MULTI-FUNCTIONAL HAND-HELD DEVICE

• US 20180217709A1
• Filed: 03/22/2018
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: HOTELLING, Steven P.
• Application Number:
  US15/933,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20180217709A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04144 using an array of force sensing means position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a multi-functional hand-held device capable of configuring user inputs based on how the device is to be used. Preferably, the multi-functional hand-held device has at most only a few physical buttons, keys, or switches so that its display size can be substantially increased. The multi-functional hand-held device also incorporates a variety of input mechanisms, including touch sensitive screens, touch sensitive housings, display actuators, audio input, etc. The device also incorporates a user-configurable GUI for each of the multiple functions of the devices.

Claims

1. A handheld computing device, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of side surfaces;

a plurality of force sensors, including one or more force sensors located along each of at least two different side surfaces; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of force sensors, the processor capable of

detecting a force exceeding a threshold from one or more of the force sensors located along each of the two different side surfaces at least partially overlapping in time, and

initiating an operation based on the detected force exceeding the threshold.

2. The handheld computing device of claim 1, the processor further capable of determining a duration of the detected force exceeding the threshold, and initiating the operation based on the determined duration.

3. The handheld computing device of claim 1, the processor further capable of determining motion of an object across at least one of the two different side surfaces, and initiating the operation based on the determined motion and the detected force exceeding the threshold.

4. The handheld computing device of claim 1, the processor further capable of determining whether the detected force is a light touch or a hard touch based on an amount of force detected at the one or more force sensors, and performing different operations depending on the light/hard touch determination.

5. The handheld computing device of claim 1, further comprising a haptics mechanism for generating haptic feedback when the detected force exceeds the threshold.

6. The handheld computing device of claim 1, the side surfaces having upper and lower regions, a majority of the plurality of force sensors located in the lower region.

7. The handheld computing device of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein initiating an operation comprises causing a new page to be displayed on the display.

8. A method of controlling a handheld computing device, comprising:

detecting a force exceeding a threshold on at least two different side surfaces of the device, the force on the at least two different side surfaces at least partially overlapping in time; and

initiating an operation based on the detected force exceeding the threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a duration of the detected force exceeding the threshold, and initiating the operation based on the determined duration.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining motion of an object across at least one of the two different side surfaces, and initiating the operation based on the determined motion and the detected force exceeding the threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether the detected force is a light touch or a hard touch based on an amount of force detected at one or more of the side surfaces, and performing different operations depending on the light/hard touch determination.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating haptic feedback when the detected force exceeds the threshold.

13. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising detecting the force exceeding the threshold in a lower region of at least one of the side surfaces.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein initiating an operation comprises causing a new page to be displayed on the display.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising performing a squeeze operation based on the detected force exceeding the threshold.

16. A handheld computing device, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of side surfaces;

a plurality of force sensors, including one or more force sensors located along each of at least two different side surfaces; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of force sensors, the processor capable of

detecting a force exceeding a threshold from one or more of the force sensors located along each of the two different side surfaces, and

initiating an operation based on the detected force exceeding the threshold.

17. The handheld computing device of claim 16, the processor further capable of determining a duration of the detected force exceeding the threshold, and initiating the operation based on the determined duration.

18. The handheld computing device of claim 16, the processor further capable of determining motion of an object across at least one of the two different side surfaces, and initiating the operation based on the determined motion and the detected force exceeding the threshold.

19. A method of controlling a handheld computing device, comprising:

detecting a squeeze input by detecting a force exceeding a threshold on at least two different side surfaces of the device; and

initiating a squeeze operation based on the detected squeeze input.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a duration of the detected force exceeding the threshold, and initiating the squeeze operation based on the determined duration.