Integrated input roller having a rotary mass actuator

• US 20060082554A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Caine, Michael E., Cranfill, David B., Chang, Angela, Thrush, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US10/962,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20060082554A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

An input roller device (50) includes a roller (58), an eccentric rotating mass (59) within the roller, a drive mechanism (54, 56 and 57) causing the eccentric rotating mass to rotate within the roller, and a processor (52) coupled to the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism can also optionally include a drive link (57) if not directly driven by the shaft of the motor. The input roller device 50 can further include a rotary encoder (60) coupled to the roller such that the rotary encoder can provide data to the processor on a rotation of the roller. Note, the processor can be programmed to cause the input roller to provide a varied tactile feedback to the user to correspond to different events or to cause the input roller to provide a rolling resistance that varies in coordination with inputs from a user interface.

Claims

1. An input roller device, comprising:

a roller;

an eccentric rotating mass within the roller;

a drive mechanism causing the eccentric rotating mass to rotate within the roller; and

a processor coupled to the drive mechanism.

2. The input roller device of claim 1, wherein the roller is a hinge roller on a clam shaped electronic device.

3. The input roller device of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism comprises an electric motor.

4. The input roller device of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism comprises at least one among an electric motor, a drive circuit coupled to the electric motor, and software to control the processor and drive circuit.

5. The input roller device of claim 1, wherein the input roller device further comprises a rotary encoder coupled to the roller.

6. The input roller device of claim 5, wherein the rotary encoder provides data to the processor on a rotation of the roller.

7. The input roller device of claim 1, wherein the eccentric rotating mass comprises at least one magnet coupled to the roller.

8. The input roller device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the input roller to provide a varied tactile feedback to the user to correspond to different events.

9. The input roller device of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the input roller to provide a rolling resistance that varies in coordination with inputs from a user interface.

10. An electronic device having an input roller device, comprising:

a roller;

an eccentric rotating mass within the roller;

a drive mechanism causing the eccentric rotating mass to rotate within the roller; and

a processor coupled to the drive mechanism.

11. The input roller device of claim 10, wherein the roller is a hinge roller and the electronic device is a clam shaped electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the drive mechanism comprises at least one among an electric motor, a drive circuit coupled to the electric motor, and software to control the processor and drive circuit.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the input roller device further comprises a rotary encoder coupled to the roller.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is selected among a cellular phone, a two-way radio, a messaging device, a mouse, a personal digital assistant, a lap top computer, an MP3 player, and a video player.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the input roller to provide a varied tactile feedback to the user to correspond to different events.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the input roller to provide a rolling resistance that varies in coordination with inputs from a user interface.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electronic motor serves as a rotary alert vibrator.

18. A method of providing user feedback using an input roller device, comprising the steps of:

responsive to movement of the input roller device, causing an eccentric mass to rotate within a roller of the input roller device;

varying a tactile feedback to a user using the eccentric mass to correspond to different events occurring at an electronic device having the input roller device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises the step of encoding data corresponding to a rotation of the roller.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises the step of varying a rolling resistance in coordination with inputs from a user interface.