Patent Publication Number: US-2005130604-A1

Title: Electronic device having a physical configuration that is dependent upon its operational status

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      Embodiments of the invention relate to an electronic device that has a physical configuration that is dependent upon its operational status.  
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION  
      Portable electronic devices currently use a variety of different mechanisms to provide information to a user. The mechanism used may depend upon circumstances. If immediate user action is required an audio alert or a vibration alert are suitable. The display of visual information is suitable when immediate user action is not required, for example, to indicate status information such as the operation mode of the device or whether there is unread mail in an Inbox.  
      The above-described current mechanisms are not practical in all circumstances or not socially acceptable. For example, audio feedback can disturb a user&#39;s neighbours, a vibration alert is unsuitable for extended periods of activation because it consumes large amounts of power and the display of visual information is not always visible in very bright or dark conditions. Furthermore in some societies it may be considered rude to look at an electronic device, while in conversation with another person as it may suggest boredom.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      According to one embodiment of the invention there is provided an electronic device, having an exterior surface, the electronic device comprising: 
      an actuator for providing, when enabled, a first texture at a first portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device and for providing, when disabled, a second texture at the first portion of exterior surface of the electronic device; a user interface for changing the status of the electronic device from a first status to a second status; and a processor operable to enable the actuator during the first status and disable the actuator during the second status.    

      According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a user-replaceable cover for an electronic device, the cover comprising: an exterior surface; means for providing, when enabled, a first texture at a first portion of the exterior surface; and an interface for forming an electrical connection with the electronic device.  
      According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of controlling an electronic device comprising: providing a first configuration of a surface area of the electronic device; receiving user input to change the operational status of the device; and providing a second configuration of the surface area of the electronic device instead of the first configuration.  
      Embodiments of the invention therefore provide an electronic device that has a physical configuration that is dependent upon its operational status.  
      Embodiments of the invention therefore allow feedback to be given to the user in a silent manner without the user having to look at the phone.  
      Texture includes changing the surface shape, in particular changing surface shape by creating and removing projections on the surface of the device 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      For a better understanding of the present invention reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a portable electronic device comprising at least one actuator;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of an actuator mechanism that uses a polymer sheet;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates an alternative embodiment of an actuator mechanism that uses plural polymer sheets;  
       FIG. 4  illustrates an alternative embodiment of an actuator mechanism that uses cam wheels and a stepper motor;  
       FIGS. 5A and 5B . illustrate an implementation in which the electronic device is a headset accessory for a mobile cellular telephone; and  
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate an implementation in which the electronic device is a mobile cellular telephone. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a portable electronic device  10  that has a body  11  with an exterior surface  12 . The portable electronic device  10  comprises at least one actuator mechanism  20 , a user interface  16  and a processor  18 . The processor  18  is connected to receive commands from the user interface  16  and is connected to control the actuator mechanism  20 .  
      Only as many components are described as are necessary to explain the implementation of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention may comprise additional components or alternative, functionally equivalent components.  
      The actuator mechanism  20  comprises a control device  24  and an actuator  26 . The control device  24  may be a switch that is controlled by the processor  18  to connect a power supply  22  to the actuator  26 .  
      The processor  18  is operable to control the status of the electronic device  10 .  
      When the device has a first status, the processor  18  operates to close the switch  24  and enable the actuator  26 . When the device has a second status, the processor  18  operates to open the switch  24  and disable the actuator  26 .  
      The first and second status may be operational modes of the electronic device. In some embodiments, immediate user attention is not necessary when the electronic device has the first status.  
      The exterior surface  12  has a first portion  14 , the texture of which is controlled by the actuator  26 . Typically the actuator  26  comprises extendible projections, which are extended when the actuator is enabled and retracted when the actuator is disabled.  
      When the actuator  26  is enabled the first portion  14  has a texture that is rough or bumpy to the touch. When the actuator  26  is disabled the first portion  14  has a texture that feels relatively smooth to the touch.  
      Thus a rough or bumpy texture is continuously provided at the first portion  14  of the exterior surface  12  while the electronic device has the first status and a smooth texture is continuously provided at the first portion  14  of the exterior surface  12  while the electronic device has the second status.  
      In this example, the user interface  16  allows a user to control the processor  18  to change the status of the electronic device  10  from a first status to a second status. The user interface  16  may be the only means of changing from the first status to the second status. The user interface  16  may also allow a user to control the processor  18  to change the status of the electronic device  10  from the second status to the first status. The user interface  16  may be the only means of changing from the second status to the first status.  
      One embodiment of the actuator mechanism is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The actuator  26  comprises a sheet of polymer material  30  positioned between a first outer electrode  32  and a second inner electrode  34 . The sheet of polymer material  30  is ‘sandwiched’ between the first outer electrode  32  and second inner electrode  34 .  
      The outer electrode  32  is discontinuous, in this example having a regular 3×3 array of circular apertures  36 .  
      The application of a high voltage across the first outer electrode  32  and the second inner electrode, when the switch  24  is closed by the processor  18 , enables the actuator  26  and results in a deformation of the polymer sheet  30 . The outer electrode is itself rigid or reinforced by a rigid support, so that the deformed polymer extends through the apertures  36  to form bump projections. The collection of bump projections forms a rough surface. When the switch  24  is opened by the processor  18 , the actuator is disabled and the resilient polymer sheet is no longer deformed and no longer projects significantly through the apertures  36 .  
      The power and direction of the deformation of the polymer sheet depend upon the polymer material used in the polymer sheet. If a transparent polymer sheet is required gel of acryl or polyurethane may be used. The power consumption of an enabled actuator of size 1 cm 2 ×0.02 cm is less than 1 mW and the applied voltage may be of the order of 500V.  
      An alternative embodiment of the actuator mechanism  12  is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The actuator mechanism  12  comprises a plurality of actuators  26  and a control device  24 . Each actuator  26  comprises a sheet of polymer material  30  positioned between its own associated first outer electrode  32  and a common shared second inner electrode  34 . Thus each sheet of polymer material  30  is ‘sandwiched’ between a different first outer electrode  32  and the common second inner electrode  34 . Each outer electrode  32  is discontinuous, in this example having a single circular aperture  36 .  
      Although, in this example, each actuator has its own polymer sheet, in other embodiments, the actuators may use a common polymer sheet.  
      The control device  24  comprises a plurality of switches, each of which is used to selectively connect one of the outer electrodes  32  to the power supply  22 . Each of the switches is independently controlled by the processor  18 .  
      The processor  18  is operable to selectively close any one or more of the plurality of switches in the control device  24  and thereby selectively enable any one or more of the actuators  26 . The application of a high voltage across the first outer electrode  32  and the second inner electrode, when the switch is closed, enables the actuator  26  and results in a deformation of the polymer sheet  30 . The outer electrode is itself rigid or reinforced by a rigid support, so that the deformed polymer extends through the aperture  36  to form a bump projection.  
      The constituent components of an actuator  26  include a sheet of polymer material, A discontinuous rigid outer electrode  32  and a rigid inner second electrode  34 . The rigidity of the electrodes ensures that the polymer extends through the outer electrodes discontinuities when the actuator  26  is enabled.  
      The discontinuous rigid outer electrode may be formed using the rigid body  11  of the electronic device  10 . The interior surface of the body corresponding to the first portion  14  of the exterior surface  12  of the body  11  is coated with electrically conductive material to for the discontinuous outer electrode. The combination of the rigid body and the conductive material provides a rigid electrode and aperture(s) in the body provide the discontinuities.  
      The rigid inner electrode may be formed from a rigid substrate and an overlying electrically conductive material.  
      The polymer sheet  30  may additionally have electrically conductive material on its upper and lower surfaces to help the formation of a galvanic connection with the respective outer electrode  32  and inner electrode  34 .  
      Another alternative embodiment of the actuator mechanism  12  is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The actuator mechanism comprises a upper sheet  40  at the first portion  14  of the exterior surface  12 , a lower sheer  42 , cam wheels  44 , a shaft  46  and a stepper motor  48 .  
      The lower sheet  42  has an upper surface with a plurality of rigid upwardly extending projections  43  on it. The lower sheet  42  is separated from the upper sheet  40 . The lower sheet  42  is, however, upwardly movable so that it contacts the upper sheet  40 . When the lower sheet  42  is forced upwards its projections  43  deform the upper sheet  40  and form projections on the first portion  14  of the exterior surface  12 .  
      The cam wheels  44  are mounted on the shaft  46  which is rotated between a first position and a second position. In the first position the cam wheels force the lower sheet  42  upwards such that projections are formed on the first portion  14  of the exterior surface  12 . In the second position, the cam wheels  44  do not force the lower sheet  42  upwards against the upper sheet  40 . As the cam wheels  44  rotate away from the first position, a resilient bias between the lower sheet  42  and the upper sheet  40  separates the sheets and the projections are removed from the first portion  14  of the exterior surface  12 .  
      In one implementation. the electronic device  10  is an accessory for a mobile cellular telephone, such as a headset  100  as illustrated in  FIGS. 5A and 5B . The headset  100  is operational when it has the first status and is non-operational when it has the second status. The headset  100  presents a rough textured surface on its exterior surface  12  at the first portion  14  when the headset is switched on ( FIG. 5A ) and presents a smooth surface when it is switched off ( FIG. 5B ). A user is able to determine whether the headset is operational by touching the headset  100  while it is being worn. The size of the first portion  14  is such that it allows easy location without looking, but not too big to reduce power consumption. The location of the first portion  14  may be indicated by a permanent tactile indicator on the surface of the body  11 .  
      In another implementation, the electronic device  10  is a mobile cellular telephone  110  as illustrated in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . The mobile cellular telephone  110  presents a rough textured surface on a first portion  14  of its back cover surface when the mobile telephone is in a mute mode and presents a smooth surface when the telephone is not in a mute mode. A mute mode is a mode in which incoming communications such as a telephone call or text message are not audibly alerted. When the mobile telephone is not in a mute mode incoming communications such as a telephone call or text message are audibly alerted. A user is able to determine whether the mobile cellular telephone is muted by touching the back cover of the telephone. Thus a phone in a handbag can be felt to confirm it is in a ‘silent’ mode which may be useful when the user is in a dark cinema. The size of the first portion  14  is such that it allows easy location without looking, but not too big to reduce power consumption. The location of the first portion may be indicated by a permanent tactile indicator on the surface of the back cover.  
      In another implementation, the electronic device  10  is a mobile cellular telephone. The mobile cellular telephone presents a rough textured surface on both of its lateral sides when the mobile telephone is being used for gaming. That is when a user is playing an electronic game using the mobile telephone. The rough textured surface provides grip for the user while game playing. The size and configuration of the first portion is such that it allows good grip, but not too big to avoid excessive power consumption.  
      The actuators  26  described in the preceding paragraphs may be integrated into user-replaceable covers for the electronic device  10 . The cover provides the first portion  14  of the exterior surface  14  of the body  11  of the electronic device  10 . The cover will have an interface for forming an electrical connection with the control device  22  housed in the electronic device  10 .  
      The operation of the electronic device may be user configurable. The electronic device may have a plurality of actuators  26  on different surfaces of the device and the user may program the device so that the information conveyed by a rough texture on a particular surface is chosen by the user. Although the first portion  14  in the above described embodiments is directly accessible to a user, it possible to have the first portion indirectly accessible. That is accessible behind a user movable screen.  
      Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. For example although the textured surface has been described as rough or bumpy, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments of the invention other changes to the surface configuration of the device are made that can be discriminated by human touch.