Computer Mouse

A computer mouse is a handheld device that a user slides over a suitable surface causing the cursor on a computer screen to move in a direction determined by the motion of the device.

Computer mice are often referred to as cursor positioning devices or cursor control devices, although mice are utilized to perform many other functions, such as to launch applications, re-size and move windows, drag, open and drop documents, select icons, text, menu items in a pull-down menu, and others. The mouse permits a computer user to position and move a cursor on a computer screen without having to use a keyboard. The mouse and mouse buttons allow the user to move a cursor or other pointing device to a specific area of the computer screen and depress the one or more buttons to activate specific computer program functions.

Computer mice can be found in a variety of physical embodiments. Typically, a mouse comprises a body that serves as a grip for the user's hand and as a structure for mounting a movement sensing system and two or more mouse buttons for selecting computer functions.

A computer mouse is ergonomically designed so that a user's hand fits snugly around the device.

Computer mice are available with electro-mechanical, opto-mechanical, or optical movement sensing systems. The electro- and opto-mechanical systems typically incorporate a ball arranged for rotation in the body and protruding from the bottom of the mouse into contact with the surface on which the mouse is resting. Movement of the mouse causes the ball to rotate. Electrical or optical transducers in the body convert the motion of

the ball into electrical signals proportionate to the extent of movement of the mouse in x and y directions.

In addition to mechanical types of pointing devices like a conventional mouse, optical pointing devices have also been developed. The optical mouse has several advantages such as its precise detection of a movement of user's hand and its smooth movement, compared with a conventional ball mouse, thus its use increasing more and more. An optical mouse utilizes optical sensors to detect movement of the mouse relative to a surface. The optical mouse has no mechanical moving parts, and may be used on almost any flat surface. They respond more quickly and precisely than electromechanical mice, and are growing in popularity. An optical mouse overcomes at least the dust problem by generating the movement signal of the mouse by means of detection of reflection light. Generally, an optical mouse is operated by reflecting light emitted from the main body of the optical mouse from a touching object, thus, enabling the movement of the mouse on the pad to be detected and enabling a cursor on a computer monitor to be moved. An optical mouse optically recognizes its movement on the touching object, converts the recognized value to an electric signal, transmits the electric signal to the computer, and thereby the position of the cursor on the monitor can be recognized.

Mechanical mouse devices incorporate moving parts that can wear out. The roller ball mechanism also requires periodic cleaning to remove accumulated dirt and to prevent internal malfunctioning. To overcome those drawbacks, an optical mouse is provided and has a light transmitter such as light emitting diode (LED), light receiver such as a photo diode and associated components.

Since such an optical mouse has advantages of the accuracy of its motion detection, and smoothness in its motion, as compared with the conventional ball-type mouse, its use is gradually increasing.