Switch assembly having non-planar surface and activation areas

• US 7,569,781 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Lam, Lawrence, Cebe, Chrome
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad; Elvin G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fishman; Marina
• Application Number:
  US11/241,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20070074957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 200/4, 200/5.A, 200/5.R, 200/7, 200/11.R, 200/13, 200/14, 200/17.R, 200/18, 200341-345, 379/419, 379/428.01, 379/433.01, 379/433.06, 379/433.07, 455/560, 455/566, 455/575.01, 455/575.9, D14/138.R, D14/138.AA, D14/138.AB, D14/140, D14/341, D14/346
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• 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 1/169 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: H01H 2217/024 Profile on actuator
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/008 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being perpendicular to the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

A switch assembly includes a central first switch with a concave surface, a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central switch in an elliptical or circular shape, where the second switches form a convex surface, and a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches in an outer side of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches, where the third switches include activation areas with concave surfaces and with flat surfaces outside the activation areas. The third switches can include two switches, one of which is located at one end and the other one of which is located at the opposite end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches. The non-planar surfaces of the switch assembly enable one to easily feel the locations of the switches and to get tactile feedback when the finger moved to another switch area.

Claims

1. A switch assembly, comprising:

a central first switch having a concave surface and associated with a first function;

a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central first switch in an elliptical shape or a circular shape, the second switches having a convex surface and associated with second functions; and

a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches in an outer side of the elliptical shape or the circular shape of the second switches, the third switches associated with third functions, and including activation areas with convex or concave surfaces and with flat surfaces outside the activation areas, a single switch assembly including the plurality of second switches and the plurality of third switches, wherein the activation areas are separated by convex dividers.

2. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the second switches include four of the second switches located at an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the elliptical shape or the circular shape, each of the four second switches associated with a direction.

3. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the third switches include two of the third switches, one of which is located at one end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches and the other one of which is located at an opposite end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

4. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the third switches include four of the third switches, two of which are located at one end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches and the other two of which are located at an opposite end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

5. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the third switches include four of the third switches located at an upper end, a lower end, a left end, and a right end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

6. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the third switches include eight of the third switches, four of which are located at an upper end, a lower end, a left end, and a right end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches, and the remaining four of which are located between said four of the switches located at the upper end, the lower end, the left end, and the right end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a display for displaying a user interface for controlling the electronic device; and

a switch assembly configured for operating the user interface, the switch assembly including;

a central first switch having a concave surface and associated with a first function;

a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central first switch in an elliptical shape or a circular shape, the second switches having a convex surface and associated with second functions; and

a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches in an outer side of the elliptical shape or the circular shape of the second switches, the third switches associated with third functions, and including activation areas with convex or concave surfaces and flat surfaces outside the activation areas, a single switch assembly including the plurality of second switches and the plurality of third switches, wherein the activation areas are separated by convex dividers.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the first function is selecting an item on the user interface.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the second switches include four of the second switches located at an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the elliptical shape or the circular shape, each of the four second switches associated with a direction.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the second function is navigating through items on the user interface.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the third switches include two of the third switches, one of which is located at one end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches and the other one of which is located at an opposite end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the third switches include four of the third switches, two of which are located at one end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches and the other two of which are located at an opposite end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

13. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the third switches include four of the third switches located at an upper end, a lower end, a left end, and a right end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

14. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the third switches include eight of the third switches, four of which are located at an upper end, a lower end, a left end, and a right end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches, and the remaining four of which are located between said four of the switches located at the upper end, the lower end, the left end, and the right end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

15. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the third function is activating an application of the electronic device.

16. A switch assembly configured for operating a user interface on a display of an electronic device, the switch assembly comprising:

a central first switch having a concave surface and configured for selecting an item on the user interface;

a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central first switch in an elliptical shape, the second switches having a convex surface and configured for navigating through items on the user interface; and

a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches in an outer side of the elliptical shape of the second switches, the third switches configured for activating applications of the electronic device, and including activation areas with concave surfaces and with flat surfaces outside the activation areas, a single switch assembly including the plurality of second switches and the plurality of third switches, wherein the activation areas are separated by convex dividers.

17. The switch assembly of claim 16, wherein:

the second switches include four of the second switches located at an upper side a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the elliptical shape, each of the four second switches associated with a direction.

18. The switch assembly of claim 16, wherein:

the third switches include two of the third switches, one of which is located at one end of the elliptical shape of the second switches and the other one of which is located at an opposite end of the elliptical shape of the second switches.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a display for displaying a user interface for controlling the electronic device; and

a switch assembly configured for operating the user interface, the switch assembly including;

a central first switch having a concave surface and configured for selecting an item on the user interface;

a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central first switch in an elliptical shape, the second switches forming a convex surface and configured for navigating through items on the user interface; and

a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches in an outer side of the elliptical shape of the second switches, the third switches configured for activating applications of the electronic device, and including activation areas with concave surfaces and with flat surfaces outside the activation areas, a single switch assembly including the plurality of second switches and the plurality of third switches, wherein the activation areas are separated by convex dividers.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein:

the second switches include four of the second switches located at an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the elliptical shape, each of the four second switches associated with a direction.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein:

the third switches include two of the third switches, one of which is located at one end of the elliptical shape of the second switches and the other one of which is located at an opposite end of the elliptical shape of the second switches.

22. A switch assembly configured for operating a user interface on a display of an electronic device, the switch assembly comprising:

a central first switch having a concave surface and configured for selecting an item on the user interface;

a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central first switch in an elliptical or circular shape, the second switches having a convex surface and configured for navigating through items on the user interface; and

a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches in an outer side of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches, the third switches configured for activating applications of the electronic device, and including activation areas with surfaces of a first texture and with surfaces of a second texture different from the first texture outside the activation areas, a single switch assembly including the plurality of second switches and the plurality of third switches, wherein the activation areas are separated by convex dividers.

23. The switch assembly of claim 22, wherein:

the second switches include four of the second switches located at an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the elliptical or circular shape, each of the four second switches associated with a direction.

24. The switch assembly of claim 22, wherein:

the third switches include two of the third switches, one of which is located at one end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches and the other one of which is located at an opposite end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

25. An electronic device, comprising:

a display for displaying a user interface for controlling the electronic device; and

a switch assembly configured for operating the user interface, the switch assembly including;

a central first switch having a concave surface and configured for selecting an item on the user interface;

a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central first switch in an elliptical or circular shape, the second switches forming a convex surface and configured for navigating through items on the user interface; and

a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches in an outer side of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches, the third switches configured for activating applications of the electronic device, and including activation areas with surfaces of a first texture and with surfaces of a second texture different from the first texture outside the activation areas, a single switch assembly including the plurality of second switches and the plurality of third switches, wherein activation areas are separated by convex dividers.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein:

the second switches include four of the second switches located at an upper side, a lower side, a left side, and a right side of the elliptical or circular shape, each of the four second switches associated with a direction.

27. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein:

the third switches include two of the third switches, one of which is located at one end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches and the other one of which is located at an opposite end of the elliptical or circular shape of the second switches.

28. A switch assembly configured for operating a user interface on a display of an electronic device, the switch assembly comprising:

a central first switch configured for selecting an item on the user interface;

a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central first switch, the second switches configured for navigating through items on the user interface; and

a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches on an outer side of the second switches, the third switches configured for activating applications of the electronic device and including activation areas with concave surfaces and with flat surfaces outside the activation areas, a single switch assembly including the plurality of second switches and the plurality of third switches, wherein the activation areas are separated by convex dividers.

29. A switch assembly configured for operating a user interface on a display of an electronic device, the switch assembly comprising:

a central first switch configured for selecting an item on the user interface;

a plurality of second switches adjacent to and surrounding the central first switch, the second switches configured for navigating through items on the user interface; and

a plurality of third switches adjacent to the second switches on an outer side of the second switches, the third switches configured for activating applications of the electronic device and including activation areas with surfaces of a first texture different from a second texture of the surfaces outside the activation areas, a single switch assembly including the plurality of second switches and the plurality of third switches, wherein the activation areas are separated by convex dividers.