Highly portable media device

• US 8,259,444 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jobs, Steve, Fadell, Anthony M., Ive, Jonathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/979,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/679.1, 361/679.56
• US Class Current: 361/679.56
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 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: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00057 MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 audio layer III [MP3]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/60 Solid state media details of solid state memory devices G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio deprecated, only for historical reasons, G06F3/16, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/20 Memory cell initialisation circuits, e.g. when powering up or down, memory clear, latent image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00

Abstract

An improved portable media device and methods for operating a media device are disclosed. According to one aspect, the portable media device can also function as a solid-state drive for data storage. The form factor of the portable media device can be hand-held or smaller, such that it is highly portable. The portable media device can use one or more status indicators. The portable media device can also include a peripheral bus connector, a rechargeable battery, and one or more input devices. According to another aspect, the portable media device has the capability to store media device status information in persistent memory before powering down. Thereafter, when the portable media device is again powered up, the stored media player status information can be retrieved and utilized. According to still another aspect, the portable media device can form and/or traverse a media asset playlist in an efficient manner.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

an outer housing having an opening disposed therethrough;

a center button including a button cap and a flange portion that moves relative to the housing in order to actuate a switch located therebeneath; and

an outer multifunctional button surrounding the center button and including a movable platform that tilts relative to the housing in order to actuate one or more additional switches located therebeneath, the movable platform including a rigid plate and a cosmetic layer protruding through the housing opening and coupled to the top surface of the rigid plate, wherein the button cap protrudes through an opening in the cosmetic layer while the flange portion is retained in a space formed between the cosmetic layer and the top surface of the rigid plate.

2. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the movable platform is movably restrained by the outer housing.

3. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer housing includes a cavity and the movable platform is restrained by and floats within the cavity.

4. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 3, wherein the movable platform is surrounded by side walls, a top wall and bottom wall forming the cavity, such that the side walls are configured to substantially prevent movements of the movable platform in the x and y directions as well as rotations about the z axis, and such that the top and bottom walls are configured to allow limited movement in the z direction as well as rotation about the x and y axis in order to provide the tilting action.

5. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer multifunctional button is circular.

6. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein both of the center button and the outer multifunctional button are adapted to be readily manipulated by a thumb of a user thereof while the user holds the handheld electronic device in the fingers and palm of the same hand that includes the thumb.

7. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein no part of the rigid plate protrudes through the housing opening.

8. A clickable button actuator adapted to interact with an associated electronic device, comprising:

a center button including a button cap and a flange portion, wherein the button cap is adapted to be pushed to activate a switch located therebeneath; and

a plurality of peripheral buttons immediately adjacent to and surrounding the center button, the plurality of peripheral buttons being integrated into a single movable member that is tilted or depressed in order to implement a distinct clicking action, wherein the single movable member includes a cosmetic layer attached to the top surface of a rigid plate, with the cosmetic layer being adapted to protrude through an opening in an associated electronic device, and wherein the button cap protrudes through an opening in the cosmetic layer while the flange portion is retained in a space formed between the cosmetic layer and the top surface of the rigid plate.

9. The clickable button actuator as recited in claim 8, wherein the single movable member has a circular arrangement.

10. The clickable button actuator as recited in claim 8, wherein both of the center button and plurality of protruding peripheral buttons are adapted to be readily manipulated by a thumb of a user while the user holds the associated handheld electronic device in the fingers and palm of the same hand that includes the thumb.

11. The clickable button actuator as recited in claim 8, wherein the single movable member is adapted to be contained within but not attached to a defined cavity of the associated electronic device.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

an outer housing;

a cavity situated within or proximate to the outer housing, the cavity being defined by a bottom wall, one or more side walls and an upper wall having a substantial opening disposed therethrough;

a center button accessible through the opening and including a button cap and a flange portion that moves relative to the cavity in order to actuate a switch located therebeneath; and

an outer multifunctional button surrounding the center button and also accessible through the opening, wherein the outer multifunctional button includes a movable platform that tilts relative to the cavity in order to actuate one or more additional switches located therebeneath, the movable platform being arranged to fit within the cavity but not through the opening.

13. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the movable platform is not attached to, is restrained by, and floats within the cavity.

14. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the movable platform includes a rigid plate and a cosmetic layer attached to an upper surface of the rigid plate, the cosmetic layer extending through the opening.

15. The electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein the flange portion is retained within a space formed between the cosmetic layer and the top surface of the rigid plate.

16. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the outer multifunctional button has a circular arrangement.

17. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the outer multifunctional button operates to actuate at least four additional switches.

18. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the one or more additional switches associated with the outer multifunctional button are biased such that an upper surface of the movable platform is pushed up against an inner surface of the upper wall while the one or more additional switches all remain unactuated.

19. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the side walls are configured to substantially prevent movements of the movable platform in the x and y directions as well as rotations about the z axis, and wherein the top and bottom walls are configured to allow limited movement of the movable platform in the z direction as well as rotation about the x and y axis in order to provide the tilting action.