Scroll disc input apparatus for a data processing device

• US 7,808,477 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Duarte, Matias G., Palmer, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cerullo; Liliana
• Application Number:
  US11/325,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-167, 710 1- 74, 715856-862
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

An apparatus is described comprising: a data processing device having a memory for storing program code and data and a processor for processing the program code and data, and a display for displaying graphical images and text; a control disc rotatably and communicatively engaged with the data processing device, the control disc rotating on an axis which is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the display, the control disc communicatively engaged with the data processing device to cause a graphic element on the display to move in a first direction by a first predefined amount when rotated in a first direction and causing the graphic element to move in a second direction by the first predefined amount when rotated in a second direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an outer housing;

a display disposed in the outer housing;

a bracket flexibly coupled to an inner surface of the outer housing and the bracket configured to pivot about a pivot point, located on the bracket, while the outer housing remains stationary with respect to the display;

a scroll disc rotatably mounted within the bracket, the scroll disc rotating on an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the display, the scroll disc operable to cause a graphic element being displayed by the display to move in a first direction by a first predefined amount when rotated clockwise and to cause the graphic element to move in a second direction by the first predefined amount when rotated counterclockwise;

a dome switch operable to provide an input to the apparatus, the dome switch mounted on a circuit board that is located on a plane parallel to the display, the dome switch configured to be actuated by the bracket pivoting around the pivot point responsive to a force applied to the scroll disc and substantially parallel to the axis; and

a spring flexibly coupling the bracket to the inner surface of the outer housing, the spring configured to pull the bracket away from the dome switch responsive to the force applied to the scroll disc being removed.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

a first input button positioned in the outer housing adjacent to the scroll disc; and

a second input button positioned in the outer housing adjacent to the scroll disc, the first input button being operable to cause the graphic element to move in the first direction by a second predefined amount when selected and the second input button being operable to cause the graphic element to move in the second direction by the second predefined amount when selected.

3. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the predefined amount comprises a page of information.

4. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein a first portion of the scroll disc is housed within the outer housing and a second portion of the scroll disc is exposed.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the first and second input buttons are positioned in the outer housing adjacent to the first portion of the scroll disc.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the force is applied in parallel to a plane of the bracket on which the pivot point is located.

7. An apparatus comprising:

an outer housing;

a display disposed in the outer housing;

a bracket flexibly coupled to an inner surface of the outer housing and the bracket configured to pivot about a pivot point, located on the bracket, while the outer housing remains stationary with respect to the display;

a scroll disc rotatably mounted within the bracket, the scroll disc operable to cause a graphic element displayed by the display to move in a first direction by a first predefined amount when rotated clockwise and to cause the graphic element to move in a second direction by the first predefined amount when rotated counterclockwise;

a printed circuit board disposed within the outer housing on a plane that is parallel to the display;

a dome switch adjacent mounted to the printed circuit board and operable to provide an input to the apparatus, the dome switch configured to be actuated by the bracket pivoting around the pivot point responsive to a force applied to the scroll disc and substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the scroll disc; and

a spring flexibly coupling the bracket to the inner surface of the outer housing, the spring configured to pull the bracket away from the dome switch responsive to the force applied to the scroll disc being removed.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7 further comprising:

a first input button positioned in the outer housing adjacent to the scroll disc; and

a second input button positioned in the outer housing adjacent to the scroll disc, the first input button being operable to cause the graphic element to move in the first direction by a second predefined amount when selected and the second input button being operable to cause the graphic element to move in the second direction by a second predefined amount when selected.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the predefined amount comprises a page of information.

10. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the force is applied in parallel to a plane of the bracket on which the pivot point is located.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a housing having a housing face including an opening;

a bracket flexibly coupled to an inner surface of the housing face and the bracket configured to pivot about a pivot point, located on the bracket, while the housing face remains stationary;

a scroll disc mounted within the bracket, the scroll disc including a generally flattened surface that is partially covered by the housing face and partially accessible through the opening to allow rotation of the scroll disc to provide a first input and depression of the scroll disc to provide a second input;

a dome switch operable to provide the second input to the apparatus, the switch configured to be actuated by the bracket pivoting within the housing substantially away from the housing face when the scroll disc is depressed; and

a spring flexibly coupling the bracket to the inner surface of the housing face, the spring configured to pull the bracket away from the dome switch responsive to the scroll disc being un-depressed.