Hand-held electronic equipment

• US 7,663,509 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shen, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US11/373,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/22, 345/168, 345/173, 379/433.06, 379/433.07
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A hand-held electronic equipment adapted to receive data input is disclosed, comprising an oblong main body, a display arranged on said main body, said display being adapted to display a keyboard with a plurality of symbols, and a selecting device arranged on said main body, said selecting device enabling a user to select and input a symbol from said keyboard.

Claims

1. A hand-held electronic equipment comprising

an oblong main body,

a keyboard arranged on said main body, said keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with input symbols,

a scroll device for selecting one of the plurality of keys which is rotatable around and movable back and forth along a longitudinal axis of the hand-held electronic equipment enabling a user to scroll through said keys of said keyboard and to select a key to input a symbol whereby a respectively selectable symbol is highlighted on said keyboard,

a tip of said body configured as an input device which can be operated in order to input a symbol corresponding to a selected key, and

an integrated orientation sensor adapted to detect the angular position of the hand-held electronic equipment, wherein depending on the angular position of the hand-held electronic equipment detected by the orientation sensor, the function of the hand-held electronic equipment is changed between a keyboard mode and a mouse/jog dial mode, and

wherein the hand-held electronic equipment is a data input equipment comprising an interface which is adapted for a wireless or a wired connection to a host machine in order to transmit data input via the keyboard to the host machine;

wherein the host machine is a remote display, and the interface is adapted for controlling the display of data on the display.

2. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, comprising a switch for switching between several functions of the hand-held electronic equipment.

3. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, comprising a tip which is adapted to function as a multi-direction joystick.

4. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, whereby the hand-held electronic equipment is a radio communication equipment comprising an interface which is adapted for a wireless communication in a wireless radio communication system.

5. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, whereby the equipment is operative to carry out multiple functions.

6. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein in the keyboard mode an additional change in the angular position results in a change of the input symbols for the plurality of the keys of the keyboard.

7. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 6, whereby there are four defined positions corresponding to respective sets of input symbols for respective functions of the electronic equipment, whereby the positions correspond to an angle between a longitudinal axis of the hand-held electronic equipment and a horizontal direction of 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees and 0 degrees, respectively.

8. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 7, whereby it is adapted to be configured by a user with respect to the functions corresponding to the respective four defined positions.

9. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 6, whereby said orientation sensor is further adapted to detect the direction of the equipment.

10. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard is configured to a mouse mode in which movement of the equipment controls movement of a cursor displayed on the host machine.

11. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, comprising a user input causing the equipment to switch between an application selection menu and the contents within an application.

12. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, whereby it is adapted to be configured by a user for at least one of either left or right hand usage, key definition, double click speed adjustment, and strength sensitive cursor moving speed.

13. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, comprising at least one of a text scanner, a digital camera, and a voice recorder function.

14. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard includes a mini track ball for providing a joystick function.

15. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, comprising an infrared or LED transceiver for providing a mouse function.

16. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, whereby the main body has a cylindrical shape.

17. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, whereby the main body has a pen-like shape.

18. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein in the mouse/jog dial mode, the hand-held electronic equipment is adapted to control a screen sensor.

19. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein a detected change of angular position by 90°

causes the hand-held electronic equipment to switch between the keyboard mode and the mouse/jog dial mode.

20. The hand-held electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the hand-held equipment is in the mouse/jog dial mode when the oblong main body is vertically oriented.