Computer mice, computer mouse arrangements and mouse pad arrangements
According to various embodiments, there is provided a computer mouse movable relative to a tracking surface on which the computer mouse is placed, the computer mouse including: a housing; a magnetic element provided on the housing; and a control circuit configured to control a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic element and a ferromagnetic material on the tracking surface.
1. A computer mouse movable relative to a tracking surface on which the computer mouse is placed, the computer mouse comprising:
a housing;
a magnetic element provided on the housing; and
a control circuit configured to control a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic element and a ferromagnetic material on the tracking surface;
wherein the housing comprises a bottom surface facing the tracking surface;
at least one foot extending out from the bottom surface; and
a pressure-sensitive sensor at the at least one foot, the pressure-sensitive sensor configured to determine a pressure exerted on the at least one foot;
wherein the control circuit is configured to control the magnetic force based on the pressure exerted on the at least one foot.
2. The computer mouse of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to control the magnetic attraction force by controlling an amount of electric current provided to the magnetic element.
3. The computer mouse of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic element is one of an electromagnet or an electro-permanent magnet.
4. The computer mouse of claim 1 , further comprising:
a user interface for receiving user inputs, the control circuit configured to control the magnetic attraction force based on the user inputs.
5. The computer mouse of claim 4 , wherein the user interface is one of a slider, a button, a keypad or a knob arranged on the housing.
6. The computer mouse of claim 1 , wherein the computer mouse is coupled to a computing device running a computer application, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the magnetic attraction force based on events in the computer application.
7. The computer mouse of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store configuration settings, the configuration settings comprising at least one of correlation between user inputs received through a user interface and a glide force threshold, correlation between a computer application and the glide force threshold or correlation between a position of a pointer in a graphical user interface and the glide force threshold.
8. The computer mouse of claim 1 , wherein the computer mouse is coupled to a computing device displaying a pointer within a graphical user interface, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the magnetic attraction force based on a position of the pointer in the graphical user interface.
9. The computer mouse of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic element is arranged on the bottom surface or in the at least one foot.
10. The computer mouse of claim 1 , wherein the ferromagnetic material is non-magnetized.
11. The computer mouse of claim 1 , wherein the tracking surface comprises a protective layer over the ferromagnetic material, the protective layer being non-ferromagnetic.
12. The computer mouse of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive current feedback circuit configured to adjust the magnetic attraction force between the magnetic element and the ferromagnetic material based on a reading of a magnetic field strength of the magnetic element.
13. A computer mouse arrangement, comprising:
a ferromagnetic material on a tracking surface; and
a computer mouse movable relative to the tracking surface on which the computer mouse is placed, the computer mouse comprising:
a housing;
a magnetic element provided on the housing; and
a control circuit configured to control a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic element and the ferromagnetic material on the tracking surface;
wherein the housing comprises a bottom surface facing the tracking surface;
at least one foot extending out from the bottom surface; and
a pressure-sensitive sensor at the at least one foot, the pressure-sensitive sensor configured to determine a pressure exerted on the at least one foot;
wherein the control circuit is configured to control the magnetic force based on the pressure exerted on the at least one foot.
14. A mouse pad for arranging under a computer mouse, the computer mouse having at least one foot extending out from a surface of the computer mouse adapted to face the mouse pad and further having a pressure-sensitive sensor at the at least one foot, the pressure-sensitive sensor configured to provide a signal based on a pressure exerted on the at least one foot,
the mouse pad comprising:
a magnetic layer; and
a control circuit configured to control a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic layer and a ferromagnetic material on a housing of the computer mouse based on the signal provided by the pressure-sensitive sensor at the at least one foot of the computer mouse.
15. The mouse pad of claim 14 , further comprising:
a protective layer over the magnetic layer, the protective layer being non-magnetic.
16. The mouse pad of claim 14 , wherein the control circuit is configured to control the magnetic attraction force by controlling an amount of electric current provided to the magnetic layer;
wherein the magnetic layer comprises at least one of an electromagnet or an electro-permanent magnet.
17. The mouse pad of claim 14 , further comprising:
a user interface for receiving user inputs, the control circuit configured to control the magnetic attraction force based on the user inputs.
18. The mouse pad of claim 14 , wherein the magnetic layer is arranged at a periphery of the mouse pad.
19. The mouse pad of claim 14 , wherein the mouse pad is coupled to a computing device running a computer application, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the magnetic attraction force based on events in the computer application.