Patent Application
20160111233
A radio can be configured to be a member of one or more groups of radios (each of which is referred to herein as a talk group), wherein a single radio may transmit information that is simultaneously received by other members of the talk group. Each talk group is assigned to a specific frequency channel. As such, switching mechanisms are typically provided on mobile and portable radios to toggle between two different channels or functions.
A typical sliding switch mechanism may be used to switch between two channels or functions and may include a switch body, an actuator, a locking screw nut, a gasket, terminals and a connector. Most sliding switch mechanisms do not meet ratings set by the IP67 standard, i.e., a standard that classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against dust and water by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures. To comply with the IP67 standard, additional components may be added to the typical sliding switch mechanism. However, the added components typically increase the design cost and form factor of the sliding switch mechanism, and typically result in a relatively bulky switching mechanism.
As an alternative to the sliding switch mechanism, a rotary switch mechanism may be used to switch between two or more channels or functions. However, sliding switches offer advantages over rotary switches. For example, a sliding switch may be used to promote better user interaction in that a user of the sliding switch is allowed to toggle between only two channel or functions; the sliding switch may reduce risks associated with accidental actuation; and the sliding switch may allow for one-hand operations (for example, the sliding switch may enable the user to hold, for example, a mobile or portable radio, on which the switch is located and change the channel at the same time). Despite these benefits, a primary challenge of incorporating a sliding switch on devices such as mobile or portable radios is the space constraint at a top control compartment of the device.
Accordingly, there is a need for method and apparatus for providing sliding actuation on a device.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
Some embodiments are directed to apparatus and method for providing sliding actuation. A slide actuation apparatus includes a bezel configured to maintain a configuration of the slide actuation apparatus. The bezel also includes an opening on an external surface. The slide actuation apparatus also includes an actuator configured to move within a compartment formed by the opening and a sliding rail configured to guide movements of the actuator along a surface of the sliding rail. The sliding rail is compressible downward in response to movement of the actuator along the surface of the sliding rail. The slide actuation apparatus further includes a slide contact configured to make an electrical connection to a flexible circuit and configured to provide a signal of a change to a circuit board of an attached computing device in response to downward compression of the sliding rail.
Slide actuation apparatus 100 includes a top bezel 102, an actuator 104, a sliding interface 106 with omega springs 107, a slide contact 108, a keypad 110, a sheet metal 112 and a sliding rail 114. Bezel 102 is configured to maintain the configuration of slide actuation apparatus 100. Bezel 102 may be attached to a front and/or top housing of the computing device by ultrasonic welding or other bonding techniques (for example, screws). Bezel 102 is also configured to include an opening 116 to allow actuator 104 to move within a compartment formed by opening 116. The opening 116 in bezel 102 is to prevent over-travel of actuator 104, thereby defining a travel distance (i.e., a space through which actuator 104 can be moved to switch the computing device from one channel/function to another channel/function). The travel distance is configured to prevent under over-movement or under-movement of actuator 104 during a switching operation.
Slide actuation apparatus 100 is configured to enable actuator 104 to be moved on sliding rails 114. Actuator 104 includes protruded edges (also referred to herein as plungers or indentations) for producing an actuation force or feedback force or “click” feeling when actuator 104 is pushed over the travel distance on sliding interface 106, positioned adjacent to actuator 104. The sliding interface 106 maintains the sliding direction of actuator 104 in a straight line and provides a fix travel distance for toggling the slide actuation apparatus to change from the first channel/function to the second channel/function.
Sliding interface 106 includes at least one omega spring 107 that is configured with at least one indentation, wherein in response to movement of the actuator along the surface of the sliding rail 114, at least one indentation/plunger on the actuator 104 is configured to overlap with at least one indentation on omega spring 107 and produce an actuation force. The travel distance over which actuator 104 can be moved to switch the computing device from one channel/function to another channel/function is configured to ensure that a user of the computing device can feel a change when the switch is made.
Sliding Rail 114 is provided by co-molding a keypad 110 with a sheet metal 112. In an embodiment, sheet metal 112 may be co-molded to the top of keypad 110. Sliding rail 114 provides an interface for sliding actuator 104. In an embodiment, keypad 110 may be a silicon rubber keypad for providing, for example, water and/or dust protection in accordance with the IP67 standard. For example, keypad 110 may be used to protect at least one component of slide actuation apparatus from water and/or dust in accordance with the IP67 standard. Although keypad is described and also referred to herein as being a rubber keypad 110, the material used for keypad 110 may include one or more materials in addition to or other than rubber.
Slide contact 108 includes a spring contact for making an electrical connection to a flexible circuit board and for providing a signal of a channel/function change to a main printed circuit board (PCB) in the device. The spring contact may be soldered onto the flexible circuit board. For example, the spring contact may be soldered to a top portion of the flexible circuit. The spring contact may also be configured to react with or connect to a contact terminal on the flexible circuit board to complete an electrical connection and provide signal to the main PCB for triggering a channel/function change. Permanent contact may be activated when the spring contact is compressed by actuator 104, as described in more detail below.
As noted previously, the rubber keypad 110 protects component of the slide actuation mechanism, for example, the flexible circuit board in accordance with the IP67 standard. In addition, the rubber keypad 110 provides flexibility for compressing sliding rail 114 downward to touch the spring contact when actuator 104 is pushed over the travel distance on the sliding interface 106.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings.
The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”, “having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
It will be appreciated that some embodiments may be comprised of one or more generic or specialized processors (or “processing devices”) such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, customized processors and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and unique stored program instructions (including both software and firmware) that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the method and/or apparatus described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used.
Moreover, an embodiment can be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., comprising a processor) to perform a method as described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage mediums include, but are not limited to, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and a Flash memory. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
