Portable appliance comprising a display screen and a user interface device

• US 10,126,933 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), ISORG SA
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), ISORG SA
• Inventors: Gomez, Jean-Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Md Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US14/435,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20150293661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A portable appliance has a display screen on a first surface and a user interface device on a second surface different from the first surface. The device includes a photon detector array.

Claims

1. A portable system comprising:

a package having a first side and a second side, the first side facing a first direction and the second side facing away from the first side in a second direction;

a display screen viewable on the first side of the package;

a user interface device accessible by an actuating member on the second side of the package, the user interface device comprising an array of photon sensors disposed in rows and in columns and an array of emitters of a visible radiation or an infrared radiation disposed in rows and in columns, the array of photon sensors comprising organic sensors formed by deposition of organic semiconductor and conductor materials in liquid form on a dielectric support;

a control unit connected to the display screen and to the user interface device, the control unit controlling a modification of a display on the display screen when the user interface device detects the actuating member in a range of positions relative to the array of photon sensors; and

a darkness sensor;

wherein the user interface device operates in a first mode and a second mode to deduce information representative of a variation of a position of the actuating member relative to the array of photon sensors, in the first mode, from the variation of a shadow of the actuating member, and, in the second mode, from the variation of a reflection of a radiation by the actuating member, the user interface device automatically switching between the first mode and the second mode based on an ambient luminosity detected by the darkness sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface device deduces information representative of a variation of a position of the actuating member parallel to the array of photon sensors from at least one of the variations of the shadow of the actuating member and the variations of the reflection of radiation by the actuating member.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first surface is opposite to the second surface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface device detects variations of a light intensity level received by the array of photon sensors.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a translucent protection layer covers the array of photon sensors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a surface area of the array of photon sensors is larger than a surface area of the actuating member, which is opposite said array of photon sensors.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the array of photon sensors are made of transparent materials.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface device further comprises electromagnetic wave emitters.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface device further comprises a waveguide covering the array of photon sensors and emitters of a visible radiation or an infrared radiation at a periphery of the waveguide.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a cell phone, a wireless phone, a computer phone, an audio player, a video player, a mini portable computer, an electronic reader, a tablet, a camera, a remote control, an analysis device, or a sensor.