MEDIA PLAYER AND PERIPHERAL DEVICES THEREFORE

• US 20110032666A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Connor Smith, Hendrik Gideonse
• Original Assignee: Connor Smith, Hendrik Gideonse
• Inventors: Gideonse, Hendrik, Smith, Connor
• Granted Patent: US 8,861,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A media player is provided with a lateral groove across the back of the housing of the media player that receives a user'"'"'s forefinger and provides an ergonomic grip for the media player. A control button, including thumb operated button zones and a thumb operated slider zone is located on a front face of the housing. When the user grips the media player with their forefinger located in the lateral groove, the user'"'"'s thumb is naturally adjacent the button zones and slider zone. A docking station for the media player that fits within a cup holder of a motor vehicle is also described.

Claims

1. A media player comprising:

(A) a housing comprising a lateral groove providing a contoured finger zone;

(B) a user input device located on the housing, the user input device comprising; and

(a) one or more button zones; and

(b) one or more slider zones;

(C) wherein the user input device is disposed on the housing so that when a user'"'"'s finger engages the lateral groove, the user'"'"'s thumb is located adjacent at least one of the one or more of the buttons or one or more slider zones.

2. The media player of claim 1 wherein the lateral groove is between ½

inch and ¾

inch wide such that it receives one finger of a user.

3. The media player of claim 1 wherein the lateral groove extends from a first side of the housing to a second side of the housing across a back side of the housing.

4. The media player of claim 1 wherein the lateral groove divides the housing into a handle portion and a screen portion, wherein the screen portion comprises a display screen in a front surface of the housing and wherein a width of the handle portion across the front surface is narrower than a width of the screen portion.

5. The media player of claim 4 wherein the user input device comprises:

(A) a first button zone and a second button zone, a line between the first button zone and the second button zone being substantially parallel to the lateral groove; and

(B) wherein the user input device is disposed on the housing such that the line between the left button zone and the right button zone is closer to the screen portion than a lateral axis of the lateral groove.

6. The media player of claim 1 wherein the user input device is disposed on the housing such that at least a portion of the one or more button zones overlaps with the contoured finger zone provided by the lateral groove.

7. The media player of claim 1 wherein the user input device comprises:

(A) a left button zone;

(B) a right button zone; and

(C) a slider zone between the left button zone and the right button zone, the slider zone extending perpendicular to a line between the left button zone and the right button zone.

8. The media player of claim 7 wherein the slider zone extends to a base, the base comprising an anchor pivot point for the left button zone and the right button zone.

9. The media player of claim 8 wherein the user input device comprises a head between the left button zone and the right button zone, the head comprising a rocking pivot point for the left button zone and the right button zone.

10. The media player of claim 9 wherein the user input device comprises a central button zone located between the left button zone and the right button zone.

11. The media player of claim 10 wherein the slider zone extends from the central button zone to the anchor pivot point.

12. The media player of claim 7 wherein the left button zone, the right button zone and the slide zone each comprise indented regions of the user input device.

13. A control button for a hand-held electronic device comprising:

(A) a first recess defining a first selectable zone;

(B) a second recess defining a second selectable zone;

(C) a third recess defining a third selectable zone;

(D) wherein the third recess is located between the first recess and the second recess;

(E) wherein the third recess extends perpendicularly from a line between the first recess and the second recess; and

(F) wherein the third recess provides a scrolling selectable zone.

14. The control button of claim 13 wherein the third recess is elongated.

15. The control button of claim 13 comprising a fourth recess defining a fourth selectable zone, the fourth recess at a head of the third recess and between the first recess and the second recess.

16. The control button of claim 13 wherein the control button is a unitary piece construction.

17. A docking station for a media player, the docking station comprising:

(A) a cylindrical body portion dimensioned to fit within a cup holder of a motor vehicle, the cylindrical body portion comprising a substantially circular perimeter; and

(B) a recess defined within the perimeter of the cylindrical body portion, the recess configured to receive a media player such that the media player does not extend substantially radially outward of the circular perimeter.

18. The docking station of claim 17 wherein the recess comprises a base that engages a base of the media player when the media player is received into the recess.

19. The docking station of claim 17 wherein the recess comprises a connector for engaging a connector of the media player.