Contoured thumb touch sensor apparatus

• US 8,674,951 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Hansen, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANK, EMILY J
• Application Number:
  US12/646,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0281 for providing single handed use or left/right hand conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces

Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus, system and method are described for implementing a contoured thumb touch sensor. An apparatus may comprise, for example, an input device configured on a side of an apparatus, the input device having a concave shape in a direction from a top of the apparatus to a bottom of the apparatus, the input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface operative to detect movement input. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an input device configured on a side of the apparatus, the input device having a touch-sensitive surface operative to detect movement input, the touch-sensitive surface comprising a saddle shape having a concave shape in at least one direction having a first radius of curvature and a convex shape in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the concave shape having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the input device having one or more capacitive touch sensors, one or more optical sensors, or a combination of capacitive touch and optical sensors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the input device operative to output a signal to control one or more components of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the input device configured on a side of the apparatus and canted toward a front of the apparatus, wherein the front of the apparatus includes a display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the input device comprising a pressure sensitive surface to detect pressure input.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input device is operative to enable one-handed orientation and manipulation of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the input device comprising one or more lighting elements operative to illuminate when the input device is active, when the device input device is passive or to indicate receipt of a message or other communication parameter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive surface of the input device comprises a material selected to have a low coefficient of friction ratio compared to human skin.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the concave shape to accommodate a human thumb.

10. A mobile computing device, comprising:

an enclosure having a plurality of opposing surfaces, wherein at least a first surface includes a display and at least one different surface includes an input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface operative to detect movement input, the touch-sensitive surface comprising a saddle shape having a concave shape in at least one direction having a first radius of curvature and a convex shape in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the concave shape having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 10, comprising:

a protruding surface extending from one surface of the enclosure in a direction opposite an opposing side of the enclosure, wherein the concave shape of the input device extends into an area defined by the protruding surface and the surface from which the protruding surface extends.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the protruding surface and the input device are canted toward the first surface of the mobile computing device.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein the concave shape of the input device extends into an area defined by the enclosure forming a concave impression in one side of the enclosure.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 13, wherein the concave impression and the input device are canted toward the first surface of the mobile computing device.

15. A system, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

an enclosure to house the display and the one or more processors, the enclosure having an integrated input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface operative to detect movement input, the touch-sensitive surface comprising a saddle shape having a concave shape in at least one direction having a first radius of curvature and a convex shape in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the concave shape having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the input device includes an infrared or biometric sensor.

17. The system of claim 15, comprising:

one or more buttons configured on a same side of the enclosure as the input device and located above or below the input device.