Navigation pad and method of using same

• US 8,786,553 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: On, Peter, Tinker, Cynthia Gwyn, Apodaca, Eduardo Ahumada
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, NELSON C
• Application Number:
  US11/539,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,846 Days
• Field of Search: 345166-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A handheld electronic device has an outer face in which a user display and a navigation touch pad are located. The touch pad is adapted to provide a user input for controlling at least one function of the electronic device. A plurality of touch sensors are located at predetermined locations about the area of the touch pad and detect touching by a user'"'"'s finger in order to provide an output control signal. A light source is associated with each touch sensor. A control unit receives input from the touch sensors and activates each light source in turn as the associated touch sensor is touched by a user, so that the user receives visual feedback as they are controlling the device.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

an outer housing having a front face;

a display screen in the front face;

a navigation touch pad mounted in the front face of the housing and adapted to provide a user input for controlling the electronic device, the navigation touch pad having a circular configuration with a center and a circumference;

the touch pad having a plurality of touch sensors at predetermined locations about the area of the touch pad adapted to detect touching by a user'"'"'s finger and to provide an output control signal in response to touch detection, the touch sensors arranged at spaced angular intervals in a generally circular path around the touch pad and are adapted to detect movement of a finger in a corresponding circular path;

a plurality of light sources defining a single plane and extending linearly from the center to the circumference of the navigation touch pad and associated with each touch sensor, the light sources positioned to extend linearly and radially from the center to the circumference of the navigation touch pad at spaced intervals in the generally circular path, the light sources comprising light pipes, each light pipe linearly extending and continuously spanning from the center to the circumference of the navigation touch pad at spaced intervals in the generally circular path; and

a control unit adapted to activate each light source in response to receipt of an output control signal from the touch sensor associated with the light source.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor and light source locations are at equally spaced angular intervals around the touch pad.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor and light source locations are at thirty degree angular spacings around the touch pad.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each light pipe has an inner end and an outer end, and a light emitting diode (LED) is mounted at the outer end of the light pipe to illuminate the pipe when activated by the control unit.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the light sources are elongate and positioned at locations corresponding to the numeric positions on an analog clock face.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the control unit includes a clock module adapted to control selected light sources to light up at equivalent positions to the hour and minute hand of an analog clock displaying current time when the touch pad is not in use.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch pad has indicia at touch positions corresponding to dial positions on a rotary telephone dial, each sensor and associated light source being located at a respective touch position.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the indicia comprise circles arranged in a circular path around the touch pad.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensors are capacitative touch switches.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to provide a control function output for controlling operation of the device in response to each output control signal from the touch pad.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the control function output is associated with moving an object on the display screen.

12. A method of operating a navigation touch pad mounted on a personal electronic device, the touch pad having a circular configuration with a center and a circumference, comprising:

receiving finger or pointer touch input in a circular path about the touch pad;

detecting location and movement of the finger using a series of touch sensors positioned in a circular path on the touch pad;

lighting up a series of light sources around the touch pad in sequence as a series of touch sensors each associated with a respective light source receives the finger or pointer touch input, the light sources defining a single plane and positioned to extend linearly and radially from the center to the circumference of the navigation touch pad at spaced intervals in a generally circular path, the light sources comprising light pipes, each light pipe linearly extending and continuously spanning from the center to the circumference of the navigation touch pad at spaced intervals in the generally circular path; and

controlling at least one function of the electronic device in response to the detection by the touch sensors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein using output from the touch sensors to control a function of the electronic device comprises scrolling down over menu items displayed in a screen of the electronic device based on the touch sensor output.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising lighting up selected light sources to display a current time when no touch input is detected by the touch sensors.