Apparatus and Method for Automatic Enablement of a Rear-Face Entry in a Mobile Device

• US 20120068936A1
• Filed: 09/19/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kim, Christine Hana
• Original Assignee: Kim, Christine Hana
• Inventors: Kim, Christine Hana
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• 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 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

The present invention discloses one or more embodiments of a mobile device capable of automatic enablement of a rear-face data entry. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mobile device can automatically detect and determine that a rear-face data entry interface is either facing up or facing the user'"'"'s line of sight, which prompts activation of the rear-face data interface for immediate enablement of data entry (e.g. typing). If the rear-face data entry interface is either facing down or away from the user'"'"'s line of sight, the mobile device disables the rear-face data interface for data entry to minimize accidental and undesirable data entry via the rear-face data interface. The preferred embodiment of the invention also incorporates a primary frontal touch-screen display, a secondary rear touch-screen display, a QWERTY keyboard, and display elevation guards on both displays.

Claims

1. A mobile device capable of automatic enablement of a rear-face data entry, the mobile device comprising:

a CPU and a memory unit operatively connected to the CPU;

a graphics unit operatively connected to the CPU;

a front display unit operatively connected to the graphics unit;

a rear display unit operatively connected to the graphics unit;

a rear-face data entry interface, wherein the rear-face data entry interface includes a physical keyboard or a virtual keyboard on a touch screen; and

an automatic rear-face data entry interface enable/disable sensor capable of detecting whether the rear-face data entry interface is facing-up and/or facing a user'"'"'s line of sight.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the automatic rear-face data entry interface enable/disable sensor and the CPU activate or enable data entry in the rear-face data entry interface if the rear-face data entry interface is facing-up and/or facing the user'"'"'s line of sight.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s line of sight to the rear-face data entry interface is detected and recognized by a camera lens, an embedded camera, and an object-recognition program running in the mobile device to detect and recognize a presence of the user'"'"'s eyes in a visual field of the camera lens operatively connected to the rear-face data entry interface, the rear display unit, or a portion of a rear surface of the mobile device.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the automatic rear-face data entry interface enable/disable sensor and the CPU deactivate or disable data entry in the rear-face data entry interface if the rear-face data entry interface is facing-down and/or facing away from the user'"'"'s line of sight.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising one or more front display elevation guards attached to a front surface of the mobile device, wherein the one or more front display elevation guards elevate the front display unit from a flat surface when the rear display unit is facing up.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising one or more rear display elevation guards attached to the rear-face data entry interface, the rear display unit, and/or a portion of a rear surface of the mobile device, wherein the one or more rear display elevation guards elevate the rear display unit from a flat surface when the front display unit is facing up.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a power management unit, a peripheral device and/or external communication input/output interface, and a power source.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the physical keyboard or the virtual keyboard on the touch screen is a QWERTY keyboard.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the rear-face data entry interface incorporates a touchpad, a pointer stick, a mouse, or another mouse pointer-operating device.

10. A mobile device capable of automatic enablement of a rear-face data entry, the mobile device comprising:

a CPU and a memory unit operatively connected to the CPU;

a graphics unit operatively connected to the CPU;

a front display unit operatively connected to the graphics unit;

a rear display unit operatively connected to the graphics unit;

a battery operatively connected to the CPU, the graphics unit, the front display unit, and the rear display unit;

a rear-cover data entry interface as a detachable rear-surface cover of the mobile device, wherein the rear-cover data entry interface includes a physical keyboard or a virtual keyboard touch screen, which is attach to or detached from at least a portion of a rear surface of the mobile device; and

an automatic rear-cover data entry interface enable/disable sensor capable of detecting whether the rear-cover data entry interface is facing-up or facing a user'"'"'s line of sight.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the automatic rear-cover data entry interface enable/disable sensor and the CPU activate or enable data entry in the rear-cover data entry interface if the rear-cover data entry interface is facing-up or facing the user'"'"'s line of sight.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the automatic rear-cover data entry interface enable/disable sensor and the CPU deactivate or disable data entry in the rear-cover data entry interface if the rear-cover data entry interface is facing-down or facing away from the user'"'"'s line of sight.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the user'"'"'s line of sight to the rear-cover data entry interface is detected and recognized by a camera lens, an embedded camera, and an object-recognition program running in the mobile device to detect and recognize a presence of the user'"'"'s eyes in a visual field of the camera lens operatively connected to the rear-cover data entry interface, the rear display unit, or a portion of a rear surface of the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising a rear-cover data entry interface sensor capable of detecting whether the rear-cover data entry interface is docked to a main body of the mobile device, wherein the rear-cover data entry interface sensor, the automatic rear-cover data entry interface enable/disable sensor, and the CPU are capable of enabling or disabling data entry in the rear-cover data entry interface depending on a current docked status, a device surface orientation, or a wireless/wired entry mode of the rear-cover data entry interface.

15. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising one or more front display elevation guards which elevate the front display unit from a flat surface when the rear display unit is facing up.

16. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising one or more rear display elevation guards which elevate the rear display unit from a flat surface when the front display unit is facing up.

17. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising a power management unit, a peripheral device and/or external communication input/output interface, and a power source.

18. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the rear-cover data entry interface incorporates the rear display unit as part of the rear-surface detachable cover.

19. A method for automatic enablement of a rear-face data entry in a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

turning on the mobile device with a rear-face or rear-cover data entry interface;

checking whether a rear surface of the mobile device faces up or form a line of sight with a user;

if the rear surface of the mobile device faces up and/or form the line of sight with the user;

checking whether a rear-face manual lock is in “

off”

position, and if the rear-face manual lock is in “

off”

position;

enabling data entry on the rear-face or rear-cover data entry interface; and

if the rear surface of the mobile device does not face up and/or does not form the line of sight with the user;

keeping the rear-face or rear-cover data entry interface disabled, or disabling the rear-face or rear-cover data entry interface if it is not already disabled.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of checking whether the rear surface of the mobile device faces up or form the line of sight with the user utilizes an object-recognition program running in the mobile device and a camera lens on the rear surface of the mobile device to detect and recognize a presence of the user'"'"'s eyes in a visual field of the camera lens, and wherein the detection and the recognition of the user'"'"'s eyes by the camera lens and the object-recognition program are used as an indication of an established line of sight between the rear surface and the user to enable the rear-face or rear-cover data entry interface.