ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING TACTILE TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY

• US 20100110016A1
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: LADOUCEUR, Norman, GRIFFIN, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,279,183 B2
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer

Abstract

An electronic device includes a base and a touch-sensitive display connected to the base and movable relative thereto. The touch-sensitive display includes a display device and a touch-sensitive input device for detecting touches on the display device. The electronic device also includes a switch actuator disposed between the touch-sensitive display and the base, switches disposed between the touch-sensitive display and the base and moveable relative to the switch actuator from a first position in which only one of the switches is located for actuation by the switch actuator, and a second position in which two of the switches are located for actuation by the switch actuator, and operational components including a processor connected to the display device and the touch-sensitive input device for controlling operation of the display device and the touch-sensitive input device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a base;

a touch-sensitive display connected to the base and movable relative thereto, the touch-sensitive display including a display device and a touch-sensitive input device for detecting touches on the display device;

a switch actuator disposed between the touch-sensitive display and the base;

switches disposed between the touch-sensitive display and the base and moveable relative to the switch actuator from a first position in which only one of the switches is located for actuation by the switch actuator, and a second position in which two of the switches are located for actuation by the switch actuator; and

operational components including a processor connected to the display device and the touch-sensitive input device for controlling operation of the display device and the touch-sensitive input device.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the switch actuator comprises a tray disposed between the touch-sensitive display and at least one of the switches.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the switch actuator comprises at least one projection from the tray for contacting the switches.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the switch actuator comprises three projections for actuating the switches.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, comprising a sliding mechanism for moving said switches between said first position and said second position.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said sliding mechanism comprises a mounting plate on which said switches are disposed and said mounting plate is slideable between said first position and said second position.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, comprising a stop on the mounting plate for inhibiting movement of the touch-sensitive display relative to the base.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6 wherein the stop on the mounting plate is aligned with a boss for abutting to inhibit movement of the touch-sensitive display relative to the base when said mounting plate is in a third position.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said third position is intermediate said first position and said second position.

10. The electronic device according to claim 6 wherein said sliding mechanism is controlled by said processor for changing from one of said first and second positions to the other of said first and second positions.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1 comprising a rotating mechanism for moving said switches between said first position and said second position.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein said rotating mechanism comprises a member on which said switches are mounted, and the member is rotatable between the first position and the second position.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein each one of said switches is moved independently of others of said switches.