PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND SWITCHING METHOD OF ICON

• US 20120061217A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Chiang, Ching-Liang, Ou, Tsung-Yuan, Wang, Yi-Shen
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/310
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/039 Selective or different modes of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/06 Reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor

Abstract

A portable electronic device including a main body, a physical key module, and a control module is provided. The physical key module assembled to the main body has a display surface, and the physical key module includes at least two overlapped icon units. The control module electrically connected to the physical key module activates one of the icon units according to an operating state of the main body, so that an icon of the activated icon unit is displayed on the display surface. A method for switching icons is also provided.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a main body;

a physical key module, assembled to the main body, having a display surface, and comprising at least two icon units overlapped to each other; and

a control module, electrically connected to the physical key module, for activating one of the icon units so that an icon of the activated icon unit is displayed on the display surface.

2. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physical key module comprises:

a first icon unit, having at least a first icon; and

a second icon unit, overlapped to the first icon unit, and having at least a second icon, wherein when the main body is in a first operating state, the control module activates the first icon unit and disables the second icon unit, so that the first icon is displayed on the display surface, and when the main body is in a second operating state, the control module disables the first icon unit and activates the second icon unit, so that the second icon is displayed on the display surface.

3. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein an orthogonal projection of the first icon on the display surface is partially coincident to an orthogonal projection of the second icon on the display surface.

4. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a profile of the first icon is complied with a profile of the second icon, and after an orthogonal projection of the first icon on the display surface is rotated by an angle, it is completely coincident to an orthogonal projection of the second icon on the display surface.

5. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first operating state of the main body is a portrait mode, and the second operating state of the main body is a landscape mode, and after the orthogonal projection of the first icon on the display surface is rotated by 90 degrees, it is completely coincident to the orthogonal projection of the second icon on the display surface.

6. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first icon unit comprises:

a first light source, electrically connected to the control module, wherein when the main body is in the first operating state, the control module activates the first light source, and when the main body is in the second operating state, the control module disables the first light source;

a first light-guiding film, disposed aside the first light source, and having the first icon; and

a first light-shielding sheet, disposed on the first light-guiding film.

7. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first light-shielding sheet has a first light-pervious region, the first light-pervious region corresponds to the first icon, a profile of the first light-pervious region is complied with a profile of the first icon, and an area of the first light-pervious region is smaller than or equal to an area of the first icon.

8. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second icon unit comprises:

a second light source, electrically connected to the control module, wherein when the main body is in the second operating state, the control module activates the second light source, and when the main body is in the first operating state, the control module disables the second light source;

a second light-guiding film, disposed aside the second light source, and having the second icon; and

a second light-shielding sheet, disposed on the second light-guiding film.

9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second light-shielding sheet has a second light-pervious region, the second light-pervious region corresponds to the second icon and the first icon, and an area of the second light-pervious region is greater than or equal to an area of the first icon, and is greater than or equal to an area of the second icon.

10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first light source and the second light source are respectively a light emitting diode.

11. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the physical key module further comprises:

a third light-shielding sheet, disposed between the first light source and the second light-guiding film for shielding light of the first light source from transmitting to the second light-guiding film; and

a fourth light-shielding sheet, disposed between the second light source and the first light-guiding film for shielding light of the second light source from transmitting to the first light-guiding film.

12. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control module comprises:

a controller, electrically connected to the first icon unit and the second icon unit; and

a gravity sensor, electrically connected to the controller, for sensing whether the main body is in the first operating state or the second operating state.

13. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control module further comprises:

a switch key, electrically connected to the main body, for driving the main body to activate one of the icon units.

14. A method for switching icons, adapted to a portable electronic device comprising a main body, a physical key module and a control module, wherein the physical key module is assembled to the main body, the physical key module has a display surface, and comprises a first icon unit and a second icon unit overlapped to the first icon unit, the second icon unit is located between the first icon unit and the display surface, the first icon unit has at least a first icon, and the second icon unit has at least a second icon, and the control module is electrically connected to the first icon unit and the second icon unit, and the method for switching icons comprising:

the control module determining an operating state of the main body;

when the main body is in a first operating state, the control module activating the first icon unit and closing the second icon unit, so that the first icon is displayed on the display surface; and

when the main body is in a second operating state, the control module activating the second icon unit and closing the first icon unit, so that the second icon is displayed on the display surface.

15. The method for switching icons as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control module comprises a gravity sensor for sensing the operating state of the main body.

16. The method for switching icons as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first operating state of the main body is a portrait mode, and the second operating state of the main body is a landscape mode.

17. The method for switching icons as claimed in claim 15, wherein a profile of the first icon is complied with a profile of the second icon, and after an orthogonal projection of the first icon on the display surface is rotated by 90 degrees, it is completely coincident to an orthogonal projection of the second icon on the display surface.