Patent Application
20100328203
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to the field of portable electronic devices with a touch screen, such as mobile phones and PDAs. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of the interaction with these devices through removable pads disposed on the touch screen thereof.
Grounded on the Press Release (Reston, Va. Jan. 30, 2009) provided by the marketing research company, comScore, Inc., audience for downloaded games grew 17 percent from November 2007 to November 2008 as 34 percent of mobile game downloaders in November 2008 owned a smartphone, compared with 10 percent last year. “The rapid growth in smartphone adoption in the United States has provided a boost for mobile gaming, as 34 percent of those downloading a game in November did so using a smartphone,” said Mark Donovan, senior analyst, comScore. “Last year, not one smartphone appeared in the top 10 devices used for mobile downloads. This year, six out of ten are smartphones, excluding devices with smartphone-like functionality, such as the Instinct® and Voyager®, which also make appearances.”
The iPhone® and BlackBerry Curve® have replaced the RAZR® and low-end flip phones as the most popular gaming platforms, according to comScore. In fact, the number of smartphone owners downloading a game nearly tripled, while dipping 14 percent among owners of feature phones. iPhone® owners accounted for 14 percent of mobile game downloaders in November 2008, with 32.4 percent of all iPhone® users reporting they downloaded a game in the month, compared with a market average of 3.8 percent of mobile subscribers, or 8.5 million people.
“As the mobile phone has evolved into a better platform for both playing and merchandising games, the games being offered have also been improved, drawing in a broader user base,” observed Donovan. “Over the past year, we have seen mobile gaming expand into a broadening demographic, with strongest growth among teens, who previously eschewed their mobile device in favor of handheld gaming devices, and those 35 and older.”
From the survey done by comScore, it is easy to find that users of smartphones, such as iPhone® users, are much more interested in mobile games than users of common cellular phones. Maybe this phenomenon is due to several reasons, among them the convenience of accessing the Web via smartphones, the larger screens of smartphones in general, the higher speed of retrieving the data, playing games with no lag, and the substantially different type of users who have bought a smartphone, a mobile phone with a touchpad, a personal digital assistant (PDA) equipped with a touch panel, or a portable electronic device with a touch screen. For example, users of smartphones, such as iPhone® users, are more willing to try something new and novel, like mobile games, and the cost is not their first concern.
However, while using a touchscreen, which is equipped to most of the smartphones, such as iPhone®, to play games, it does not feel like a “real” handheld game console, not feeling as good as real buttons or a real D-pad (short for directional pad) when playing certain kinds of games. Besides, as depicted in
Accordingly, the present invention provides a kind of removable pads with a carrying case for portable electronic devices with a touch screen, e.g. iPhone® and iPod touch®, to overcome the deficiency of a touch screen which is unable to simulate the real consoles or game controllers while playing the games.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a kind of removable pad(s) for a touch screen, wherein the removable pad(s) comprises at least one button pad, and/or at least one D-pad (short for directional pad), whereby the button pad(s) and the D-pad(s) are able to be pressed to input instruction into the touch screen.
The material of the removable pads can exert substantial friction against the touch screen. The material of the removable pads has a coefficient of friction to a considerable extent with respect to the touch screen so as to reduce relative movement between the removable pads and the touch screen. The material of the removable pads may include, but not limited to, rubber, resins, plastic resins, silicone rubber, elastomers, polymers, synthetic rubber, synthetic resins, synthetic materials, or the combination thereof. Furthermore, the material of the removable pads may have the elastic properties, be resilient and/or be flexible.
The removable pads may further include a carrying case for a portable electronic device with the touch screen, wherein the carrying case is able to carry the removable pads and fit the portable electronic device to protect therefrom.
It is another object of the present invention to disclose a kit for a portable electronic device with a touch screen, such as iPhone® and iPod touch®, wherein the kit comprises: removable pad(s), comprising at least one button pad, and/or at least one D-pad, wherein the button pad(s) and the D-pad(s) are able to be pressed to input instruction into the touch screen of the portable electronic device; and a carrying case, carrying the removable pad(s) and fitting the portable electronic device to protect therefrom.
The carrying case may further comprise a flat flip-up lid to keep the removable pad(s) between the flip-up lid and the carrying case. The flip-up lid may comprise at least one hole for the button pad(s) and/or the D-pad(s) to fit the shape of the removable pad(s), and the removable pad(s) is able to be embedded in the hole(s).
Moreover, the flat flip-up lid may have one end as a pivot mechanically connected to the carrying case with the other end capable of flipping up from the carrying case. Additionally, the flip-up lid may have one end comprising a living hinge or similar mechanism for allowing the other end to be separated into an open position.
Besides, the aforementioned removable pads may further include one or more joystick(s) able to control the touch screen as well.
A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, not by way of limitation, and the following figures relate particularly to preferred embodiments of the present invention. Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended Claims.
As indicated in
Moreover, the texture of the removable pads, including the button pads 102 and the D-pad 100, may imitate game controllers, handheld game consoles, or the like. The material of the removable pads can exert substantial friction against the touch screen 51 to be less slippery. Put differently, the material of the removable pads has a coefficient of friction to a considerable extent with respect to the touch screen 51 so as to reduce relative movement between the removable pads (e.g. 100 and 102) and the touch screen 51. The material of the removable pads may include, but not limited to, rubber, resins, plastic resins, silicone rubber, elastomers, polymers, synthetic rubber, synthetic resins, synthetic materials, or the combination thereof. Furthermore, the material of the removable pads may have the elastic properties, be resilient and/or be flexible to enable perfect contact with the touch screen 51 after pressing button pads 102 or the D-pad 100.
The removable pads can be designed for any portable electronic devices equipped with touch screens, for instance, smartphones, iPhone®, iPod touch®, PDAs, and mobile phones with touchpads.
In a preferred embodiment, referring to
Additionally, the flat flip-up lid 202 may have one end 206 as a pivot mechanically connected to the carrying case 200 with the other end 208 capable of flipping up from the carrying case 200 (
Besides, the aforementioned removable pads may further comprise one or more joystick(s) (not shown) which will be able to control the touch screen 51 as well.
As depicted in
Moreover, the texture of the removable pads, including the button pads 102 and the D-pad 100, may simulate game controllers, handheld game consoles, or the like. The material of the removable pads can exert substantial friction against the touch screen 51 to be less slippery. In other words, the material of the removable pads, e.g. 100 and 102, has a coefficient of friction to a considerable extent with respect to the touch screen 51 so as to reduce relative movement between the removable pads (e.g. 100 and 102) and the touch screen 51. The material of the removable pads (e.g. 100 and 102) may include, but not limited to, rubber, resins, plastic resins, silicone rubber, elastomers, polymers, synthetic rubber, synthetic resins, synthetic materials, or the combination thereof. Furthermore, the material of the removable pads may have the elastic properties, be resilient and/or be flexible to enable perfect contact with the touch screen 51 after pressing button pads 102 or the D-pad 100.
Referring to
Besides, the above-mentioned removable pads may further comprise one or more joystick(s) (not shown) which will be able to control the touch screen 51 as well.
In still another preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a kit for a portable electronic device 50 with a touch screen 51, such as iPhone®, iPod touch®, a smartphone, a PDA, and a mobile phone with a touch panel, wherein the kit comprises: removable pad(s), comprising at least one button 102, and/or at least one D-pad 100, wherein the button pad(s) 102 and the D-pad(s) 100 are able to be pressed to input instruction into the touch screen 51 of the portable electronic device 50; and a carrying case 200, carrying the removable pads (e.g. 100 and 102) and fitting the portable electronic device 50 to protect therefrom. The carrying case 200 may further comprise a flat flip-up lid 202 to keep the removable pads (e.g. 100 and 102) between the flip-up lid 202 and the carrying case 200. The flip-up lid 202 may comprise at least one hole 204 for the button pad(s) 102 and/or the D-pad(s) 100 to fit the shape of the removable pads (e.g. 100 and 102), and the removable pads (e.g. 100 and 102) are able to be embedded in the holes 204.
Furthermore, the flat flip-up lid 202 may have one end 206 as a pivot mechanically connected to the carrying case 200 with the other end 208 capable of flipping up from the carrying case 200. Moreover, the flip-up lid 202 may have one end 206 comprising a living hinge or similar mechanism for allowing the other end 208 to be separated into an open position.
Additionally, the material of said carrying cases may include, but not limited to, the plastic, rubber, resins, plastic resins, silicone rubber, elastomers, polymers, synthetic rubber, synthetic resins, synthetic materials, leather, synthetic leather, metals, alloys, or the combination thereof. The material of said flip-up lid may include, but not limited to, the plastic, rubber, resins, plastic resins, silicone rubber, elastomers, polymers, synthetic rubber, synthetic resins, synthetic materials, leather, synthetic leather, metals, alloys, or the combination thereof.
The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, was set forth in specific details of the preferred embodiments to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed; obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the following Claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.
