Compact input device for entering data

• US 7,393,149 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Steuer, Paul R., Gitzinger, Thomas E., Galeev, Mikhail T.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLILLA, DANIEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/205,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 400/489
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/84 characterised by ergonomic functions, e.g. for miniature keyboards; characterised by operational sensory functions, e.g. sound feedback legends H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/0257 Multisided remote control, comprising control or display elements on at least two sides, e.g. front and back surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/002 actuable from both sides
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/04 portable; hand held
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/022 other then row-column disposition

Abstract

A compact input device (104), suitable for entering data in an electronic device (102), includes a cylindrical surface (202) that has a keyboard switch matrix (210) deployed on the outer body of the cylindrical surface (202) formed by a first extendable interlocking part (402) and a second extendable interlocking part (404). The first extendable interlocking part (402) includes a left half of a QWERTY keyboard (e.g., Q, W, E, R, T) while the second extendable interlocking part (404) includes a right half of a QWERTY keyboard (e.g., Y, U, I, O, P). When the compact input device (104) is in an extended and aligned configuration, the keys of the first extendable interlocking part (402) and the keys of the second extendable interlocking part (404) form a common QWERTY keyboard configuration.

Claims

1. An input device suitable for entering data in an electronic device, the input device comprising:

a cylindrical surface having a keyboard switch matrix;

a first extendable interlocking part forming a first part of the cylindrical surface; and

a second extendable interlocking part forming a second part of the cylindrical surface.

2. The input device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one navigation element.

3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one navigation element comprises a second cylindrical surface rotatable between ends of the input device.

4. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one navigation element is one or more of:

a navigation button, a navigation wheel, a knob, a joystick, and a touchpad.

5. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one navigation element is located at an end of the cylindrical surface.

6. The input device according to claim 5, wherein the at least one navigation element is located on an end-cap of the cylindrical surface.

7. The input device according to claim 1 further comprising a wireless communication unit for communicating with the electronic device.

8. The input device according to claim 7, wherein the wireless communication unit includes one or more of:

a short range wireless communication unit, a wireless local area network communication unit, a radio frequency communication unit, and an infrared communication unit.

9. The input device according to claim 1 further comprising one or more of:

a microcontroller;

a transmitter; and

a power source.

10. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the first extendable interlocking part comprises characters from a left side of a QWERTY keyboard and the second extendable interlocking part comprises characters from a right side of a QWERTY keyboard.

11. The input device according to claim 10, wherein the extendable interlocking parts extend and align to form a QWERTY keyboard.

12. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard switch matrix is on a convex side of the cylindrical surface.

13. A cylindrical keypad comprising:

a keyboard matrix having more than one row and more than one column, deployed on an outer cylinder body;

an “

enter”

element deployed on an end-cap;

at least one navigation element; and

a plurality of extendable interlocking parts forming the outer cylinder body, wherein the plurality of extendable interlocking parts extend and align to form a QWERTY keyboard.

14. The cylindrical keypad according to claim 13, wherein the at least one navigation element is one or more of:

a navigation button, a navigation wheel, a knob, a joystick and a touchpad.

15. The cylindrical keypad according to claim 13, further comprising:

a microcontroller;

a transmitter; and

a power source.

16. The cylindrical keypad according to claim 13, further comprising at least one keycap over the keyboard matrix.

17. The cylindrical keypad according to claim 13, wherein the “

enter”

element comprises a key.

18. The cylindrical keypad according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of extendable interlocking parts comprises a first half keyboard matrix and a second half keyboard matrix.

19. The cylindrical keypad according to claim 18, wherein the first half keyboard matrix comprises Q, W, E, R, and T keys, and the second half keyboard matrix comprises Y, U, I, O, and P keys.