Abstract:
A handheld device having processor components operatively connected together for performing predetermined functions. The device defines a socket configured for rotatably receiving a ball defining an orifice configured for receiving a stylus. The socket is further configured for generating to the processor components electrical signals indicative of movement of the ball in response to movement of the stylus. The processor components include pointing device logic for responding to said signals.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates generally to user interfaces and, more particularly, to pointing devices configured for facilitating movement of objects on a display and/or interacting with electronic games. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Users of handheld devices, such as cellular mobile telephones, communicators, multimedia phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld gaming devices, and the like, and combinations thereof, collectively referred to herein as “handheld devices,” desire that such devices provide telecommunication services, as well as gaming, entertainment, and other features that require sophisticated graphical user interfaces (GUI&#39;s). A need has therefore arisen to develop and provide sophisticated user interfaces (UI&#39;s) that provide enhanced gaming and entertainment capabilities, which are also intuitive to use. 
     One common UI used in gaming and other applications is a rocker. Rockers tend to be very compact and are therefore adaptable for use with handheld devices, such as cell phones. A rocker may be depressed at any one of a number of points, such as four, five, eight, or nine points, located on the rocker. For example, a rocker with four such points, may be depressed at a selected point to indicate orthogonal directions such as up, down, left, or right. However, many applications, such as games, require much more agility in motion and pointing capability than is permitted with even as many as nine different points that may be indicated by a rocker. 
     An improvement in the agility and pointing capability of a rocker is found in a pointing device, such as a “joystick,” which may be moved in any of a virtually infinite number of different spatial directions to control the movement of an object, such as a cursor, on a screen, such as a GUI. For this reason, joysticks are often a UI of choice for many gamers. However, due to the nature of joysticks, namely, that they inherently consume a substantial amount of space, they have not been considered practical for use with handheld devices, such as cell phones. 
     Accordingly, a continuing search has been directed to the development of apparatuses and methods by which a user may obtain the advantages of compactness provided by rockers, as well as the advantages of greater agility and pointing capabilities provided by pointing devices, such as joysticks. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention, accordingly, provides for a handheld device having processor components operatively connected together for performing predetermined functions. The device defines a socket configured for rotatably receiving a ball defining an orifice configured for receiving a stylus. The socket is further configured for generating to the processor components electrical signals indicative of movement of the ball in response to movement of the stylus. The processor components include pointing device logic for responding to said signals. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a cell phone embodying features of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an elevation view of a stylus of used in conjunction with the cell phone of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  are alternate embodiments of the stylus of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the cell phone of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  are cross-sectional views of the cell phone of  FIG. 1  and alternate embodiments of the stylus, taken along the line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the cell phone of  FIG. 1  and alternate embodiments of a ball and socket, taken along the line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  are cross-sectional views of the cell phone of  FIG. 1  and alternate embodiments of a socket, taken along the line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following discussion, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known elements have been illustrated in schematic or block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. Additionally, for the most part, details concerning handheld devices (e.g., cell phones), printed wire boards, circuitry for implementing logic required for pointing devices (e.g., joysticks), and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not considered necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention, and are considered to be within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, the reference numeral  100  generally designates a handheld device, such as a cellular mobile telephone, a communicator, a multimedia phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a gaming device, or the like, or a combination thereof, embodying features of the present invention. The handheld device  100  is exemplified in  FIG. 1  as a cell phone, and includes a main body  102  having a number of conventional features, such as a key pad  104 , a graphical user interface (GUI) or display  106 , logic (not shown, for performing functions required, for example, by telecommunication and games), and the like. Handheld devices and the various aforementioned features are, for the most part, considered to be well-known in the art and will, therefore, not be discussed in further detail herein. 
     In addition to the foregoing, the handheld device  100  includes a ball  108  rotatably mounted within a socket  109  defined within the body  102 . As described in further detail below, the ball  108  defines an orifice configured for receiving an end, preferably pointed, of a stylus  110 . The ball  108  and socket  109  are preferably integrated with the body  102  using substantially conventional technology such as is associated with conventional joy sticks. It is understood that such conventional technology includes means (e.g., a spring return feature, not shown) for urging the ball  108  to a neutral position in which a stylus  110  received therein would be oriented substantially perpendicular to the face of the cell phone  100  when not being moved otherwise by a user. It is still further understood that such conventional technology also includes well-known means for detecting rotation of the ball  108  within the socket  109 , and for generating to a processor (not shown) a signal indicative of such rotation. The processor includes conventional logic for controlling the movement of an object (e.g., cursor) on the display  106  based on the received signal indicative of rotation of the ball  108 . The logic preferably emulates the logic of a relative pointing device, moving an object on the display  106  when the stylus  110  is moved, and stopping the movement when the stylus  110  is released. Alternatively, the logic may emulate the logic of an absolute pointing device, with each position of the stylus  110  mapped to a specific location on the display  106 . 
       FIG. 2  exemplifies a single piece stylus  110  with a tip  110   a  configured for insertion into the ball  108 . In alternate embodiments, the tip  110   a  may assume any of a number of shapes effective for insertion into the ball  108 , such as a blunt end or a stepped cylindrical end. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show alternate embodiments of the stylus  110 . In  FIG. 3 , a stylus  300  is similar to the stylus  110 , but is separable into a tip portion  302  with a tip end  302   a,  and an extension portion  304  to permit compact storage of the stylus  300  and/or use of the tip portion alone if desired. The tip portion  302  includes a threaded bore  306 , and the extension portion  304  includes a threaded portion  308  configured for matingly engaging the threaded bore  306  to thereby form a stylus similar to the stylus  110 . The tip portion  302  may be used in conjunction with the ball  108  without the extension portion  304 . Alternatively, the bore  306  and portion  308  may be configured mating engagement without threads. In  FIG. 4 , a stylus  400  is similar to the stylus  110 , but comprises a tip portion  402  with a tip end  402   a,  and an extension portion  404  connected together via a hinge  406  and clasp  408  to permit compact storage of the stylus  400  and/or, if desired, use of the tip portion without extending the extension portion. 
       FIG. 5  depicts a cross-sectional view of the ball  108  and socket  109 . As shown therein, the ball  108  defines an orifice  502  configured for receiving the tip  110   a  of the stylus  110 . The orifice  502  extends through the ball  108  to permit maximum insertion of the tip end  110   a  into the orifice, to thereby obtain the maximum leverage possible by a user when using the stylus  110 . 
       FIG. 6  depicts an alternate embodiment of a ball  108  and socket  109  similar to that depicted in  FIG. 5 , but with a stylus  110  having a detent  602  on the end of the tip  110   a.  The detent  602  is configured so that when the tip  110   a  is extended beyond the orifice, it snaps out to assure a user that the stylus  110  is secured in place. 
       FIG. 7  depicts an alternate embodiment of a ball  108  and socket  109  similar to that depicted in  FIG. 6 , but with a stylus  110  having a detent  602  positioned on the end of the tip  110   a  to matingly engage the interior of the orifice  502 , to thereby assure a user that the stylus  110  is secured in place. 
       FIG. 8  depicts an alternate embodiment of a ball  108  and socket  109  similar to that depicted in  FIG. 5 , but with the socket  109  extending across the bottom side (as viewed in  FIG. 8 ) of the ball  108 , and the orifice  804  extending only partially through the ball  108 , to thereby preclude the need for an opening on both sides of the cell phone  100 . 
       FIG. 9  depicts an alternate embodiment of a socket  909  positioned within a cavity  908  of the cell phone  100 , and which socket is operative without a ball. The socket  909  includes an orifice  902  which extends through the socket  909  for receiving the tip end  110   a  of the stylus  110 . The socket  909  is movably secured to the cell phone  100  via an elastomeric skirt  906  which permits movement of the socket  909  within the cavity  908 . The skirt  906  is preferably fabricated from a suitable elastomeric material, such as, by way of example and not limitation, silicon, santaprene, rubber, plastic foam, flexible plastic, and the like, effective for resiliently restoring the socket  909  substantially to an neutral position subsequent to the socket  909  being moved by a user via a stylus. 
       FIG. 10  depicts an alternate embodiment of a socket  1009  similar to the socket depicted in  FIG. 9 . Unlike the socket  909 , though, the socket  1009  defines an orifice  1002  which does not extend through the socket  1009 , to thereby preclude the need for an opening on both sides of the cell phone  100   
     In operation, a user (not shown) places a tip end  110   a,    302   a,  or  402   a  of a respective stylus  110 ,  300  or  400 , into an orifice  502 ,  804 ,  902 , or  1002 . If a stylus is used having a detent  602  or  702 , then a user will also receive tactile feedback indicating that the stylus is secured in position and ready for use. Upon movement of the stylus by the user, the motion is detected and a signal generated in a conventional manner indicating to a processor (not shown) housed by the cell phone  100  what motion the user is imparting to the stylus. The processor then causes an object on the display  106  to move according to the motion imparted to the stylus. As discussed above, the motion preferably emulates a relative pointing device, but alternatively may emulate an absolute point device. 
     By the use of the present invention, a user may obtain the advantages of compactness provided by rockers, as well as the advantages of greater agility and pointing capabilities provided by pointing devices, such as joysticks. The present invention also renders moot the need for function keys or a rocker for gaming or navigating. 
     It is understood that the present invention may take many forms and embodiments. Accordingly, several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. For example, the ball  108  and socket  109  may be configured for additional or alternative use as a trackball, a gaming rocker, or a combination thereof, in addition to use as a pointing device. In another variation, control buttons may be positioned adjacent the ball and/or socket to more strongly emulate a conventional joystick. Still further, the stylus may comprise any pointed instrument, such as a conventional pen or pencil, and the orifice  502 ,  804 ,  902 , or  1002  may be sized accordingly for receiving same. 
     Having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Many such variations and modifications may be considered obvious and desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.