Sensor configurations in a user input device

• US 20080088597A1
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rothkopf, Fletcher, Prest, Christopher D., Dinh, Richard H.
• Application Number:
  US11/812,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088597A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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: H01H 2025/048 having a separate central push, slide or tumbler button which is not integral with the operating part that surrounds it

Abstract

Method and device relate to improved sensor configurations in a user device are disclosed. A device implements the improved sensor configurations includes a switch configured to detect a force applied by a user, one or more touch sensors configured to detect an angular position of the user input which are peripherally located relative to the switch, and a processor configured to generate a signal for performing a task selected from a plurality of predefined tasks in accordance with the force and the angular position of the user input.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one touch sensor configured to detect an angular position associated with a first user input,

a plurality of switches associated with a plurality of input functions, each switch being configured to detect a second user input, wherein the at least one touch sensor is peripherally located with respect to the plurality of switches, and

a processor configured to generate a signal associated with performing a task in accordance with the first and second user inputs.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one touch sensor comprises at least one of a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a surface acoustic wave sensor, a pressure sensor and an optical sensor.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first user input is associated with a pointing function and the second user input is associated with a select function.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the signal is associated with a command for performing one of the input functions.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of input functions comprise Menu, Forward, Back, Play, Stop, Pause, and Select functions.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input functions comprise functions defined by buttons at a top, bottom, left, right and center locations of the device.

8. A device comprising:

a switch configured to detect an input applied by a user,

at least one touch sensor configured to detect an angular position associated with a user input, wherein the at least one touch sensor is peripherally located relative to the switch, and

a processor configured to generate a signal for performing a task selected from a plurality of tasks in accordance with the input detected by the switch and the angular position.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the switch comprises:

a gimbaled plate,

a flexible member, wherein the flexible member is located beneath the gimbaled plate and is configured to deform in response to the input applied by the user, and

a supportive surface arranged to support the flexible member and the gimbaled plate.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein

the flexible member deforms symmetrically when the input applied by the user is near the center of the gimbaled plate, and

the flexible member deforms asymmetrically when the input applied by the user is near a side of the gimbaled plate.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the processor comprises at least one of central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of tasks comprise Menu, Forward, Back, Play, Stop, Pause and Select tasks.

13. A device comprising:

a switch configured to detect an input applied by a user,

a first set of touch sensors circumferentially located relative to the switch,

a second set of touch sensors located beneath a top surface of the switch, wherein the first and second sets of touch sensors are configured to detect a position of the user input, and

a processor configured to generate a signal for performing a task selected from a plurality of tasks in accordance with the input applied by the user and the position of the user input.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the switch comprises:

a center button arranged on top of a first dome switch,

a circular click wheel coupled to the center button,

a stiffener arranged beneath the first dome switch and the circular click wheel,

a second dome switch arranged to support the stiffener and located beneath the first dome switch, and

a gimbaled plate coupled to the second dome switch.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the first and second sets of touch sensors comprise at least one of a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a surface acoustic wave sensor, a pressure sensor and an optical sensor.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

17. A method for operating a device, comprising:

detecting an input applied by a user using a switch,

detecting an angular position of a user input using at least one touch sensor, wherein the at least one touch sensor are peripherally located relative to the switch, and

generating a signal for performing a task selected from a plurality of tasks in accordance with the input applied by the user and the angular position of the user input.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting an angular position of a user input comprises:

determining the location of the user input using a polar coordinate system, wherein the angular position of the user input is represented by an angular position from a reference point.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting an angular position of a user input further comprises:

determining the location of the user input using an X-Y grid, wherein the angular position of the user input is represented by a horizontal distance and a vertical distance from a reference point.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting an angular position of a user input further comprising:

arranging the touch sensors into multiple angular regions,

computing one or more threshold boundaries identifying the multiple angular regions, and

determining the location of the user input in one of the angular regions using the threshold lines.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting an input applied by the user comprises:

determining the force applied by the user using a gimbaled plate, a flexible member, and a supportive surface, and wherein the flexible member deforms symmetrically when the force applied by the user is near the center of the gimbaled plate and the flexible member deforms asymmetrically when the force applied by the user is near a side of the gimbaled plate.

22. A method for operating a device, comprising:

detecting an angular position associated with a first user input using at least one touch sensor,

detecting an input from a second user input at a switch selected from a plurality of switches, wherein the at least one touch sensor is peripherally located relative to the plurality of switches, and

generating a signal for performing a task in accordance with the first and second user inputs.

23. A device comprising:

at least one switch associated with at least a first user input,

multiple sensors associated with multiple second user inputs, the multiple sensors being configured to detect at least one of an angular position and a distance associated with a second user input,

a processor configured to generate a signal for performing a task associated with at least the first user input,

the at least one switch and the multiple sensors being mutually arranged to enable simulation of functions associated with multiple switches.

24. A device comprising:

multiple switches associated with multiple first user inputs,

multiple sensors associated with multiple second user inputs, the multiple sensors being configured to detect at least one of an angular position and a distance associated with a second user input,

a processor configured to generate a signal for performing a task associated with at least the first user inputs,

the multiple switches and the multiple sensors being mutually arranged to enable accurate association between each of the multiple first user inputs and each of the multiple switches.

25. A method comprising:

providing a device having a surface with at least one switch associated with at least a first user input, the at least one switch being associated with a first area on the device surface,

providing the device having a surface with multiple sensors associated with at least a second user input, the multiple sensors being associated with a second area on the device surface,

arranging the at least one switch and the multiple sensors relative to the device surface in a manner enabling simulation of functions associated with multiple switches while requiring space on the device surface not larger than the first area and the second area, and

processing signals associated with the at least one switch and the multiple sensors.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein at least a portion of the first area and at least a portion of the second area are coextensive.

27. A method comprising:

providing a device having a surface with multiple switches associated with at least a first user input, the multiple switches being associated with a first area on the device surface,

providing the device having a surface with multiple sensors associated with at least a second user input, the multiple sensors being associated with a second area on the device surface,

arranging the multiple switches and the multiple sensors relative to the device surface in a manner enabling accurate association between each of the multiple first user inputs and each of the multiple switches while requiring space on the device surface not larger than the first area and the second area, and

processing signals associated with the at least one switch and the multiple sensors.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of the first area and at least a portion of the second area are coextensive.