Digital multidirectional control switch

• US 7,078,633 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ihalainen, Petri
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedhofer, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMZA, LISA NHUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/865,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20040262142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 200/4, 200/5.R, 200/6.A, 200/17.R, 200/18, 200/339, 345/157, 345/161, 463 36- 38
• US Class Current: 200/6.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/016 universal; modular
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/02 Interspersed fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/078 Variable resistance by variable contact area or point
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

A multidirectional control switch which comprises at least a control means (1) arranged to be movable, a base (2), and first and second contact means in connection with the control means (1) and/or the base (2), one of the contact means being a coupling means (4). One of said contact means is a contact surface (2) comprising several contact areas (3), and the first contact means (2, 4) is arranged in connection with the control means (1), and the second contact means is arranged in connection with the base (2), and at least one of said contact means (2, 4) is flexible, and the coupling means (4) is arranged to touch the contact surface (2) in one or more contact areas (3) to generate a control signal, wherein a contact area is arranged to be formed at the point of contact between the base and the coupling means. The invention also relates to a method for forming a control signal by a multidirectional control switch, as well as to a program implementing the method, and a software product.

Claims

1. A multidirectional control switch, which comprises at least

a control means arranged to be movable,

a base, and

a first and a second contact means, and one of the contact means being a coupling means,

wherein

one of said contact means is a contact surface comprising several contact areas,

the first contact means is arranged in connection with the control means, and the second contact means is arranged in connection with the base,

at least one of said contact means is flexible,

the coupling means is arranged to touch the contact surface in one or more contact areas to generate a control signal, wherein a contact area is arranged to be formed at the contact point between the base and the coupling means.

2. The control switch according to claim 1, wherein the surface area of the contact area between the base and the coupling means is arranged to change by the effect of a control movement effective on the control means.

3. The control switch according to claim 1, wherein the contact areas are placed on the contact surface in a circular array, the centre of the circle being substantially at the centre of the control means.

4. The control switch according to claim 1, wherein the control means is arranged to move along a trajectory complying with a spherical surface whose effective centre of revolution is located outside the control switch.

5. The control switch according to claim 1, wherein the contact areas are electroconductive or capacitive.

6. The control switch according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means is at least partly electroconductive.

7. A mobile station comprising at least a multidirectional control switch, which comprises at least

a control means arranged to be movable,

a base, and

a first and a second contact means, and one of the contact means being a coupling means,

wherein

one of said contact means is a contact surface comprising several contact areas,

the first contact means is arranged in connection with the control means, and the second contact means is arranged in connection with the base,

at least one of said contact means is flexible,

the coupling means is arranged to touch the contact surface in one or more contact areas to generate a control signal, wherein a contact area is arranged to be formed at the contact point between the base and the coupling means.

8. The mobile station according to claim 7, wherein the surface area of the contact area between the base and the coupling means is arranged to change by the effect of a control movement effective on the control means.

9. The mobile station according to claim 7, wherein the contact areas of the control switch are placed on the contact surface in a circular array, the centre of the circle being substantially at the centre of the control means.

10. The mobile station according to claim 7, wherein the control means of the control switch is arranged to move along a trajectory complying with a spherical surface whose effective centre of revolution is located outside the control switch.

11. A method for generating a control signal by a multidirectional control switch, which control switch comprises at least

a control means arranged to be movable,

a base, and

a first and a second contact means, and one of the contact means being a coupling means,

wherein

in addition, one of said contact means of the control switch is a contact surface comprising several contact areas,

the first contact means of the control switch is arranged in connection with the control means, and the second contact means is arranged in connection with the base,

at least one of the contact means of the control switch is flexible,

the control signal is generated by touching the second contact means with the first contact means, wherein the coupling means touches the contact surface in one or more contact areas, wherein a contact area is formed at the contact point between said contact means.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein in connection with generating the control signal, at least

those contact areas are detected, which are located in the area of touching, and

the direction data is determined on the basis of the detected contact areas.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the control signal is converted to control data, wherein at least

a set of allowed directions of movement are determined for the control data, and

one direction of movement is selected from said set of allowed directions of movement as the direction of movement for the control data, on the basis of the direction data.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein

determining at least a first set of adjacent contact areas, on the basis of which the first direction of movement is selected, and

determining at least a second set of adjacent contact areas, on the basis of which the second direction of movement is selected.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein determining a neutral set of contact areas which are located between said first and second sets of contact areas, wherein when the coupling means touches the contact area of said neutral set, the generation of control data is omitted.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein in connection with generating the control signal, at least

those contact areas are detected, which are located in the area of touching, and

the speed data is determined on the basis of the detected contact areas.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the number of coupling areas to be touched by the coupling means will depend on the force effective on the control means.

18. A program comprising a set of program commands for processing control signals generated by a multidirectional control switch, which control switch comprises at least

a control means arranged to be movable,

a base, and

a first and a second contact means, and one of the contact means being a coupling means,

wherein

in addition, one of said contact means of the control switch is a contact surface comprising several contact areas,

the first contact means of the control switch is arranged in connection with the control means, and the second contact means is arranged in connection with the base,

at least one of the contact means of the control switch is flexible,

the control signal is generated by touching the second contact means with the first contact means, wherein the coupling means touches the contact surface in one or more contact areas, wherein a contact area is formed at the contact point between said contact means,

wherein the program comprises program commands

for detecting those contact areas which have been touched by the coupling means, and

for determining direction data on the basis of the detected contact areas.

19. Program according to claim 18, wherein the program comprises program commands

for determining a set of allowed directions of movement of the control data, and

for selecting the direction of movement of the control data from said set of allowed directions of movement, on the basis of the direction data.

20. Program according to claim 18, wherein the program comprises program commands

for detecting the contact areas located in the area of touching, and

for determining the speed data on the basis of the detected contact areas.

21. A software product for storing the program according to claim 18.