Computerized portable handheld means

• US 20050083314A1
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tomer Shalit AB
• Original Assignee: Tomer Shalit AB
• Inventors: Shalit, Tomer, Haggestad, Anders
• Application Number:
  US10/484,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083314A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

The invention relates to a computerized portable handheld means (10) with a screen (16) for the display of objects (19) to be manipulated, and a method therefore. It has two type of means for manipulation; one for a hand holding it, and one when it is placed on another surface. A tactile providing means provides a tactile feedback to a hand holding a pointing means (20) when manipulating an object (19). It thus provides an enhanced browsing through available objects (19) by the use of at least the two human senses seeing and feeling.

Claims

1. A computerized portable handheld means (10) with a screen (16) displaying images of objects (19) to be manipulated, whereby a manipulation of objects connects a link to a sub-object or function to be performed, comprising:

a first manipulating means for said objects, controlling the manipulation of said objects by movement of a hand holding said manipulating means;

a second manipulating means for said objects, controlling the manipulation of said objects by a pointing device (20) when it is placed on another surface than a hand; and

a means for providing tactile feedback to said hand for every successful possible manipulation of said objects, thereby providing a push-button free manipulation of objects and a feeling for the manipulation, thus enhancing the speed of manipulation by involving at least the two senses of seeing and feeling, and providing at least two functions of manipulating objects (19) on a screen in accordance with said first and second means.

2. A handheld means according to claim 1, wherein it is provided with a gyro, whereby the degree of tilting it, constitutes an input signal to said first and second manipulating means which controls the degree of manipulation of objects (19).

3. A handheld means according to claim 1, wherein a zero base for a manipulation is provided by an agreement action provided by a bearer of it, no matter in what direction or angle it is held when said action is provided.

4. A handheld means according to claim 2, wherein a tilting of it in a vertical plane to its length axis determines the degree of manipulation of an object, and where a rotation of it around its axis determines an approval of the manipulation.

5. A handheld means according to claim 1, wherein a position detecting means for a 3-D determination of said pointer device (20) stylus position in space is an ultrasonic receiver/transmitter means (14).

6. A handheld means according to claim 1, wherein a position detecting means for a 3-D determination of said pointer device stylus position in space is a miniaturized camera means.

7. A handheld means according to claim 1, wherein a 3-D image provides a skin layer with menus.

8. A handheld means according to claim 7, wherein said first and second manipulating means is locked to a skin layer when having provided a tactile feedback, whereby said manipulating means is used for browsing on the skin layer surface, thus preventing slipping to an adjacent skin layer.

9. A handheld means according to claim 1, whereby it is a cellular phone.

10. A handheld means according to claim 1, whereby it is a palm-top-computer or the like.

11. A handheld means according to claim 1, wherein said screen is of an auto-stereoscopic type.

12. A method for a computerized portable handheld means (10) with a screen (16) displaying images of objects (19) to be manipulated, whereby a manipulation of objects connects a link to a sub-object or function to be performed, comprising the steps of:

providing a first manipulating means for said objects, controlling the manipulation of said objects by movement of a hand holding said manipulating means;

providing a second manipulating means for said objects, controlling the manipulation of said objects by a pointing device (20) when it is placed on another surface than a hand; and

providing a means for tactile feedback to said hand for every successful possible manipulation of said objects, thereby providing a push-button free manipulation of objects and a feeling for the manipulation, thus enhancing the speed of manipulation by involving at least the two senses of seeing and feeling, and providing at least two functions of manipulating objects on a screen in accordance with said first and second means.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein it is provided with a gyro, whereby the degree of tilting it, constitutes an input signal to said first and second manipulating means which controls the degree of manipulation of objects.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein a zero base for a manipulation is provided by an agreement action provided by a bearer of it, no matter in what direction or angle it is held when said action is provided.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein a tilting of the handheld means in a vertical plane to its length axis determines the degree of manipulation of an object, and where a rotation of it around its axis determines an approval of the manipulation.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein a position detecting means for a 3-D determination of said pointer device (20) stylus position in space is an ultrasonic receiver/transmitter means (14).

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein a position detecting means for a 3-D determination of said pointer device (20) stylus position in space is a miniaturized camera means.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein a 3-D image provides a skin layer with menus.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said first and second manipulating means is locked to a skin layer when having provided a tactile feedback, whereby said manipulating means is used for browsing on the skin layer surface, thus preventing slipping to an adjacent skin layer.

20. A method according to claim 12, whereby the handheld means is a cellular phone.

21. A method according to claim 12, whereby the handheld means is a palm-top-computer or the like.

22. A method according to claim 12, wherein said screen is of an autostereoscopic type.