Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6965782?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2014-08-31 03:42:22
Document Index: 640342577

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 19', 'art 30', 'art 30', 'art 54', 'art 62', 'art 102']

Patent US6965782 - Navigation key for a handset - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA telephone handset comprises a front surface with a display and a keypad. The keypad includes a group of keys for entering alphanumeric signs and a key for navigating a cursor in the display. The navigation key is placed in the front surface of the phone between the display and the group of alphanumeric...http://www.google.com/patents/US6965782?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6965782 - Navigation key for a handsetAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6965782 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/543,831Publication dateNov 15, 2005Filing dateApr 5, 2000Priority dateSep 4, 1997Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN1190983C, CN1227997A, CN1516425A, CN100444601C, EP0901262A2, EP0901262A3, EP0901262B1, EP0901262B8, EP2282490A2, EP2282490A3, EP2282490B1, US6097964Publication number09543831, 543831, US 6965782 B1, US 6965782B1, US-B1-6965782, US6965782 B1, US6965782B1InventorsFrank Nuovo, Morten Rolighed Christenen, Sten Carlsen, Christian KraftOriginal AssigneeNokia Mobile Phones Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (39), Non-Patent Citations (6), Referenced by (7), Classifications (33), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetNavigation key for a handsetUS 6965782 B1Abstract A telephone handset comprises a front surface with a display and a keypad. The keypad includes a group of keys for entering alphanumeric signs and a key for navigating a cursor in the display. The navigation key is placed in the front surface of the phone between the display and the group of alphanumeric keys, and it includes a roller body which extends partly though an opening in the front surface of the phone. The roller body is essentially cylindrical with a length and diameter of the same size as the width of the keys in said group of keys for entering alphanumeric signs.
4. A telephone handset according to claim 1, wherein the length of said navigation key is of the order of 6�14 mm, and the maximum diameter of the roller body is of the order of 6�12 mm.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional of application(s) No. 08/923,686, filed on Sep. 4, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,964, from which priority is claimed and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a new and improved user interface (UI) for a telephone handset. The UI of hand portable phones for cellular or cordless systems does not just support the call handling alone. In the recent generations of hand portable phones more and more new applications have been integrated in the phones. One of the latest applications is web browsers, e.g. the one offered by Unwired Planet.
However, a thumb wheel has now been implemented in a small portable phone, and this is described in EP 679003 A. This thumb wheel is placed in the upper left corner of the phone. The wheel is quite small, but the diameter still prohibits a more user-friendly positioning. In general, the user wants to operate the phone by using only one hand, but the position of the thumb wheel forces the user to use a two-hand grip�the right thumb for operating the keys on the front cover and the left thumb for operating the thumb wheel. This means that the user is not able to make a call from the phone book when he is carrying a bag or just writing with the other hand. Left-handed users are compelled to use a right-handed grip.
The navigation key is very small according to the preferred embodiment, i.e. the length of said navigation key is of the order of 6�14 mm, and the maximum diameter of the roller body is of the order of 6�12 mm, thereby allowing the navigation key to be placed between the front cover of the phone and the main printed circuit board.
The carrier furthermore carries an encoder means aligned with the roller body for detecting the rotation of said body and for providing a first control signal in dependence thereon. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention the encoder means interacts with an electrical readable pattern provided on one end face of the roller body�actually the end face is protected by a surrounding collar partly protecting the engagement between the sliding shoe of the encoder and the electrical areas in said pattern.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a hand portable phone having a having a navigation key according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a phone according to the invention, and it will be seen that the phone, which is generally designated by 1, comprises a user interface having a keypad 2, a display 3, an on/off button 4, an earpiece 5, and a microphone 6. The phone 1 according to the preferred embodiment is adapted for communication via a cellular network, but could have been designed for a cordless network as well. The keypad 2 has a first group 7 of keys as alphanumeric keys, by means of which the user can enter a telephone number, write a text message (SMS), write a name (associated with the phone number), etc. Each of the twelve alphanumeric keys 7 is provided with a figure �0�9� or a sign �#� and �1�, respectively. In alpha mode each key is associated with a number of letters and special signs used in the text editing.
FIG. 2 schematically shows the most important parts of a preferred embodiment of a portable phone, said parts being essential to the understanding of the invention. The preferred embodiment of the phone of the invention is adapted for use in connection with the GSM network, but, of course, the invention may also be applied in connection with other phone networks, such as cellular networks and various forms of cordless phone systems. The microphone 6 records the user's speech, and the analog signals formed thereby are A/D converted in an A/D converter 15 before the speech is encoded in an audio codec unit 14. The encoded speech signal is transferred to a physical layer processor 17, which e.g. supports the GSM terminal software. The processor 17 also forms the interface to the peripheral units of the apparatus, including the memories (RAM, ROM), the display 3 and the keypad 2 (as well as SIM, data, power supply, etc.). The processor 17 communicates with the RF part 19 via a baseband converter 18 and a channel equalizer 16. The audio codec unit 14 speech-decodes the signal, which is transferred from the processor 17 to the earpiece 5 via a D/A converter 13. The units 13�18 are usually integrated in a chip set�either a commercially available one or in a set of specially designed chips (ASIC's).
A spring 26 is provided as a biasing means for urging the carrier 23 away from the printed circuit board 25 towards the front cover 21 of the phone. The front cover 21 is provided with two stop legs 32 which cooperate with an upper surface of the part 30 of the carrier facing away from the hinge 28,34. The lower surface of carrier part 30 is adapted for cooperation with a micro switch 33. The distance between the contact faces on the micro switch 33 and the stop legs 32 is slightly greater (preferably about 0.5 mm compared with the full width of the structure which is about 15�20 mm) than the thickness of the corresponding carrier part. The coil 26 urges the carrier 23 towards the stop legs 32. When the user depresses the roller with a force greater than the coil force (e.g. 3 N corresponding to appox. 300 g), the carrier will be urged against the micro switch 33 giving an output signal in dependence thereon. The micro switch 33 acts as a detection means for detecting the force counteracting the biasing force provided by the coil 26.
The preferred embodiment of the navigation key structure according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 3�5. FIG. 5 shows the individual parts of the navigation key structure. The main body of the carrier 23 is provided as an integral body by injection molding and comprises a plate-shaped end part with a central bore 38 as a bearing 31. One beam 29 extending from the bearing 31 is provided with a projection 37 carrying the stub shafts 28. The end face of the beam 29 is provided with a slot 43, and a locking recess is provided in the central part of the bottom of the slot 43. During the assembly of the structure a barbed tongue 44 on a metallic locking member 45 is received permanently in the locking recess.
Next to the locking segment 40 there is provided a cylindrical segment 41 on which a plate-shaped plastics member 51 is placed. The plate-shaped member 51 has a central bushing 52 engaging the cylindrical segment 41 of the shaft 24, an outer bushing 53 having a wave-shaped cam part 54 facing towards the metallic disc 48, and a disc part having a pattern of conducting areas 56 and non-conducting areas 55. In the preferred embodiment these areas are provided as a ring-shaped area divided into eight angular segments (600 conducting segment 56 and 30� non conducting segment 55 and so on). The conducting segments 56 are interconnected via the central part of the disc.
Even though it is not shown, a person skilled in the art will understand how an appropriate projection corresponding to the gripping arms 27 extends from the inner surface of the front cover 21 and urges the terminal part 62 towards the printed circuit board 25. Hereby the main body 65 is allowed to travel the about 0,3�0,5 mm when the roller is depressed, without affecting the connections.
According to the preferred embodiment the three terminals travel along a circle inside the segmented pattern 55, 56. With an angular spacing between the terminals of the size of 30�+/− a multiple of 90�, this will give 12 states of 30� width per full turn of the roller 20. The knob 50 and the wave-shaped cam member 54 have to be designed so that the force acting on the resilient ring is minimum in the central part of the 30� interval. The roller may hereby obtain unstable equilibriums centrally in the twelve discrete positions corresponding to the twelve states.
As will be seen from FIG. 8, the sliding shoes 76�78 (contact springs) of the metallic strips 64 each slide along a circular path 75. According to the preferred embodiment the three paths are coincident. It is furthermore shown how the three sliding shoes 76�78 have relative angular spacings corresponding to 600. One of the three sliding shoes is not connected to the other two via the conducting area 56. With twelve states per full turn a state is provided as a 30� segment. The angular spacing between the first and second sliding shoes, e.g. 76 and 78, has to be 30� (corresponding to contact in different segments) plus N�90� (a full turn corresponds to four identical periods each containing three states), and here the angular spacing is 120�. The angular spacing between the first and third sliding shoes 76, 77 has to be 60� (corresponding to contact in different segments�also differing from the segment of the second sliding shoe) plus M�90�, and here the angular spacing is 60�.
Based on this, the pattern in table 1 represents the expected reading from the switches SA, SB and SC in the encoder. A switch is open when the corresponding sliding shoe 76�78 contacts a non conductive area 55 and closed when the sliding shoe 76�78 contacts a conductive area 56.
SA SB SC 1
0��30�
60��90�
90��120�
120��150�
150��180�
180��210�
210��240�
240��270�
270��300�
300��330�
330��360�
According to the invention the processor 17 actively checks whether the read pattern is valid or not. This is necessary because the roller body 20, when the whole roller assembly 20, 23 is pressed, might turn slightly. Due to the size of the overall structure this may cause one of the sliding shoes 76�78 to move onto dust particles and thereby lose contact. If such a situation is not detected, this may cause the cursor 72 in the menu to move one step up or down just before the selection. This will result in an activation of a wrong application.
To avoid such erroneous detections, the processor 17 according to the invention initiates a basic software routine to determine the position of the roller. The processor 17 is connected to the encoder via an ASIC 100. The ASIC 100 includes three identical circuits�one for each encoder switch SA, SB and SC. Each of these circuits contains a drive part 102 for driving the corresponding sliding shoe 76�78 logical high or low. A pull-up circuit 101 pulls the voltage level up to an appropriate level, and an amplifier 103 amplifies the output from the sliding shoe for further processing. The three ASIC pins are connected to the switches SA, SB and SC via respective RC circuits (filters).
In segments 4�6 in table 1 the sliding shoes of the switch SA, SB and SC are successively in contact with the non conducting area 55, and therefore the interrupt handling routine would give the readings of table 2.
ling routine
SA SD SC output
drive low
3 −> 4
4 −> 5
5 −> 6
It will be seen from table 2 that driving a sliding shoe 76�78 low when it is connected to a non conducting area 55 does not affect the logical state of the other pins. When two pins are connected to each other via the conducting area 56, driving one of these pins low will cause the other to go low too.
In the described embodiment the three patterns corresponding to the segments 4�6 in table 2 are the only three valid patterns. In step 114 the processor 17 checks whether the pattern determined by the readings in steps 111�113 is a valid pattern�if not the processor 17 in step 115 recognizes the turning that initiated the routine as being a false alarm and deems the roller not to be turned. Then the processor 17 in step 118 starts waiting for the turning detection to initiate the routine once more.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention the power soft key will only be present in idle mode, which means not in menu, memory, etc. Hereby the power soft key will not be available during dialogue�either speech or data.
In idle mode of the phone, pressing the roller key 20 is used for accessing a so-called �roller menu�. The �roller menu� is an improvement of the �power soft key� or �hot key� known per se, and, according to the preferred embodiment, contains important functions as well as a number of user-defined favorite operations.
The �roller menu� hence has some main advantages. First of all the �roller menu� provides very easy access to re-dial list, phone book and menu functions�solely using the roller. Furthermore, the user is allowed to personalize his phone, which means offering an easy accessible list e.g. containing his favorite menus, web addresses, name entries or user-friendly access to voice dialing.
Furthermore, the �roller menu� makes it easier for the user to understand that the roller key 20 contains access to voice dialing, just as it makes the addition and the deletion of favorite items more obvious and thereby the menu more dynamic.
The display has two vertical status bars�the left one indicates the signal strength and the right one indicates the battery level. The name or logo of the present network operator is displayed in the central part of the display. At the bottom of the display two fields 68 display the present functionality of the soft keys 8, and between these two fields a separate icon 69 indicates that pressing the navigation key 10 gives access to the power key functionality.
Upon pressing of the navigation key 10, the phone enters the power soft key mode, and a user-defined list 70 containing the favorite operations of the user is displayed. The list is named �favorites�, and the name is displayed at the top of the list. The first item in the list is marked by a cursor 72, which can be moved by rolling the navigation key 10, and the item pointed out may be selected by depressing the same key 10.
The user can scroll in the list and select a certain item by pressing the roller. Selection of the �menu� item will for instance enter the normal menu structure. The power soft key defines links or short-cuts to operations in the phone book or in the menu.
The power soft key menu may contain some user-defined favorite operations, and may advantageously contain three further items �re-dial�, �names� and �menu�.
Selection of this power soft key menu item with the navigation key 10 will access the normal names list (phone book) in the same way as pressing the �names� soft key 8 in idle mode (see FIG. 10, first image). Again, it is possible via �names� to highlight a name/phone number in the names list/phone book and to establish a call to the highlighted name/phone number by operating the navigation key 10 alone.
Selection of this power soft key menu item with the navigation key 10 will enter the normal menu structure in the same way as pressing the �menu� soft key 8 in idle mode (see FIG. 10, first image).
This �names� item and the �menu� item are duplicated here to allow the user to perform any operation with the navigation key 10.
The easy dial item as default does not have any function, but is a user-friendly and obvious way for the user to define specific numbers to call when selecting this item. As long as the easy dial item has not been defined, the item will appear as �(easy dial)� in the power soft key menu, as indicated in FIG. 10.
In the power soft key menu, the left soft key 9 is called �options�. The option key accesses a list when selected, and this list allows the user to handle operations on the highlighted power soft key menu item, and it allows the user to add new favorite/bookmark items to the power soft key menu. The options list is a standard selection list, and the different options are described in the following.
The first option on the left soft key 9 in the power soft key menu depends on what item is currently highlighted in the roller menu. If e.g. �menu�, �names� or another selectable item is highlighted, the first option is �select�. If a specific number, or the �re-dial� item is highlighted, the first option will be �call�.
When �re-define� is selected, the type of the currently highlighted power soft key menu item will be suggested as default in the favorites selection list. This means that if e.g. the user re-defines an easy dial number, then the default highlighted favorite option type will be �easy dial�.
This item allows the user to customize the ordering of the power soft key menu. When the �move to top� item is selected, the currently highlighted power soft key menu item will be moved to the very top of the power soft key menu.
This item allows the user to remove an item from the power soft key menu. Preferably, the user will be asked to confirm the removal. The user can also remove the �standard� items in the power soft key menu, e.g. �re-dial�, and add them again, if needed.
The �re-name� item allows the user to customize the power soft key menu, too. This is handled using the normal text editing windows, with the previous name as default, the editor limiting the maximum text to be entered to the screen width. The user can of course also re-name the �standard� items in the power soft key menu, e.g. �re-dial�.
The user is allowed to add a certain number (e.g. 20) of his own personal favorite features, numbers and bookmarks to the power soft key menu. With the present display size, e.g. four items could be displayed and the remaining number of operations is accessible by rolling the navigation key 10. As mentioned, the editing of the power soft key menu list is performed by the left �option� soft key 9 once the menu has been entered. The menu is escaped by pressing the right �exit� soft key 9.
Operation when selected
Enter network type selection (dual mode phones)
Calling an entry from the memory
Actually a sub-set of the above
Prev ringing vol
Toggling ringing volume between two settings.
Prev alert type
Toggling between silent and normal sound mode.
Last dialed calls
View last dialed calls list
Timer/costs
View last or all call timer/costs
Direct access to calculator
Direct access to calendar
Light on for 20 sec.
Like on/off key
Divert on/off
A divert to a user-defined phone number can be
Prev diverts
Toggle between two diverts. The user can specify
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