Tactile touchscreen for electronic device

• US 8,976,120 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US11/837,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20090046071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,766 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1811, 349/12, 361/679.1, 361/679.18, 361/679.55, 361/679.56
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a housing with a front frame; a moveable touch-screen display framed by the front frame of the housing, the moveable touch-screen display including a touch-sensitive input surface overlying a display device, the front frame including corners curved outwardly away from the surface of the touchscreen display; a mechanical switch disposed between a back surface of the touchscreen display and a base of the housing; and operational components including a processor within the housing and connected to the touchscreen display. The touchscreen display moves or pivots relative to the housing about a pivot axis in response to application of sufficient force on the touchscreen. This movement or pivoting results in the actuation of the single mechanical switch and the pivot axis depending on the location of application of the force.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing including a front frame;

a moveable touchscreen display framed by the front frame of the housing;

a switch disposed between the touchscreen display and the housing;

a processor within the housing and connected to the touchscreen display,

wherein the touchscreen display is moveable relative to the housing resulting in actuation of the switch in response to application of sufficient force to the touchscreen display;

wherein the front frame has corners curved outwardly away from a surface of the touchscreen display.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the switch provides tactile feedback through the touchscreen display upon actuation.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, comprising at least one biasing element to bias the touchscreen display away from the switch.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one biasing element comprises foam disposed between a back surface of the touchscreen display and a base of the housing.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the touchscreen display comprises a liquid crystal display.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, comprising a display support on a back surface of the touchscreen display for providing support to the touchscreen display.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein sufficient force applied at any location on the touchscreen display results in movement of the touchscreen display to contact and actuate the switch.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the switch is substantially centered in relation to the touchscreen display.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein an electrical signal is generated in response to actuation of the switch.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the electrical signal is received at the processor as a further input in addition to the touchscreen display.