User Programmable Switch

• US 20080167071A1
• Filed: 01/06/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Forstall, Scott, Coffman, Patrick L., Jobs, Steven P., Ganatra, Nitin, Christie, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device

Abstract

The various methods and devices described herein relate to devices which, in at least certain embodiments, may include at least one mechanical switch for user to select a user profile interface setting and at least one processor for causing the device to respond to the mechanical switch. The mechanical switch may be dedicated for the purpose of switching profiles and may allow for a selection of a plurality of profiles. Further, in conjunction with an optional shift key, the user may select preferences programmed within a profile.

Claims

1. A portable data processing device comprising:

a display;

an input device;

a mechanical switch dedicated to toggling between at least two programmable user interface profile settings,

at least one processor coupled to the input device and to the display and coupled to the mechanical switch to receive an output from the mechanical switch, the processor being configured to determine and select, based on the output of the mechanical switch, one set of values from the at least two programmable user interface profile settings.

2. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the at least two programmable user interface profile settings each contains mirroring fields.

3. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 further comprising:

a radiofrequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the processor; and

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a user is communicating with another device through the RF transceiver.

4. The portable data processing device as in claim 3 wherein the input device is at least one of a keypad with discrete keys having an electrical switch for each discrete key representing at least one alphanumeric character and (b) a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character.

5. The portable data processing device as in claim 4 further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the RF transceiver;

a microphone coupled to the RF transceiver;

a storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device being configured to store media for playback on the portable data processing device.

6. The portable data processing device as in claim 5 further comprising:

a wheel input interface coupled to the storage device, the wheel input interface being configured to allow the user to select a particular content in the media for playback and to scroll through a listing of the media.

7. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the display occupies at least 75 percent of a surface of a housing of the portable device.

8. The portable data processing device as in claim 7 wherein the input device comprises a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character and wherein the touch input panel is integrated with the display and wherein the portable telephone device does not include a hinge.

9. The portable data processing device as in claim 6 wherein the portable data processing device comprises a mobile telephone and wherein the media for playback comprises at least one of audio or video or audio and video combined.

10. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a multi-touch input panel which is integrated with the display and which is capable of determining multiple, separate concurrent touches on the multi-touch input panel and wherein the multi-touch input panel provides touch data derived from one or more touches to the multi-touch input panel.

11. The portable data process device as in claim 1 wherein the user interface profile settings further comprising at least one of background wallpaper settings, display brightness settings, communication settings, media settings and a combination of any of the aforementioned settings.

12. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein an activation of the mechanical switch leads to an audio and/or tactile and a visual response confirming the activation of the mechanical switch.

13. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein a manual activation of the mechanical switch directly leads to customization of a user interface environment.

14. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 further comprising an optional shift key wherein the simultaneous actuation of the optional shift key and the mechanical switch generates a different output comparing to the actuation of the mechanical switch alone.

15. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving an actuation of a dedicated mechanical switch to toggle between at least two programmable user interface profile settings, including at least two switch positions on a portable data processing device;

receiving an electrical output corresponding to the actuation of the mechanical switch to each of the at least two switch positions;

controlling a selection of parameters in the at least two programmable user interface profile settings of the portable data processing device; and

determining and selecting a preference in the at least two programmable user interface profile settings.

16. The machine implemented method as in claim 15 wherein the at least two programmable user interface profile settings each contains mirroring fields.

17. The machine implemented method as in claim 15 further comprising:

receiving an actuation of an optional shift button on the portable processing device simultaneous to the actuation of the dedicated mechanical switch; and

receiving a different electrical output from the simultaneous actuations of both the optional shift button and the mechanical switch comparing to the actuation of the mechanical switch alone at each of at least two switch positions.

18. The machine implemented method as in claim 17 wherein the portable data processing device further comprises:

a display;

an input device; and

at least one processor coupled to the input device and to the display and coupled to the mechanical switch to receive an output from the mechanical switch.

19. The machine implemented method as in claim 18 wherein the input device is at least one of a keypad with discrete keys having an electrical switch for each discrete key representing at least one alphanumeric character and (b) a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character.

20. The machine implemented method as in claim 18 wherein the portable data processing device further comprises:

a speaker coupled to a RF transceiver;

a microphone coupled to the RF transceiver;

a storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device being configured to store media for playback on the portable data processing device.

21. The machine implemented method as in claim 18 wherein the portable data processing device further comprises:

a wheel input interface coupled to the storage device, the wheel input interface being configured to allow the user to select a particular content in the media for playback and to scroll through a listing of the media.

22. The machine implemented method as in claim 18 wherein the display occupies at least 75 percent of a surface of a housing of the portable device.

23. The machine implemented method as in claim 22 wherein the input device comprises a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character and wherein the touch input panel is integrated with the display and wherein the portable telephone device does not include a hinge.

24. The machine implemented method as in claim 15 wherein the activation of the mechanical switch leads to an audio and/or tactile and a visual response confirming the activation of the mechanical switch.

25. The machine implemented method as in claim 15 wherein the activation of the mechanical switch directly leads to customization of a user interface environment.

26. A machine readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving an actuation of a dedicated mechanical switch, to toggle between at least two programmable user interface profile settings, including at least two switch positions on a portable data processing device;

receiving an electrical output corresponding to the actuation of the mechanical switch to each of the at least two switch positions;

controlling a selection of parameters in the at least two programmed user interface profile settings of the portable data processing device; and

determining and selecting a preference in the at least two programmed user interface profile settings.

27. The machine readable medium as in claim 26 wherein the at least two programmed user interface profile settings each contains mirroring fields.

28. The machine readable medium as in claim 26 further comprising:

receiving an actuation of an optional shift button on the portable processing device simultaneous to the actuation of the dedicated mechanical switch; and

receiving a different electrical output from the simultaneous actuations of both the optional shift button and the mechanical switch comparing to the actuation of the mechanical switch alone at each of the at least two switch positions.

29. The machine readable medium as in claim 26 wherein the portable data processing device further comprises:

a display;

an input device; and

at least one processor coupled to the input device and to the display and coupled to the mechanical switch and an optional shift key to receive an output from the mechanical switch.

30. The machine readable medium as in claim 29 wherein the input device is at least one of a keypad with discrete keys having an electrical switch for each discrete key representing at least one alphanumeric character and (b) a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character.

31. The machine readable medium as in claim 29 wherein the portable data processing device further comprises:

a speaker coupled to a RF transceiver;

a microphone coupled to the RF transceiver;

a storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device being configured to store media for playback on the portable data processing device.

32. The machine readable medium as in claim 29 wherein the portable data processing device further comprises:

a wheel input interface coupled to the storage device, the wheel input interface being configured to allow the user to select a particular content in the media for playback and to scroll through a listing of the media.

33. The machine readable medium as in claim 29 wherein the display occupies at least 75 percent of a surface of a housing of the portable device.

34. The machine readable medium as in claim 33 wherein the input device comprises a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character and wherein the touch input panel is integrated with the display and wherein the portable telephone device does not include a hinge.

35. The machine readable medium as in claim 26 wherein the user interface profile settings further comprise at least one of background wallpaper settings, display brightness settings, communication settings, media settings and a combination of any of the aforementioned settings.

36. The machine readable medium as in claim 26 wherein the activation of the mechanical switch leads to an audio and/or tactile and a visual response confirming the activation of the mechanical switch.

37. The machine readable medium as in claim 26 wherein the activation of the mechanical switch directly leads to customization of a user interface environment.

38. A portable data processing device comprising:

a multi-touch input panel configured to determine multiple, separate concurrent touches on the multi-touch input panel;

a display device integrated with the multi-touch input panel;

a mechanical switch;

at least one processor coupled to the multi-touch input panel and coupled to the mechanical switch to receive an output from the mechanical switch, the processor being configured to determine and select, based on the output of the mechanical switch, a set of values from one of a plurality of predetermined settings.

39. The portable data processing device as in claim 38 wherein the mechanical switch is used to switch between at least two programmable user interface profile settings each contains mirroring fields.

40. The portable data processing device as in claim 38 further comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the processor; and

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a user is communicating with another device through the RF transceiver.

41. The portable data processing device as in claim 40 further comprising:

a speaker coupled to a RF transceiver;

a microphone coupled to the RF transceiver;

a storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device being configured store media for playback on the portable data processing device.

42. The portable data processing device as in claim 41 further comprising:

a wheel input interface coupled to the storage device, the wheel input interface being configured to allow the user to select a particular content in the media for playback and to scroll through a listing of the media.

43. The portable data processing device as in claim 41 wherein the portable data processing device comprises a mobile telephone and wherein the media for playback comprises at least one of audio or video or audio and video combined.

44. The portable data process device as in claim 38 wherein the user interface profile settings further comprise at least one of background wallpaper settings, display brightness settings, communication settings, media settings and a combination of any of the aforementioned settings.

45. The portable data process device as in claim 38 wherein the activation of the mechanical switch leads to an audio and/or tactile and a visual response confirming the activation of the mechanical switch.

46. The portable data process device as in claim 38 wherein the activation of the mechanical switch directly leads to customization of a user interface environment.

47. The portable data processing device as in claim 38 further comprising an optional shift key wherein the simultaneous actuation of the optional shift key and the mechanical switch generates a different output comparing to the actuation of the mechanical switch alone.