Keyboard equivalent pad overlay encasement for a handheld electronic device

• US 6,636,203 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Albanowski, Kenneth James, Wong, Yoon Kean, Leonard, Cheri Nola
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fatahiryar, M.
• Application Number:
  US09/861,040
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 345/169, 345/172, 345/173, 341/22, 341/23, 341/34, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/027 including magnifying means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods of enabling a portable electronic device with a transparent, flexible, removable, pushbutton overlay that lays over at least a portion of the graphic touch-screen display on the portable electronic device. The pushbuttons in the overlay are designed to transmit finger pressure to the pressure-sensitive touch-screen display and also to provide a natural feeling tactile feedback to the user. At the same time, being transparent, the overlay allows the user to view the contents of the Graphical User Interface that are presented directly beneath the buttons and allow the user to respond to those contents. The buttons are, in some embodiments, enabled as magnifying lenses in order to better present the GUI contents.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an electronic circuit;

a housing enclosing said electronic circuit;

a touch-screen display, coupled to said electronic circuit and for displaying on-screen selections; and

,

a flexible membrane deployable for overlaying at least a portion of said on-screen selections of said touch-screen display, wherein said flexible membrane is operable to transfer pressure to said touch-screen display and wherein said flexible membrane is enabled to magnify information presented in said touch-screen display.

2. A portable electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device is a cellular telephone.

3. A portable electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device is a portable computing device.

4. A portable electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device is a personal digital assistant.

5. A portable electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device is of a type referred to as an E-Book.

6. A portable electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device combines functions of a portable computing device and functions of a wireless telephone.

7. A portable electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein said flexible membrane is transparent.

8. A portable electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein said flexible membrane is enabled with tactile feedback buttons embodied as magnifying lenses.

9. In a portable electronic device, a method for entering information in a touch-screen display, comprising the steps of:

rendering an image of a graphical user interface on said touch-screen display;

overlaying said touch-screen display with a transparent flexible membrane capable of magnifying said image of said graphical user interface and of transmitting pressure to said touch-screen display at a point at which pressure is applied to said flexible membrane;

magnifying appropriate information in said image of said graphical user interface; and

registering input from said touch-screen display in response to pressure applied to said flexible membrane, said pressure being applied to points indicated in a graphic user interface displayed in said touch-screen display.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said portable electronic device is enabled as a portable telephone device.

11. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said portable electronic device is a portable computing device.

12. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said portable electronic device is a personal data assistant.

13. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said portable electronic device is an E-Book.

14. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said portable electronic device combines functions of a portable computing device and functions of a wireless telephone.

15. A display device, comprising:

a touch-screen for displaying on-screen selections; and

,

a transparent flexible overlay deployable to be occasionally laid over a portion of said touch screen and comprising buttons for aligning with portions of said on-screen selections, said flexible overlay, when contacted, for transferring pressure to a corresponding point of said touch-screen, wherein said buttons are enabled as magnifying lenses.

16. A display device as described in claim 15, wherein said buttons are tactile feedback buttons.

17. A display device as described in claim 15, further comprising a hinge aligned with an edge of said touch screen and connected to an edge of said flexible overlay.

18. A display device as described in claim 15, wherein said flexible overlay is removable.

19. A display device as described in claim 15, wherein said touch-screen is integrated within a PDA.

20. A display device as described in claim 15, wherein said touch-screen is integrated within an E-book device.

21. A display device as described in claim 15, wherein said touch-screen is for displaying graphical information and wherein said user selections are part of a graphical user interface displayed on said touch-screen.