INPUT DEVICE FOR A USER INTERFACE

• US 20110117968A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Eromaki, Marko
• Application Number:
  US12/617,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20110117968A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation

Abstract

An apparatus, which includes a body part, an input component attached to the body part, graphics on the input component, the graphics being invisible in daylight conditions and visible when exposed to a certain type of illumination, and a source of light configured to provide illumination of the certain type and to selectively illuminate the transparent input component.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a body part,

an input component coupled with the body part,

the input component having graphics, the graphics being invisible in daylight conditions and visible when exposed to a certain type of illumination, and

a source of light configured to provide illumination of the certain type and to selectively illuminate the input component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input component is transparent.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input component is movably coupled with the body part.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input component comprises a touch sensitive layer and a cover layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cover layer is configured to act as a light guide guiding illumination to the graphics on the input component.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the graphics are printed on the touch sensitive layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of light is included in the body part.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphics are printed on the input component with transparent ultraviolet ink and the illumination is ultraviolet illumination.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input component is foldably or slidably coupled with the body part.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of light is configured to be controlled responsive to a position of the input component in relation to the body part or responsive to a switch being actuated.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input component is a track pad component.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body part comprises a display.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the input component is transparent and covers the display at least partially when the input component is in a closed position in relation to the body part of the apparatus.

14. An input component comprising:

a touch sensitive layer,

a cover layer, and

graphics, the graphics being invisible in daylight conditions and visible when exposed to a certain type of illumination.

15. The input component of claim 14, wherein the cover layer is configured to act as a light guide guiding illumination to the graphics on the input component.

16. The input component of claim 14, wherein the graphics are printed on the touch sensitive layer.

17. A method comprising:

providing a user interface, the user interface comprising an input component and the input component comprising graphics that are invisible in daylight conditions and visible when exposed to a certain type of illumination, and

selectively illuminating the input component with illumination of the certain type.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

processing electrical feedback from the input component.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer executable program code stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a body part, an input component attached to the body part, and graphics on the input component, the graphics being invisible in daylight conditions and visible when exposed to a certain type of illumination, causes the apparatus to perform:

providing through the input component a user interface configured to interact with a user of the apparatus, and

processing electrical feedback from the input component.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer executable program code, when executed by at least one processor of the apparatus, further causes the apparatus to perform:

selectively illuminating the input component with illumination of the certain type.