MULTI-MODAL USER INPUT DEVICE

• US 20120287053A1
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: BOS, Jeffrey Charles, LOS, Oleg
• Granted Patent: US 8,982,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A user input device, a portable electronic device including the user input device, and an operating method therefor, manages multiple modes of the user input device based on detected force and direction of tilt. The user input device includes a base member with top surface. A sensor touchpad module is disposed above the top surface of the base member. A plurality of pressure sensors is disposed between the base member and the sensor touchpad module. A processor manages a set of user input modes based on whether at least one of a first set of signals associated with a first user input mode and a second set of signals associated with a second user input mode has been detected.

Claims

1. A user input device for an electronic device, comprising:

a base member;

a sensor touchpad module disposed above the base member, the sensor touchpad module comprising a sensor touchpad having a touchable surface;

a plurality of pressure sensors disposed between the base member and the sensor touchpad module; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, the processor configured to manage a set of user input modes based on whether at least one of a first set of signals associated with a first user input mode and a second set of signals associated with a second user input mode has been detected.

2. The user input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a dome-shaped member disposed between the base member and the sensor touchpad module, a peak point of the dome-shaped member at a location substantially corresponding to a location on a center axis of the sensor touchpad, where the first set of signals are generated based on a displacement of a contact element associated with the dome-shaped member, and where the second set of signals are generated by at least one of the plurality of pressure sensors.

3. The user input device of claim 2, the first set of signals representing at least one of:

the sensor touchpad module being depressed a given distance; and

a given amount of force experienced by a contact element corresponding to the dome-shaped member as the sensor touchpad module is being depressed.

4. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the base member comprises a set of conductive members disposed on the base member, at least one conductive member in the set of conductive members coupled to at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors.

5. The user input device of claim 1, the second set of signals representing at least a given amount of force being applied to at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors.

6. The user input device of claim 1, the processor being further configured to:

detect the first set of signals;

prior to detecting the first set of signals;

activate a first input mode that detects a gesture traversing at least one direction substantially within a given plane on the touchable surface,

modify a user interface display presentation in response to the gesture being detected; and

in response to detecting the first set of signals,

deactivate the first input mode;

activate a second input mode that detects at least a direction of tilt of the sensor touchpad module; and

modify the user interface display presentation in response to the direction of tilt being detected.

7. The user input device of claim 6, the processor modifying the user interface display by performing a movement action in a direction corresponding to a direction of a gesture that has been detected.

8. The user input device of claim 6, the processor modifying the user interface display by performing a discrete movement action in a direction corresponding to the direction of tilt being detected.

9. The user input device of claim 6, the processor further configured to detect the direction of tilt by:

determining that the second input mode has been activated;

comparing, in response to the second input mode being activated each signal in the second set of signals to each other;

identifying, based on the comparing, at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors experiencing a greatest amount of force; and

determining that the sensor touchpad module is being tilted in a given direction that corresponds to the at least one sensor that has been identified.

10. The user input device of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

monitor an amount of time the sensor touchpad module is being tilted in the given direction;

determine if the amount of time is above a given threshold;

perform a discrete movement action in the given direction on the user interface display presentation in response to the amount of time being below the given threshold; and

perform a continuous movement action in the given direction on the user interface display presentation in response to the amount of time being above the given threshold.

11. The user input device of claim 10, the processor further configured to:

perform the continuous movement with a given speed based on a given amount of force being experienced by the identified at least one sensor as represented by a signal in the second set of signals.

12. A method of using a sensor touchpad module, the sensor touchpad module having a touchable surface, the method comprising:

detecting, with a processor coupled to at least one contact element and a plurality of sensors, a first set of signals;

prior to detecting the first set of signals;

if the sensor touchpad module is operating in a first user input mode, maintaining the first user input mode;

if the sensor touchpad module is operating in a second user input mode deactivating the second user input mode and activating the first user input mode; and

monitoring for at least one gesture traversing at least one direction on the touchable surface of the sensor touchpad module;

in response to detecting the first set of signals;

deactivating the first user input mode and activating the second user input mode;

receiving a second set of signals associated with the second user input mode in response to activating the second user input mode; and

determining at least a direction of tilt of the sensor touchpad module based on the second set of signals.

13. The method of claim 12, where the first set of signals are associated with a displacement of a contact element associated with a dome-shaped member, the dome-shaped member being disposed between a base member and the sensor touchpad module.

14. The method of claim 13, where deactivating the first user input mode and activating the second user input mode further comprises:

determining an amount of force experienced by the contact element based on the first set of signals; and

deactivating the first user input mode and activating the second user input mode in response to the amount of force being above a given threshold.

15. The method of claim 13, where the second set of signals are associated with at least one of a plurality of pressure sensors disposed between the base member and the sensor touchpad module.

16. The method of claim 15, where the second set of signals represent at least a given amount of force being applied to at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors.

17. The method of claim 12, where deactivating the first user input mode and activating the second user input mode further comprises:

determining that the sensor touchpad module has been depressed a given distance based on the first set of signals that has been detected.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to monitoring for at least one gesture,

detecting at least one gesture; and

modifying a user interface display presentation in response to the gesture being detected, the modifying comprising performing a movement action in a direction corresponding to a direction of the gesture that has been detected.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to receiving the second set of signals,

determining at least a direction of tilt of the sensor touchpad module based on the second set of signals; and

modifying a user interface display presentation in response to the direction of tilt that has been determined.

20. The method of claim 19, where determining at least the direction of tilt comprises:

comparing at least two signals in the second set of signals to each other;

identifying, based on the comparing, at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors experiencing a greatest amount of force; and

determining that the sensor touchpad module is being tilted in a given direction that corresponds to the at least one sensor that has been identified.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

monitoring an amount of time the sensor touchpad module is being tilted in the given direction;

determining if the amount of time is above a given threshold;

performing a discrete movement action in the given direction on the user interface display presentation in response to the amount of time being below the given threshold; and

performing a continuous movement action in the given direction on the user interface display presentation in response to the amount of time being above the given threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

performing the continuous movement with a given speed based on a given amount of force being experienced by the identified at least one sensor as represented by a signal in the second set of signals.

23. A computer program product for operating a user input device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for;

detecting, with a processor coupled to at least one contact element and a plurality of sensors, if a first set of signals has been detected;

prior to detecting the first set of signals;

if a sensor touchpad module is operating in a first user input mode, maintaining the first user input mode;

if the sensor touchpad module is operating in a second user input mode deactivating the second user input mode and activating the first user input mode; and

monitoring for at least one gesture traversing at least one direction on a touchable surface of the sensor touchpad module;

in response to detecting the first set of signals,

deactivating the first user input mode and activating the second user input mode;

receiving a second set of signals associated with the second user input mode in response to activating the second user input mode; and

determining at least a direction of tilt of the sensor touchpad module based on the second set of signals.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising:

in response to receiving the second set of signals,

determining at least a direction of tilt of the sensor touchpad module based on the second set of signals; and

modifying a user interface display presentation in response to the direction of tilt that has been determined,

where determining at least the direction of tilt comprises;

comparing at least two signals in the second set of signals to each other;

identifying, based on the comparing, at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors experiencing a greatest amount of force; and

determining that the sensor touchpad module is being tilted in a given direction that corresponds to the at least one sensor that has been identified.

25. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor, configured to store information operated upon by the processor; and

a user input device, comprising;

a base member;

a sensor touchpad module disposed above the base member, the sensor touchpad module comprising a sensor touchpad having a touchable surface;

a plurality of pressure sensors disposed between the base member and the sensor touchpad module;

a vertical dome-shaped member disposed between the top surface of the base member and the bottom surface of the sensor touchpad module, a peak point of a dome of the vertical dome-shaped member at a location substantially corresponding to a location on a center axis of the sensor touchpad; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, the processor configured to manage a set of user input modes based on whether at least one of a first set of signals associated with a first user input mode and a second set of signals associated with a second user input mode has been detected, the at least one of the first set of signals being generated based on a displacement of a contact element associated with the vertical dome-shaped member.