Implementation of electronic muscles in a portable computer as user input/output devices

• US 7,034,802 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn R., Wong, Yoon Kean
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US09/944,280
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 345/179, 345/184, 345/163
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• 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 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A portable computer system contained within a housing that comprises an electronic muscle material for performing a plurality of functions. The electronic muscle can be used to replace buttons or keys used in many PDAs. The movement of the electronic muscle material can charge the battery. When handled, the electronic muscle material can further detect the left- or right-handedness of the user and, based on the handedness, can generate function buttons or other alterations to accommodate the user'"'"'s hand preference and finger placement. The electronic muscle can change shape to accommodate the user'"'"'s hand for comfort and, further, as a security function to identify and authorize the user. Additionally, the electronic muscle material in the housing can be caused to vibrate at given frequencies so that it can generate an alarm and can function as a speaker or a dynamically directional microphone.

Claims

1. A portable computer system comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to said bus;

a housing comprising a dielectric elastomer electronic muscle material, said dielectric elastomer electronic muscle material, when moved, causing said processor to behave in a prescribed manner and wherein said electronic muscle material conforms to the shape of user'"'"'s hand for improved ergonomics and wherein said conformance to shape of user'"'"'s hand generates contour data which is used by said processor to identify a user for purpose of user authorization;

a display device coupled to said bus and for providing a visual display; and

wherein said processor implements a user interface for controlling said display.

2. The portable computer system of claim 1 further comprising a battery and wherein movement of said electronic muscle material causes charging of said battery.

3. The portable computer system of claim 1 wherein movement of said electronic muscle material causes said processor to sense handling by user for determination of left-handedness or right-handedness thereof.

4. The portable computer system of claim 3 wherein in response to said determination of handedness said electronic muscle material generates a plurality of function buttons in the proximity of user'"'"'s fingers.

5. The portable computer system of claim 4 wherein any of said plurality of function buttons vibrate to apprise user of relevant message being displayed.

6. The portable computer system of claim 4 wherein any of said plurality of function buttons protrudes from said housing to apprise user of relevant message being displayed.

7. The portable computer system of claim 1 wherein said electronic muscle material vibrates for apprising the user of a message being displayed.

8. The portable computer system of claim 1 wherein said electronic muscle material vibrates at a frequency of external sound for use as a microphone.

9. The portable computer system of claim 8 wherein the location of said vibration moves spatially about the housing for tracking a strongest sound signal.

10. The portable computer system of claim 1, wherein said electronic muscle material vibrates at a frequency as specified by said processor for use as a speaker.

11. A portable computer system comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to said bus;

a housing comprising a dielectric elastomer electronic muscle material, said dielectric elastomer electronic muscle material, when moved, causing said processor to behave in a prescribed manner and wherein said electronic muscle material conforms to the shape of user'"'"'s hand for improved ergonomics and wherein said conformance to shape of user'"'"'s hand generates contour data which is used by said processor to identify a user for purpose of user authorization;

a display device coupled to said bus and for providing a visual display;

a battery, wherein stretching and contraction of said electronic muscle material causes charging of said battery based on a change of an electrical property of said electronic muscle; and

wherein said processor implements a user interface for controlling said display.

12. The portable computer system of claim 11 wherein movement of said electronic muscle material causes said processor to sense handling by user for determination of left-handedness or right-handedness thereof.

13. The portable computer system of claim 12 wherein in response to said determination of handedness said electronic muscle material generates a plurality of function buttons in the proximity of user'"'"'s fingers.

14. The portable computer system of claim 13 wherein any of said plurality of function buttons vibrate to apprise user of relevant message being displayed.

15. The portable computer system of claim 13 wherein any of said plurality of function buttons protrudes from said housing to apprise user of relevant message being displayed.

16. The portable computer system of claim 11 wherein said electronic muscle material vibrates for apprising the user of a message being displayed.