Electronic apparatus

• US 7,856,255 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyashita, Hisaya, Tsuchiya, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): FERGUSON, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US12/072,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20080207281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 4555751-5758, 455 901- 903, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/550.1, 379/428.01, 379/433.01, 379/433.06, 379/440, 200/4, 200/6.R, 200/179, 200/11.TW, D14/137, D14/138, D14/152, D14/153, 345/184, 345/169
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• 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 1/169 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

Provided is an electronic apparatus including a casing, a first jog dial, and a pressing operation detection unit. The casing includes a first surface and a second surface. The first jog dial is exposed from the first surface and the second surface, is capable of rotating around a first axis substantially parallel to the first surface and the second surface as a center, and is capable of being pressed from a first direction substantially perpendicular to the first surface and a second direction substantially perpendicular to the second surface. The pressing operation detection unit detects a first pressing operation from the first direction and a second pressing operation from the second direction.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a casing including a first surface and a second surface;

a first jog dial exposed from the first surface and the second surface, which is capable of being rotated around a first axis substantially parallel to the first surface and the second surface and is capable of being pressed from a first direction substantially perpendicular to the first surface and a second direction substantially perpendicular to the second surface; and

a pressing operation detection unit detecting a first pressing operation from the first direction and a second pressing operation from the second direction.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit causing the electronic apparatus to execute a first function when the first pressing operation is detected and execute a second function different from the first function when the second pressing operation is detected.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a transmission unit transmitting a predetermined signal to another apparatus based on a detection by the pressing operation detection unit; and

a switch unit making a switch between a first mode in which the first function and the second function can be executed and a second mode in which the predetermined signal can be transmitted by the transmission unit.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the predetermined signal is a signal for remotely controlling the other apparatus so that the other apparatus executes a predetermined function.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the predetermined signal is a signal related to predetermined content data to be transferred to the other apparatus.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposed to each other,

wherein the electronic apparatus is formed to be symmetric with respect to a first cross-section substantially parallel to the first surface and the second surface and passes substantially the center of the casing, and formed to be symmetric with respect to a second cross-section substantially orthogonal to the first cross-section and passes substantially the center of the casing,

wherein the pressing operation detection unit is capable of detecting a third pressing operation different from the first pressing operation from the first direction and a fourth pressing operation different from the second pressing operation from the second direction, and

wherein the control unit sets a first mode when the third pressing operation is detected and a second mode when the fourth pressing operation is detected,

the control unit executing the first function when the first pressing operation is detected and the second function when the second pressing operation is detected in the first mode, and

the control unit executing the second function when the first pressing operation is detected and the first function when the second pressing operation is detected in the second mode.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the casing includes a third surface,

wherein the first jog dial is also exposed from the third surface and is capable of being pressed from a third direction substantially perpendicular to the third surface, and

wherein the pressing operation detection unit is capable of detecting a third pressing operation from the third direction.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first surface and the second surface are adjacent to each other, and

wherein the first jog dial is disposed across an end portion of the first surface to an end portion of the second surface.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the casing includes a third surface opposed to the second surface and adjacent to the first surface,

wherein the electronic apparatus further comprises a second jog dial exposed from the first surface and the third surface and is provided across the end portion of the first surface to an end portion of the third surface, which is capable of being rotated around a second axis substantially parallel to the first surface and the third surface and is capable of being pressed from a third direction substantially perpendicular to the third surface and the first direction, and

wherein the pressing operation detection unit detects a third pressing operation from the first direction and a fourth pressing operation from the third direction with respect to the second jog dial.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the electronic apparatus is formed to be symmetric with respect to a first cross-section substantially parallel to the second surface and the third surface and passes substantially the center of the casing, and formed to be symmetric with respect to a second cross-section substantially orthogonal to the first cross-section, passes substantially the center of the casing, and is substantially perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis, and

wherein the pressing operation detection unit is capable of detecting a fifth pressing operation from the first direction with respect to the first jog dial, which is different from the first pressing operation, a sixth pressing operation from the second direction with respect to the first jog dial, which is different from the second pressing operation, a seventh pressing operation from the first direction with respect to the second jog dial, which is different from the third pressing operation, and an eighth pressing operation from the third direction with respect to the second jog dial, which is different from the fourth pressing operation,

the electronic apparatus further comprising a control unit setting a first mode when one of the fifth pressing operation and the sixth pressing operation is detected and setting a second mode when one of the seventh pressing operation and the eighth pressing operation is detected,

in the first mode, a first function being executed when the first pressing operation is detected, a second function being executed when the second pressing operation is detected, a third function being executed when the third pressing operation is detected, and a fourth function being executed when the fourth pressing operation is detected,

in the second mode, the third function being executed when the first pressing operation is detected, the fourth function being executed when the second pressing operation is detected, the first function being executed when the third pressing operation is detected, and the second function being executed when the fourth pressing operation is detected.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first display unit provided on the first surface; and

a second display unit provided on the second surface,

wherein the first surface and the second surface are opposed to each other.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotating operation detection unit detecting a rotating operation; and

a regulation unit regulating detection by the rotating operation detection unit.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the first jog dial is hollow inside and has a plurality of convex portions formed along an inner surface thereof,

wherein the rotating operation detection unit includes a rotary switch capable of turning in a pendular state by being brought into contact with the plurality of convex portions along with the rotating operation, and

wherein the regulation unit includes

an engagement unit formed to be capable of engaging with the plurality of convex portions, and

a movable unit regulating the rotating operation by moving the engagement unit in a rotating radial direction of the first jog dial so that the engagement unit engages with the convex portions.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the first jog dial is hollow inside and has a plurality of convex portions formed along an inner surface thereof,

wherein the rotating operation detection unit includes a rotary switch capable of turning in a pendular state by being brought into contact with the plurality of convex portions along with the rotating operation, and

wherein the regulation unit includes a movable unit regulating detection of the rotating operation by moving the rotary switch in a rotating radial direction of the first jog dial so that the rotary switch is not brought into contact with the plurality of convex portions.

15. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the regulation unit regulates detection by the pressing operation detection unit while regulating detection by the rotating operation detection unit.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the first jog dial is hollow inside and has a plurality of convex portions formed along an inner surface thereof,

wherein the rotating operation detection unit includes a rotary switch capable of turning in a pendular state by being brought into contact with the plurality of convex portions along with the rotating operation,

wherein the pressing operation detection unit includes a first pressing switch detecting the first pressing operation and a second pressing switch detecting the second pressing operation, and

wherein the regulation unit includes

a first retention member that retains the first pressing switch and is movable in the first direction by a first pressing force of the first pressing operation at a time of detection regulation,

a second retention member that retains the second pressing switch and is movable in the second direction by a second pressing force of the second pressing operation at the time of the detection regulation,

a movable unit that retains the rotary switch and has a protrusion protruding in the first axial direction, and is movable in a rotating radial direction of the first jog dial, and

a rotary member provided inside the first jog dial, which is rotatable around the first axis and includes

a first support unit which makes detection possible by regulating a movement of the first pressing switch by supporting the first retention member from a third direction opposite to the first direction at a time of non-detection regulation, and releases the support from the third direction by a rotation at the time of the detection regulation,

a second support unit which makes detection possible by regulating a movement of the second pressing switch by supporting the second retention member from a fourth direction opposite to the second direction at the time of the non-detection regulation, and releases the support from the fourth direction by the rotation at the time of the detection regulation, and

a guide groove engaged with the protrusion and guides the protrusion by the rotation at the time of the detection regulation to enable the movable unit to move so that the rotary switch is not brought into contact with the plurality of convex portions.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the casing includes

a third surface adjacent to the first surface and the second surface,

a fourth surface opposed to the third surface and adjacent to the first surface and the second surface,

a first inner surface opposed to the third surface, and

a second inner surface opposed to the fourth surface and the first inner surface,

wherein the first jog dial is provided between the first inner surface and the second inner surface, and

wherein the regulation unit includes a fixation unit provided between the first inner surface and the first jog dial and is movable in a direction of the first axis, which fixes the first jog dial such that the first jog dial is sandwiched between the fixation unit and the second inner surface in a manner that disables the rotating operation and the first and second pressing operations with respect to the first jog dial, by causing the first jog dial to move in the direction of the first axis to the second inner surface side at a time of detection regulation.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first jog dial is provided independent of the casing to be incommunicable with an inner portion of the casing.