SCROLL WHEEL WITH CHARACTER INPUT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:
- a device housing having a front face;
a processor housed within the device housing for controlling the operation of the electronic device;
a display screen mounted within the front face and connected to the processor;
a keyboard mounted within the front face in a position between a top edge and a bottom edge of the front face and below the display screen, the keyboard comprising a plurality of alphanumeric keys arranged in a plurality of rows across the front face for inputting alphanumeric characters for display on the display screen when activated; and
a scroll wheel assembly comprising an elongate scroll wheel having a length greater than its width and a scroll switch assembly connected to the processor via a printed circuit board mounted within the device housing, wherein a portion of the scroll wheel protrudes through an elongate rectangular opening provided through the front face of the device housing for manipulation by a thumb of a user of the device, wherein the scroll wheel is located within the front face in a space bar key location relative to the keyboard;
wherein the scroll wheel is mounted by the scroll switch assembly for rotation about an axis in an upward direction perpendicular to its width and towards the top edge of the front face and in a downward direction towards the bottom edge of the front face, wherein the scroll switch assembly supports both ends of the scroll wheel and is arranged to permit the scroll wheel to be rotated about its axis when a rotational force is applied and displaced towards the printed circuit board when a depression force is applied to the scroll wheel;
wherein the scroll switch assembly comprises a rotating encoder switch for detecting switch inputs when the scroll wheel is rotated about its axis and providing tactile feedback by providing increased rotational resistance whenever a switch point is hit during rotation of the scroll wheel, and a tactile contact switch for detecting depression of the scroll wheel and providing tactile feedback when the scroll wheel is depressed;
wherein the rotating encoder switch causes movement of an on-screen position indicator on the display screen in response to rotation of the scroll wheel about its axis and the tactile contact switch causes input of a space character for display on the display screen in response to depression of the scroll wheel.
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Abstract
An electronic device that includes a display screen and a scroll wheel coupled to the display screen by a processor. The scroll wheel includes a rotational input component for directing movement of a navigational indicator on the display screen and a depressible input component for inputting a character for display on the display screen.
36 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:
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a device housing having a front face; a processor housed within the device housing for controlling the operation of the electronic device; a display screen mounted within the front face and connected to the processor; a keyboard mounted within the front face in a position between a top edge and a bottom edge of the front face and below the display screen, the keyboard comprising a plurality of alphanumeric keys arranged in a plurality of rows across the front face for inputting alphanumeric characters for display on the display screen when activated; and a scroll wheel assembly comprising an elongate scroll wheel having a length greater than its width and a scroll switch assembly connected to the processor via a printed circuit board mounted within the device housing, wherein a portion of the scroll wheel protrudes through an elongate rectangular opening provided through the front face of the device housing for manipulation by a thumb of a user of the device, wherein the scroll wheel is located within the front face in a space bar key location relative to the keyboard; wherein the scroll wheel is mounted by the scroll switch assembly for rotation about an axis in an upward direction perpendicular to its width and towards the top edge of the front face and in a downward direction towards the bottom edge of the front face, wherein the scroll switch assembly supports both ends of the scroll wheel and is arranged to permit the scroll wheel to be rotated about its axis when a rotational force is applied and displaced towards the printed circuit board when a depression force is applied to the scroll wheel; wherein the scroll switch assembly comprises a rotating encoder switch for detecting switch inputs when the scroll wheel is rotated about its axis and providing tactile feedback by providing increased rotational resistance whenever a switch point is hit during rotation of the scroll wheel, and a tactile contact switch for detecting depression of the scroll wheel and providing tactile feedback when the scroll wheel is depressed; wherein the rotating encoder switch causes movement of an on-screen position indicator on the display screen in response to rotation of the scroll wheel about its axis and the tactile contact switch causes input of a space character for display on the display screen in response to depression of the scroll wheel.
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2. A handheld electronic device, comprising:
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a device housing having a front face; a processor housed within the device housing for controlling the operation of the electronic device; a display screen mounted within the front face and connected to the processor; a keyboard mounted within the front face in a position between a top edge and a bottom edge of the front face and below the display screen, the keyboard comprising a plurality of alphanumeric keys arranged in a plurality of rows across the front face for inputting alphanumeric characters for display on the display screen when activated; and an elongate scroll wheel connected to the processor having a length greater than its width, the scroll wheel being mounted within the front face in a space bar key location relative to the keyboard and including a rotational input component for directing movement of an on-screen position indicator on the display screen and a depressible input component for inputting a space character for display on the display screen. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating a handheld electronic device comprising a device housing having a front face, a processor housed within the device housing for controlling the operation of the electronic device, a display screen mounted within the front face and connected to the processor, a keyboard mounted within the front face in a position between a top edge and a bottom edge of the front face and below the display screen, the keyboard comprising a plurality of alphanumeric keys arranged in a plurality of rows across the front face for inputting alphanumeric characters for display on the display screen when activated, and an elongate scroll wheel connected to the processor having a length greater than its width, the scroll wheel being mounted within the front face in a space bar key location relative to the keyboard and including a rotational input component for directing movement of an on-screen position indicator on the display screen and a depressible input component for inputting a space character for display on the display screen, the method comprising:
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in a navigation mode, (i) moving the n-screen position indicator on the display screen in a forward direction through displayed items and to focus items displayed on the display screen in response to rotation of the scroll wheel in the upward direction, (ii) moving the on-screen position indicator in a backward direction through the displayed items and to focus items displayed on the display screen in response to rotation of the scroll wheel in the downward direction, and (iii) selecting a item focussed by the on-screen position indicator in response to depression of the scroll wheel; and in an input mode, inputting a space character for display on the display screen in response to depression of the scroll wheel.
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Specification