Abstract:
An input apparatus and auxiliary input apparatus are described. In one embodiment, the input apparatus has an input unit and at least one supporting arm. Users hold the supporting arms with some of their fingers and operate the input units with other of their fingers. In another embodiment, the auxiliary data input apparatus utilizes an attachment device, e.g. a clip, to attach the auxiliary input apparatus to an electronic or mechanical device, e.g. a separable keyboard, to facilitate input operations. The auxiliary input apparatus has at least one supporting arm. Users hold the supporting arms with some of their fingers and operate the electronic or mechanical device with other of their fingers.

Description:
This application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application Serial No. 09011130 filed on May 10, 2001. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an input apparatus, and especially to a small size input apparatus with a supporting arm. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As electronics technologies progress, many different kinds of input devices, such as keyboards, mice, and light pens have been developed. In addition to conventional personal computers, many new electronic devices make use of one or more input devices to input or retrieve data. 
     As technology progresses, many electronic devices are continually made smaller and smaller. A typical electronic device such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), electronic translator, notebook computer, digital camera, digital recording pen, game console or the like, is typically manufactured in a size that is small enough to be portable and convenient for mobile users. The portability frequently creates problems while users perform input or output operations over the electronic device since many miniaturized input devices are difficult, inconvenient, or uncomfortable to use. Examples of space-saving input devices include light pens, mice, keyboards, drawing pads and the like. 
     An alternative to a miniaturized input apparatus involves providing an input apparatus separate from the electronic device itself. In other words, the input apparatus becomes a separable peripheral apparatus that connects to the device in operation. For example, a mobile phone or PDA frequently has a separable keyboard or other similar separable peripheral input devices. Even the input apparatus designed to be a separable component, however, is frequently too small for comfortable portable use. An auxiliary input apparatus is desired to overcome the problems mentioned above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The input apparatus of present invention includes a case, an input unit and at least one supporting arm. A user holds the arms with some of his/her fingers and performs the input operation with others of his/her fingers. The input apparatus may be a keyboard, a joystick, a drawing pad or other similar device. 
     Furthermore, various embodiments of the input device include a space for receiving the supporting arm when not in use. The receiving space may be a slot, a groove, or the like. 
     Further exemplary embodiments of the input device includes an activation device that has a resilient unit connecting to supporting arms. The activation device has a switch, such as a button or other similar actuator. When the activation device is actuated, the resilient unit drives the supporting arms to escape from the receiving spaces as appropriate. When the supporting arms are not in use, the supporting arms may be received into the receiving spaces by the activation device. 
     The input apparatus may also include a connector to transmit the inputted results to the electronic device. The electronic device can be a PDA, a digital camera, a game console, a mobile phone or other similar device. 
     Further, an auxiliary input apparatus may be attached to an electronic device by an attachment device that includes a clip or other appropriate connector. Additionally, the auxiliary input apparatus may be also attached to a mechanical apparatus, such as a keyboard, to provide an auxiliary input function. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1   a  and  FIG. 1   b  are schematic diagrams of a first exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b  are schematic diagrams of a second exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3   a ,  FIG. 3   b  and  FIG. 3   c  are schematic diagrams of third, fourth and fifth exemplary embodiments, respectively. 
         FIG. 4   a  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary auxiliary input apparatus. 
         FIG. 4   b  is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary auxiliary input apparatus attached to an electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Here, several embodiments are utilized to explain the present invention in detail. It is noted that the embodiments are only examples and should not restrict the scope of the present invention. 
     First Exemplary Embodiment 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b ,  FIG. 1   a  shows a top view of a user utilizing an exemplary input apparatus with supporting arms  12 .  FIG. 1   b  is a cross-sectional diagram showing supporting arms  12  as received within the inner space of the case  11 . The input apparatus  10  includes a case  11 , supporting arms  12 , input units  13  (e.g. buttons, keys or the like) and a switch  141 . The supporting arms  12 , the input units  13  and the switch  141  are operationally coupled to each other, and disposed on the case  11 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the supporting arms  12  are a pair of shafts disposed in the horizontal direction. The input units  13  may be implemented with push buttons, keys or the like. Switch  141  is a button or other appropriate switching element. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1   a , the supporting arms  12  are in a spread-out position while the user is utilizing input apparatus  10 . The user puts his/her forefinger on one side of the supporting arms  12 , and his/her middle and little fingers on the other side of the supporting arms  12 . In this manner, the user holds the supporting arms  12  from both sides with his/her forefinger, middle, and little fingers to operate input units  13  with his/her thumbs, as appropriate. Due to the support function of supporting arms  12  during input operations, the invention provides easy access for data entry and other operations of the device. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1   b , case  11  suitably includes a receiving space  111 . An activation device for spreading out the supporting arms  12  suitably includes a switch  141 , a resilient unit  142 , a shaft  143 , and a lever  144 . The activation device is disposed in the case  11 , as appropriate. The resilient unit  142  drives the supporting arm  12  to escape from the receiving space  111  when activation device  141  is actuated. One end of the resilient unit  142  is connected to one end of the supporting arms  12 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, receiving space  111  includes a slot, resilient unit  142  is a spring, and case  11  has an opening for allowing movements of the supporting arms  12 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1   b , when input apparatus  10  is not in use, the supporting arms  12  may be received in the receiving space  111  as appropriate to conserve space. 
     An exemplary automatic spread-out function of supporting arms  12  is disclosed in  FIG. 1   b . In the receiving state, supporting arm  12  receives a bias force from resilient unit  142 . This force is biased, as appropriate, by lever  144  which blocks the supporting arm  12  to keep it in the receiving space  111 . When the switch  141  is actuated, switch  141  pushes one end of the lever  144  to rotate lever  144  about shaft  143 . As lever  144  moves from its original position, supporting arm  12  is no longer blocked. As a result, supporting arms  12 , which bear the forces from resilient units  142 , spread out as shown in  FIG. 1   a.    
     The activation device as shown in  FIG. 1   b , may be further modified to automatically drive supporting arms  12  into the receiving spaces  111 . In such embodiments, while the supporting arms  12  are spread out, they respectively bear a pulling force from resilient units  142 . However, the lever  144  suitably blocks the supporting arm  12  to maintain the spread-out configuration. When switch  141  is actuated, switch  141  pushes one end of lever  144 , to rotate lever  144  about the shaft  143 . Hence the levers  144  leave the blocking position, and the pulling force of resilient unit  142  drives supporting arms  12  into the receiving space  111 . 
     Input apparatus  10  may be connected to any sort of electronic device, such as a PDA, a mobile phone, a game console, an interactive television, a notebook computer, a palm computer, a digital camera, or any other device through any wired or wireless technique. For example, input apparatus  10  can be a keyboard coupled to a PDA (not shown in  FIGS. 1   a–b ), and the input result is transferred to the PDA via a connector (not shown in  FIGS. 1   a–b ). With this embodiment, even a small input apparatus can be easily held by users&#39; hands. The user can therefore easily operate the input apparatus with his/her fingers to input data into the device as appropriate, thus making the portable electronic device more convenient to operate. 
     Second Exemplary Embodiment 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b , which show an input apparatus  20  in receiving and spread-out configurations, respectively. The input apparatus  20  includes a case  21  and supporting arms  22 . The case  21  has receiving spaces  23  for storing the supporting arms  22 , as appropriate. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2   a , while the supporting arms  22  are not in use, they may be received in receiving space  23 . In the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, the receiving spaces  23  are slots. The shape of the receiving spaces  23  is an exposed slot as shown in  FIG. 2   a , or any other shape as appropriate. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 2   b , supporting arms  22  are spread out to assist the user in operation of a device. The user holds the supporting arms  22 , with some of his/her fingers and practices an input operation with others fingers, as appropriate. The configurations of the supporting arms  22  can be changed manually or automatically by the activation devices shown in the first embodiment above. 
     Supporting arms  22  may be connected to case  21  using a hinge, pivot or other connector. In addition, the supporting arms  22  may connect to the case  21  using latches to maintain the spread-out configuration when supporting arms  22  are used, and detached from the case  21  by releasing the latches when the supporting arms  22  are not used. 
     Third Exemplary Embodiment 
     With reference to  FIG. 3   a , an input apparatus  31  is connected to an electronic device  33  via a connector  32 . In the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, the electronic device  33  is a PDA, connector  32  is a socket such as an RS/232 or USB interface, and input apparatus  31  is a keyboard, as appropriate. The data inputted from the input apparatus  32  is suitably transferred to electronic device  33  via connector  32 , which appropriately interferes with a corresponding connector on device  33 . 
     Fourth Exemplary Embodiment 
     With reference now to  FIG. 3   b , an input apparatus  34  is connected to an electronic device  36  via a connector  35 . In the embodiment shown in the figure, the electronic device  36  is a mobile phone and input apparatus  34  is a joystick. 
     Fifth Exemplary Embodiment 
     With reference now to  FIG. 3   c , an input apparatus  37  is appropriately integrated with an electronic device  38 . The input apparatus  37  and the electronic device  38  are suitably integrated into the same case with supporting arms  371  assisting the input operation. In this embodiment, the electronic device  38  is a mobile phone or other portable device. Input units  372  of input apparatus  37  may be buttons or other controls on device  372 . 
     Sixth Exemplary Embodiment 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , an auxiliary input apparatus  40  suitably includes an attachment device  41  and supporting arms  42 . In this exemplary embodiment, the attachment device  41  includes a clip  43 . The clip  43  can be substituted or augmented with any connector having an attaching function, such as a screw, latch, slot or the like. 
     Similar to the first embodiment, attachment device  41  has a receiving space and an activation device for receiving or ejecting supporting arms  42 , respectively. In order to make the description concise, the function of the supporting arms  42  is not repeated here. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 4   b , auxiliary input apparatus  40  is appropriately attached to electronic device  44  via attachment device  41 . The auxiliary input apparatus  40  provides an auxiliary supporting function during data input operation. The electronic device  44  may be a PDA, a mobile phone, a palm computer, or the like. According to similar purposes, the auxiliary input apparatus  40  may be attached to a mechanical device, such as a keyboard for assisting data input. 
     It should be appreciated that the present invention has many equivalent embodiments and applications. The input and auxiliary input apparatus of the invention can be integrated or attached with any electronic or mechanical devices, for example, to provide auxiliary input. 
     While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, these descriptions are not intended to be constructed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrative embodiment, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to these descriptions. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention.