Patent Application
20110102979
The present invention relates generally to electronic devices having touchscreen capabilities and, more particularly, to embodiments of an electronic device that provides an improved means for stylus storage.
Smart phones, personal digital assistants, personal organizers, satellite navigation systems, portable gaming systems, and other handheld electronic devices are increasingly being equipped with touchscreens, which enable a user to input data by contacting target areas of the touchscreen panel with his or her finger or a stylus. Touchscreens have been implemented utilizing a number of different technologies, with resistive, acoustic wave, and capacitive touchscreen devices amongst the most widely utilized. Regardless of the particular manner in which the touchscreen is implemented, a touchscreen is typically paired with a display device (referred to herein simply as a “display”), which is positioned immediately beneath and which is visible through the panel of the touchscreen. In one common mode of operation, the display generates a graphic user interface (GUI) including target images (e.g., virtual buttons and other widgets), and the touchscreen monitors for the occurrence of a touch event. When a touch event is detected, the touchscreen, in conjunction with control circuitry included within the handheld electronic device, correlates the location of the touch event with the GUI to determine the desired user input. In other modes of operation, the handheld electronic device may recognize alphanumeric characters drawn on the touchscreen utilizing a stylus.
A stylus is often the preferred means of interfacing with a touchscreen module for several reasons. A stylus tends to transfer less dirt, oil, and other debris to the touchscreen panel. A stylus provides a significantly finer point than does a user's finger and is consequently a more accurate input means. As a result, a stylus can enable a user to interface with a GUI in a more reliable manner and possibly to input alphanumeric characters by drawing the characters on the touchscreen panel as previously described. As a further advantage, a stylus typically provides greater user comfort when utilized over an extended period of time. For these reasons, handheld electronic devices having touchscreen capabilities are often packaged with accompanying styli.
When packaged with a stylus, a handheld electronic device need include a manner in which to store the stylus when not in use. In the majority of cases, a handheld electronic device packaged with an accompanying stylus includes a blind tunnel formed in the device housing for stylus storage. In the case of a handheld electronic device having a clamshell configuration (i.e., wherein first and second housings are hingedly joined together), the blind tunnel is conveniently formed in the hinge joint that rotatably couples the first housing to the second housing. The stylus is longer than the blind tunnel such that, when stored in the blind tunnel, an end portion of the stylus extends through the open end of the tunnel and is thus accessible from the exterior of the device. A detent or other mechanism is usually provided to help retain the stylus within the blind tunnel. To remove the stylus, a user utilizes the tip of his or her finger to engage a hook-like feature provided in the exposed end of the stylus and exert sufficient force on the stylus to overcome the detent. Alternatively, a spring-loaded feature may be provided that enables the user to partially eject the stylus by pressing down on the exposed end thereof.
While generally providing a convenient means for storing styli, blind tunnels and similar retention features are limited in several respects. It can be difficult for certain users, such as elderly users or users having shorter fingernails, to remove a stylus from a blind tunnel using the tip of his or her finger. Although spring-loaded eject features of the type described above can be utilized to facilitate removal of the stylus, such features add undesirable cost and complexity to the handheld electronic device. As a further disadvantage, a stylus is generally hidden from view when stored within a tunnel junction thereby discouraging use of the stylus. With respect to clamshell handheld electronic devices, in particular, the stylus is removable (i.e., the end portion of the stylus is exposed through the opening of the blind tunnel) whether the clamshell device is an open position or a closed position. As a result, the stylus can be accidently dislodged from the clamshell device and lost when not in use. Although a stronger detent can be provided to better retain the stylus and thus decrease the likelihood of loss, the provision of a stronger detent renders removal of the stylus more difficult.
There thus exists an ongoing need to provide embodiments of a handheld electronic device including a novel manner in which to retain a stylus that overcomes the disadvantages associated with conventional stylus storage features, such as blind tunnels. In particular, it would be desirable to provide embodiments of a handheld electronic device including a stylus retaining feature that enables easy removal of the stylus; that presents the stored stylus in a highly visible manner to encourage use of the stylus; and, in the case of a clamshell handheld electronic device, that prevents removal of the stylus when the clamshell is in the closed position to reduce the possibility of accidental loss of the stylus when not in use. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent Detailed Description and the appended Claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings and this Background.
Embodiments of an electronic device for use in conjunction with a stylus are provided. In one embodiment, the electronic device includes a first housing and a stylus storage groove, which is formed in a surface of the first housing and which is configured to receive the stylus therein. The stylus storage groove enables the stylus to be inserted therein and removed therefrom along an axis substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the stylus.
At least one example of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and:
The following Detailed Description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding Background or the following Detailed Description.
With reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
In the illustrated example, that first housing 14 and second housing 16 each have a substantially rectangular planform geometry. Furthermore, first housing 14 and second housing 16 are hingedly joined along the longer sides thereof (commonly referred to as a “landscape orientation”). As will become apparent in the course of the subsequent description, the stylus retaining feature described herein is well-suited for formation in the hinge joint of a clamshell electronic device having a landscape orientation due to the increased length of the barrel relative to the barrel of a clamshell device having a portrait orientation. This notwithstanding, embodiments of the stylus retaining feature described herein can also be utilized in conjunction with clamshell electronic devices having portrait orientations.
Handheld electronic device 10 further includes a touchscreen 30, which is integrated into second housing 16, and a QWERTY keypad 32, which is integrated into first housing 14. As will be readily appreciated, touchscreen 30 enables a user to input data by contacting target areas of touchscreen 30 utilizing his or her finger or stylus 12. A conventional display module (not shown), such as a liquid crystal display device, is mounted beneath touchscreen 30. During operation of handheld electronic device 10, the display module generates target images associated with a graphic user interface (e.g., virtual buttons and other widgets) that indicate which area or areas on touchscreen 30 a user need touch to input desired data. A user may also input data utilizing touchscreen 30 in other manners, as well; e.g., in certain embodiments, a user may be able to draw alphanumeric characters on touchscreen 30 utilizing stylus 12 that are recognizable by control circuitry included within electronic device 10. Touchscreen 30 can comprise any electronic device suitable for receiving input from a user-manipulated stylus in this manner, including resistive, capacitive, and surface acoustic wave devices. Depending upon the particular manner in which touchscreen 30 is implemented, stylus 12 may or may not include electronic components, such as an induction coil, pressure sensors, and the like. QWERTY keypad 32 also provides a well-known and convenient for receiving user input data; however, handheld electronic device 10 is by no means required to include a keypad or any other user input devices in addition to touchscreen 30.
Touchscreen 30 is integrated into second housing 16 and exposed through the inner face thereof, and QWERTY keypad 32 is integrated into first housing 14 and exposed through the inner face thereof. When second housing 16, and more generally handheld electronic device 10, is moved into the open position illustrated in
As noted in the foregoing section entitled “Background,” it is generally desirable for a handheld electronic device utilized in conjunction with a stylus to provide a convenient means for stylus storage that enables easy removal of the stylus, that presents the stored stylus in a highly visible manner to encourage the use thereof, and that prevents removal of the stylus when the clamshell device is closed to reduce the likelihood of stylus loss. To satisfy these criteria, handheld electronic device 10 further includes a stylus storage groove 40. As shown most clearly in
As should be readily apparent, the dimensions of stylus storage groove 40 are preferably chosen to enable stylus 12 to be matingly received within groove 40. The length of groove 40 and the inner diameter of groove 40 may thus be slightly greater than the length and the major outer diameter of stylus 12, respectively. In addition, one or both of the ends portions of stylus storage groove 40 are preferably recessed or sunken relative to the intermediate portion of groove 40 to enable stylus to be removed or “popped-out” utilizing a seesaw-like or lever-action motion. This may be more fully appreciated by referencing to
With continued reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
It should thus be appreciated that stylus 12 can be conveniently inserted into or removed from stylus storage groove 40 when second housing 16 is an open position along an insertion/removal axis 52 (identified in
The foregoing has thus provided an example of a handheld electronic device including a stylus storage groove, which enables easy removal of the stylus utilizing a seesaw-like or lever-action motion and which presents the stored stylus in a highly visible manner to encourage the use thereof. Furthermore, in the case of a clamshell handheld electronic device, the stylus storage groove prevents removal of the stylus when the clamshell is closed to reduce the possibility of accidental loss of the stylus. While the foregoing described a specific exemplary embodiment of a handheld electronic device for the purposes of illustration, embodiments of the invention are equally applicable to various other types of electronic devices having touchscreen capabilities, regardless of the particular form assumed by the electronic device.
While multiple exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing Detailed Description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing Detailed Description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention. It being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set-forth in the appended Claims.
