Rotating user interface

• US 20040021702A1
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ina, Peter J., Lucaci, Iulius, Fruhauf, Christopher B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,968,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/864
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0227 Rotatable in one plane, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

A wireless communication handset (100) having a movable bezel input device (230) coupled to a housing portion (220) that rotates in substantially parallel planes. Rotation of the bezel input device in a first direction moves information on a display 250 in a first direction. Rotation of the bezel input device moves information in a second direction. Depressing a first portion of the bezel input device moves the text in a third direction and depressing a second portion of the bezel input device moves the information in a fourth direction.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a housing;

a rotating portion rotatably coupled to said housing within substantially the same plane, the rotatable portion rotatable in a first direction and rotatable in a second direction; and

a display coupled to said housing,

scrolling information in a first direction on said display in response to rotating said rotatable portion in said first direction, and

scrolling information in a second direction on said display in response to rotataing said rotatable portion in said second direction.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1,

a first switch coupled to said rotating portion, scrolling information on said display in a third direction in response to activation of said first switch, and

a second switch coupled to said rotating portion, scrolling information on said display in a fourth direction in response to activation of said second switch.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, said rotating portion is a bezel, encompassing said display, the bezel having a first activation portion and a second activation portion.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3, rotating 90 degrees counterclockwise in said first direction to said first position and rotating 90 degrees clockwise in said second direction to said second position.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4,

scrolling information in a first direction on said display in response to depressing said first activation portion of said bezel, rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise to a first position, and

scrolling information in a second direction on said display in response to depressing said first activation portion of said bezel, rotated 90 degrees clockwise to a second position.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 3, said rotating portion rotating less than 45 degrees counterclockwise in said first direction to said first position and rotating less tan 45 degrees clockwise in said second direction to said second position.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6,

scrolling information in a first direction on said display in response to rotating said rotating portion less than 45 degrees counterclockwise in said first direction to said first position, and

scrolling information in a second direction on said display in response to rotating said rotating portion less than 45 degrees clockwise in said second direction to said second position.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 3,

a right scroll button coupled to said bezel and said housing such that when said bezel is depressed at said first activation portion adjacent to a right side of said display, said right scroll button is activated and information on said display scrolls from left to right;

a left scroll button coupled to said bezel and said housing such that when said bezel is depressed at a second activation portion adjacent to a left side of said display, said left scroll button is activated and information on said display scrolls left.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 7,

a right scroll button coupled to said bezel and said housing such that when said bezel is depressed at said first activation portion adjacent to a right side of said display, said right scroll button is activated and information on said display scrolls from left to right;

a left scroll button coupled to said bezel and said housing such that when said bezel is depressed at a second activation portion adjacent to a left side of said display, said left scroll button is activated and information on said display scrolls left.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1,

a rotary encoder having a first encoder portion coupled to said rotation portion and a stationary encoder portion,

the rotary encoder having a first active mode function output when said rotation portion is in said firstdirection,

the rotary encoder having a second active mode function output when said ration portion is in said seconddirection.

11. The wireless communication handset of claim 10, said display performing a first scrolling function in response to the first active mode function output of the rotary encoder, said display performing a second scrolling function in response to the second active mode function output of the rotary encoder.

12. A wireless communication handset, comprising:

a housing;

a display disposed in said housing;

a bezel input device movably coupled to said housing, said bezel input device encompassing said display; and

a processor coupled to said display and to said bezel input device.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 12,

said bezel input device movable about a first axis by rotating in first and second directions;

and

said bezel input device movable about a second axis, different from said first axis, by depressing a portion of said bezel input device.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13,

a bezel position sensor coupled to said bezel input device and said processor;

a first scroll command output signal generated by said bezel position sensor when said bezel input device is rotated to a first position;

a second scroll command signal generated by said bezel position sensor when said bezel input device is rotated to a second position.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 13,

a bezel detector switch coupled to said housing and said processor;

at least two bezel detector switch actuator teeth coupled to said bezel input device;

a first scroll command output signal generated by said bezel detector switch when a first bezel detector switch actuator tooth is coupled to said bezel detector switch; and

a second scroll command output signal generated by said bezel detector switch when a second bezel detector switch actuator tooth is coupled to said bezel detector switch.

16. The wireless communication handset of claim 15,

a third bezel detector switch coupled to said housing at a first location;

and

a fourth bezel detector switch coupled to said housing at a second location.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16,

a first actuator coupled to said bezel input device and selectively coupled to said third bezel detector switch;

and

a second actuator coupled to said bezel input device and selectively coupled to said fourth bezel detector switch.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 15,

a first switch coupled to said housing at a first location;

a second switch coupled to said housing at a second location;

a first actuator coupled to a first inner surface portion of said bezel input device and selectively coupled to said first switch when said bezel input device is depressed at a first outer surface portion of said bezel input device, said first outer surface portion of said bezel input device opposite to said first inner surface portion of said bezel input device; and

a second actuator coupled to a second inner surface portion of said bezel input device and selectively coupled to said second switch when said bezel input device is depressed at a second outer surface portion of said bezel, said second outer surface portion of said bezel input device opposite to said second inner surface portion of said bezel input device.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 12,

a first switch coupled to said housing at a first location and adjacent to said bezel input device;

a second switch coupled to said housing at a second location and adjacent to said bezel input device;

20. The wireless communication device of claim 19,

a third switch coupled to said housing at a third location and adjacent to said bezel input device;

and

a fourth switch coupled to said housing at a fourth location and adjacent to said bezel input device.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 20,

a first actuator coupled to said bezel input device and selectively alignable with said first switch and selectively alignable with said third switch;

and

a second actuator coupled to said bezel input device and selectively alignable with said second switch and selectively alignable with said fourth switch.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 21,

wherein said first, second, third, and fourth switches are offset from one another by 90 degrees.

23. A method in a portable communication handset, comprising:

rotating a bezel from a first position in a first direction about a first axis to a second position;

moving information on a display of the portable communication handset in response to said bezel rotation in said first direction;

rotating said bezel from said first position in a second direction about said first axis to a third position;

moving information on said display of the portable communication handset in response to said bezel rotation in said second direction.

24. The method of claim 23,

depressing a first portion of said bezel while in said first position;

scrolling information on said display of the portable communication handset in a third direction in response to depressing a first portion of said bezel;

depressing a second portion of said bezel while in said first position; and

scrolling information on a display of the portable communication handset in a fourth direction in response to depressing said second portion of said bezel.

25. The method of claim 23,

rotating a bezel from a first position in a first direction to a second position;

depressing a first portion of said bezel

scrolling information on a display of the portable communication handset in a first direction;

depressing a second portion of said circular bezel; and

scrolling information on a display of the portable communication handset in a second direction.

26. The method of claim 23,

rotating said bezel from a first position 90 degrees relative to said display in a first direction;

depressing a first portion of said circular bezel;

scrolling information on a display of the portable communication handset in a first direction;

rotating said bezel from said first position 90 degrees relative to said display in a first direction;

depressing a second portion of said bezel; and

scrolling information on a display of the portable communication handset in a second direction.

27. The method of claim 23,

rotating said bezel less then 45 degrees from a first position in a first direction about a first axis to a fifth position;

rotating said bezel less than 45 degrees from said first position in a second direction about said first axis to a sixth position; and

rotating said bezel back to said first position.

28. The method of claim 23,

rotating a spring loaded bezel in said first direction from said first position to said second position;

scrolling information on a display of the portable communication handset in a first scrolling direction;

releasing said bezel so as to allow a spring of the spring loaded bezel to return said spring loaded bezel to said first position;

rotating said spring loaded bezel in said second direction from said first position to a second position;

scrolling information on a display of the portable communication handset in a second scrolling direction; and

releasing said bezel so as to allow said spring of the spring loaded bezel to return said spring loaded bezel to said first position.