Claims
- 1. A computer system comprising:
a bus; a processor coupled to said bus; a display device coupled to said bus, said display device operable to provide a display; and a user interface coupled to said bus and for controlling said display, said user interface comprising a plurality of flexible layers coupled along an edge in a stack; wherein movement of one or more of said flexible layers causes said display to change in a prescribed manner.
- 2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said movement comprises separation of at least a portion of a first flexible layer from a second flexible layer.
- 3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein a first conducting pad on a surface of said first flexible layer is in electrical contact with a second conducting pad on a facing surface of said second flexible layer, wherein said separation of said first and second flexible layers is detected by separation of said first and second conducting pads.
- 4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said movement comprises bending of a flexible layer.
- 5. The computer system of claim 4 wherein said bending is detected using an instrument selected from the group consisting of: a strain gauge, an optical sensor and an accelerometer.
- 6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said change to said display is according to an order in which said flexible layers are moved.
- 7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said change to said display is according to an amount of deflection of a flexible layer.
- 8. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said change to said display is according to a rate of movement of said flexible layers.
- 9. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said user interface is coupled to a housing of said computer system.
- 10. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said user interface is coupled to a peripheral device communicatively coupled to said computer system.
- 11. A method for controlling a display in a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:
a) generating a display on a display device; b) detecting movement of one or more flexible layers of a user interface, wherein said user interface comprises a plurality of flexible layers coupled along an edge in a stack; and c) translating said movement into a prescribed change to said display.
- 12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step b) comprises the step of:
detecting a separation of a portion of a first flexible layer from a second flexible layer of said user interface.
- 13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein said step b) further comprises the steps of:
detecting a separation of a first conducting pad on a surface of said first flexible layer from a second conducting pad on a facing surface of said second flexible layer, wherein said separation of said first and second conducting pads indicates said separation of said first and second flexible layers.
- 14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step b) comprises the step of:
detecting a deflection of a flexible layer.
- 15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said deflection is detected using an instrument selected from the group consisting of: a strain gauge, an optical sensor and an accelerometer.
- 16. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step c) comprises the step of:
changing said display according to an order in which said flexible layers are moved.
- 17. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step c) comprises the step of:
changing said display according to an amount of deflection of said flexible layer.
- 18. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step c) comprises the step of:
changing said display according to a rate of movement of said flexible layers.
- 19. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said user interface is coupled to a housing of said computer system.
- 20. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said user interface is coupled to a peripheral device communicatively coupled to said computer system.
- 21. A portable computer system comprising:
a housing; a bus disposed within said housing; a processor coupled to said bus; a display device coupled to said bus, said display device operable to provide a display; and a user interface coupled to said bus and for controlling said display, said user interface comprising a plurality of flexible layers in a stack coupled to said housing; wherein movement of one or more of said flexible layers causes said display to change in a prescribed manner.
- 22. The portable computer system of claim 21 wherein said movement comprises separation of at least a portion of a first flexible layer from a second flexible layer.
- 23. The portable computer system of claim 22 wherein a first conducting pad on a surface of said first flexible layer is in electrical contact with a second conducting pad on a facing surface of said second flexible layer, wherein said separation of said first and second flexible layers is detected by separation of said first and second conducting pads.
- 24. The portable computer system of claim 21 wherein said movement comprises bending of a flexible layer.
- 25. The portable computer system of claim 24 wherein said bending is detected using an instrument selected from the group consisting of: a strain gauge, an optical sensor and an accelerometer.
- 26. The portable computer system of claim 21 wherein said change to said display is according to an order in which said flexible layers are moved.
- 27. The portable computer system of claim 21 wherein said change to said display is according to an amount of deflection of a flexible layer.
- 28. The portable computer system of claim 21 wherein said change to said display is according to a rate of movement of said flexible layers.
RELATED U.S. APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to the copending provisional patent application, Serial No. 60/228,905, Attorney Docket Number PALM3520.PRO, entitled “Flip Interface for Hand-held Device,” with filing date Aug. 29, 2000, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60228905 |
Aug 2000 |
US |