System and method for a portable multimedia client

• US 20050012723A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Move Mobile Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Move Mobile Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Pallakoff, Matt
• Granted Patent: US 8,373,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Mobile devices are described, along with related services, systems, and methods. These devices include displays with pixel dimensions and pixel densities in ranges that are chosen to allow users to enjoy a more intuitive and more “desktop-like” Web or multi-media experience compared to other devices, while still enabling the devices to be pocketsize. Also described are devices with touch sensitive areas on the edges or back that let users efficiently and intuitively control some behaviors of the devices by touching the touch sensitive areas in certain ways. Embodiments of the present invention reduces the need for mechanical controls, which enables keeping the frame around the device'"'"'s display unusually narrow, thereby permitting larger displays without increasing the overall sizes of the devices.

Claims

1. A portable electronic display device for displaying information, the display device comprising:

a. an enclosure effectively sized to be at most 5.75 inches in a first dimension and at most 4.5 inches in a second dimension; and

b. a display comprised in the enclosure such that an active surface of the display is visible, the display having an effective pixel count of at least 520 effective pixels in the first dimension and an effective pixel count of at least 320 effective pixels in the second dimension, the display further having an effective pixel density of at most 175 effective pixels-per-inch (ppi) in the first and second dimensions.

2. The portable electronic display device of claim 1, wherein the effective pixel count in the first dimension is inclusively between 520 and 800 effective pixels, and the effective pixel count in the second dimension is inclusively between 360 and 600 effective pixels, and the effective pixel density is inclusively between 122 and 166 effective ppi, and the enclosure is effectively sized to be at most 5.2 inches in the first dimension and at most 3.8 inches in the second dimension.

3. The portable electronic display device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one control operable to horizontally move content displayed by the active surface of said display; and

at least one control operable to vertically move content displayed by the active surface of said display, said at least one vertical control operating substantially independent of said at least one horizontal control.

4. The portable electronic display device of claim 3, wherein at least one of said at least one vertical control is disposed at a right or left edge of said enclosure, and at least one of said at least one horizontal control is disposed at a bottom edge of said enclosure.

5. The portable electronic display device of claim 3, wherein at least one of said at least one horizontal controls is a touch sensor and not a mechanical control and at least one of said at least one vertical controls is a touch sensor and not a mechanical control.

6. The portable electronic display device of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one control operable to horizontally move content displayed by the active surface of said display; and

at least one control operable to vertically move content displayed by the active surface of said display, said at least one vertical control operating substantially independent of said at least one horizontal control.

7. The portable electronic display device of claim 6, wherein at least one of said at least one vertical control is disposed at a right or left edge of said enclosure, and at least one of said at least one horizontal control is disposed at a bottom edge of said enclosure.

8. The portable electronic display device of claim 6, wherein at least one of said at least one horizontal or vertical controls is a touch sensor and not a mechanical control.

9. The portable electronic display device of claim 1, wherein the effective pixel count in the first dimension is inclusively between 520 and 720 effective pixels, and the effective pixel count in the second dimension is inclusively between 360 and 440 effective pixels, and the effective pixel density is inclusively between 130 and 162 effective ppi, and the enclosure is effectively sized to be at most 5.0 inches in the first dimension and at most 3.5 inches in the second dimension, the enclosure being further sized, substantially in the plane of the active surface, such that there is no more than 0.45 inches between an outer edge of the enclosure and an outer edge of the active surface.

10. The portable electronic display device of claim 1, wherein the effective pixel count in the first dimension is inclusively between 600 and 640 effective pixels, and the effective pixel count in the second dimension is inclusively between 360 and 440 effective pixels, and the effective pixel density is inclusively between 140 and 148 effective ppi, and the enclosure is effectively sized to be at most 4.75 inches in the first dimension and at most 3.25 inches in the second dimension and at most 1.5 inches in a third dimension, the enclosure being further sized, substantially in the plane of the active surface, such that there is no more than 0.33 inches between an outer edge of the enclosure and an outer edge of the active surface.

11. A portable electronic device for displaying information, the device comprising:

an enclosure, which is effectively sized to be inclusively within a plus or minus 15% range of 4.6 inches in the first dimension and inclusively within a plus or minus 15% range of 3.1 inches in the second dimension; and

a display joined to said enclosure such that an active surface of said display is visible, said display having an effective pixel count in a first dimension inclusively within a plus or minus 15% range of 600 effective pixels, and an effective pixel count in a second dimension inclusively within a plus or minus 15% range of 400 effective pixels, and an effective pixel density inclusively within a plus or minus 15% range of 144 effective ppi.

12. A portable electronic display device for displaying information, the display device comprising:

a. an enclosure;

b. a display comprised in the enclosure such that an active surface of the display is visible, the active surface being capable of displaying information content;

c. at least one touch sensitive area disposed along an edge of the enclosure, said touch sensitive area being responsive to external touch; and

d. a portable electronic display device controller unit that is in communication with said touch sensitive area, said device controller unit being configured to receive at least one pattern of touch and respond by either controlling a first function of the portable electronic display device or by changing the content displayed in said display.

13. The portable electronic display device of claim 12, wherein said at least one touch sensitive area comprises at least two substantially independent elongated touch sensitive areas positioned along at least two edges of said enclosure, said elongated touch sensitive areas being responsive to the external touch of a human finger on a surface thereof.

14. The portable electronic display device of claim 13, wherein the pattern of touch is sliding touch along at least a portion of a first and second of said independent touch sensitive surface areas, whereby said sliding touch on said first independent touch sensitive surface area correspondingly moves the content displayed in said display horizontally, and said sliding touch on said second independent touch sensitive surface area correspondingly moves the content displayed in said display vertically.

15. The portable electronic display device of claim 13, wherein the pattern of touch is the human finger tapping a portion of at least one of said touch sensitive surface areas, whereby said portable electronic display device controller unit responds by controlling said first function of the portable electronic display device.

16. The portable electronic display device of claim 12, wherein said display is a touch screen display, whereby said portable electronic display device controller unit responds to the touching of an exposed portion of said touch screen display by controlling a second function of the portable electronic display device, said second function being different than said first function.

17. The portable electronic display device of claim 16, wherein said first function is a scrolling function and said second function is a selection function.

18. The portable electronic display device of claim 12, wherein no mechanical control components are included.

19. The portable electronic display device of claim 12, further comprising a single mechanical control component.

20. The portable electronic display device of claim 13, wherein said touch sensitive areas comprise a first and second touch sensors disposed at a bottom edge of said enclosure, and a third touch sensor disposed at a left edge of said enclosure, and a forth touch sensor disposed at a right edge of said enclosure.

21. The portable electronic display device of claim 20, wherein said touch sensitive areas further comprise a fifth and sixth touch sensors disposed at a top edge of said enclosure.

26. The portable electronic display device of claim 12, further comprising a peripheral component selected from the group of peripheral components consisting of a speaker, a microphone, a radio, a transceiver, a TV receiver, a camera, an auxiliary display, a cover, an antenna, and a keyboard.

22. A portable electronic display device for displaying information, the display device comprising:

a. an enclosure;

b. a display comprised in the enclosure such that an active surface of the display is visible, the active surface being capable of displaying information content;

c. a touch-pad disposed on a back side of the enclosure or on a pivoting joint joined to the enclosure, which touch-pad is responsive to external touch; and

d. a portable electronic display device controller unit that is in communication with said touch-pad, said device controller unit being configured to respond to a sliding pattern of touch on an exposed portion of said touch-pad by moving content displayed in said display in a two dimensional direction corresponding to the direction of the sliding pattern of touch.

23. The portable electronic display device of claim 22, further comprising:

f. a display cover for covering said display, said cover being pivotally joined to said enclosure by said pivoting joint, wherein said touch-pad is disposed upon an exposed side of said pivoting joint and not on the back side.

24. The portable electronic display device of claim 22, wherein said display is a touch screen display, whereby said portable electronic display device controller unit responds to the tapping of an exposed portion of said touch screen display by controlling a selection function of said portable electronic display device.

25. The portable electronic display device of claim 23, wherein said display is a touch screen display, and said portable electronic display device controller unit responds-to one or more touch patterns of an exposed portion of said touch screen display by controlling at least one function of said portable electronic display device.

27. A portable electronic display device for displaying information, the display device comprising:

a. an enclosure;

b. a touch screen display comprised in the enclosure such that an active surface of the display is visible, the active surface being capable of displaying information content;

c. a portable electronic display device controller unit that is in communication with said touch screen display, said device controller unit being configured to detect or receive a first pattern of touch and respond by either controlling a first function of said portable electronic display device or by changing the content displayed in said display; and

d. at least one user engageable context modifier switch, which is in communication with said device controller unit and operable to change the context of said first pattern of touch received by said device controller unit, whereby said device controller unit responds differently to said first pattern of touch when said at least one context modifier switch is engaged by the user.

28. The portable electronic display device of claim 27, wherein said at least one context modifier switch is at least one portion of a touch sensor, said at least one touch sensor portion being configured to be at least one modifier spot for engaging said context modifier switch when a second pattern of touch is imposed upon said at least one modifier spot.

29. The portable electronic display device of claim 27, comprising only one said context modifier switch.

30. The portable electronic display device of claim 27, wherein at least one of said at least one context modifier switch is operable as a shift key when a virtual keyboard is displayed on said display.

31. The portable electronic display device of claim 27, wherein at least one of said at least one context modifier switch is operable as a right-click button, which displays a menu on said display when the user clicks on an item on said display while simultaneously engaging said right-click context modifier switch.

32. The portable electronic display device of claim 27, wherein said display has between 480 and 800 effective pixels in a first dimension and between 320 and 600 effective pixels in a second dimension, said display further having a maximum pixel density of 162 effective pixels-per-inch (ppi) and a minimum pixel density of 130 effective ppi;

and said enclosure is effectively sized to be at most 5.2 inches in a first dimension and at most 3.7 inches in a second dimension, the enclosure being further sized, substantially in the plane of the active surface, such that there is no more than 0.5 inches between three outer edges of the enclosure and the corresponding outer edges of the active surface, and no more than 1 inch between a forth outer edge of the enclosure and the corresponding outer edge of the active surface; and

said device additionally includes at least two substantially independent touch sensitive areas disposed along at least two edges of said enclosure, said independent touch sensitive areas being operable for detecting sliding touch along or tapping on said touch sensor.

33. The portable electronic display device of claim 32, wherein there is only a single modifier spot, and said touch sensitive areas include a first and second touch sensitive areas disposed along a bottom edge of said enclosure, and a third touch sensitive area disposed along a left edge of said enclosure, and a forth touch sensitive area disposed along a right edge of said enclosure, each of said first, second, third, and fourth touch sensitive areas being operable for detecting sliding touch.

34. The portable electronic display device of claim 33, wherein said touch sensitive areas further comprise a fifth and sixth touch sensitive areas disposed along a top edge of said enclosure, said top touch sensitive areas being operable for detecting taps and being optionally operable for detecting sliding touch along said touch sensor.

38. A method of implementing a mobile information service, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing to a customer a wireless enabled, hand-held electronic display device of claim 32;

b. the service provider establishing wireless communications between said wireless hand-held device and an information server, the established wireless communications being capable of communicating information from the information server to said wireless hand-held device; and

c. the service provider charging the customer an access fee.

39. The information service method of claim 38, further comprising the steps of:

d. running a web browser on said wireless hand-held device for interacting with the information; and

e. controlling a web browser function by engaging said at least one touch sensor.

40. The information service method of claim 38, further comprising the step of charging to the customer an initial sign-up fee and/or a fee for said wireless hand-held device.

41. The information service method of claim 38, further comprising the step of configuring said wireless hand-held device to automatically download the information from the information server, the information being available for later viewing by the customer.

42. The information service method of claim 38, further comprising the step of the service provider configuring said wireless hand-held device to enable the customer to control at least one aspect of said information service provided to the customer from the service provider.

35. A hand-held remote control comprising:

means for remotely controlling at least one remote device, said remote controlling means communicating control commands to said remote device;

touch sensitive means for receiving patterns of touch by a human; and

means for detecting the patterns of touch impressed upon said touch sensitive means, the detected the patterns of touch being communicated as control commands to said remote controlling means.

36. A portable electronic display device for displaying information, the display device comprising:

means for displaying information content;

touch sensor means for detecting a first pattern of touch; and

means for detecting said first pattern of touch and responding by either controlling a first function of the portable electronic display device or by changing the content displayed in said display means.

37. The portable electronic display device of claim 36, further comprising:

means for detecting a second pattern of touch on at least one portion of said touch sensor; and

means for controlling a second function of the portable electronic display device, said controlling means being engaged in response to the detection of said second pattern of touch.

43. A method for controlling displayed information on a portable electronic display device, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring a touch sensor located at an edge of the portable electronic display device to detect a first pattern of touch; and

detecting said first pattern of touch and responding by either controlling a first function of the portable electronic display device or by changing the content displayed in said display.

44. The display controlling method of claim 43, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a second pattern of touch on at least one portion of said touch sensor; and

responding to the detection of said second pattern of touch by controlling a second function of the portable electronic display device or by changing the content displayed in said display.

45. The display controlling method of claim 43, wherein said first function is a web browser function.

46. The display controlling method of claim 43, wherein said first pattern of touch is touch sliding along said touch sensor and said first function is to scroll the displayed content in a first direction corresponding to the direction the finger is sliding in.

47. The display controlling method of claim 43, wherein said first pattern of touch is touch sliding along or tapping said touch sensor.

48. A portable electronic display device for displaying information, the display device comprising:

an enclosure;

a display comprised in the enclosure such that an active surface of the display is visible.

at least one control operable to horizontally move content displayed by the active surface of said display, wherein at least one of said at least one horizontal control is disposed at a bottom edge of said enclosure; and

at least one control operable to vertically move content displayed by the active surface of said display, wherein at least one of said at least one vertical control is disposed at a right or left edge of said enclosure, and said at least one vertical control operates substantially independent of said at least one horizontal control.

49. The portable electronic display device of claim 48, wherein at least one of said at least one horizontal control is a touch sensor and not a mechanical control and at least one of said at least one vertical control is a touch sensor and not a mechanical control.