Electronic devices

• US 9,635,162 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stmicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Stmicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Raynor, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US12/964,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,329 Days
• Field of Search: 345157, 345167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

A mobile communications device includes an antenna, a navigation pad and a signal processor. The antenna, navigation pad, and signal processor cooperate to encode and transmit motion signals from the navigation pad to a computer so that the mobile communications device functions as a pointing device for the computer.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device configured to operate in a device mode and operate as a pointing device in a mouse mode for a computer, and comprising:

a housing;

a display carried by a front surface of said housing;

a keypad carried by a front surface of said housing;

a low friction projection positioned on the front surface of said housing at an end opposite said display, said low friction projection protruding outwardly therefrom farther than said keypad to inhibit the keypad from contacting a mouse surface during use of the mobile communications device with the front surface down in the mouse mode;

a navigation pad carried by the front surface of said housing and protruding outwardly therefrom farther than said keypad and said low friction projection, and configured to selectively operate as a device pointer during contact with a finger in the device mode, and as a computer pointer during contact with the mouse surface in the mouse mode;

an antenna carried by said housing; and

a signal processor carried by said housing and configured to

detect motion of the mobile communications device in the mouse mode via said navigation pad in contact with the mouse surface and encode motion signals based thereupon, and

transmit the encoded motion signals to the computer via said antenna.

2. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein a mobile device center of gravity is between said low friction projection and said navigation pad.

3. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein said navigation pad is configured to detect pressure applied thereto;

and wherein said signal processor encodes a mouse click signal based upon the detected pressure and transmits the mouse click signal to the computer.

4. The mobile communications device of claim 1, further comprising at least one switch element carried by said housing and coupled to said signal processor to receive mousing commands.

5. The mobile communications device of claim 4, wherein said at least one switch element comprises at least one of a micro switch and a snap action switch.

6. The mobile communications device of claim 4, wherein said at least one switch element comprises a touch pad coupled to said signal processor;

and wherein said signal processor encodes a mouse command signal based upon detected pressure applied to said touch pad, and transmits the mouse command signal to the computer.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 4, wherein said at least one switch element is positioned on a rear surface of said housing.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 4, wherein said at least one switch element is positioned on a side surface of said housing.

9. The mobile communications device of claim 4, wherein said at least one switch element comprises a plurality of switch elements, with at least some switch elements of said plurality thereof being positioned on a rear surface of said housing, and with at least other switch elements of said plurality thereof being positioned on a side surface of said housing.

10. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein said navigation pad comprises a mechanical trackball.

11. The mobile communications device of claim 10, wherein said mechanical trackball is at least partially transparent;

further comprising an illumination source carried by said housing; and

wherein said mechanical trackball and said illumination source cooperate to function as an optical mouse.

12. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein said navigation pad comprises a domed optical touchpad.

13. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein said signal processor encodes and transmits the motion signals in the mouse mode, and is also configured to perform cellular telephone functions based upon the motion signals in the device mode defined as a cellular telephone mode.

14. The mobile communications device of claim 13, wherein said signal processor reverses an orientation of the motion signals based upon switching between the mouse mode and the cellular telephone mode.

15. The mobile communications device of claim 14, wherein said signal processor is switchable between the mouse mode and the cellular telephone mode based upon said navigation pad.

16. The mobile communications device of claim 14, further comprising a device orientation sensor coupled to said signal processor, and wherein said signal processor switches between the mouse mode and the cellular telephone mode based upon said device orientation sensor.

17. The mobile communications device of claim 15, further comprising a light detector coupled to said signal processor, and wherein said signal processor switches between the mouse mode and the cellular telephone mode based upon said light detector.

18. A mobile communications device configured to operate in a device mode and operate as a pointing device in a mouse mode for a computer, and comprising:

a housing;

a display carried by a front surface of said housing;

a keypad carried by a front surface of said housing;

a low friction projection positioned on the front surface of said housing at an end opposite said display, said low friction projection protruding outwardly therefrom farther than said keypad to inhibit the keypad from contacting a mouse surface during use of the mobile communications device with the front surface down in the mouse mode;

a navigation pad carried by the front surface of said housing and protruding outwardly therefrom farther than said keypad and said low friction projection, and configured to selectively operate as a device pointer during contact with a finger in the device mode, and as a computer pointer during contact with the mouse surface in the mouse mode;

an antenna carried by said housing; and

a signal processor carried by said housing and configured to

detect motion of the mobile communications device in the mouse mode via said navigation pad in contact with the mouse surface and encode motion signals based thereupon,

detect pressure applied to said navigation pad and encode mouse click signals based thereupon, and

transmit the encoded motion signals and the mouse click signals to the computer.

19. The mobile communications device of claim 18, wherein a mobile device center of gravity is between said low friction projection and said navigation pad.

20. The mobile communications device of claim 18, further comprising at least one switch element carried by said housing and coupled to said signal processor to receive mouse commands.

21. The mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein said at least one switch element comprises at least one of a micro switch and a snap action switch.

22. The mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein said at least one switch element comprises a touch pad switch coupled to said signal processor;

and wherein said signal processor encodes a mouse command signal based upon detected pressure applied to said touch pad, and transmits the mouse command signal to the computer.

23. A communications system comprising:

a computer comprising a computer processor and a display coupled thereto; and

a mobile communications device configured to operate in a device mode and operate as a pointing device in a mouse mode for the computer comprising

a housing,

a display carried by a front surface of said housing,

a keypad carried by a front surface of said housing,

a low friction projection positioned on the front surface of said housing at an end opposite said display, said low friction projection protruding outwardly therefrom farther than said keypad to inhibit the keypad from contacting a mouse surface during use of the mobile communications device with the front surface down in the mouse mode,

a navigation pad carried by the front surface of said housing and protruding outwardly therefrom farther than said keypad and said low friction projection, and configured to selectively operate as a device pointer during contact with a finger in the device mode, and as a computer pointer during contact with the mouse surface in the mouse mode,

an antenna carried by said housing, and

a signal processor carried by said housing and configured to

detect motion of the mobile communications device in the mouse mode via said navigation pad in contact with the mouse surface and encode motion signals based thereupon, and

transmit the encoded motion signals to the computer via said antenna;

said computer processor configured to display a cursor on said display based upon the encoded motion signals.

24. A method of controlling a cursor on a display of a computer with a mobile wireless communications device configured to operate in a device mode and operate as a pointing device in a mouse mode for the computer, and comprising a housing, a display carried by a front surface of the housing, a keypad carried by a front surface of the housing, a low friction projection positioned on the front surface of the housing at an end opposite the display, the low friction projection protruding outwardly therefrom farther than the keypad to inhibit the keypad from contacting a mouse surface during use of the mobile communications device in the mouse mode, a navigation pad carried by the front surface of the housing and protruding outwardly therefrom farther than the keypad and the low friction projection and configured to selectively operate as a device pointer during contact with a finger in the device mode, and as a computer pointer during contact with the mouse surface in the mouse mode, an antenna carried by the housing, and a signal processor carried by the housing, the method comprising:

positioning the mobile wireless communications device with the front surface down in the mouse mode so that the low friction projection and the navigation pad are in contact with the mouse surface; and

operating the signal processor for

detecting motion of the mobile communications device in the mouse mode via said navigation pad in contact with the mouse surface and encoding motion signals based thereupon; and

transmitting the motion signals to the computer via the antenna.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising detecting pressure applied to the navigation pad and encoding a mouse click signal based thereupon, using the signal processor, and transmitting the mouse click signal to the computer via the antenna.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising detecting pressure applied to a touch pad pressure sensitive switch and encoding a mouse command signal based thereupon, using the signal processor, and transmitting the mouse command signal to the computer via the antenna.