Apple Patents: Rotary Mouse
MacObserver notes that Apple has filed a patent for a mouse with a rotary wheel. The rotational wheel would provide the user with the a scroll mechanism as well as a button.
The patent describes the disadvantages of the traditional scroll wheel mouse:
- Unfortunately, the mouse described in FIG. 1 [Traditional Scrollwheel mouse] has several drawbacks. For example, the scroll wheel is limited in that it only provides a single finger position for accessing the scroll wheel (e.g., same position for left and right handed users). Furthermore, because only a small portion of the wheel can be used at any one time, the user cannot continuously turn the wheel. That is, the user must scroll, pick up a finger, scroll, pick up a finger, etc. This takes time and can be an annoyance to a user. In addition, because a portion of the wheel protrudes above the top surface of the mouse, inadvertent or accidental scrolling may occur when one of the two buttons is activated. That is, when the user goes to push the button or when the user switches from one button to the other, the user's finger may also engage the scroll wheel thus causing the wheel to turn when the button is depressed. Moreover, because the scroll wheel can only be manipulated in one direction, the use of the scroll wheel becomes counter intuitive when scrolling in a different direction in the GUI, as for example directions that are orthogonal thereto. That is, the scroll wheel only moves in one direction and thus it generally corresponds well to vertical scrolling and not horizontal scrolling (or vice versa). Also, the protruding scroll wheel is not aesthetically pleasing and thus it presents industrial design difficulties.
Users have speculated about such a wheel-device on a mouse, since the release of the iPod, with at least one mockup posted in May 2002.
Top Rated Comments
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115 months ago
so this is patent describing that... um, dial thing that that company sells (griffin powermate) =) combined with ha mouse.
i'd use it. the powermate is too expensive!
i hope it comes soon! next week? ;-)
oh, and my imagination leads to something very different from that mockup... i would LIKE to see a more powermate type mouse :cool:
i'd use it. the powermate is too expensive!
i hope it comes soon! next week? ;-)
oh, and my imagination leads to something very different from that mockup... i would LIKE to see a more powermate type mouse :cool:
115 months ago
I'm thinking ipod scroll wheel here in some kinda mousey config.
May I add that a second button-type device on the mac mouse is long overdue (and a block to some switchers).
May I add that a second button-type device on the mac mouse is long overdue (and a block to some switchers).
115 months ago
Originally posted by AndrewMT
Geez. They make it sound like the user needs a PHD to use a scroll wheel.
you do, it's a system requirment. why do you think we have a one button mouse? :D
115 months ago
Originally posted by melchior
so this is patent describing that... um, dial thing that that company sells (griffin powermate) =) combined with ha mouse.
i'd use it. the powermate is too expensive!
i hope it comes soon! next week? ;-)
oh, and my imagination leads to something very different from that mockup... i would [b]LIKE to see a more powermate type mouse :cool: [/B]
I also think iPod-like wheel integrated in the mouse...
NicoMan
115 months ago
Originally posted by NicoMan
I also think iPod-like wheel integrated in the mouse...
Hmm, but this would seem confusing in a full-scale OS (as opposed to the iPod's) wouldn't it? I mean, scrolling down... rotate clockwise? It doesn't seem intuitive on a mouse, compared to on the iPod. Of course, if they do use it, it'll work, I know, but I just can't think of how, right now. Heh.
Edit: Just saw in the Patent:
12. A mouse for moving a cursor or pointer on a display screen, comprising: a mouse housing; and a disk coupled to the mouse housing and rotatable about an axis, the disk being configured to facilitate a control function on the display screen, the disk having a touchable surface for rotating the disk about the axis, the touchable surface being completely accessible to a finger of the user such that the disk can be continuously rotated by a simple swirling motion of the finger.
So... iPod-like thing seems pretty certain, at least for this claim. Not that patenting it would necessarily mean it's going to be used... :)
115 months ago
apple has resisted making a multi-button mouse and/or scrolling mouse for so long, so it makes sense that if/when they finally do that it can't be as simple as that. they have to make it different just to make a point. i like it!
usability is another thing, but i'm not going to worry. that's apple's "thing" to such a degree, they can't help but get it right. i hope.
usability is another thing, but i'm not going to worry. that's apple's "thing" to such a degree, they can't help but get it right. i hope.
115 months ago
Originally posted by mangoduck
that's apple's "thing" to such a degree, they can't help but get it right. i hope.
I humbly draw your attention to the hockey puck fiasco. :D
115 months ago
Some images for the lazy:
Mockup:
Powermate:
And some of the more interesting patent images...
(scaled down and mirrored here for your convienence because those things can be a pain in the ass to load, seems like the mockup isn't too far off though...)
Oh, and for the love of gawd, please include a second button already!
Also of note, to see the full size images, use Safari, wait for the page to load (there may or may not be a big blank image in the middle) ctrl-click on it (should be inside the second set of scroll bars) and save link to disk.
It often times out, so just keep on trying.
Mockup:
Powermate:
And some of the more interesting patent images...
(scaled down and mirrored here for your convienence because those things can be a pain in the ass to load, seems like the mockup isn't too far off though...)
Oh, and for the love of gawd, please include a second button already!
Also of note, to see the full size images, use Safari, wait for the page to load (there may or may not be a big blank image in the middle) ctrl-click on it (should be inside the second set of scroll bars) and save link to disk.
It often times out, so just keep on trying.
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