel module 14 is disposed in the mouse body 12, and includes a scroll wheel bracket 16, a scroll wheel 18, a rotation sensor 20, and a control circuit board 22. The scroll wheel 18 is rotatably mounted on the scroll wheel bracket 16 and protrudes from the slot 13, allowing the user to rotate the scroll wheel 18 forward and backward by pushing it with their finger (e.g., controlling the vertical scroll bar of a window interface to move up and down). The rotation sensor 20 is preferably a common sensing device used to detect the movement of the scroll wheel 18 when it is subjected to force and is disposed on at least one side of the scroll wheel 18. Figure 2 Only one side is shown, but this is not a limitation; its configuration position depends on the detection method of the rotation sensor 20. It is used to detect the rotation angle and direction of the roller 18 when it is rotated under force. In this embodiment, the rotation sensor 20 may include a magnet 24 and at least one Hall effect sensor 26 (in...). Figure 3 (One is shown in the image, but this is not a limitation; the number of configurations varies depending on the actual application requirements of the mouse device 10). The magnet 24 is disposed on the scroll wheel 18, and the Hall effect sensor 26 is disposed on the scroll wheel bracket 16 so as to be opposite to the magnet 24. In other words, the rotation sensor 20 adopts a Hall effect sensing design. In this way, the Hall effect sensor 26 can detect the change in magnetic flux of the magnet 24 relative to the Hall effect sensor 26 when the scroll wheel 18 is rotated under force, and thus determine the rotation angle and rotation direction of the scroll wheel 18. As for the relevant description of the Hall effect sensing principle, it is common in the prior art and will not be repeated here.

[0036] More specifically, in this embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the magnet component 24 may include multiple arc-shaped magnet blocks 25 (in Figure 3Four magnets are shown, but this is not a limitation; the number of magnets varies depending on the actual application requirements of the mouse device 10. The arc-shaped magnet blocks 25 can be arranged in a ring around the center of the scroll wheel 18 to form a hollow ring magnet, thus generating a change in magnetic flux relative to the Hall effect sensor 26 as the scroll wheel 18 rotates. The control circuit board 22 can be a common circuit board used in mouse signal transmission and control (its description is common in prior art and will not be repeated here) and is electrically connected to the rotation sensor 22 (e.g., Figure 4 As shown), it is used to define the correspondence between the rotation angle detected by the rotation sensor 20 and the display screen controlled by the mouse device 10 (which can be preset by the system or defined by the user according to their usage habits), so as to control the mouse device 10 to perform user-defined input operations, such as controlling the scrolling distance or scaling ratio of the display screen.

[0037] For example, after defining the correspondence between the rotation angle of the scroll wheel 18 and the scrolling distance of the display screen controlled by the mouse device 10, the control circuit board 22 can control the mouse device 10 to perform the display screen scrolling operation according to the rotation angle detected by the rotation sensor 20. For example, the display screen controlled by the mouse device 10 can scroll upwards when the user pushes the scroll wheel 18 forward by 3º, 10º, or 30º (but not limited thereto), so that the displayed content (such as web page text content) moves up one line, three lines, or a whole page (but not limited thereto, the correspondence between the scroll wheel rotation angle and the screen scrolling distance can vary according to the user's actual usage needs). In this way, the mouse device provided by this utility model allows the user to customize the scrolling speed of the display screen according to their own usage preferences, thereby greatly improving the operational flexibility and convenience of the mouse device.

[0038] In addition, this invention can further employ a design that provides a tactile feedback through motor vibration, for example, by... Figure 2 as well as Figure 4 It is understood that the roller module 14 may further include a vibration motor 28, which is preferably a DC brushless motor (but not limited thereto) and is located on the control circuit board 22 to provide vibration to the roller 18 to produce a tactile feedback.

[0039] With the above design, when the user pushes the scroll wheel 18 to rotate it forward and backward with their finger, the control circuit board 22 can control the mouse device 10 to perform user-defined input operations based on the rotation angle detected by the rotation sensor 20 (for example, the display screen can scroll upward when the user pushes the scroll wheel 18 forward by 3º, so that the displayed content moves up one line, but it is not limited to this). At the same time, the control circuit board 22 can also drive the vibration motor 28 to vibrate during the execution of the above user-defined input operations, thereby generating a tactile feedback in real time, so that the user can accurately control the actual rotation angle of the scroll wheel 18 by feeling the tactile feedback of the scroll wheel 18 as it rotates.

[0040] In practical applications, the rotation sensing design used in this invention is not limited to the above embodiments; it can also employ a grating-type sensing design. For example, please refer to... Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional internal schematic diagram of a mouse device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Components in this embodiment that have the same number as those mentioned in the above embodiments represent components with the same or similar structures and functions. Their related descriptions can be deduced by analogy from the above embodiments and will not be repeated here. Figure 5 As shown, the mouse device 100 includes a mouse body 12 and a scroll wheel module 102. The scroll wheel module 102 is disposed in the mouse body 12 and includes a scroll wheel bracket 16, a scroll wheel 104, a rotation sensor 106, a control circuit board 22, and a vibration motor 28. The scroll wheel 104 is rotatably disposed on the scroll wheel bracket 16 and protrudes from the slot 13, allowing the user to perform forward and backward rotation operations by pushing the scroll wheel 104 with their finger (e.g., controlling the vertical scroll bar of the window operation interface to move up and down).

[0041] In this embodiment, the roller 104 may have a plurality of grating openings 105 arranged radially along its periphery. The rotation sensor 106 may be an infrared transceiver and is disposed on the roller bracket 16 so as to face the plurality of grating openings 105. In this way, the rotation sensor 106 can emit infrared light when the roller 104 is rotated under force, and determine the roller based on the number of times the infrared light passes through the plurality of grating openings 105 (i.e., the detection signal output frequency generated by the grating openings 105 of the roller 104 blocking and conducting the light signal when the roller 104 rolls). The rotation angle of scroll wheel 104, for example in a design with twelve grating openings 105 formed on the scroll wheel 104 (but not limited thereto, the number of grating openings varies depending on the actual application requirements of the mouse device 100), when a signal output change representing the interruption and conduction of the light signal is received, the rotation sensor 106 can determine that the scroll wheel 104 is rotated by a preset angle, such as 30º, under force. This can then serve as a reference for the mouse device 100 to perform user-defined input operations (such as controlling the scrolling distance or scaling ratio of the display screen). At the same time, as can be seen from the above embodiment, the control circuit board 22 can also drive the vibration motor 28 to vibrate during the execution of the above user-defined input operation, thereby generating a tactile feedback in real time, so that the user can accurately control the actual rotation angle of the scroll wheel 104 by feeling the tactile feedback change when the scroll wheel 104 rotates. As for the relevant description of the above infrared transceiver sensing principle, it is common in the prior art and will not be repeated here.

[0042] In summary, compared to previous technologies that used contact interference between internal mouse components to create a tactile feedback, the scroll wheel module of this invention employs a motor control design that drives the motor to vibrate based on the scroll wheel rotation angle detection results from a rotation sensor. This provides the required tactile feedback accurately and in real-time during the user's operation of pushing the scroll wheel with their finger. As a result, this invention not only improves the accuracy of scroll wheel input and the feel of rotation operation, but also effectively solves the problems mentioned in previous technologies, such as the mechanical tactile feedback mechanism being prone to wear and failure, and the complex mechanism design occupying too much internal space of the mouse. This greatly improves the flexibility of the configuration of internal mouse components and is conducive to the design of a thinner and lighter mouse.

[0043] Of course, there may be other embodiments of this utility model. Without departing from the spirit and essence of this utility model, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications based on this utility model, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A roller module for an input device, characterized in that, The roller module includes: Roller bracket; A roller, which is rotatably mounted on the roller bracket; A rotation sensor is disposed on at least one side of the roller, and the rotation sensor is used to detect the rotation angle of the roller when the roller is rotated under force; as well as A control circuit board is electrically connected to the rotation sensor and defines the correspondence between the rotation angle and the display screen controlled by the input device, so as to control the input device to perform user-defined input operations.

2. The roller module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The rotation sensor includes: A magnetic element, the magnetic element being disposed on the roller; and At least one Hall effect sensor is disposed on the roller bracket, and the at least one Hall effect sensor and the at least one magnet are opposite to each other. The at least one Hall effect sensor is used to detect the change in magnetic flux of the magnet relative to the at least one Hall effect sensor as the roller rotates under force, so as to determine the rotation angle of the roller.

3. The roller module as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The magnet comprises multiple arc-shaped magnet blocks arranged in a ring around the center of the roller to form a circular hollow magnet.

4. The roller module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The roller has multiple grating openings arranged radially along its periphery. The rotation sensor is an infrared transceiver and is mounted on the roller bracket so as to face the multiple grating openings. When the roller is rotated under force, the rotation sensor emits infrared light and determines the rotation angle of the roller by outputting a detection signal frequency based on the number of times the infrared light passes through the multiple grating openings.

5. The roller module as described in claim 4, characterized in that, When the rotation sensor receives a signal output change representing the blocking and conduction of the light signal, the rotation sensor determines that the roller is under force and rotates it by a preset angle.

6. The roller module as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The roller has twelve grating openings.

7. The roller module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: A vibration motor is mounted on the control circuit board; The control circuit board controls the vibration motor to vibrate according to the rotation angle of the roller.

8. The roller module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The vibration motor is a DC brushless motor.

9. A mouse device, characterized in that, Include: The mouse body, which has a groove formed therein; and The scroll wheel module as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the scroll wheel module is disposed in the mouse body and the scroll wheel protrudes from the slot.

10. An input device, characterized in that, Include: The roller module as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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