Portable device and method for interacting therewith

• US 20070018964A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Toebes, John, Moon, Billy
• Application Number:
  US11/185,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018964A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1656 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 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

A portable device includes a display that displays information from an application. A touchpad is oriented perpendicularly to the display. The touchpad detects one or more contact inputs. The one or more contact inputs associate with one or more virtual keys that the application interprets to display the information on the display. An inertial device detects one or more motion inputs. The one or more motion inputs associate with one or more virtual keys that the application interprets to display the information on the display.

Claims

1. A portable device, comprising:

a display operable to display information from an application;

a touchpad oriented perpendicularly to the display and operable to detect one or more contact inputs, wherein the one or more contact inputs associate with one or more virtual keys that the application interprets to display the information on the display; and

an inertial device operable to detect one or more motion inputs, wherein the one or more motion inputs associate with one or more virtual keys that the application interprets to display the information on the display.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the inertial device includes an accelerometer operable to detect the one or more motion inputs.

3. The portable device of claim 2, wherein the accelerometer includes a three dimensional accelerometer operable to detect the one or more motion inputs on three axes.

4. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising guide bumps surrounding at least two sides of the touchpad and operable to assist in providing the one or more contact inputs on the touchpad.

5. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the display includes at least two soft menus that associate with the touchpad and the inertial device.

6. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the virtual key associates with a command of the application, the application is operable to perform panning and zooming operations.

7. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising one or more device interfaces operable to communicate with one or more devices within a personal area network.

8. A method for interacting with a portable device, comprising:

receiving one or more inputs, wherein the input is one or more contact inputs or one or more motion inputs;

generating one or more virtual keys based on the one or more inputs received;

associating the one or more virtual keys with a command of a displayable component;

interpreting the command of the displayable component in accordance with an application;

displaying the displayable component of the application, wherein displaying is perpendicular to the one or more contact inputs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the one or more inputs includes receiving the one or more contact inputs on a touchpad.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the one or more contact inputs includes receiving a tapping input on a region of the touchpad, and receiving a sliding input on the region of the touchpad.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the one or more inputs includes receiving the one or more motion inputs as detected by an accelerometer.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining an input mode of the portable device;

receiving a change input operable to toggle between a plurality of input devices that detects the one or more inputs.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the input mode of the portable device includes a contact mode and a motion mode.

14. A system for interacting with a portable device, comprising:

means for receiving one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs include one or more contact inputs or one or more motion inputs;

means for generating one or more virtual keys based on the one or more inputs received;

means for associating the one or more virtual keys with a command of a displayable component;

means for interpreting the command of the displayable component in accordance with an application;

means for displaying the displayable component of the application, wherein displaying is perpendicular to the one or more contact inputs.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein means for receiving the one or more inputs includes receiving the one or more contact inputs on a touchpad.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein receiving the one or more contact inputs includes receiving a tapping input on a region of the touchpad, and receiving a sliding input on the region of the touchpad.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein means for receiving the one or more inputs includes receiving the one or more motion inputs as detected by an accelerometer.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining an input mode of the portable device;

means for receiving a change input operable to toggle between a plurality of input devices that detects the one or more inputs.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the input mode of the portable device includes a contact mode and a motion mode.

20. A computer readable medium including logic for interacting with a portable device, the logic operable to perform the following steps:

receive one or more inputs, wherein the one or more inputs is one or more contact inputs or one or more motion inputs;

generate one or more virtual keys based on the one or more inputs received;

associate the one or more virtual keys with a command of a displayable component;

interpret the command of the displayable component in accordance with an application;

display the displayable component of the application, wherein displaying is perpendicular to the one or more contact inputs.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein receiving the one or more inputs includes receiving the one or more contact inputs on a touchpad.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein receiving the one or more contact inputs includes receiving a tapping input on a region of the touchpad, and receiving a sliding input on the region of the touchpad.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein receiving the one or more inputs includes receiving the one or more motion inputs as detected by an accelerometer.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 20, the logic further operable to:

determine an input mode of the portable device;

receive a change input operable to toggle between a plurality of input devices that detects the one or more inputs.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the input mode of the portable device includes a contact mode and a motion mode.