Actuating user interface for media player

• US 20060250377A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Stringer, Christopher J., Ive, Jonathan P., Degner, Brett William, Lynch, Stephen Brian, Zadesky, Stephen Paul, Rohrbach, Matthew Dean
• Application Number:
  US11/477,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250377A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• 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 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 : using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 : Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 : Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 : for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 : including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An actuating user interface for a media player or other electronic device is disclosed. According to one aspect, the user interface is a display device that can both display visual information and serve as a mechanical actuator to generate input signals is disclosed. By way of example, the display device, which displays visual information such as text, characters and graphics, may also act like a push or clickable button(s), a sliding toggle button or switch, a rotating dial or knob, a motion controlling device such as a joystick or navigation pad, and/or the like. According to another aspect, the user interface is an input device that includes a movable touch pad control signal capable of detecting the movements of the movable touch pad so as to generate one or more distinct second control signals. The control signals being used to perform actions in an electronic device operatively coupled to the input device.

Claims

1. A handheld media player, comprising:

a housing for enclosing internally various functional components for operating the handheld media player, the housing including an opening;

a substantially rigid electronic platform covering the opening and including internal circuitry, the substantially rigid electronic platform cooperating with the housing to form the peripheral surfaces of the handheld media player, the substantially rigid electronic platform having a flat outer touchable surface that is exposed to a user of the handheld media player, the substantially rigid electronic platform being configured to tilt to at least four positions relative to the housing, the at least four positions including a top tilt position, a bottom tilt position, a left tilt position and a right tilt position; and

a plurality of mechanical switches located within the housing and underneath the substantially rigid electronic platform, the plurality of mechanical switches including at least four mechanical switches that cooperate with the tilting of the substantially rigid electronic platform to provide at least four distinct user inputs, the four mechanical switches including a first mechanical switch, a second mechanical switch, a third mechanical switch and a fourth mechanical switch, the first mechanical switch being located underneath a top portion of the substantially rigid electronic platform, the second mechanical switch being located underneath a bottom portion of the substantially rigid electronic platform, the third mechanical switch being located underneath a left portion of the substantially rigid electronic platform, and the fourth mechanical switch being located underneath a right portion of the substantially rigid electronic platform, the first mechanical switch generating a first switch signal when the substantially rigid electronic platform is tilted to the top tilt position, the second mechanical switch generating a second switch signal when the substantially rigid electronic platform is tilted to the bottom tilt position, the third mechanical switch generating a third switch signal when the substantially rigid electronic platform is tilted to the left tilt position, the fourth mechanical switch generating a fourth switch signal when the substantially rigid electronic platform is tilted to the right tilt position.

2. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1, wherein the handheld media player further comprises a circuit board having one or more electrical components mounted thereon, and

wherein substantially rigid electronic platform electrically couples to one or more electrical components mounted on the circuit board.

3. A handheld media player as recited in claim 2, wherein the circuit board is provided internal to said housing such that the circuit board is beneath the substantially rigid electronic platform.

4. A handheld media player as recited in claim 3, wherein the first, second, third and fourth mechanical switches are mounted on different sides of one surface of the circuit board.

5. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid electronic platform includes at least a circuit board having one or more electrical components mounted thereon.

6. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1, wherein depressing a side of the substantially rigid electronic platform causes a corresponding one of the mechanical switches to provide a switch signal.

7. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid electronic platform can be depressed inward substantially uniformly such that two or more of the first, second, third and fourth mechanical switches provide their corresponding switch signals.

8. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid electronic platform comprises a touch-sensitive input device.

9. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid electronic platform comprises a depressible touch pad.

10. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1, wherein the substantially rigid electronic platform comprises a display capable of presenting text and/or graphics.

11. A handheld media player as recited in claim 10, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display.

12. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing has a front surface, and wherein the opening of the housing is at the front surface.

13. A handheld media player as recited in claim 12, wherein the substantially rigid electronic platform consumes substantially all of the front surface of the housing.

14. A handheld media player as recited in claim 1,

wherein the handheld media player stores media items that can be presented to the user by the handheld media player, and

wherein interaction with the substantially rigid electronic platform by the user of the handheld media player enables the user of the handheld media player to make media selections from the media items.