ACTUATING USER INTERFACE FOR MEDIA PLAYER

• US 20160004355A1
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: ZADESKY, Stephen Paul, IVE, Jonathan P., STRINGER, Christopher J., ROHRBACH, Matthew Dean, LYNCH, Stephen Brian, DEGNER, Brett William
• Application Number:
  US14/850,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20160004355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. 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. (canceled)

2. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display,

a rotatable input element enabling generation of first input signals in response to rotation of the rotatable input element, and

a circular touch-sensitive element associated with the display, the circular touch-sensitive element enabling generation of second input signals when an object touches or moves across a surface of the circular touch-sensitive element.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the rotatable input element comprises an annular element.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the rotatable input element is disposed in a channel formed in the device.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein the rotatable input element is configured to slide relative to the channel during rotation of the rotatable input element.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first input signals are generated by at least one of a switch and an encoder.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein receipt of the first input signals enables at least one of a scrolling function and a zooming function.

8. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the scrolling function comprises scrolling through a list.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the circular touch sensitive element is configured to flex relative to the device, the circular touch-sensitive element enabling generation of third input signals when the circular touch-sensitive element flexes.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein multiple device functions are selectively enabled by sequential receipt of at least two of the first, second, and third input signals.

11. The portable device of claim 10, wherein the multiple device functions comprise at least a scrolling function and a zooming function.

12. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the scrolling function comprises scrolling through a list.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 2 comprising a wireless transmitter.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the wireless transmitter enables cellular communication.

15. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display,

a rotatable ring that enables generation of first input signals in response to rotation of the ring, and

a circular touch-sensitive element associated with the display, the circular touch-sensitive element enabling generation of second input signals when an object touches or moves across a surface of the circular touch-sensitive element.