Handheld electronic device including a variable speed input apparatus and associated method

• US 8,102,367 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fyke, Steven Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Almeida, Cory
• Application Number:
  US12/246,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-160, 345/184
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/01 Part of spacer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/076 Protruding in cavity covered by membrane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/003 Membrane embracing all keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/01 Different switch sites under one actuator in same plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/018 Consecutive operations
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/03 Different type of switches

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device and method provide an input apparatus having a number of input members, at least a portion of the input members being movable among an unactuated position, a first actuated position, and a second actuated position in order to provide input. The improved method of enabling input into the handheld electronic device includes detecting a first input from a first input member, responsive to the first input, performing a first navigational function, such as a scrolling operation, at a first speed, detecting a second input form the first input member and, responsive to the second input, performing the first navigational function at a second speed, the second speed being different (e.g., greater) than the first speed. The input apparatus may include a substantially sealable, resilient membrane with the input members being disposed on the resilient membrane in order to provide an improved, ruggedized input apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device, the handheld electronic device including a housing, an input apparatus having a number of input members and a resilient membrane being disposed within an aperture of the housing, at least some of the input members of the number of input members being disposed on the resilient membrane, at least a portion of the input members of the number of input members being movable among an unactuated position, a first actuated position, and a second actuated position in order to provide input, the method comprising:

actuating a first input member of the number of input members to its first actuated position, thereby deflecting the resilient membrane to a first position and effectuating a first input;

detecting the first input;

responsive to the first input, performing a first navigational function at a first speed;

actuating the first input member to its second actuated position, thereby deflecting the resilient membrane to a second position and effectuating a second input;

detecting the second input; and

responsive to the second input, performing the first navigational function at a second speed, the second speed being different than the first speed,

wherein the first navigational function is performable at the second speed upon detecting as the second input an actuation of the first input member from the unactuated position directly to the second actuated position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting as the second input an actuation of the first input member from its first actuated position to its second actuated position.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the first navigational function at the second speed by performing the first navigational function at a speed greater than the first speed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

actuating a second input member of the number of input members to its first actuated position, thereby deflecting the resilient membrane to a third position and effectuating a third input;

detecting the third input; and

responsive to the third input, performing a second navigational function at a third speed.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising

actuating the second input member of the number of input members to its second actuated position, thereby deflecting the resilient membrane to a fourth position and effectuating a fourth input;

responsive to the fourth input, performing the second navigational function at a fourth speed.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting as the fourth input an actuation of the second input member from its first actuated position to its second actuated position.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting as the fourth input an actuation of the second input member from its unactuated position directly to its second actuated position.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

performing as the first navigational function, a scrolling operation in a first direction; and

performing as the second navigational function, a scrolling operation in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing the second navigational function at the third speed by performing the second navigational function at a speed equal to the first speed.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a termination of the second input; and

responsive to detecting the termination of the second input, performing the first navigational function at the first speed.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a termination of the first input; and

responsive to detecting the termination of the first input, terminating performance of the first navigational function.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing as the first navigational function, a scrolling operation among a plurality of selectable objects;

detecting a termination of the first and second inputs;

responsive to detecting the termination of the first and second inputs, terminating the scrolling operation at a predetermined selectable object of the selectable objects.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

actuating a third input member of the number of input members, thereby deflecting the resilient membrane and effectuating a selection input;

detecting the selection input; and

responsive to detecting the selection input, processing the predetermined selectable object.

14. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a housing including a front, a back and first and second opposing sides extending between the front and the back;

a processor apparatus disposed within the housing, the processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory;

a resilient membrane disposed within an aperture on a corresponding one of the first and second opposing sides of the housing; and

an input apparatus cooperable with the processor, the input apparatus comprising a number of input members, at least a portion of the input members of the number of input members being movable among an unactuated position, a first actuated position, and a second actuated position in order to provide input to the processor,

wherein the processor is adapted to detect a first input from a first input member of the number of input members and, responsive to detecting the first input, to perform a first navigational function at a first speed,

wherein the processor is adapted to detect a second input from the first input member and, responsive to detecting the second input, to perform the first navigational function at a second speed, the second speed being different than the first speed,

wherein at least some of the input members of the number of input members are disposed on the resilient membrane on the corresponding one of the first and second opposing sides of the housing,

wherein the first navigational function is performable at the second speed upon detecting as the second input an actuation of the first input member from the unactuated position directly to the second actuated position.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 14 wherein the number of input members includes a second input member;

and wherein the processor is adapted to detect a third input from the second input member and, responsive to detecting the third input, to perform a second navigational function at a third speed.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 15 wherein the processor is adapted to detect a fourth input from the second input member and, responsive to detecting the fourth input, to perform the second navigational function at a fourth speed.

17. The handheld electronic device of claim 16 wherein the memory includes a plurality of routines representative of selectable objects, the first navigational function being a scrolling operation among the plurality of selectable objects,

wherein the processor is adapted to detect a termination of the first and second inputs and, responsive to detecting the termination of the first and second inputs, to terminate the scrolling operation at a predetermined selectable object of the selectable objects.

18. The handheld electronic device of claim 17 wherein the processor is adapted to detect a selection input from a third input member and, responsive to detecting the selection input, to execute the routine representative of the predetermined selectable object.

19. The handheld electronic device of claim 14 wherein the input apparatus further comprises:

a communications element disposed within the enclosure proximate the aperture, the communications element including a plurality of electrical contacts in communication with the processor, and

a number of conductors, at least a first conductor of the number of conductors being disposed on one of the resilient membrane, one of the number of input members, and the communications element, the at least a first conductor being structured to be engaged with another one of the resilient membrane, the one of the number of input members, and the communications element,

wherein, responsive to being engaged, the at least a first conductor is structured to electrically, conductively connect a set of the plurality of electrical contacts to generate the input to the processor.

20. The handheld electronic device of claim 19 wherein the communications element is a printed circuit board;

wherein the at least a first conductor includes at least a first dome conductor disposed on the printed circuit board and at least a second conductor disposed on the resilient membrane, the at least a first dome conductor being deflectable between an undeflected position and a deflected position corresponding to the first actuated position in which the dome conductor is structured to electrically, conductively connect a first set of the plurality of electrical contacts on the printed circuit board; and

wherein the resilient membrane and the at least a second conductor disposed thereon are deflectable between an undeflected position and a deflected position corresponding to the second actuated position in which the second conductor is structured to electrically, conductively connect a second set of the plurality of contacts.