INPUT INTERFACE INCLUDING PUSH-SENSITIVE MECHANICAL SWITCH IN COMBINATION WITH CAPACITIVE TOUCH SENSOR

• US 20080024958A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Slacker, Inc. (LiveOne, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Slacker, Inc. (LiveOne, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parise, David, Benavidez, David, Csicsatka, Tibor, Mudd, Dennis, Mehin, Afshin, Harden, Dan
• Application Number:
  US11/774,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024958A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/615
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An input interface for an electronic device is disclosed. The input interface includes a touch-sensitive switch supported by a board member. The input interface further includes a push-sensitive switch supported by a circuit board. The board member and circuit board will typically be generally planar and included within substantially parallel layers of the input interface. The touch-sensitive switch and push-sensitive switch form a switch pair that may be associated with a display control function invoked upon actuation of both of the switches.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having at least one outside edge;

an input interface disposed along at least a portion of the one outside edge, the input interface including at least one touch-sensitive switch and at least one push-sensitive switch; and

a processor for receiving and processing first input signals generated by the at least one touch-sensitive switch and second input signals generated by the at least one push-sensitive switch, the first and second input signals being generated in response to user input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to interpret the successive generation of one of the first input signals and one of the second input signals as a control operation relative to information displayed by a display of the electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the processor, in response to the generation of one of the first input signals, sends a turn-on instruction to a light-emitting element of the input interface.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the processor, in response to the generation of one of the first input signals, sends a turn-on instruction to a backlight element of a display of the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein the light-emitting element is located proximate a portion of the input interface associated with a display control function applicable to a display of the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 wherein the processor initiates implementation of the display control function when one of the second input signals is generated within a predefined period subsequent to the one of the first input signals.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least one touch-sensitive switch is located in a first horizontal layer of the input interface and the at least one push-sensitive switch is located in a second horizontal layer of the input interface displaced from the first horizontal layer along a vertical axis.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least one touch-sensitive switch and the at least one push-sensitive switch are proximately located relative to a longitudinal axis of the input interface and comprise a first switch pair, the input interface including a second touch-sensitive switch and a second push-sensitive switch comprising a second switch pair.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the input interface further includes a plurality of touch-sensitive switches positioned substantially along the longitudinal axis between the first switch pair and the second switch pair.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least one touch-sensitive switch comprises a capacitive touch switch.

11. An input interface for an electronic device, the input interface comprising:

a first touch-sensitive switch supported by a board member;

a circuit board; and

a first push-sensitive switch supported by the circuit board.

12. The input interface of claim 11 further including a light emitting element at least partially supported by the board member.

13. The input interface of claim 12 further including an enclosure layer and a light diffusing element, the light diffusing element being interposed between the board member and the enclosure layer.

14. The input interface of claim 11 wherein the first touch-sensitive switch and first push-sensitive switch are located proximate a portion of the input interface associated with a first control function.

15. The input interface of claim 14 further including:

a second touch-sensitive switch supported by the board member; and

a second push-sensitive switch supported by the circuit board.

16. The input interface of claim 15 wherein the second touch-sensitive switch and the second push-sensitive switch are located proximate a portion of the input interface associated with a second control function.

17. The input interface of claim 11 further including a light emitting element located proximate the first touch-sensitive switch on the board member.

18. A method of controlling a display interface of an electronic device using an input interface of the device, the method comprising:

generating, upon touching by a user of a surface of the input interface, a first input signal;

generating, upon application by the user of a pushing force to the surface of the input interface, a second input signal; and

providing a first control signal to the display interface in response to the first input signal and the second input signal.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the touching and the pushing force are applied proximate a first location of the input interface.

20. The method of claim 19 further including:

generating, upon touching by a user of a second location on the surface of the input interface, a third input signal;

generating, upon application by the user of a pushing force proximate the second location of the surface of the input interface, a fourth input signal; and

providing a second control signal to the display interface in response to the third input signal and the fourth input signal.

21. The method of claim 18 further including illuminating a portion of the input interface in response to the first input signal.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the providing includes generating the first control signal only if the second input signal is generated within a predetermined time period subsequent to the generating of the first input signal.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a display frame portion and at least one outside edge;

an input interface including;

a touch-sensitive scroll bar disposed along at least a portion of the display frame portion, and

at least one touch-sensitive switch and at least one push-sensitive switch proximate a first location on the at least one outside edge; and

a processor for receiving and processing input signals generated by the touch-sensitive scroll bar, at least one touch-sensitive switch, and at least one push-sensitive switch in response to user input.

24. The electronic device of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to interpret the successive generation of one of input signals from the at least one touch-sensitive switch and the at least one push-sensitive switch as a control operation relative to information displayed by a display of the electronic device bordered by the display frame portion.