Mobile communication device and input device for the same

• US 9,141,148 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Germany GmbH (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Microchip Technology Germany GmbH (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Richter, Wolfgang, Aubauer, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US12/532,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,736 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/169 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile communication device and an input device provided for operating said communication device by means of which input operations necessary for using the communication device may be carried out. The aim of the invention is to provide solutions by means of which it is possible, in particular for relatively compact mobile electronic devices, in particular communication devices and digital cameras to carry out said input operations in a manner which is particularly easy to coordinate for the user. According to a first aspect of the invention, the above is achieved by means of a mobile communication device with a housing arrangement which is designed to be held in one hand, a display device, included in the housing arrangement to provide an image reproduction surface, a control device for controlling the display device such that in an input mode the above provides an input graphic, which supports the carrying out of an input process and an input device for carrying out the input process according to input processes of a manual type, wherein said device is characterized in that the input device is designed such that an input zone is provided in a region apart from the display device on an operative manipulation of the device, within which input operations can be carried out by a user, wherein the user carries out control actions with his free hand with relation to the housing device without, in the process, touching the display device or the communication device with this hand.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a housing of such a size that it can be held in one hand,

a display integrated into the housing for providing an image reproduction surface,

a controller for activating the display in such a way that it in an input mode provides a user interface that assists the realization of an input procedure, and

an input device for carrying out the input procedure in accordance with input actions of a manual type,

wherein the input device is configured such that when handling the device as intended, in an area placed in front of the display an input zone is provided within which input operations can be done by a user by performing control movements with his free hand with respect to the housing without touching the display or the mobile communication device with this hand, wherein a length and width of the display is smaller than a length and width of the input zone, and

wherein the input device comprises an electrode structure comprising a central transmitter electrode comprising an electrode plate for generating a low frequency electric field and a first, a second and a third receiving electrode plates surrounding the transmitter electrode and configured to detect a low frequency electric field generated by the transmitter electrode and wherein at least one of a position of the free hand and a movement of the free hand within the input zone is detected by analyzing differences between signals received from said at least three electrodes plates.

2. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured in such a way that the control movements performed by the user are reflected in the user interface visualized by the display.

3. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured in such a way that by a transverse movement of the free hand with respect to the mobile communication device different buttons can be selected.

4. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured in such a way that by a lengthwise movement of the operating hand different buttons can be selected.

5. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein by a depth movement different menu windows of the user interface can be selected.

6. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein by a depth movement different menu windows or frames can be selected.

7. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein by means of a depth movement the zoom factor of the user interface visualized by the display is tuned.

8. Mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s free hand by means of longitudinal and transverse movements navigates inside a window or a frame.

9. Mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein a selection command is derived from an event generated by a predetermined movement of the free hand.

10. The mobile communication device according to claim 9 wherein the selection command is generated by a finger movement, especially a tilting of one or several fingers of the operating hand towards the display.

11. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 comprising an input unit, for selecting an operating mode by corresponding actuation of the input unit.

12. The mobile communication device according to claim 11 wherein the input unit comprises a button that when seizing the mobile communication device as intended can be operated by a finger or thumb of the seizing hand.

13. The mobile communication device according to claim 11 wherein the input unit comprises an electrode structure for detecting the input operations on the basis of electric field interaction effects.

14. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 further comprising a shielding electrode arranged between the transmitter electrode plate and the receiving electrode plates.

15. The mobile communication device according to claim 14 wherein the shielding electrode forms a ring around the transmitter electrode between the transmitter electrode and the surrounding receiving electrodes.

16. The mobile communication device according to claim 15 wherein the four receiving electrode plates are arranged in four corners of a rectangle around the transmitter electrode plate.

17. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 comprising in a rearward area a coupling electrode for coupling a predetermined signal into the seizing hand of the user which can be detected by the receiving electrode plates.

18. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 comprising a loudspeaker device, especially a piezo loudspeaker, for generating an acoustic feedback during the realization of the input operations.

19. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 comprising a device for generating a haptic feedback.

20. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 comprising a device for generating an optical feedback.

21. An input device for a communication device according to claim 1, further comprising

a thin logic board card structure comprising the electrode structure with a transmitting electrode plate surrounded by at least three receiving electrode plates, wherein the logic board card structure further comprises an ASIC device for generating command signals on the basis of approximation effects detected by the electrode structure.

22. The mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein the low frequency electric field has a frequency of about 100 kHz.

23. The mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third receiving electrode plates are arranged in circular fashion around said central transmitter electrode.

24. A method for determining an input during the use of a mobile communication device wherein the mobile communication device comprises:

a housing that is formed in such a way that it can be seized with one hand,

a display that is integrated into the housing for providing an image reproduction surface,

a controller for activating the display in such a way that it in an input mode provides a user interface that assists the realization of an input procedure, and

an input device for carrying out the input procedure in accordance with input actions of a manual type, wherein the input device comprises an electrode structure comprising a central transmitter electrode comprising an electrode plate for generating a low frequency electric field and a first, a second and a third receiving electrode plate surrounding the transmitter electrode and configured to detect a low frequency electric field generated by the transmitter electrode and wherein at least one of a position of the free hand and a movement of the free hand within the input zone is detected by analyzing differences between signals received from said at least three electrode plates,

the method comprising the step of;

while holding the mobile communication device by one hand of user, generating an electric field above the display;

detecting by means of said receiving electrode plates in an area placed in front of the display, variations of said electric field within an input zone within which input operations are done by a user by performing control movements with his free hand with respect to the housing, without touching the display or the mobile communication device with this hand.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein detecting an input performed by the holding hand of the user wherein the holding hand presses a button arranged within the mobile communication device.

26. The method according to claim 24, comprising

displaying a user interface on the display wherein control movements performed by the user are reflected in the user interface.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the low frequency electric field has a frequency of about 100 kHz.