Multi-modal user input device

• US 8,982,062 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bos, Jeffrey Charles, Los, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): Joseph, Dennis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Chun-Nan
• Application Number:
  US13/103,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A user input device, a portable electronic device including the user input device, and an operating method therefor, manages multiple modes of the user input device based on detected force and direction of tilt. The user input device includes a base member with top surface. A sensor touchpad module is disposed above the top surface of the base member. A plurality of pressure sensors is disposed between the base member and the sensor touchpad module. A processor manages a set of user input modes based on whether at least one of a first set of signals associated with a first user input mode and a second set of signals associated with a second user input mode has been detected.

Claims

1. A user input device for an electronic device, comprising:

a base member;

a flex member disposed above the base member;

a sensor touchpad module disposed above the flex member, the flex member being electrically coupled to the base member via a flexible connector comprising electrical pathways, and where the flex member, while coupled to the sensor touchpad module and via the flexible connector coupled to the base member, being configured to pivot about a center axis of the sensor touchpad;

a dome-shaped member is disposed between the base member and the flex member, a peak point of the dome-shaped member being located substantially at the center axis of the sensor touchpad module, and wherein the sensor touchpad module comprising a sensor touchpad having a touchable surface, the sensor touchpad module being configured to detect gesture motion upon the touchable surface;

a plurality of pressure sensors disposed between the base member and the flex member; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the plurality of pressure sensors, the processor configured to manage a set of user input modes based on whether at least one of a first set of signals associated with a first user input mode and a second set of signals associated with a second user input mode has been detected, where the first set of signals are generated based on a vertical movement of the sensor touchpad module and the flex member vertically displacing a contact element associated with the dome-shaped member, and where the second set of signals are generated with a tilting movement of the sensor touchpad module and the flex member about the peak point of the dome-shaped member causing actuation of at least one of the plurality of pressure sensors; and

the processor being further configured to;

detect the first set of signals;

prior to detecting the first set of signals;

activate a first input mode that detects a gesture traversing at least one direction upon the touchable surface,

modify a user interface display presentation in response to the gesture being detected; and

in response to detecting the first set of signals,

deactivate the first input mode;

activate a second input mode that detects at least a direction of tilt of the sensor touchpad module; and

modify the user interface display presentation in response to the direction of tilt being detected.

2. The user input device of claim 1, where the dome-shaped member is resilient such that it exerts an axial force against the bottom surface of the flex member in a vertical direction away from the base member creating a tilting or pivoting point about the peak point of the dome-shaped member along the center axis of the sensor touchpad module, the axial force returning the sensor touchpad module to a resting position when not being depressed from above.

3. The user input device of claim 2, the first set of signals representing at least one of:

the sensor touchpad module being depressed a given distance; and

a given amount of force experienced by a contact element corresponding to the dome-shaped member as the sensor touchpad module is being depressed.

4. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the base member comprises a set of conductive members disposed on the base member, at least one conductive member in the set of conductive members coupled to at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors.

5. The user input device of claim 1, the second set of signals representing at least a given amount of force being applied to at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors.

6. The user input device of claim 1, the processor modifying the user interface display by performing a movement action in a direction corresponding to a direction of a gesture that has been detected.

7. The user input device of claim 1, the processor modifying the user interface display by performing a discrete movement action in a direction corresponding to the direction of tilt being detected.

8. The user input device of claim 1, the processor further configured to detect the direction of tilt by:

determining that the second input mode has been activated;

comparing, in response to the second input mode being activated each signal in the second set of signals to each other;

identifying, based on the comparing, at least one sensor in the plurality of sensors experiencing a greatest amount of force; and

determining that the sensor touchpad module is being tilted in a given direction that corresponds to the at least one sensor that has been identified.

9. The user input device of claim 8, the processor further configured to:

monitor an amount of time the sensor touchpad module is being tilted in the given direction;

perform a discrete movement action in the given direction on the user interface display presentation in response to determining that the amount of time being below a given threshold; and

perform a continuous movement action in the given direction on the user interface display presentation in response to determining that the amount of time being above the given threshold.

10. The user input device of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

perform the continuous movement with a given speed based on a given amount of force being experienced by the identified at least one sensor as represented by a signal in the second set of signals.

11. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor, configured to store information operated upon by the processor; and

a user input device, comprising;

a base member;

a flex member disposed above the base member;

a sensor touchpad module disposed above the flex member, the flex member being electrically coupled to the base member via a flexible connector comprising electrical pathways, and where the flex member, while coupled to the sensor touchpad module and via the flexible connector coupled to the base member, being configured to pivot about a center axis of the sensor touchpad module;

a dome-shaped member is disposed between the base member and the flex member, a peak point of the dome-shaped member being located substantially at the center axis of the sensor touchpad, and wherein the sensor touchpad module comprising a sensor touchpad having a touchable surface, the sensor touchpad module being configured to detect gesture motion upon the touchable surface;

a plurality of pressure sensors disposed between the base member and the flex member;

a vertical dome-shaped member disposed between the top surface of the base member and the bottom surface of the flex member, a peak point of a dome of the vertical dome-shaped member being located substantially on a center axis of the sensor touchpad; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, the processor configured to manage a set of user input modes based on whether at least one of a first set of signals associated with a first user input mode and a second set of signals associated with a second user input mode has been detected, where the first set of signals are generated based on a vertical movement of the sensor touchpad module and the flex member vertically displacing a contact element associated with the dome-shaped member, and where the second set of signals are generated with a tilting movement of the sensor touchpad module and the flex member about the peak point of the dome-shaped member causing actuation of at least one of the plurality of pressure sensors; and

the processor being further configured to;

detect the first set of signals;

prior to detecting the first set of signals;

activate a first input mode that detects a gesture traversing at least one direction upon the touchable surface,

modify a user interface display presentation in response to the gesture being detected; and

in response to detecting the first set of signals,

deactivate the first input mode;

activate a second input mode that detects at least a direction of tilt of the sensor touchpad module; and

modify the user interface display presentation in response to the direction of tilt being detected.