Housing as an I/O device

• US 8,654,524 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2009
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pance, Aleksandar, King, Nicholas Vincent, Kerr, Duncan, Bilbrey, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US12/542,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20110038114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.02, 361/679.09, 361/679.18, 361/679.55, 345/173, 345/182, 345/424, 345/177, 702/24, 702/71
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1673 Arrangements for projecting a virtual keyboard
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

There are provided systems, devices and methods for operating a housing for an electronic device as an input/output (I/O) device. In one embodiment, an electronic device includes a housing configured to function as an integrated housing and I/O device and one or more sensors obscured by a panel of the housing. The one or more sensors being configured to sense via the panel of the housing. The electronic device further includes a processing unit communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to interpret electrical signals generated by the one or more sensors. One or more output devices are communicatively coupled to the processing unit and configured to provide an output in response to the one or more sensors generating an electrical signal.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing wall having at least one exposed surface and an interior surface;

one or more sensors positioned proximate to the interior surface of the housing wall to sense interactions of the wall via the exposed surface and generate electrical signals based on the interactions;

a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors for interpreting the generated electrical signals as input to the electronic device and generating an output signal; and

a housing, wherein the housing wall forms part of the housing, wherein the housing forms an enclosure around the electronic device, and wherein the housing encloses the one or more sensors positioned proximate to the interior surface of the housing wall and the controller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors further comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, a touch sensor, a proximity sensor, or an acoustic transducer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising at least one output device communicatively coupled to the controller to receive the output signal, the at least one output device providing output via the housing wall.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein the at least one output device comprising one or more of a haptic actuator or a light source.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least one exposed surface of the housing wall comprises a microperforated surface.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors and the at least one output device are packaged together in a sensor/actuator package.

7. The electronic device of claim 4 wherein the haptic actuator is configured to cause the exposed surface to provide vibration, mechanical, electromechanical, electromagnetic, piezo, acoustic, thermal, pneumatic or microfluidic feedback.

8. The electronic device of claim 4 wherein the light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes configured to emit light through the exposed surface of the housing wall.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors comprise a proximity sensor configured to sense an object proximately located to the exposed surface, the electronic device further comprising at least one output device configured to generate an output in response to a proximately sensed object.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the at least one output device comprises a light emitting diode configured to provide an illuminated icon on the exposed surface of the housing upon the proximity sensor sensing an object proximately located to the exposed surface wall.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the at least one output device comprises a haptic actuator configured to provide vibration, mechanical, electromechanical, electromagnetic, piezo, acoustic, thermal, pneumatic or microfluidic feedback via the exposed surface of the housing wall.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the one or more sensors further comprises at least one pressure sensor or touch sensor.

27. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing includes a base portion and sidewalls and wherein the housing wall comprises one of the sidewalls, the electronic device further comprising:

a connector port in the housing wall;

a light source operable to illuminate an icon in the housing that represents the connector port;

a proximity sensor located in the housing wall, wherein the proximity sensor produces a proximity signal that indicates whether an object is located at a distance from the housing wall, wherein the controller is configured to activate the light source based on the proximity signal.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a housing configured to function as an integrated housing and I/O device;

one or more sensors formed within the housing, obscured by a panel of the housing, and configured to sense via the panel of the housing;

a processing unit formed within the housing, communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to interpret electrical signals generated by the one or more sensors;

and one or more output devices formed within the housing, communicatively coupled to the processing unit, and configured to provide an output in response to the one or more sensors generating an electrical signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein at least one of the one or more output devices provides output via the panel of the housing.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the one or more sensors further comprises a pressure sensor, a touch sensor or acoustic transducer.

16. The electronic device of claim 13 further comprising:

an accelerometer; and

a display, the display configured to display content, the electronic device being configured to interpret electrical signals from the one or more sensors in conjunction with data provided by the accelerometer to orient the displayed content.

17. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the one or more output devices comprise a haptic device, a light source, or a speaker.

18. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one proximity sensor.

19. An electronic device housing configured to operate an input/output (I/O) device, the housing comprising:

one or more walls configured to house an electronic device, the one or more walls being externally exposed and comprising microperforated material;

a proximity sensor positioned within an interior of the housing and proximate to the one or more walls and configured to detect an object located at a distance via the one or more walls;

a processor coupled to the proximity sensor and configured to process electrical signals generated by the proximity sensor; and

at least one light emitting diode positioned within the interior of the housing and proximate to the one or more walls, the at least one light emitting diode actuated by the processor in response to the electrical signals generated by the proximity sensor.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 further comprising haptic actuators positioned within the interior of the housing and actuated by the processor in response to the electrical signals generated by the proximity sensor to provide haptic feedback via the one or more walls.

21. The electronic device of claim 20 further comprising one or more pressure sensors, touch sensors or microphones positioned within the housing proximate to the one or more walls and configured to sense via the one or more walls, the processor being coupled to the one or more pressure sensors, touch sensors or microphones and providing an impulse signal to the haptic actuators in response to receiving input signals from the one or more pressure sensors, touch sensors or microphones.

22. A method of operating an electronic device, the electronic device having one or more surfaces configured to provide housing I/O functionality, the method comprising:

operating a proximity sensor to determine when objects are proximately located to the one or more housing I/O surfaces of the device, the proximity sensor being obscured at least in part by the housing of the electronic device and the proximity sensor sensing through the housing of the electronic device; and

actuating one or more output devices in response to the proximity sensor generating a signal indicating an object being proximately located to the one or more housing I/O surfaces, the one or more output devices being obscured by the housing of the electronic device and providing output via the housing of the electronic device.

23. The method of claim 22 comprising actuating one or more input sensing devices in response to the proximity sensor generating a signal indicating and object being proximately located to the one or more housing I/O surfaces.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein actuating one or more output devices comprises providing at least one of light output, haptic output, or acoustic output through the housing of the electronic device.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein actuating one or more input sensing devices comprises actuating at least one of a touch sensor, a pressure sensor, or a RE antenna.

26. The method of claim 25 comprises providing a virtual keyboard, the virtual keyboard providing visual and haptic feedback to a user.