Input Device for a Portable Terminal

• US 20090146959A1
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mochis Investment LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mochis Investment LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bartholomew, William, Lau, Steven, Wang, Ze, Chen, Ta, Muccione, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US12/369,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146959A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 1/1666 Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F1/1664 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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: H01H 25/008 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being perpendicular to the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• 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 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 : for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 : Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A portable terminal includes an input device with five binary switching elements on a housing for the portable terminal and a display screen. The input device accesses telecommunications capabilities of the portable terminal. The display screen displays a graphical representation that can show an indication of the functions corresponding to the input device, a response to input received via the input device, and operation modes of the portable terminal. The operation modes of the portable terminal can be changed in response to receipt of input via the input device.

Claims

1. A portable terminal having a plurality of operating modes, said portable terminal comprising:

a housing;

an input device, wherein said input device;

is disposed on a first surface of said housing;

includes five binary switching elements, any one of which is capable, in at least a first mode of operation, of causing at least one of the following responses;

a transition to another operating mode;

taking an action incident to said transition; and

taking an action independent of a transition; and

a display screen, wherein;

said display screen displays a graphical representation of said input device; and

said graphical representation provides, for any one of said operating modes, an indication of said response, if any, of said portable terminal to actuating a respective one of said five binary switching elements;

wherein said input device accesses telecommunications capabilities of said portable terminal; and

wherein no other input device disposed on said first surface of said housing accesses said telecommunications capabilities.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the five binary switching elements comprise five binary contacts, and wherein the input device comprises:

two, concentric, tactile elements, comprising;

an outer, ring-shape element having four of the five binary contacts; and

an inner, circular-shape element having one of the five binary contacts.

3. The portable terminal of claim 2 wherein there are no operating modes of said portable terminal in which any of said four binary switching elements of said ring-shape element or said one binary switching element of said circular-shape element are capable of sending a signal representative of an integer number selected from the group of integer numbers consisting of one through nine.

4. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the graphical representation comprises an outer, ring-shape region and an inner, circular shape region.

5. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the graphical representation provides an indication of the response, if any, caused by actuating the five binary switching elements.

6. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein no other input device disposed on the first surface is capable of sending a signal representative of an integer number selected from the group of integer numbers consisting of one through nine.

7. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein the graphical representation changes with changes in mode of the portable terminal.

8. A method of operating a portable terminal having a plurality of operating modes, the method comprising:

providing an input device on a first surface of a housing, the input device including five binary switching elements, and the input device being the only device disposed on the first surface of the housing for accessing telecommunications capabilities of the portable terminal;

receiving input via any one of the five binary switching elements;

responsive to receiving the input via any one of the five binary switching elements when the portable terminal is in at least a first mode of operation, executing at least one of the following responses;

transitioning to another operating mode;

taking an action incident to said transition; and

taking an action independent of a transition.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device;

providing via the graphical representation, for any one of said operating modes, an indication of receipt of the input.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device;

providing via the graphical representation, an indication of a function of each of the five switching elements.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device comprising an outer, ring-shape region and an inner, circular shape region.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device;

providing via the graphical representation, an indication of the response, if any, caused by actuating the five binary switching elements.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device;

changing the graphical representation with changes in mode of the portable terminal.

14. A method of operating a portable terminal having a plurality of operating modes, the portable terminal comprising a housing configurable into an open configuration and a closed configuration, the housing including a first surface that is exposed when the housing is in the closed configuration, the method comprising:

providing an input device on the first surface of the housing, the input device including five binary switching elements, and the input device being the only device disposed on the housing for accessing telecommunications capabilities of the portable terminal when the housing is configured in the closed configuration;

receiving input via any one of the five binary switching elements;

displaying on a graphical representation an indication of the operating mode of the portable terminal;

providing via the graphical representation, an indication of receipt of the input.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

responsive to receiving the input via any one of the five binary switching elements when the portable terminal is in at least a first mode of operation, executing at least one of the following responses;

transitioning to another operating mode;

taking an action incident to said transition; and

taking an action independent of a transition.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device;

providing via the graphical representation, an indication of the response, if any, caused by actuating the five binary switching elements.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device;

providing via the graphical representation, an indication of a function of each of the five switching elements.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device comprising an outer, ring-shape region and an inner, circular shape region.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of said input device;

changing the graphical representation with changes in mode of the portable terminal.