Patent · US Expired

Keyboard with mouse for a hand-held portable computer

US6977811B1 · kind B1 · utility

8Cited by
20References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 7, 2003
Grant dateDec 20, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 22, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F1/169
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A hand-held portable computer has a mouse button that is surrounded in close proximity by directional buttons. Placing the directional buttons in close proximity around the mouse button makes on-screen navigation easier, since the same single finger need only be moved by a small amount to actuate one or more of these buttons. If the mouse button is actuated, a mouse cursor can be moved about a page displayed on a display screen. If the directional buttons are actuated, the page can be panned around the display screen, while the mouse cursor remains stationary. The portable computer is also provided with a plurality of hot keys, and with buttons that are located off its keyboard, such as at the back of the portable computer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.