Form factor for portable device

• US 7,479,947 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pihlaja, Pekka Juhana
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N
• Application Number:
  US11/234,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20060017711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-168, 345/172, 345/173, 345/175, 345/184, 715/732, 715/784, 715786-788, 715/833, 715/855, 715/856, 715/862, 715/864, 361/681, 361/683, 455/556, 455/566, 455/575
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 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: 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 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A form factor for a portable device is disclosed. A first face of the portable device may house a display screen and three linear input devices (e.g., touch-sensitive strips), one on each of three sides of the display screen, for providing user input. On a second, opposite face of the portable device, is a planar input device (e.g., a touchpad) for providing user input. There may also be a microphone and speaker on the second face of the portable device, with the speaker placed behind the planar input device. Sound output by the speaker passes through holes in the planar input device. In one embodiment, the planar input device is used for scrolling content displayed on the display screen, one of the linear input devices is used for zooming in and out, and the other two linear input devices are used for identifying a location on the display screen. In another embodiment, the planar input device is used to identify a location on the display screen, and two of the linear input devices are used for scrolling.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a display screen on a front face of the apparatus,

a first linear input device affixed along a first side of the display screen;

a second linear input device affixed along a second side of the display screen;

a third linear input device affixed along a third side of the display screen;

a planar input device located on the back face of the apparatus; and

control logic for manipulating content displayed on the display screen responsive to user input via the first, second, third, and planar input devices,

wherein the control logic causes the apparatus to horizontally scroll an image displayed on the display screen responsive to input received through the first linear input device;

wherein the control logic causes the apparatus to vertically scroll the image displayed on the display screen responsive to input received through the second linear input device;

wherein the control logic causes the apparatus to enlarge and reduce the image displayed on the display screen responsive to input received through the third linear input device; and

wherein the control logic causes the apparatus to identify a point on the display screen responsive to input received through the planar input device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third linear input devices are located on the front face of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a touch-sensitive planar input device used in conjunction with and extending beyond a displayable area of the display screen, and

wherein at least one of the first, second, and third linear input devices comprise a region of the touch-sensitive planar input device extending beyond the displayable area of the display screen.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third linear input devices are one or more faces of the apparatus other than the front face of the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each input device comprises a touch-sensitive input device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the identified point corresponds to one of a plurality of selectable icons displayed on the display screen, identifying the input data corresponding to the selected icon.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each icon represents an alphanumeric character displayed on a virtual keyboard, and the input data comprises an alphanumeric character corresponding to the selected icon.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic causes the apparatus to display a selectable icon along an edge of the display screen corresponding to a side of the display screen on which is affixed a linear input device, and

wherein when a user touches the linear input device on the corresponding side at a position corresponding to the displayed selectable icon, data associated with the selectable icon is input.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus highlights one of a plurality of selectable icons displayed on the display screen when the selected point corresponds to the one selectable icon, and wherein the apparatus receives input comprising data associated with the one selectable icon responsive to confirmation input received via one of the input devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the touch-sensitive planar input device used in conjunction with the display screen comprises a touchscreen.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the planar input device comprises a touchpad.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touchpad is on the back face of the apparatus, substantially opposite from the display screen.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a display screen on a front face of the apparatus;

a first linear input device affixed along a first side of the display screen;

a second linear input device affixed along a second side of the display screen;

a third linear input device affixed along a third side of the display screen;

a planar input device comprising a touchpad located on the back face of the apparatus; and

control logic for manipulating content displayed on the display screen responsive to user input via the first, second, third, and planar input devices.

wherein each of the linear input devices is located on the front face of the apparatus.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a display screen on a front face of the apparatus;

a first linear input device affixed along a first side of the display screen;

a second linear input device affixed along a second side of the display screen;

a third linear input device affixed along a third side of the display screen;

a planar input device located on the back face of the apparatus;

control logic for manipulating content displayed on the display screen responsive to user input via the first, second, third, and planar input devices; and

a speaker that outputs sound through at least one hole extending through the back face and the planar input device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the planar input device comprises a touchpad.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a display screen on a front face of the apparatus;

a first linear input device affixed along a first side of the display screen;

a second linear input device affixed along a second side of the display screen;

a third linear input device affixed along a third side of the display screen;

a planar input device comprising a touchpad located on the back face of the apparatus; and

control logic for manipulating content displayed on the display screen responsive to user input via the first, second, third, and planar input devices,

wherein the touchpad has at least one hole through which sound from an internal speaker passes, and wherein the touchpad is resistant to sound interference.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the planar input device comprises a touchpad.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a casing;

a speaker housed within the casing;

a touch-sensitive sound interface resistant planar input device covering a first face of the casing, wherein the planar input device comprises at least one hole through which sound emitted from the speaker passes; and

a display screen covering a second face of the casing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the touch-sensitive sound resistant planar input device comprises a touchpad, wherein the at least one hole of the touch-sensitive sound-resistant planar input device is larger than a corresponding hole in the casing of the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the touch-sensitive sound resistant planar input device comprises a touchpad, wherein the touch-sensitive sound-resistant planar input device has sufficient rigidity such that the diameter of at least one hole does not change to a degree that distorts sound waves emitted from the speaker.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the touch-sensitive sound resistant planar input device comprises a touchpad, wherein the touch-sensitive sound-resistant planar input device has sufficient rigidity such that the thickness of the touch-sensitive sound resistant planar input device does not change to a degree that distorts sound waves emitted from the speaker.

22. A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions for performing a method for selecting items on a display screen, comprising:

detecting movement over a first touch-sensitive input sensor area other than an area through which the display screen is visible, wherein the first touch-sensitive input sensor area is resistant to sound interference, said first touch-sensitive input sensor area comprising a touchpad; and

responsive to detecting movement, moving a display element over corresponding content displayed on the display screen.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise

detecting movement over a second touch-sensitive input area other than an area through which the display screen is visible, said second touch-sensitive input area comprising a touchpad;

and

responsive to detecting movement, altering a size of an image displayed on the display screen.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise

detecting movement over a second touch-sensitive input area other than an area through which the display screen is visible, said second touch-sensitive input area comprising a touchpad;

and

responsive to detecting movement, panning the content displayed on the display screen.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising detecting a display screen location identified by the display element.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising receiving input data associated with the corresponding content displayed at the detected display screen location.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further Comprising

highlighting the corresponding content;

detecting second movement over the first touch-sensitive input area; and

responsive to detecting second movement, receiving second input data associated with the corresponding content.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising receiving input data associated with the corresponding content displayed at the detected display screen location.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein said first touch-sensitive input sensor area comprises at least one hole through which sound emitted from the speaker passes.

30. A method for selecting items on a display screen, comprising:

detecting movement over a first touch-sensitive input sensor area other than an area through which the display screen is visible, wherein the first touch-sensitive input sensor area is resistant to sound interference, said first touch-sensitive input sensor area comprising a touchpad; and

responsive to detecting movement, moving a display element over corresponding content displayed on the display screen.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

detecting movement over a second touch-sensitive input area other than an area through which the display screen is visible, said second touch-sensitive input area comprising a touchpad; and

responsive to detecting movement, panning the content displayed on the display screen.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising detecting a display screen location identified by the display element.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving input data associated with the corresponding content displayed at the detected display screen location.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

highlighting the corresponding content;

detecting second movement over the first touch-sensitive input area; and

responsive to detecting second movement, receiving second input data associated with the corresponding content.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving input data associated with the corresponding content displayed at the detected display screen location.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

detecting movement over a second touch-sensitive input area other than an area through which the display screen is visible, said second touch-sensitive input area comprising a touchpad; and

responsive to detecting movement, altering a size of an image displayed on the display screen.