Hand-held electronic device with multiple input mode thumbwheel

• US 8,144,135 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T., Chen, Chao
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US13/101,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345163-169, 345/184
• US Class Current: 345/184
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/001 Thumb wheel switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/00 Switches with compound movement of handle or other operating part

Abstract

A thumbwheel input device oriented on an incline and comprising a wheel such that a first input is generated by rotation of the wheel about its axis, and a holder also having an axis of rotation and a portion thereon to receive the wheel whereby a second input is generated by rotation of the holder about the second axis.

Claims

1. An input assembly comprising:

a holder configured to hold a thumbwheel in an inclined position;

an arm extending around a bottom of the assembly towards the holder for engaging a bottom of the holder; and

a tactile switch positioned between the arm and the holder and activatable in response to a depression of an exposed part of the thumbwheel.

2. The input assembly of claim 1, wherein said thumbwheel is permitted rotation in any of a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction.

3. The input assembly of claim 1, wherein said holder comprises a bracket, said bracket configured to hold a rotary switch.

4. The input assembly of claim 1, wherein said holder is configured to be rotatable between a first position and a second position.

5. The input assembly of claim 4, wherein rotation of said holder between the first position and the second position comprises a rocking motion therebetween.

6. The input assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a rotary switch configured to detect a first rotary input representative of rotation of the thumbwheel about a first rotation axis.

7. The input assembly of claim 6, wherein rotation of said thumbwheel forms the first rotary input.

8. The input assembly of claim 1, wherein said holder is configured to be rotatable between a first position and a second position.

9. The input assembly of claim 8, wherein rotation of said holder between the first position and the second position comprises a rocking motion therebetween.

10. The input assembly of claim 1 further comprising control logic configured to receive indications of detection of a first rotary input.

11. The input assembly of claim 10, wherein said control logic is configured to generate a first signal representative of input rotation in a first direction and to generate a second signal representative of input rotation in a second direction.

12. The input assembly of claim 1, wherein rotation of said holder about a rotation axis provides for a seesaw movement of said holder.

13. The input assembly of claim 1, wherein said holder comprises a rotating encoder switch with the thumbwheel sitting on the rotating encoder switch such that a lower axle of the thumbwheel sits in a recess on the rotating encoder switch allowing the thumbwheel to rotate around its axis of rotation.

14. The input assembly of claim 13, wherein the rotating encoder switch detects inputs to the device when the thumbwheel is rotated around the thumbwheel'"'"'s axis of rotation.

15. The input assembly of claim 14, wherein the rotating encoder switch is attached to a thumbwheel assembly PCB.

16. The input assembly of claim 15, wherein the thumbwheel assembly PCB attaches to a device PCB by a flex circuit.

17. The input assembly of claim 15, wherein the thumbwheel assembly PCB is in contact with the tactile switch on the opposite side of the PCB than the rotatable encoder switch.