Moveable output device

• US 7,057,579 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn R., Fraser, Sherridythe A., Wong, Yoon Kean, Oliver, Mark W., Hanson, William Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US10/806,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20040239581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 13, 345 21- 23, 345/3.1, 345/3.4, 345156-158, 345/169, 345/17, 345/901, 345/903, 178/18.01, 178/18.1
• US Class Current: 345/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• 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 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

Abstract

A display system is disclosed. The display system includes a processor. The display system also includes a first display device having a first display surface and receiving display data from the processor. The display system also includes a second displayed device having a display area smaller then the first display device and moveable over the surface of the first display device. The display system also includes a sensor in communication with the processor and communicating location data to the processor. The location data is representative of the relative location of the first display to the second display. Further still, the display system includes a program running on the processor and providing display data to the first and second display devices. The display data is provided to the second display device based on the location data.

Claims

1. A method of providing information to a display system user, comprising:

providing a first image on a first display;

detecting the location of a second display relative to the first display;

providing data to the second display based on the detected location of the second display;

generating a second image on the second display, with the second image generated from the data provided to the second display to provide at least one of enhanced display of a portion of the first image, solicitation for input, and additional output not provided in the first image; and

providing tactile feedback to a user of the second display, the tactile feedback including providing device deformation using electronic muscle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data representative of the detected location of the second display to a processing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting second display data from the processing device to the second display device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from a user, by the second display.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting embedded information based on the location of the second display.

6. The moveable output device of claim 3, wherein the enhanced output includes enhanced textual information.

7. The moveable output device of claim 3, wherein the enhanced output includes enhanced graphics information.

8. A moveable output device configured for movement across a primary display surface, the primary display being in communication with a processing device, comprising:

a device housing supporting at least one of a visual display, an audio device, and a tactile feedback device, the device housing supporting a processor; and

a wireless communications device receiving output data from the processing device, the output data being based on location data from a location sensor sensing the relative location of the device housing and the primary display surface, the output device generating an output based on the output data;

wherein a user of the output device receives an enhanced output as compared with the primary display output and the enhanced output includes tactile feedback provided to the user by an electronic muscle material coupled to the device housing.

9. The moveable output device of claim 8, wherein the enhanced output includes enhanced color.

10. The moveable output device of claim 8, wherein the enhanced output includes input options provided to a user.

11. The moveable output device of claim 8, wherein the enhanced output includes audio information.

12. The moveable output device of claim 8, wherein the enhanced output includes video information.