Patent Publication Number: US-8110758-B2

Title: Mode dial mechanism and electronic device having the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a mode dial mechanism and an electronic device having the same and, specifically, to an operation mode dial mechanism applied to and required by an electronic device with a plurality of functions. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An electronic device having a mode dial mechanism (e.g. a digital camera) has been available in the prior arts. A user can select the required function (e.g. a photo mode, a video mode, and a play mode) by rotating a rotary member. 
     In the prior arts, most mode dial mechanisms of electronic devices use a spring plate on the rotary member for contacting a plurality of electrical contact switches respectively in corresponding positions on a circuit board (e.g. ROC Patent No. 584,357). Each electrical contact switch has a corresponding function. Multiple modes of operation can be activated by contact between the spring plate and one of the electrical contact switches. Therefore, the number of the multiple operation modes has to equal the number of electrical contact switches. For example, when there are eight operation modes, the circuit board under the rotary member needs to have eight electrical contact switches. 
     However, when there are more required operation modes using a mode dial mechanism (such as 16 operation modes), more electrical contact switches need to be disposed within the same area under the rotary member. This results in a need for smaller electrical contact switches, which increases the manufacturing costs of the components greatly and also increases the degree of difficulty in assembly. 
     In addition, there are gaps between the electrical contact switches. When the user incautiously turns the spring plate of the rotary member to the gap between adjacent electrical contact switches, the spring plate does not contact any electrical contact switch. The electronic device, as a result, cannot determine the operation mode selected by the user, so the electronic device can not work properly. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a mode dial mechanism and an electronic device having the same to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a mode dial mechanism used for an electronic device for the switch between operation modes and an electronic device having the mode dial mechanism. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a mode dial mechanism and an electronic device having a mode dial mechanism which simplifies the required mechanism for the electronic device to switch between operation modes. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a mode dial mechanism and an electronic device having the mode dial mechanism which simplifies the process of installing the mode dial mechanism in the electronic device. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a mode dial mechanism and an electronic device having the mode dial mechanism which reduces the failure rate of the switch between operation modes of the electronic device. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention discloses a mode dial mechanism of an electronic device, used for an electronic device, comprising a rotary member and a pressure detection module. The rotary member comprises a main body with a bottom, a shaft portion connecting the main body and the electronic device, and a contact portion located at the bottom of the main body with an inclined surface. The pressure detection module is electrically coupled to the electronic device and located under the rotary member. The pressure detection module comprises a button portion which is movable vertically. The button portion contacts the contact portion. When the rotary member is rotated, the contact portion pushes the button portion of the pressure detection module, and the pressure detection module outputs a signal according to a moving distance of the button portion. 
     The present invention also discloses an electronic device having a plurality of operation modes includes a rotary member comprising a main body with a bottom, a shaft portion connecting the main body and the electronic device, and a contact portion located at the bottom of the main body with an inclined surface. A pressure detection module is electrically coupled to the electronic device and located under the rotary member. The pressure detection module includes a button portion which is movable vertically, with the button portion contacting the contact portion. When the rotary member is rotated, the contact portion pushes the button portion of the pressure detection module, and the pressure detection module outputs signals respectively corresponding to each operation mode according to a moving distance of the button portion. A central processing unit is electrically coupled to the pressure detection module and executes the corresponding operation modes according to signals output from the pressure detection module. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure detection module includes a containment casing having its outside top surface close to the bottom surface of the contact portion and having a hole. An action element includes a slab with a side removably received in the containment casing. The aforementioned button portion, which is located on the top surface of the slab, passes through the hole and touches the bottom surface of the contact portion. An elastic electric member includes a fringe rod disposed around the lateral surface of the slab and a rebounding portion formed by bending the end of the fringe rod and which touches the inside bottom surface of the containment casing. A resistance member is disposed within a side of the containment casing and touching the fringe rod of the elastic electric member. When the button portion is pressed, which causes the slab to descend, the contact position between the fringe rod and the resistance member differs such that a corresponding resistance value is generated. A conductive member is disposed within a side of the containment casing different from the side on which the resistance member is located and touching the fringe rod of the elastic electric member. 
     Compared with the prior art electronic devices that need to have a plurality of electrical contacts on their circuit board for mode dials, the mode dial mechanism and electronic device having the same of the present invention uses a pressure detection module together with the bottom inclined plane of the rotary member of a simple structure to perform the mode switch. Its overall structure is simpler than that in the prior arts. 
     In addition, in the prior arts, a plurality of electrical contacts needs to be located on the circuit board, and a conductive slice linking up with the rotary member needs to be set. This results in a complex process. However, the mode dial mechanism and electronic device having the same of the present invention simply needs to have a pressure detection module connected to the electronic device, two conductive legs electrically coupled to the electronic device, and the rotary member located on and connected to the electronic device including the pressure detection module with a shaft. Its process is simpler than that in the prior arts. 
     Moreover, in the prior arts, when the operation-mode switch of the electronic device is performed, a conductive slice sometimes cannot precisely contact electrical contacts on the circuit board, thus resulting in a malfunction. However, the mode dial mechanism and electronic device having the same of the present invention determine the output resistance value according to the contact position between the elastic electric member of the pressure detection module and the metal board of the resistance member and then determine the switch between operation modes according to the resistance value. Therefore, its failure rate is reduced greatly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing of the configuration of an electronic device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  and  FIG. 2A  are schematic drawings of a mode dial mechanism in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  are exploded views of a pressure detection module of the mode dial mechanism of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  are schematic drawings of the operation of the pressure detection module. 
         FIG. 7  and  FIG. 7A  are schematic drawings of the mode dial mechanism in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The advantages and innovative features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 , a schematic drawing of the configuration of an electronic device of the present invention. The electronic device  1  can be, for example, a digital camera. Its casing can have a rotary member  10 , a pressure detection module  13 , and a shutter button  11  on the surface. Also, there can be a central processing unit  15  inside and electrically coupled to the pressure detection module  13 . When the rotary member  10  is rotated, the pressure detection module  13  is driven to output different electrical signals to the central processing unit  15 . The central processing unit identifies the different electrical signals and then executes a plurality of operation modes  14 . The operation modes  14  can comprise a photo mode, a video mode, a play mode, a macro mode, an audio mode, and/or a moving mode, etc. When the selected operation mode  14  is a photo/video related mode, a user can capture an image by pushing the shutter button  11 . Besides the digital camera of this embodiment, the electronic device  1  can also be other electronic devices with a photographing function, such as a mobile phone or a PDA. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 2A , which illustrate a first embodiment of a mode dial mechanism of the present invention. The mode dial mechanism mainly comprises the above-mentioned rotary member  10  and the pressure detection module  13 . The rotary member  10  comprises a main body  101  with a bottom, a shaft portion  103  connecting the main body  101  with the electronic device  1 , and a contact portion  102  located at the bottom of the main body  101  and having an annular incline on the bottom surface. The pressure detection module  13  is electrically coupled to the electronic device  1  and located under the rotary member  10 . The pressure detection module  13  comprises a button portion  133   b  which is movable vertically. The button portion  133   b  contacts the contact portion  102 . When the rotary member  10  is rotated, the contact portion  102  pushes the button portion  133   b  of the pressure detection module  13 , and the pressure detection module  13  outputs a signal according to a moving distance of the button portion  133   b . Since the contact portion  102  has an annular incline on the bottom surface, when the plane of the contact portion  102  that contacts the button portion  133   b  is higher, the linear deformation caused by pressure of the button portion  133   b  is smaller (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). When the plane of the contact portion  102  that contacts the button portion  133   b  is lower, the linear deformation caused by pressure on the button portion  133   b  is greater (as shown in  FIG. 2A ). 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . The pressure detection module  13  mentioned above comprises a containment casing  130 . The outside top surface of the containment casing  130  is close to the bottom surface of the contact portion  102  and has a hole  131 . In addition, the containment casing  130  has a shaft holder  132  formed on each of the two corresponding sides. 
     The pressure detection module  13  further comprises an action element  133 . The action element  133  comprises a slab  133   a  removably received in the casing and a shaft  133   d  on a side. The shaft  133   d  pivots the shaft holder  132  of the containment casing  130 . The aforementioned button portion  133   b  is located on the top surface of the slab  133   a , passes through the hole  131 , and touches the bottom surface of the contact portion  102 . Additionally, in this embodiment, three lateral surfaces of the slab  133   a  of the action element  133  have a groove  133   c.    
     The pressure detection module  13  further comprises an elastic electric member  134 . The elastic electric member  134  comprises a fringe rod  134   a  disposed in the groove  133   c  of the action element  133  and a rebounding portion  134   b  formed by bending the end of the fringe rod  134   a  and which touches the inside bottom surface of the containment casing  130 . 
     The pressure detection module  13  further comprises a resistance member  135  disposed within a side of the containment casing  130 . The resistance member  135  comprises a metal board  1351  nestling up to the inside surface of the containment casing  130  at an angle and a conductive leg  1352  formed by bending the end of the metal board  1351  and which passes through the holding casing  130 . The metal board  1351  contacts the fringe rod  134   a  of the elastic electric member  134 . When the button portion  133   b  is pressed, which causes the slab  133   a  to descend, the contact position between the fringe rod  134   a  and the metal board  1351  differs such that a corresponding resistance value is generated. The purpose of the oblique metal board  1351  is to increase the length of the metal board  1351  to increase the range in which the elastic electric member  134  can move along the metal board  1351 , which can reduce the occurrence of errors in the resistance value. The conductive leg  1352  is electrically coupled to the inside of the electronic device  1 . 
     The pressure detection module  13  further comprises a conductive member  136  disposed within a side of the containment casing  130  different from the side on which the resistance member  135  is located. The conductive member  136  comprises a metal board  136   a  nestling up to the inside surface of the containment casing  130  perpendicularly and another conductive leg  136   b  formed by bending the end of the metal board  136   a  and that passes through the containment casing  130 . The metal board  136   a  contacts the fringe rod  134   a  of the elastic electric member  134 . The conductive leg  136   b  is electrically coupled to the inside of the electronic device  1 . Together with the aforementioned conductive leg  1352  of the resistance member  135 , a closed circuit can be formed to output signals of the resistance to the electronic device  1 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5 , a schematic drawing of the pressure detection module  13  when the linear deformation caused by pressure of the button portion  133   b  is smaller. When the linear deformation caused by pressure of the button portion  133   b  is smaller, which indicates that the plane of the contact portion  102  of the aforementioned rotary member  10  that contacts the button portion  133   b  is higher, the fringe rod  134   a  of the elastic electric member  134  contacts the upper portion of the metal board  1351  of the resistance member  135 . This causes electrical signals to flow through a longer path along the metal board  1351 , thereby generating a larger resistance value. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6 , a schematic drawing of the pressure detection module  13  when the linear deformation caused by pressure of the button portion  133   b  is greater. When the linear deformation caused by pressure of the button portion  133   b  is greater, which indicates that the plane of the contact portion  102  of the aforementioned rotary member  10  that contacts the button portion  133   b  is lower, the fringe rod  134   a  of the elastic electric member  134  contacts the lower portion of the metal board  1351  of the resistance member  135 . This causes electrical signals to flow through a shorter path along the metal board  1351 , thereby generating a smaller resistance value. 
     Therefore, as long as the difference in resistance values of the button portion  133   b  of the pressure detection module  13  between the greater and the smaller linear deformations by pressure is obtained, the difference is then divided into certain levels, and the number of the operation modes for switching of the rotary member  10  can be determined. For example, let the resistance value of the button portion  133   b  be 100 with greater linear deformation by pressure, and let it be 0 with smaller linear deformation by pressure. Divide all those values between 0 and 100 into 10 levels, and there will be 10 operation modes for switching. However, the number of the levels should depend on the actual requirement. 
     In addition, a step mechanism can be set between the shaft portion  103  of the rotary member  10  and the electronic device  1  (not shown in the figures). Its purpose is to allow the user to confirm the switch between operation modes by sensing the shift in sections caused by the rotation of the rotary member  10 . 
     Next, please refer to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 7A , schematic drawings of the mode dial mechanism in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The mode dial mechanism of this embodiment comprises a resistance member  135   a  and a rotary member  10   a . The rotary member  10   a  comprises a contact portion  102   a . The resistance member  135   a  contacts the contact portion  102   a . When the rotary member  10   a  is rotated, the contact portion  102   a  can move in an arc locus. In this embodiment, the contact portion  102   a  is a conductive slice, which has a contact  102   b  at its end electrically coupled to the electronic device  1  for transmitting signals. The resistance member  135   a  is a C-shaped metal member, and the C-shaped metal member has a contact  135   b  at one end electrically coupled to the electronic device  1  for transmitting signals. 
     When the rotary member  10   a  is turned to the position shown in  FIG. 7 , electrical signals flow through a longer path along the resistance member  135   a  (from the contact  135   b  to the contact  102   b ), thereby generating a larger resistance value. 
     When the rotary member  10   a  is rotated counterclockwise from the position shown in  FIG. 7 , the contact position between the contact portion  102   a  and the resistance member  135   a  differs. When the rotary member  10   a  is turned to the position shown in  FIG. 7A , electrical signals flow through a shorter path along the resistance member  135   a  (from the contact  135   b  to the contact  102   b ), thereby generating a smaller resistance value. 
     Therefore, as long as the numerical relation between positions in which the rotary member  10   a  is turned to and the corresponding resistance values is obtained, the number of the operation modes for switching of the rotary member  10   a  can be determined. 
     Unlike the prior art electronic devices, which need to have a plurality of electrical contacts on their circuit board for mode dials, the mode dial mechanism and electronic device having the same of the present invention use a pressure detection module together with the bottom inclined plane of the rotary member of a simple structure to perform the mode switch. Its overall structure is simpler than that in the prior arts. 
     Furthermore, in the prior arts, a plurality of electrical contacts need to be located on the circuit board, and a conductive slice linking up with the rotary member needs to be set. This results in a complex process. However, the mode dial mechanism and electronic device having the same of the present invention simply need to have a pressure detection module connected to the electronic device, two conductive legs electrically coupled to the electronic device, and the rotary member located on and connected to the electronic device including the pressure detection module with a shaft. Its process is simpler than that in the prior arts. 
     Moreover, in the prior arts, when the operation-mode switch of the electronic device is moved, a conductive slice sometimes cannot precisely contact electrical contacts on the circuit board, thus resulting in a malfunction. However, the mode dial mechanism and electronic device having the same of the present invention determine the output resistance value according to the contact position between the elastic electric member of the pressure detection module and the metal board of the resistance member and then determines the switch between operation modes according to the resistance value. Therefore, its failure rate is reduced greatly. 
     It is noted that the above-mentioned embodiments are only for illustration. It is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.