Apparatus including a sensor arrangement and methods of operating the same

• US 9,274,621 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Deng, Zhicheng, Xu, Liangfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Salvucci, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US13/260,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20120026196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-177, 345/649
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

An apparatus is provided, which comprises: a display configured to display an image, a sensor arrangement (100), and a processing arrangement, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises first, second and third linear sensor arrays (102,104,106), each of the linear sensor arrays being disposed generally orthogonal to each of the other linear sensor arrays and converging with each of the other linear sensor arrays at or near one end thereof, and wherein the processing arrangement is configured, in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the first and second linear sensor arrays, to rotate the image displayed on the display about a first axis, in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the second and third sensor arrays, to rotate the image displayed on the display about a second axis, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the first and third linear sensor arrays, to rotate the image displayed on the display about a third axis, the third axis being substantially perpendicular to both the first and second axes.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories including computer program code,

the one or more memories and the computer program code configured to, with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

detect inputs on a sensor arrangement, the sensor arrangement comprising first, second and third linear sensor arrays, each of the linear sensor arrays being disposed generally orthogonal to each of the other linear sensor arrays and converging with each of the other linear sensor arrays at or near one end thereof, wherein the first, second and third linear sensor arrays each detect input corresponding to a respective axis in three dimensional space, wherein the sensor arrangement includes the first linear sensor array disposed along a length portion of a first edge of a housing of a mobile communication device, the first edge being along a length of the housing and the length portion starting at a corner of the housing and extending along a part of the length, the second linear sensor array disposed along a width portion of a second edge of the housing, the second edge being along a width of the housing and the width portion starting at the corner of the housing and extending along a part of the width, and the third linear sensor array disposed along a depth portion of a third edge of the housing, the third edge being along a depth of the housing and the depth portion starting at the corner of the housing, and wherein the depth is shorter than the length and the width and the ratio of the depth portion to the depth is greater than the ratio of the length portion to the length and is greater than the ratio of the width portion to the width, and wherein a respective end of each linear sensor array is disposed at the corner of the housing where the first, second and third linear sensor arrays intersect;

provide a first output in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the first and second linear sensor arrays;

provide a second output in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the second and third sensor arrays; and

provide a third output in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the first and third linear sensor arrays.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first output is dependent on an order of a sequence of the consecutive inputs on the different ones of the first and second linear sensor arrays, the second output is dependent on an order of a sequence of the consecutive inputs on the different ones of the second and third linear sensor arrays, and the third output is dependent on an order of a sequence of the consecutive inputs on the different ones of the first and third linear sensor arrays.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured under the control of software to provide a fourth output in response to determining that at least two consecutive inputs of a discrete sequence of consecutive inputs on one of the linear sensor arrays are on different locations.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fourth output is dependent on an order of a sequence of the at least two consecutive inputs on the different locations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured under the control of software to provide a fifth output in response to determining there to be a difference in separation between first and second inputs on one of the linear sensor arrays between first and second consecutive pairs of simultaneous inputs.

6. The apparatus of any claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute an application, wherein the application is configured to be controlled by the outputs.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause an image displayed on the display to be manipulated based on the outputs.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display an image, wherein the at least one processor is configured under the control of software:

to rotate an image displayed by the display about a first axis in response to provision of the first output;

to rotate an image displayed by the display about a second axis in response to provision of the second output; and

to rotate an image displayed by the display about a third axis in response to provision of the third output.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a portable electronic device.

10. A method comprising:

detecting inputs on a sensor arrangement, the sensor arrangement comprising first, second and third linear sensor arrays, each of the linear sensor arrays being disposed generally orthogonal to each of the other linear sensor arrays and converging with each of the other linear sensor arrays at or near one end thereof, wherein the first, second and third linear sensor arrays each detect input corresponding to a respective axis in three dimensional space, wherein the sensor arrangement includes the first linear sensor array disposed along a length portion of a first edge of a housing of a mobile communication device, the first edge being along a length of the housing and the length portion starting at a corner of the housing and extending along a part of the length, the second linear sensor array disposed along a width portion of a second edge of the housing, the second edge being along a width of the housing and the width portion starting at the corner of the housing and extending along a part of the width, and the third linear sensor array disposed along a depth portion of a third edge of the housing, the third edge being along a depth of the housing and the depth portion starting at the corner of the housing, and wherein the depth is shorter than the length and the width and the ratio of the depth portion to the depth is greater than the ratio of the length portion to the length and is greater than the ratio of the width portion to the width, and wherein a respective end of each linear sensor array is disposed at the corner of the housing where the first, second and third linear sensor arrays intersect;

in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the first and second linear sensor arrays, providing a first output;

in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the second and third sensor arrays, providing a second output; and

in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the first and third linear sensor arrays, providing a third output.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a fourth output in response to determining that at least two consecutive inputs of a discrete sequence of consecutive inputs on one of the linear sensor arrays are on different locations.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a fifth output in response to determining there to be a difference in separation between first and second inputs on one of the linear sensor arrays between first and second consecutive pairs of simultaneous inputs.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising:

displaying an image on a display;

in response to provision of the first output, rotating the image displayed on the display about a first axis;

in response to provision of the second output, rotating the image displayed on the display about a second axis, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis; and

in response to provision of the third output, rotating the image displayed on the display about a third axis, the third axis being substantially perpendicular to both the first and second axes.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to determining that at least two consecutive inputs of a discrete sequence of consecutive inputs on one of the linear sensor arrays are on different locations, translating the image displayed on the display an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the one of the linear sensor arrays.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising in response to determining there to be a difference in separation between inputs on one of the linear sensor arrays of between first and second consecutive pairs of simultaneous inputs, resizing the image in one dimension, the one dimension being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the one of the linear sensor arrays.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a display configured to display an image;

a sensor arrangement; and

a processing arrangement;

wherein the sensor arrangement comprises first, second and third linear sensor arrays, each of the linear sensor arrays being disposed generally orthogonal to each of the other linear sensor arrays and converging with each of the other linear sensor arrays at or near one end thereof, wherein the first, second and third linear sensor arrays each detect input corresponding to a respective axis in three dimensional space, wherein the sensor arrangement includes the first linear sensor array disposed along a length portion of a first edge of a housing of a mobile communication device, the first edge being along a length of the housing and the length portion starting at a corner of the housing and extending along a part of the length, the second linear sensor array disposed along a width portion of a second edge of the housing, the second edge being along a width of the housing and the width portion starting at the corner of the housing and extending along a part of the width, and the third linear sensor array disposed along a depth portion of a third edge of the housing, the third edge being along a depth of the housing and the depth portion starting at the corner of the housing, and wherein the depth is shorter than the length and the width and the ratio of the depth portion to the depth is greater than the ratio of the length portion to the length and is greater than the ratio of the width portion to the width, and wherein a respective end of each linear sensor array is disposed at the corner of the housing where the first, second and third linear sensor arrays intersect; and

wherein the processing arrangement is configured under the control of software;

in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the first and second linear sensor arrays, to rotate the image displayed on the display about a first axis;

in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the second and third sensor arrays, to rotate the image displayed on the display about a second axis, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis; and

in response to determining that two consecutive inputs are on different ones of the first and third linear sensor arrays, to rotate the image displayed on the display about a third axis, the third axis being substantially perpendicular to both the first and second axes.