Housing as an I/O device

• US 9,600,037 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• 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:
  US14/181,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1656 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 having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface;

a first sensor placed within the housing adjacent to the inner surface, wherein the first sensor senses an object at a given distance from the outer surface of the wall;

a second sensor that begins seeking radio frequency signals from the object in response to the first sensor sensing the object at the given distance;

an output element placed within the housing adjacent to the inner surface; and

a controller coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor and the output element, wherein the controller activates the output element in response to the first sensor sensing the object at the given distance and the radio frequency signals from the object that are received by the second sensor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the output element is placed adjacent to the first sensor within the housing.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first sensor and the output element are packaged together in a sensor/actuator package.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein the first sensor comprises a proximity sensor.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 wherein the output element is a light source.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to illuminate a portion of the outer surface by activating the light source in response to the proximity sensor sensing the object.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode configured to provide an illuminated icon on the outer surface in response to being activated.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of sensors formed within the housing, wherein the plurality of sensors is hidden from view by a panel of the housing and is configured to receive input through the panel;

a processing unit within the housing, wherein the processing unit is coupled to the plurality of sensors, and wherein the processing unit is configured to interpret electrical signals generated by at least one of the plurality of sensors; and

a plurality of output devices within the housing, wherein the plurality of output devices is coupled to the processing unit, and wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is configured to provide an output through the panel in response to one of the plurality of sensors generating an electrical signal.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is a proximity sensor.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein at least one other sensor is activated in response to the proximity sensor generating a signal indicating an object being proximately located to the panel.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the at least one output device is configured to provide an output selected from the group consisting of light output, haptic output, and acoustic output through the panel.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the at least one other sensor that is activated comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a touch sensor, a pressure sensor, or a radio frequency antenna.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the plurality of sensors and output devices are arranged to form a virtual keyboard, wherein the virtual keyboard is configured to be invisible until activated.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the virtual keyboard is activated in response to at least one sensor generating a signal indicating an object within a given distance to the panel.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the virtual keyboard is configured to be illuminated by activating the plurality of output devices.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 8 further comprising:

a connector port in the panel, wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices comprises a light source operable to illuminate an icon in the housing that represents the connector port, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a proximity sensor, wherein the proximity sensor produces a proximity signal that indicates whether an object is located at a given distance from the panel, and wherein the processor is configured to activate the light source based on the proximity signal.

17. A method of operating an electronic device having a housing wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the method comprising:

with a first sensor in the electronic device, sensing an object at a given distance from the outer surface;

with a second sensor in the electronic device, seeking radio frequency signals from the object in response to sensing the object at the given distance with the first sensor; and

with a controller in the electronic device, activating an output element in the electronic device in response to sensing the object at the given distance and the radio frequency signals from the object that are received with the second sensor.

19. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the object has a radio frequency identification tag that generates the radio frequency signals for the second sensor to seek.

20. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the second sensor is a radio frequency identification receiver.

18. The method defined in 17, wherein the second sensor begins seeking the radio frequency signals only in response to sensing the object at the given distance with the first sensor.