Operating panel

• US 7,969,411 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bang & Olufsen a/s
• Original Assignee: Bang & Olufsen a/s
• Inventors: Funch, Knud, Nielsen, Kaj
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck; Alexander S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukowski; Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US11/660,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-159, 345173-174, 345/176, 345/178, 345/184
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present invention provides an input device where the input, is created by translating a front plate in relation to the chassis such that the translation movement may easily be controlled, and at the same time, due to the freedom built into the device, any level of menu control and selection criteria may be provided.

Claims

1. An input device for an electronic device, wherein said input device has a front side comprising a front face, a number of side faces depending therefrom, and a back face, where a front screen plate substantially covers said front face, where the front screen plate may be translated in relation to said front face and said side faces in at least three dimensions, and that said front screen plate is provided with biasing means such that said front screen plate is biased towards a first position from which the front screen plate may be manipulated in the three dimensions, and that electronic circuitry is arranged in the device, where said electronic circuitry includes one or more switch devices, wherein said switches are arranged to be activated by displacing the front screen plate, and thereby create/register an input, and wherein the front screen plate (1) is transparent and that said front screen plate is connected to a first frame member (2), where said first frame member (2) is connected by one or more first biasing members to a first guide rail (5), such that the front screen plate may move in a first direction (X) relative to the guide rail (5), that said guide rail is provided with protrusions (13) opposite the side which is facing the front screen plate (1), which protrusions are accommodated in grooves (14) provided in a second guide rail (9), such that said first guide rail (5) may be moved in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to the first direction (X) relative to said second guide rail (9), where third biasing members (15) are provided between said first and second guide rails (5,9) thereby allowing relative movement in a second direction (Y), and further that one or more second biasing members (4) are provided between said first and second guide rails (5,9) thereby allowing relative movement in a third direction (Z) perpendicular to said first and second directions (X,Y) between the first and second guide rails (5,9).

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the front screen plate may pivot relative to the back face and the side faces.

3. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the front screen plate is transparent, and that optionally a plasma, LCD, LED or OLED screen may be arranged visible through the transparent front screen plate.

4. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the front screen plate may be a touch sensitive transparent screen.

5. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the first guide rail is provided with one or more first slots (20) in said first direction (X) and one or more second slots (21) in said third direction (Z), and that said first frame member (2) is provided with one or more taps (22) arranged for engagement with said one or more first slots (20), and that said second guide rail (9) is provided with one or more taps (23) arranged for engagement with said one or more second slots (21), and that optionally a ball bearing may be arranged between the first frame member (2) and the first guide rail (5).

6. An input device according to claim 1, wherein a gyro unit is arranged inside the input device, which gyro unit will detect relative movements of the entire input device, and use this detected movement as input for controlling the electronic device.

7. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the input device is a portable remote control device communicating by wireless means with an electronic device.