Wireless communication device and a control means

• US 6,571,086 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Uusimaki, Matti
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US09/455,685
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90, 455/550, 455/575, 455/566, 455/556, 379/433.06, 379/433.07, 379/368, 345/167
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• 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 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic device, which device (1) comprises at least one housing part (2, 3); at least one control means (7) arranged in the housing part (2,3) and comprising at least one normal position (A3) from which the control means (7) is arranged to be deflected by means of first movements to control the device (1), and which control means (7) is arranged to be moved in a directional transfer (T1, T3) to at least one auxiliary position (A1, A2) from which auxiliary position (A1, A2) the control means (7) is arranged to be restored (T2, T4) to said normal position (A3); and control equipment (12-20) placed in connection with the control means (7) to control the device (1). The invention is characterized in that to control the device (1), the control means (7) is arranged to be deflected from said at least one auxiliary position (A1, A2) by means of second movements, which second movements substantially correspond to the first movements. Furthermore, the device (1) is arranged to be controlled by one or more operational sequences of the control means (7), which operational sequence is composed of at least one directional transfer (T1, T3) from the normal position (A3) to the auxiliary position (A1, A2) and at least one movement of said second movements which follow each other substantially immediately.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, which device comprises:

at least one housing part,

at least one control means arranged in the housing part and comprising at least one normal position from which the control means is arranged to be deflected by means of first movements of said control means to control the device, and which control means is arranged to be moved in a directional transfer to at least one auxiliary position from which auxiliary position the control means is arranged to be restored to said normal position,

control equipment, placed in connection with the control means to control the device,

wherein to control the device the control means is arranged to be deflected from said at least one auxiliary position by means of second movements of said control means, which substantially correspond to the first movements, and

one or more single functions of the device are arranged to be selected by one or more operational sequences each composed of movements following each other substantially immediately, which operational sequence is composed of a group of said first movements, or of a group of said second movements, or of a combination of at least one said first movement and at least one said second movement, or of a combination of at least one said first movement and at least one said directional transfer, or of a combination of at least one said second movement and at least one said directional transfer.

2. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (1) is arranged to be controlled by one or more operational sequences of the control means (7), which operational sequence is composed of at least one directional transfer (T1, T3) from the normal position (A3) to the auxiliary position (A1, A2) and at least one movement of said second movements, which follow each other substantially immediately.

3. The device (1) according to claim 1, which device (1) comprises at least one display section (5a, 6a) arranged in the housing part (2, 3) for displaying information, characterized in that the control means (7) is also arranged to control the information presented in the display section (5a, 6a).

4. The device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the information comprises at least one menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b), characterized in that the menu functions (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b) are arranged to be scanned by means of deflecting the control means (7) in the auxiliary position.

5. The device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the information comprises at least one menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b), and wherein at least some of the menu functions (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b) are arranged to be selected under the control of the transfer (T1, T3) of said control means (7) from the normal position (A3) to the auxiliary position (A1, A2), characterized in that at least some of the menu functions (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b) are arranged to be selected under the control of the transfer (T2, T4) of said control means (7) from the auxiliary position (A1, A2) to the normal position (A3).

6. The device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the information comprises at least one menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b), and wherein the transfer from the first menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b) to the second menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b) is arranged to be controlled by the transfer (T1, T3) of said control means (7) from the normal position (A3) to the auxiliary position (A1, A2), characterized in that the return from the second menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b) to the first menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b) is arranged to be controlled by the deflection occurring in the auxiliary position (A1, A2) of the control means (7).

7. The device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the information comprises at least one menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b), and wherein the menu function (101a-101h, 102a-102e, 103a-103g, 104a-104b) comprises at least one character string (206) which comprises at least one alphanumeric character (205), characterized in that the character string (206) is arranged to be scanned by means of deflecting the control means (7) in the auxiliary position (A1, A2).

8. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that in the normal position (A3) and in the auxiliary position (A1, A2), the control means (7) is arranged to rotate around a direction (X, Y) substantially parallel to the housing part (2, 3).

9. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that in the normal position (A3) and in the auxiliary position (A1, A2), the control means (7) is arranged to slide in a direction (X, Y) substantially parallel to the housing part (2, 3).

10. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means (7) is arranged to move from its normal position (A3) to the auxiliary position (A1, A2) and vice versa in a direction (Z) substantially perpendicular to the housing part (2, 3).

11. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means (7) is at least partly formed to be button-like, plate-like, spherical, cylindrical, discoidal, roll-like, or pin-like.

12. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means (7) is provided with at least two auxiliary positions (A1, A2), that the auxiliary positions (A1, A2) are arranged on opposite sides of the normal position (A3), and that the control means (7) is arranged to extend through the housing part (2, 3).

13. A control means for an electronic device, which device comprises at least one housing part for applying a control means and control equipment for controlling the device, and which control means comprises at least one normal position from which the control means is arranged to be deflected by means of first movements in order to control the device, and which control means is arranged to be moved in a directional transfer to at least one auxiliary position, from which auxiliary position the control means is arranged to be restored to the normal position, wherein to control the device, the control means is also arranged to be deflected from said at least one auxiliary position by means of second movements, which substantially correspond to the first movements and the control means is provided with at least two auxiliary positions, that the auxiliary positions are arranged on opposite sides of the normal position, and that the control means is arranged to extend through the housing part.

14. A method in the manufacture of an electronic device, in which method an electronic device comprising at least one housing part is arranged to be controlled by at least one control means arranged in said housing part, which control means comprises at least one normal position from which the control means is arranged to be deflected by means of first movements of said control means in order to control the device, and which control means is arranged to be moved in a directional transfer to at least one auxiliary position, from which auxiliary position the control means is arranged to be restored to the normal position, and which electronic device further comprises control equipment connected to said control means to control said electronic device, wherein the electronic device is also arranged to be controlled by means of second movements of said control means, with which movements the control means is arranged to be deflected from said at least one auxiliary position, and which movements substantially correspond to the first movements and one or more single functions of the device are arranged to be selected by one or more operational sequences each composed of movements following each other substantially immediately, which operational sequence is composed of a group of said first movements, or of a group of said second movements, or a combination of at least one said first movement and at least one said second movement, or of a combination of at least one said first movement and at least one said directional transfer, or of a combination of at least one said second movement and at least one said directional transfer.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the electronic device (1) is arranged to be controlled by one or more operational sequences of the control means (7), which operational sequence is composed of at least one directional transfer (T1, T3) from the normal position (A3) to the auxiliary position (A1, A2) and at least one movement of said second movements, which follow each other substantially immediately.

16. An electronic device, which device comprises:

at least one housing part,

at least one control means arranged in the housing part and comprising at least one normal position from which the control means is arranged to be deflected by means of first movements of said control means to control the device, and which control means is arranged to be moved in a directional transfer to at least one auxiliary position from which auxiliary position the control means is arranged to be restored to said normal position,

control equipment, placed in connection with the control means, to control the device,

wherein to control the device the control means is arrange to be deflected from said at least one auxiliary position by means of second movements of said control means, which substantially correspond to the first movements,

said device further comprising at least one display section arranged in the housing part for displaying information, wherein the control means is also arranged to control the information presented in the display section, wherein the information comprises at least one menu function, wherein at least some of the menu functions are arranged to be selected under the control of the transfer of said control means from the normal position to the auxiliary position, and wherein at least some of the menu functions are arranged to be selected under the control of the transfer of said control means from the auxiliary position to the normal position.

17. An electronic device, which device comprises:

at least one housing part,

at least one control means arranged in the housing part and comprising at least one normal position from which the control means is arranged to be deflected by means of first movements of said control means to control the device, and which control means is arranged to be moved in a directional transfer to at least one auxiliary position from which auxiliary position the control means is arranged to be restored to said normal position,

control equipment, placed in connection with the control means, to control the device,

wherein to control the device the control means is arranged to be deflected from said at least one auxiliary position by means of second movements of said control means, which substantially correspond to the first movements,

said device further comprising at least one display section arranged in the housing part for displaying information, wherein the control means is also arranged to control the information presented in the display section, wherein the information comprises at least one menu function, and wherein the transfer from the first menu function to the second menu function is arranged to be controlled by the transfer of said control means from the normal position to the auxiliary position, and wherein the return from the second menu function to the first menu function is arranged to be controlled by the deflection occurring in the auxiliary position of the control means.