Patent Application
20110012928
1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates in general to mobile devices, and more particularly, to mobile electronic devices with an electronic display and a keypad. In certain embodiments, the mobile electronic device comprises a mobile telephone, but the disclosure is not limited to mobile telephones.
2. Background Art
There is a significant market for mobile electronic devices with large displays coupled with large, full qwerty keypads, as well as, a unique, thin, and cost-effective mobile electronic device with a keypad on the back of a clamshell device and a single display on the front of the device.
Conventional zoom and magnification techniques to enlarge or decrease the size of text or graphics on a display screen of a mobile electronic device often require touching, tapping, clicking and partially blocking the touchscreen display.
It is desirable to have new interactions with a touchpad on the rear surface of a hinged or slide device behind the touchscreen display of a mobile electronic device with a new form to improve the user experience on the mobile electronic device.
An improved mobile electronic device with a unique thin and cost-effective form and design is provided that is user-friendly, reliable, fun and effective. The attractive mobile electronic device can have a large display on the outward surface of a flip or slide, a large full qwerty keypad on the inward or outward surface of a base and can have a capacitive touchpad on the inward surface of the flip or slide. The multi-functional mobile electronic device is easy to use, comfortable and economical.
The mobile electronic device can be a radiotelephone, a cellular (cell) phone, a mobile phone, smart phone, flip phone, slider phone, portable networking device, qwerty flip device, wireless device, portable gaming device, mobile communications device, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless e-mail device, a two way pager, internet communication device, hand held electronic device, or combinations of the preceding. Desirably, the mobile electronic device is of a compact size for readily fitting in a shirt pocket, pants pocket, suit pocket, and/or purse.
The user-friendly mobile electronic device provides new interactions with a touchpad on the rear surface of a hinged or slide device behind the touchscreen display to improve the user experience on the mobile electronic device.
By adding a touchpad behind the main touchscreen display, multiple useful magnification techniques become viable, such as but not limited to those described hereinafter.
The touchpad can act as a linear zoom-in/zoom-out sliding bar in a browser window which eliminates the need to block the display touchscreen while zooming. The display touchscreen can then be used to navigate the page. Advantageously, the user does not have to block the screen to zoom in and/or zoom out.
A user can point and hold the user's finger on the touchscreen display, then slide their finger on the rear touchpad to zoom in or out at a point that was selected on the front touchscreen display. This can allows the user to zoom to a specific point on the touchscreen display.
Pressing a shift key or command button on the mobile electronic device can change the behavior of the touchpad from an X/Y navigation device to a zoom control. More specifically, the rear touchpad can be used as an X/Y navigation device, but when a touchpad is applied and held, the function is changed to a zoom-in/and zoom-out control until the press key or button is released at which point functionally returns to that of an X/Y navigation device. This allows the touchpad to serve multiple purposes including navigation and zoom in and out functionality. Furthermore, it also keeps the user from having to block and smudge the display.
Desirably, the novel mobile electronic device does not require blocking the main touchscreen display to accomplish the desired magnification and zoom to enlarge or decrease the size of text or graphics on the touchscreen display.
When multiple applications are running in the background, making contact with the touchpad and holding brings up a small window overlaid on the current display screen showing all running applications. The user can then navigate to the desired application and can select the highlighted application. Advantageously, the user does not have to exit from the current display screen in order to get to another area of the user interface (UI).
When in a UI with tabbed windows, the user can be scrolling left or right on the touchpad to select different tabs while scrolling on the touchscreen display interacts with the page. This allows the tabs to be smaller in size and increase the amount of viewable page since the tabs do not have to be touched with a finger.
In a media player scenario, the user can use the touchpad to cycle through album titles or art using the touchscreen to select tracks. Albums do not have to appear large enough to touch on the touchscreen. This arrangement can allow more information to be displayed on the page at one time.
The inventive mobile electronic display provides an improved method of interaction with onscreen information. It reduces the number of specific actions to complete a task and makes them easier to complete. It can also eliminate the need for 100% touchable icons in a touchscreen device UI and can eliminate the need to block the touchscreen display while interacting.
The mobile electronic device can have a flip that is operatively connected to a base and is movable from an open position to a closed position and vice versa. The mobile electronic device can have: a keypad on the outward surface of the base; a display assembly comprising a user interface and a display, preferably a touchscreen display on the outward surface of the flip; and a touchpad comprising a navigation control on the inward surface of the flip for navigating the display. The touchpad is preferably positioned for use without blocking view of the display.
The touchpad can include: a zoom control for zooming, increasing or decreasing the size of text or other graphics on the display, a magnifier for magnifying a portion of the display, and/or a sliding bar in a browser window for zooming a portion of the display. The touchpad can also comprise a zoomable touchpad for zooming in and out of an area of the display touched by the user in response to touching the touchpad.
In another embodiment, the touchpad comprises a visual selector for viewing or cycling through media, such as songs, albums, art, movies, videos, photographs, books, newspapers, magazines, and titles of the preceding. The touchscreen display can comprise a tracking device for selecting the media or a track or location of the media.
The invention also provides an improved method for using a mobile electronic device for implementing zoom functionality on the mobile electronic device, as well as an improved method for navigating layered data using two opposing touch surfaces. The method includes providing a mobile electronic device comprising a flip pivotably connected to a base, a keypad on an outward surface of the base, a display, preferably a touchscreen display, on an outward surface of the flip, and a touchpad on an inward surface of the flip. The method further comprises navigating the touchscreen display by sliding a finger along or touching the touchpad, while simultaneously allowing full view of the display and preventing blocking of the view of the touchscreen display.
The novel method can include: zooming in and out of a portion of the touchscreen display by touching, contacting, or engaging the touchpad and/or magnifying a portion of the touchscreen display by pressing, tapping or clicking the touchpad. The method can further include changing or transforming the mode of the touchpad from a navigation mode to a zoom mode and vice versa. Also, the method can include scrolling the touchpad and/or touchscreen display.
This invention as described in the specification and patent claims achieves excellent performance.
A more detailed explanation of the invention is provided in the following detailed descriptions and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The following is a detailed description and explanation of the preferred embodiments of the invention and best modes for practicing the invention.
Referring to the drawings, a mobile electronic device 100 can comprise a flip 102 which can be pivotally connected by a hinge 104 to a base 106. The flip can be pivotable from a closed position, to partially open positions and to a fully open position and vise versa. The mobile electronic device can be movable to different orientations for providing different functionality in the partially open positions.
The mobile electronic device can be: a flip phone, slider phone, portable networking device, internet communications device, clamshell device, radio telephone, cellular phone, mobile phone, smart phone, portable gaming device, personal digital assistant, wireless e-mail device, two-way pager, handheld electronic device, or combinations of the preceding. The mobile electronic device preferably is of a compact size for readily fitting in a shirt pocket, pants pocket, suit pocket, and/or purse.
The base and the flip each can have an outward (outer) surface 108 or 110, an inward (inner) surface 112 or 114, edges comprising longitudinal sides 115, 116, 117 or 118 in a portrait mode, and lateral ends 119, 120, 121 or 122 in a portrait mode.
The base can have a transceiver housing 123 (xcvr) and defines an internal base compartment that can provide a cavity for containing a battery and a speaker. The base can have a keypad assembly 132 which can comprise a housing with a rim that can provide a periphery that can surround or partially surround a keypad 138. The keypad assembly can have backlighting below the keypad. The keypad can be positioned on the outward surface of the base and can face downwardly when the flip is in the partially open position, such as in a media viewing mode. The keypad can be partially transparent, clear and light transmissive. The keypad can comprise: a qwerty keypad, capacitive keypad, keyboard, alpha numeric keys, a base touchscreen, or combinations of the preceding. The keypad can have a capacitive touch surface. The keypad can occupy most, preferably 70% to 99% of the outward surface of the base.
The keypad can also comprise a moldprint keypad with graphics on an underside of the keypad or on a layer below the keypad. Such graphics for the keypad can include one or more of the following: text, numbers, characters, alpha numeric images, color graphics, black graphics, moving graphics, animation, video clips, logos, photographs, decorations, designs, symbols, and other images.
The keypad can comprise a recessed keypad positioned below the maximum elevation or height of the rim which provides the top of the housing so that when the keypad assembly is placed on a support surface, such as a table, desk, or shelf, the rim engages the surface, but the recessed keypad is spaced above the support surface and prevented from touching or otherwise engaging the support surface.
The keypad can include a flash, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) or other illumination source, in proximity to an imager, such as a camera, webcam, camera lens, zoom lens, webcam, or other image capture device. The keypad assembly can include a light barrier, such a light-blocking gasket or ribs, for substantially preventing the flash from illuminating graphics on the keypad and for substantially minimizing hot spots in images captured by the imager.
In one embodiment, the keypad comprises a tactile qwerty keypad positioned over a series of switches which a user can depress.
A display structure assembly 164 can provide a display module with display housing and a touchscreen display 170 on the outward surface of the flip. The display can be positioned opposite the keypad when the flip is in a closed position in a tablet mode. The display can face upwardly with and in proximity to the keypad when the flip in a fully open position in an e-mail/text mod. The display can be positioned at an angle of inclination when the flip is in a partially open position in a media viewing mode. The display can occupy most, preferably 70% to 99% of the outward surface of the base.
The display can comprise a touchscreen comprising a touch sensitive lens with an input lens surface. Touch sensors can be integrated to either the input surface or the opposite surface of the lens. The touch sensor generates a signal in response to a manually engageable haptic input from a user when the user touches the lens with a finger to emit light forming an image on the lens. The touchscreen display can be can be a transparent, clear and light transmissive and can comprise a capacitive touchscreen, an organic light emitting display (OLED) or a liquid crystal display (LCD). The touchscreen can electronically show and display graphics, such as, but not limited to, one or more of the following: text, numbers, characters, alpha numeric images, color graphics, black graphics, moving graphics, animation, video clips, logos, photographs, decorations, designs, symbols, and other images.
The display assembly can have a user interface (UI) which can provide haptics. The user interface of the display structure assembly can include the touchscreen display.
A touchpad assembly 186 can provide a touchpad sensor and a touchpad cover. The touchpad assembly can also have a housing (touchpad housing) and a bezel (touchpad bezel) which can provide a back plate (touchpad backplate), with or without a rim, for holding the touchpad, such as with adhesive. A touchpad gasket can be positioned between and sealing the touchpad housing to a peripheral portion of the touchpad.
The touchpad can be positioned on the inward surface of the flip at a location which is transversely opposite of the display. The touchpad can be a capacitive touchpad for detecting the position of the flip. The touchpad can provide navigation control within the user interface (UI) on the display, such as, but not limited to: highlighting a web link on the display, scrolling through text on the display, clicking to enter a command on the display, and/or implementing a mouse cursor on the touchscreen. The touchpad can also comprise one or more of the following: zoom control, a magnifier, scroll bar, scroll control, a slide bar in a browser window, enter key, command key, shift key, visual selector, cursor, and/or pointer. The touchpad can occupy a substantial portion, such as from 25% to 75%, of the inward surface of the flip. In the illustrative embodiment, the touchpad is smaller and occupies a smaller area than either the touchscreen display or the keypad.
Advantageously, the touchpad is positioned to be touched by the user without blocking viewing of the display when the flip is in the partially open and fully open positions. The touchpad can be hidden and inaccessible when the flip is in the closed position.
A removable battery door 194 can be positioned along the inward surface of the base at a location transversely opposite of the keypad. The removable battery door can be hidden and inaccessible when the flip is in the closed position.
A speaker port can be hidden underneath the removable battery door. The speaker port can provide an acoustical passageway for emitting sound from the speaker.
The flip can have an internal flip compartment that provides a cavity to contain a printed circuit board (PCB) in the flip. A pattern of capacitive touch traces or wires can be embedded within the printed circuit board for detecting a user's finger gestures without increasing the size of the mobile electronic device. Non-conductive decorative layers can be provided to bring the touch surface of the touchpad flush with the touchpad housing.
The mobile electronic device can have a base that provides and defines a compartment for containing a battery. A flip can be pivotably connected to the base with a hinge so that the flip is pivotable from a closed position, to a partially open position and to a fully open position and vise versa. A keypad can be positioned on the outward surface of the base and faces downwardly when the flip is in the partially open position. The mobile electronic device can also have a display assembly comprising a user interface with a touchscreen display on the outer surface of the flip. The display can be positioned opposite the keypad when the flip is in a closed position. The display can also face upwardly with and in proximity to the keypad when the flip is in a fully open position, and the display is positioned at an angle of inclination when the flip is in a partially open position.
The mobile electronic device can have a touchpad positioned on the inward surface of the flip and can be positioned transversely opposite of the display. The touchpad is preferably hidden and inaccessible when the flip is in the closed position. Advantageously, the touchpad comprises a navigation control on the inward surface of the flip for navigating the display. Desirably, the touchpad can be used by a user without blocking view of the display. The mobile electronic device can also have a battery door positioned along the inward surface of the base and positioned transversely opposite of the keypad. The battery door can be hidden and inaccessible when the flip is in the closed position.
The touchpad can include: a zoom control for zooming, increasing or decreasing the size of text or other graphics on the display, a magnifier for magnifying a portion of the display, and/or a sliding bar in a browser window for zooming a portion of the display. The touchpad can also comprise a zoomable touchpad for zooming in and out of an area of the display touched by the user in response to touching the touchpad.
The touchpad can further comprise a changeable touchpad for changing from the navigator in a navigation mode to a zoom control in a zoom mode in response to pressing a shift key or a command button on the mobile electronic device, changing the orientation of the mobile electronic device, launching an application, or touching the touchscreen or touchpad with a specific gesture and/or a transforming touchpad for transforming to a zoom control when the touchpad is touched and held by the user and returning to the navigator when the touchpad is released by the user.
The touchpad also comprise a capacitive touchpad for activating a window on the touchscreen display to display downloaded applications in the mobile electronic device when the user touches the capacitive touchpad or to electronically display applications which are downloaded, frequently used, idle, active, and available in the mobile electronic device when the user touches the capacitive touchpad; and the capacitive touchpad can be used by the user to scroll and select one or more of the applications.
The user interface can comprise tabled windows providing tabs and the touchpad can comprise a touchpad scroll control for scrolling in response to moving a finger of the user along the touchpad for selecting different tabs on the user interface. The display can electronically illustrate and display a page. The display can further comprise a display-scroll control for scrolling on the display to interact with the page while the touchpad is being scrolled to provide smaller tabs and increase the view of the page.
The touchpad can further comprise a visual selector for viewing or cycling through media, such as songs, albums, art, movies, videos, photographs, books, newspapers, magazines, and titles of the preceding.
The invention also provides an improved method for using a mobile electronic device for implementing zoom functionality on the mobile electronic device as well as an improved method for navigating layered data using two opposing touch surfaces. The method includes providing a mobile electronic device comprising a flip pivotably connected to a base, a keypad on an outward surface of the base, a display, preferably a touchscreen display, on an outward surface of the flip, and a touchpad on an inward surface of the flip. The method further comprises navigating the touchscreen display by sliding a finger along or touching the touchpad; while simultaneously allowing full view of the display and preventing blocking of the view of the touchscreen display.
The novel method can include: zooming in and out of a portion of the touchscreen display by touching, contacting, or engaging the touchpad and/or magnifying a portion of the touchscreen display by pressing, tapping or clicking the touchpad. The method can further include changing or transforming the mode of the touchpad from a navigation mode to a zoom mode and vice versa. Also, the method can include scrolling the touchpad and/or touchscreen display.
The hinge can comprise a friction hinge which can have a radial range of motion of 180 degrees or more and can have detents at both ends of travel. This can be achieved through the use of an asymmetrical cam in conjunction with a single tab on a follower. The friction hinge can allow a full 360 degree range of motion with any number of detents at any radial position. The friction hinge also provides a dependable and inexpensive way to produce a tilt in the display of a qwerty flip device or in a qwerty mode.
Advantageously, the friction hinge provides specific positions of the electronic device including: (1) a closed position in a tablet mode as shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the partially open position in the media viewing mode ranges from 70 degrees to 100 degrees and the fully open position is 180 degrees to 190 degrees in the qwerty mode.
In operation and use, in the tablet mode of
In the media viewing mode as shown in
In the fully open position as shown in
The mobile electronic device can have a touchpad or touch-detecting surface on the rear of a flip or slide device for use as input mechanism. This provides a natural location of pointer fingers when holding the base of the mobile electronic device, so that the user does not need to block the display comprising a touchscreen to navigate and select items on the touchscreen, nor does the user need navigation keys on the keypad in the base.
The touchpad or touch-detecting surface can detect when the other half of the mobile electronic device is near it by detecting change in capacitance from the metal housing. This reduces cost of flip/slide detection because the touch surface is used for this additional function. The mobile electronic device is more reliable as it does not rely on a magnetic switch.
The mobile electronic device can have a touchpad sensor integrated into the printed circuit board (PCB) of the flip or slide, which can also be used for other functions such as an earpiece speaker and/or a display connection. Advantageously, the touch surface can be implemented without adding the cost of a standalone sensor. The size of the mobile electronic device is not increased because the PCB thickness is already present for other electrical functions.
This mobile electronic device can utilize the rear surface of the flip portion of the mobile electronic device for user interface (UI) navigation. When the mobile electronic device is fully opened, a capacitive or resistive touchpad is positioned on the inward surface of the flip or slide directly behind the display in the outward surface of the flip or slider portion of the mobile electronic device. When the touchpad is touched by the user, the motion of the finger translates to motion within the UI on the forward facing display. This can include highlighting different web links or scrolling through text. It can also include implementing a mouse cursor on the UI which follows the motion of a user's finger on the back of the mobile electronic device.
The capacitive/resistive touch, cursor functionality, and blind navigation techniques in this form for the mobile electronic device is unique and offer many advantages.
The X/Y touchpad on the inward surface or rear of the flip prevents the user from having to block the display screen on the outward surface of the flip when navigating as they would when using the touchscreen. The position in the flip prevents unintentional actuation since the user will hold the base and the touchpad is hidden when the flip or slider is closed. Furthermore, the use of this location for a touchpad for a navigation solution eliminates the need for a navigation device on the main keypad which opens space on the keypad for additional functional keys or reducing the X/Y size needed for the keypad.
Moreover, by placing a printed circuit board (PCB) in the flip assembly, a pattern of copper traces or wires can be laid out to detect a user's finger gestures without enlarging or adversely impacting the size of the mobile electronic device. This allows for an additional input and functions with no additional cost for a sensor or size increases.
A unique mobile electronic device is provided with a novel form factor in which capacitive/resistive touch, cursor functionality, and blind navigation techniques are implemented and offer specific advantages. The X/Y touchpad on the rear of the flip prevents the user from having to block the touchscreen display when navigating as they would when using the touchscreen. The position in the flip prevents unintentional actuation since the user will hold the base and the touchpad is hidden when the flip is closed. Also, the use of this location for a navigation solution eliminates the need for a navigation device on the main keypad and provides space for additional functional keys or reducing the X/Y size needed for the main keypad.
The additional use of the touchpad for a flip detect mechanism, is unique and advantageous compared to the mechanical switches or hall-effect-based magnetic switches used in conventional hinged products. This re-use of the navigation pad can be less expensive compared to a magnetic switch implementation.
The mobile electronic device utilizes the rear surface of the flip portion of the mobile electronic device for user interface navigation. When the mobile electronic device is fully opened a capacitive or resistive touchpad can be positioned behind the display in the flip portion of the mobile electronic device. When the pad is touched by the user, the motion of the finger translates to motion within the user interface (UI) on the forward facing display. This can include highlighting different web links or scrolling through text. It can also include implementing a mouse cursor on the UI which follows the motion of a user's fingers on the back of the mobile electronic device.
Among the many advantages of the mobile electronic device are:
1. Superior capability.
2. Superb performance.
3. Enhanced zoom functionality.
4. Excellent navigation, scrolling, zooming and magnification.
5. Better detection of finger gestures.
6. Reliable.
7. Comfortable.
8. Light weight.
9. Portable.
10. User friendly.
11. Easy to use.
12. Durable
13. Economical.
14. Attractive.
15. Efficient.
16. Effective.
Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications, substitutions, and rearrangements of parts, components, and/or process (method) steps, as well as other uses of the mobile electronic device can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of this invention.
