Electronic device and tactile touch screen display

• US 7,630,200 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Eldershaw, Michael Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Hung V
• Application Number:
  US12/129,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20090296341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 235/386, 235/381, 235/383, 400/624, 455/348, 715/835, 715/738, 715/202, 715/764, 345/173, 345/167, 345/168, 463/16, 463/25, 463/30, 361/679.06, 361/679.21, 361/679.27, 361/679.57
• US Class Current: 361/679.57
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96031 Combination of touch switch and LC display
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96062 with tactile or haptic feedback

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing having a back, a support tray moveable relative to the back of the housing, a touch-sensitive display supported by the support tray and moveable with the support tray relative to the back of the housing, the touch-sensitive display including a display device and a touch-sensitive overlay disposed on the display device, a locking arrangement cooperating with the support tray for locking the support tray and touch-sensitive display to inhibit movement of the support tray relative to the back of the housing, and operational components housed in the housing and including a touch screen controller connected to the touch-sensitive overlay and a processor connected to the display device and the touch-screen controller.

Claims

1. A touch screen display assembly for use in an electronic device, the touch screen display assembly comprising:

a housing comprising a back;

a support tray moveable relative to the back of the housing;

a touch-sensitive display supported by the support tray and moveable with the support tray relative to the back of the housing, the touch-sensitive display including a display device and a touch-sensitive overlay disposed on the display device; and

a locking arrangement having a locking plate disposed between the support tray and the back, the locking plate moveable between a locked position for locking the support tray and an unlocked position in which the support tray is moveable relative to the back of the housing.

2. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 1, wherein the locking arrangement comprises guides for guiding movement of the locking plate between the locked position and the unlocked position.

3. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 2, wherein the guides comprise guide pins extending through guide slots in the locking plate from one of the support tray and the back.

4. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 3, wherein the guide pins comprise a pair of guide pins proximal a respective one of each of four corners, each pair of guide pins extending through one of the guide slots in the locking plate.

5. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 2, wherein the locking arrangement comprises a motor cooperating with the locking plate for moving the locking plate between the locked position and the unlocked position.

6. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 2, wherein the locking arrangement comprises locking pins extending from the support tray arranged for moving towards the back when the locking plate is in the unlocked position and for abutting the locking plate when the locking plate is in the locked position.

7. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 6, wherein the locking plate comprises holes located in alignment with the locking pins when the locking plate is in the unlocked position.

8. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 7, wherein ones of the locking pins extend through respective ones of the holes when the support tray and the touch-sensitive display are moved toward the back.

9. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 8, wherein the locking pins comprise a locking pin proximal a respective one of each of four corners and the holes comprise corresponding holes in the support tray.

10. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 2, wherein the support tray and the touch-sensitive display are pivotable relative to the back when the locking plate is in the unlocked position.

11. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 10, comprising at least one pivot pad disposed between the back and the support tray about which the support tray is pivotable when the locking plate is in the unlocked position.

12. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 10, comprising at least one switch disposed between the back and the support tray for actuating in response to pivoting of the support tray and the touch-sensitive display.

13. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 12, wherein the support tray is biased away from the back.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising a back;

a support tray moveable relative to the back of the housing;

a touch-sensitive display supported by the support tray and moveable with the support tray relative to the back of the housing, the touch-sensitive display including a display device and a touch-sensitive overlay disposed on the display device;

a locking arrangement having a locking plate disposed between the support tray and the back, the locking plate moveable between a locked position for locking the support tray and an unlocked position in which the support tray is moveable relative to the back of the housing; and

operational components housed in the housing and comprising a touch screen controller connected to the touch-sensitive overlay and a processor connected to the display device and the touch-screen controller.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the locking arrangement comprises guides for guiding movement of the locking plate between the locked position and the unlocked position.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the guides comprise guide pins extending through guide slots in the locking plate from one of the support tray and back.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the guides comprise guide pins extending from the back through guide slots in the locking plate.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the guide pins comprise a pair of guide pins proximal a respective one of each of four corners, each pair of guide pins extending through one of the guide slots in the locking plate.

19. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the locking arrangement comprises a motor cooperating with the locking plate for moving the locking plate between the locked position and the unlocked position.

20. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the locking arrangement comprises locking pins extending from the support tray arranged for moving towards the back when the locking plate is in the unlocked position and for abutting the locking plate when the locking plate is in the locked position.

21. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the locking plate comprises holes located in alignment with the locking pins when the locking plate is in the unlocked position.

22. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein ones of the locking pins extend through respective ones of the holes when the support tray and the touch-sensitive display are moved toward the back.

23. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the support tray and the touch-sensitive display are pivotable relative to the back when the locking plate is in the unlocked position.

24. The electronic device according to claim 23, comprising at least one pivot pad disposed between the back and the support tray about which the support tray is pivotable when the locking plate is in the unlocked position.

25. The electronic device according to claim 23, comprising at least one switch disposed between the back and the support tray for actuating in response to pivoting of the support tray and the touch-sensitive display.

26. The electronic device according to claim 25, wherein the support tray is biased away from the back.

27. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the processor is connected to the locking arrangement for moving the locking plate into the locked position in response to receipt of a lock command at the processor and for moving the locking plate into the unlocked position in response to receipt of an unlock command at the processor.