ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20110134033A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stmicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Stmicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: RAYNOR, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,635,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

A mobile communications device includes a radiofrequency antenna, a navigation pad and a signal processor. The radiofrequency antenna, navigation pad, and signal processor cooperate to encode and transmit motion signals from the navigation pad to a computer so that the mobile communications device functions as a pointing device therefore.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A mobile communications device to function as a pointing device for a computer and comprising:

a housing;

a navigation pad carried by said housing;

a radiofrequency antenna; and

a signal processor configured to

detect motion via said navigation pad and encode motion signals based thereupon, and

transmit the encoded motion signals to the computer via said radiofrequency antenna.

21. The mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein said navigation pad is positioned on a front surface of said housing and projects outwardly from said housing.

22. The mobile communications device of claim 21, further comprising at least one additional component positioned on the front surface of said housing and projecting outwardly therefrom;

and wherein said navigation pad projects outwardly further from said housing than said at least one additional component.

23. The mobile communications device of claim 22, further comprising a low friction projection positioned on the front surface of said housing and projecting outwardly therefrom farther than said at least one additional component.

24. The mobile communications device of claim 23, wherein a mobile device center of gravity is between said low friction protrusion and said navigation pad.

25. The mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein said navigation pad is configured to detect pressure applied thereto;

and wherein said signal processor encodes a mouse click signal based upon the detected pressure and transmits the mouse click signal to the computer.

26. The mobile communications device of claim 20, further comprising at least one switch element carried by said housing and coupled to said signal processor to receive mousing commands.

27. The mobile communications device of claim 26, wherein said at least one switch element comprises at least one of a micro switch and a snap action switch.

28. The mobile communications device of claim 26, wherein said at least one switch element comprises a touch pad coupled to said signal processor;

and wherein said signal processor encodes a mouse command signal based upon detected pressure applied to said touch pad, and transmits the mouse command signal to the computer.

29. The mobile communications device of claim 26, wherein said at least one switch element is positioned on a rear surface of said housing.

30. The mobile communications device of claim 26, wherein said at least one switch element is positioned on a side surface of said housing.

31. The mobile communications device of claim 26, wherein said at least one switch element comprises a plurality of switch elements, with at least some switch elements of said plurality thereof being positioned on a rear surface of said housing, and with at least other switch elements of said plurality thereof being positioned on a side surface of said housing.

32. The mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein said navigation pad comprises a mechanical trackball.

33. The mobile communications device of claim 32, wherein said mechanical trackball is at least partially transparent;

further comprising an illumination source carried by said housing; and

wherein said mechanical trackball and said illumination source cooperate to function as an optical mouse.

34. The mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein said navigation pad comprises a domed optical touchpad.

35. The mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein said signal processor encodes and transmits the motion signals in a mouse mode, and is also configured to perform cellular telephone functions based upon the motion signals in a cellular telephone mode.

36. The mobile communications device of claim 35, wherein said signal processor reverses an orientation of the motion signals based upon switching between the mouse mode and the cellular telephone mode.

37. The mobile communications device of claim 36, wherein said signal processor is switchable between the mouse mode and the cellular telephone mode based upon said navigation pad.

38. The mobile communications device of claim 36, further comprising a device orientation sensor coupled to said signal processor, and wherein said signal processor switches between the mouse mode and the cellular telephone mode based upon said device orientation sensor.

39. The mobile communications device of claim 37, further comprising a light detector coupled to said signal processor, and wherein said signal processor switches between the mouse mode and the cellular telephone mode based upon said light detector.

40. A mobile communications device to function as a pointing device for a computer and comprising:

a housing;

a navigation pad carried by said housing on a front surface thereof and configured to detect pressure applied thereto;

a radiofrequency antenna; and

a signal processor configured to

detect motion via said navigation pad and encode motion signals based thereupon,

detect pressure applied to said navigation pad and encode mouse click signals based thereupon, and

transmit the encoded motion signals and the mouse click signals to the computer.

41. The mobile communications device of claim 40, further comprising a low friction projection positioned on the front surface of said housing and projecting outwardly therefrom farther than said at least one additional component.

42. The mobile communications device of claim 40, wherein a mobile device center of gravity is between said low friction protrusion and said navigation pad.

43. The mobile communications device of claim 40, further comprising at least one switch element carried by said housing and coupled to said signal processor to receive mousing commands.

44. The mobile communications device of claim 43, wherein said at least one switch element comprises at least one of a micro switch and a snap action switch.

45. The mobile communications device of claim 43, wherein said at least one switch element comprises a touch pad switch coupled to said signal processor;

and wherein said signal processor encodes a mouse command signal based upon detected pressure applied to said touch pad, and transmits the mouse command signal to the computer.

46. A communications system comprising:

a computer comprising a computer processor and a display coupled thereto;

a mobile communications device comprising

a housing,

a navigation pad carried by said housing,

a radiofrequency antenna, and

a signal processor configured to

detect motion via said navigation pad and encode motion signals based thereupon, and

transmit the encoded motion signals to the computer via said radiofrequency antenna; and

said computer processor configured to displaying a cursor on said display based upon the motion signals.

47. The communications system of claim 46, wherein said navigation pad is positioned on a front surface of said housing and projects outwardly from said housing.

48. The communications system of claim 47, further comprising at least one additional component positioned on the front surface of said housing and projecting outwardly therefrom;

and wherein said navigation pad projects outwardly further from said housing than said at least one additional component.

49. The communications system of claim 48, further comprising a low friction projection positioned on the front surface of said housing and projecting outwardly therefrom farther than said at least one additional component.

50. A method of controlling a cursor on a display of a computer with a mobile wireless communications device comprising:

detecting motion via a navigation pad using a signal processor and encoding motion signals based thereupon; and

transmitting the motion signals to the computer via a radiofrequency antenna.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising detecting pressure applied to the navigation pad and encoding a mouse click signal based thereupon, using the signal processor, and transmitting the mouse click signal to the computer via the radiofrequency antenna.

52. The method of claim 50, further comprising detecting pressure applied to a touch pad pressure sensitive switch and encoding a mouse command signal based thereupon, using the signal processor, and transmitting the mouse command signal to the computer via the radiofrequency antenna.