The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 29, 2012
Filed:
May. 24, 2006
Marc Bidiville, St. Roman, MC;
Tim O'sullivan, Bantry, IE;
Denis O'keeffe, Newmarket, IE;
Darragh Luttrell, Glanmire, IE;
Martin Gleeson, Knockraha Village, IE;
Neil O'connell, Cork, IE;
Jacques Antoine Dayer, Préverenges, CH;
Antoine Merminod, Gimel, CH;
Marc Bidiville, St. Roman, MC;
Tim O'Sullivan, Bantry, IE;
Denis O'Keeffe, Newmarket, IE;
Darragh Luttrell, Glanmire, IE;
Martin Gleeson, Knockraha Village, IE;
Neil O'Connell, Cork, IE;
Jacques Antoine Dayer, Préverenges, CH;
Antoine Merminod, Gimel, CH;
Logitech Europe S.A., Morges, CH;
Abstract
A system and method for controlling friction between a mouse and the surface upon which it is placed. Reduction of friction can be accomplished in several ways, including: making the feet of the mouse from various different materials, creating layers of air between the mouse and the surface, creating beveled edges for the feet of mouse, etc. In one embodiment, the feet of the mouse are made of a piezo-electric layer bonded to another layer made of a different material. Exciting the piezo-electric layer at certain frequencies makes the two layers shrink and expand differently, thus creating oscillations of the feet. In yet another embodiment, portions of the mouse feet are made of different materials with different coefficients of friction. These different portions of the feet can be pressed down onto the surface with varying amounts of pressure, thus altering the friction.