Multi-Direction Switch for a Cursor Device

Abstract

A directional controller for a device is provided. The directional controller consists of keypad contacts, a keyboard, and a button. The keypad contacts are on a printed circuit board. The keyboard has more than four keys and each key is disposed adjacent to one of the keypad contacts. The button is operable for pivoting engagement with the more than four keys to promote contact between the more than four keys and the adjacent one of the keypad contacts.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the disclosure and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a handheld electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the upper surface of an elastomer keyboard according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional depiction of the upper surface of an elastomer keyboard according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the lower surface of an elastomer keyboard according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross section view of an elastomer keyboard according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a portion of the components that might comprise a handheld electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a keypad contact according to the prior art.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a keypad contact according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 10 a-10c are diagrams illustrating the movement of an elastomer key across a keypad contact according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of the upper surface of a circular button according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of the lower surface of a circular button according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of a circular button and an elastomer keyboard according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a diagram of a cursor control button according to the prior art.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of a circular button and support pillar according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a portion of the components that might be present in a handheld electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a diagram of a circular button with a center button according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a cross section view of a circular button, center button, and elastomer keyboard according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A directional controller for a device, comprising: keypad contacts on a printed circuit board (PCB);a keyboard having more than four keys, each key disposed adjacent one of the keypad contacts; anda button operable for pivoting engagement with the more than four keys to promote contact between the more than four keys and the adjacent one of the keypad contacts.

2. The directional controller of claim 1, comprising only eight keys substantially circularly disposed about a point on the PCB.

3. The directional controller of claim 2, wherein: the first key is provided generally north of a point on the PCB,the second key is provided generally northeast of the point on the PCB,the third key is provided generally east of the point on the PCB,the fourth key is provided generally southeast of the point on the PCB,the fifth key is provided generally south of the point on the PCB,the sixth key is provided generally southwest of the point on the PCB,the seventh key is provided generally west of the point on the PCB, andthe eighth key is provided generally northwest of the point on the PCB.

4. The directional controller of claim 3, further comprising a software component operable when one of the keys is pressed and engages the adjacent keypad contact to promote movement of a cursor in one of eight directions on an application operating on the device, the one of eight directions associated with the position of the key relative to the point on the PCB.

5. The directional controller of claim 4, comprising the software component further operable when two directly adjacent keys are simultaneously pressed and engage the adjacent keypad contacts to promote movement of the cursor in one of eight mid-point directions on the application operating on the device, the mid-point direction substantially midway between a first direction associated with the position of one of the pressed keys relative to the point on the PCB and a second direction associated with the position of the other of the pressed keys relative to the point on the PCB, such that the software component is operable to promote movement of the cursor in one of sixteen possible directions.

6. The directional controller of claim 5, comprising the software component further operable when three directly adjacent keys are simultaneously pressed and engage the adjacent keypad contacts to promote movement of the cursor in the direction associated with the position of a middle key relative to the point on the PCB, the middle key being a key in a middle of the three directly adjacent keys.

7. The directional controller of claim 3, further comprising a software component operable when one of the keys is pressed and engages the adjacent keypad contact to logically resolve the pressed key to one of eight directions, the one of eight directions associated with the position of the key relative to the point on the PCB.

8. The directional controller of claim 1, wherein the button is operable when pressed by a user for pivoting in a plurality of directions to engage the more than four keys.

9. The directional controller of claim 1, wherein each of the keypad contacts is provided within a separate area on the PCB, each of the keypad contacts having at least a first conductive portion provided in a first half of the separate area and further having at least a second conductive portion provided in a second half of the separate area.

10. The directional controller of claim 1, wherein the keyboard is an elastomer keyboard.

11. The directional controller of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from a group consisting of a handheld calculator, a handheld gaming device, a mobile communications device, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

12. The directional controller of claim 2, wherein the button is provided on a base elevated above a surface of the keyboard to raise a pivot point of the button, the base provided substantially adjacent the point on the PCB.

13. The directional controller of claim 12, further comprising posts extending from an underside of the button and operable such that the posts obtain support from at least one of the keyboard and PCB when the button is pivoted to engage the more than four keys.

14. A method for user input, comprising: selecting one or more of at least eight keys; anddetermining, based on the selected keys, one of at least sixteen directions based on which of the one or more of the at least eight keys were selected.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: an application requesting a response that includes only one of four directions; andproviding the application with only one of a north, a south, an east, and a west direction indicated based on which of the one or more of the at least eight keys were selected.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: simultaneously selecting a first and a second key of the eight keys, andwherein the direction determined based on the selection of the first and second keys is a midpoint direction between a direction indicated by the first key and a direction indicated by the second key.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising: simultaneously selecting a first key, a second key, and a third key of the eight keys, wherein the second key is between the first and third keys; andwherein the direction determined based on selection of the first, second and third keys is a direction indicated by the second key.

18. A machine readable medium containing software instructions to promote a user using keys on a device for navigation, comprising: in response to keys being engaged on the device by the user, a software programmed, using a processor, to determine one of at least sixteen directions indicated based on which keys were engaged.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the software includes: a first mode wherein the device includes four keys, the software programmed to determine one of eight directions indicated based on which of the four keys were engaged; anda second mode wherein the device includes eight keys, the software programmed to determine one of sixteen directions indicated based on which of the eight keys were engaged.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein when the device includes eight keys: if the software receives a request from an application to provide only one of four directions (north, south, east, west) in response to navigational keys being engaged on the device by the user, the software operable to determine one of four directions indicated based on which of the eight keys were engaged;if the software receives a request from an application to provide only one of eight directions (north, northeast, northwest, south, southeast, southwest, east, west) in response to navigational keys being engaged on the device by the user, the software operable to determine one of eight directions indicated based on which of the eight keys were engaged; andif the software receives a request from an application to provide one of sixteen directions (north, northeast, northwest, south, southeast, southwest, east, west, and eight midpoints therebetween) in response to navigational keys being engaged on the device by the user, the software operable to determine one of sixteen directions indicated based on which of the eight keys were engaged.