Input device for a portable terminal

• US 7,492,354 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mochis Investment LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wang, Ze, Lau, Stephen K., Bartholomew, William F. III, Chen, Ta, Muccione, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/371,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-179, 345/95, 345/901, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/566.1, 455/566.2, 4555751-5754, 455/575.8, 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/557, 341/21, 341/22, 379/433.04, 379/433.07, 379/368, 348/14.02, 348373-376
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 1/1666 Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F1/1664 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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: H01H 25/008 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being perpendicular to the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls
• 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 1/0245 using open/close detection
• 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 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• 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 2201/38 : Displays
• 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

Abstract

An input device disposed on the rotatable cover of a portable terminal. The input device is a compound switch that has five binary switching elements. The input device includes an outer, ring-shape element and inner, circular-shape element. When a switching element is actuated, the portable terminal responds, wherein the response is a function of the operating mode of the portable terminal. A graphical representation of the input device appears in the display screen of the portable terminal. The graphical representation includes up to five icons, which correspond to the five binary switching elements. The icons are visually suggestive of the function of the associated switching element. The icons change, as a function of operating mode, to reflect the change in function of the switching elements from mode to mode.

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a base;

a display, wherein said display is coupled to said base, and wherein said display has a display screen;

a cover, wherein said cover is rotatably coupled, for out-of-plane rotation, to at least one of either said display or said base; and

an input device for accessing telecommunications capabilities of said portable terminal, wherein said input device;

is disposed on said cover; and

has two, concentric, tactile elements, comprising;

an outer, ring-shape element; and

an inner, circular-shape element;

wherein said input device is the only device disposed on said cover that is capable of accessing said telecommunications capabilities of said portable terminal.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein said input device is a compound switch having five switching elements.

3. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein said ring-shape element has four binary contacts.

4. The portable terminal of claim 3 wherein said four binary contacts are disposed at ninety-degree intervals along said ring-shape element.

5. The portable terminal of claim 4 wherein said circular-shape element has one binary contact.

6. The portable terminal of claim 5 wherein in at least some modes of said portable terminal, a first one of said four binary contacts of said ring-shape element increases a voice volume of said portable terminal and a second one of said four binary contacts decreases said voice volume of said portable terminal.

7. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein in various modes of said portable terminal, said circular shape element is capable of accepting a call, ending a call, and holding a current call and switching to another call.

8. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein there are no modes of said portable terminal in which said ring-shape element or said circular-shape element are capable of sending a signal representative of an integer number selected from the group consisting of one through nine.

9. The portable terminal of claim 1 wherein said portable display further comprises a graphical representation of said input device, wherein said graphical representation:

appears in said display screen;

is indicative of a function of each of said five switching elements.

10. The portable terminal of claim 9 wherein the indicated functions change with some changes in mode of said portable terminal.

11. A portable terminal comprising:

a base;

a display, wherein said display is coupled to said base, and wherein said display has a display screen;

a cover, wherein said cover is rotatably coupled, for out-of-plane rotation, to at least one of either said display or said base; and

an input device, wherein said input device;

is disposed on said cover;

comprises two, concentric, tactile elements providing a total of five switching elements, wherein, for at least some modes of said portable terminal, at least some of said five binary switching elements are capable of transitioning between operating modes of said portable terminal, and further wherein said tactile elements comprise;

an outer, ring-shape element having four of said five binary switching elements; and

an inner, circular-shape element having one of said five binary switching elements.

12. The portable terminal of claim 11 further comprising a graphical representation of said input device, wherein said graphical representation appears in said display screen, and further wherein said graphical representation provides an indication of said transition, if any, caused by actuating said five binary switching elements.

13. The portable terminal of claim 11 wherein there are no operating modes of said portable terminal in which any of said four binary switching elements of said ring-shape element or said one binary switching element of said circular-shape element are capable of sending a signal representative of an integer number selected from the group of integer numbers consisting of one through nine.

14. The portable terminal of claim 11 wherein no other input device disposed on said cover is capable of sending a signal representative of an integer number selected from the group of integer numbers consisting of one through nine.

15. The portable terminal of claim 12 wherein said graphical representation comprises an outer, ring-shape region and an inner, circular shape region.

16. The portable terminal of claim 12 wherein said graphical representation changes with some changes in mode of said portable terminal.