Electronic device with bezel feature for receiving input

• US 7,091,964 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn R., Wong, Yoon Kean, Hanson, William Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US10/006,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20030103032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345161-167, 345/739, 345/773, 345/786, 345/830, 345/834, 345/864, 715/834, 715/841, 715/845, 715/864, 368/232, 368/242, 368/294, 178/18.01, 178 1803- 1807, 178/18.1, 178/19.01
• US Class Current: 345/184
• 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 1/169 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 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

An electronic device includes a bezel feature, a connector and a processor. The bezel feature is provided on the front panel and interfaces with the processor. The bezel feature includes a circumferential track provided on the front panel and is formed by a contact-sensitive material that provides a surface capable of detecting contact from a user at multiple positions on the track. The contact indicates an input based on both a starting position and a finishing position of the contact on the track. The processor is configured to calculate the input based on the starting position and the finishing position and to perform an operation corresponding to a selection of an application based on the input.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a front panel;

a display provided on the front panel;

a processor housed within the housing; and

a bezel feature provided on the front panel, wherein the bezel feature is a hardware component that interfaces with the processor, and wherein the bezel feature includes a circumferential track provided on the front panel and is formed by a contact-sensitive material that provides a surface capable of detecting a contact from a user at multiple positions on the track, wherein the contact indicates an input based on both a starting position and a finishing position of the contact on the track;

and wherein the processor is configured to calculate the input based on the starting position and the finishing position and to perform an operation corresponding to a selection of an application based on the input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bezel feature is responsive to the contact at the first starting position of the track.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is also configured to use input provided by the bezel feature to set a digital clock.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is also configured to use input provided by the bezel feature to select an alphanumeric character.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to affect a content appearing on the display while performing the operation.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the processor or the bezel feature is configured to provide a tactile feedback in response to operation of the bezel feature.