U.S. patent application number 12/129165 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-03 for electronic device and tactile touch screen display.
This patent application is currently assigned to RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED. Invention is credited to Michael Keith ELDERSHAW.
Application Number | 20090296341 12/129165 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41379533 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090296341 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ELDERSHAW; Michael Keith |
December 3, 2009 |
ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND TACTILE TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY
Abstract
An electronic device includes a housing having a back, a support
tray moveable relative to the back of the housing, a
touch-sensitive display supported by the support tray and moveable
with the support tray relative to the back of the housing, the
touch-sensitive display including a display device and a
touch-sensitive overlay disposed on the display device, a locking
arrangement cooperating with the support tray for locking the
support tray and touch-sensitive display to inhibit movement of the
support tray relative to the back of the housing, and operational
components housed in the housing and including a touch screen
controller connected to the touch-sensitive overlay and a processor
connected to the display device and the touch-screen
controller.
Inventors: |
ELDERSHAW; Michael Keith;
(Oakville, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
1200 Waterfront Centre, 200 Burrad Street, P.O. Box 48600
Vancouver
BC
V7X 1T2
CA
|
Assignee: |
RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
Waterloo
CA
|
Family ID: |
41379533 |
Appl. No.: |
12/129165 |
Filed: |
May 29, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/679.43 ;
327/517 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H03K 2217/96031
20130101; G06F 1/1643 20130101; H03K 17/96 20130101; G06F 3/016
20130101; G06F 3/041 20130101; G06F 1/1626 20130101; H03K
2217/96062 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/679.43 ;
327/517 |
International
Class: |
H05K 5/02 20060101
H05K005/02; H03K 17/96 20060101 H03K017/96 |
Claims
1. A touch screen display assembly for use in an electronic device,
the touch screen display assembly comprising: a housing comprising
a back; a support tray moveable relative to the back of the
housing; a touch-sensitive display supported by the support tray
and moveable with the support tray relative to the back of the
housing, the touch-sensitive display including a display device and
a touch-sensitive overlay disposed on the display device; and a
locking arrangement having a locking plate disposed between the
support tray and the back, the locking plate moveable between a
locked position for locking the support tray and an unlocked
position in which the support tray is moveable relative to the back
of the housing.
2. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 1, wherein
the locking arrangement comprises guides for guiding movement of
the locking plate between the locked position and the unlocked
position
3. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 2, wherein
the guides comprise guide pins extending through guide slots in the
locking plate from one of the support tray and the back.
4. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 3, wherein
the guide pins comprise a pair of guide pins proximal a respective
one of each of four corners, each pair of guide pins extending
through one of the guide slots in the locking plate.
5. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 2, wherein
the locking arrangement comprises a motor cooperating with the
locking plate for moving the locking plate between the locked
position and the unlocked position.
6. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 2, wherein
the locking arrangement comprises locking pins extending from the
support tray arranged for moving towards the back when the locking
plate is in the unlocked position and for abutting the locking
plate when the locking plate is in the locked position.
7. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 6, wherein
the locking plate comprises holes located in alignment with the
locking pins when the locking plate is in the unlocked
position.
8. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 7, wherein
ones of the locking pins extend through respective ones of the
holes when the support tray and the touch-sensitive display are
moved toward the back.
9. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 8, wherein
the locking pins comprise a locking pin proximal a respective one
of each of four corners and the holes comprise corresponding holes
in the support tray.
10. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 2, wherein
the support tray and the touch-sensitive display are pivotable
relative to the back when the locking plate is in the unlocked
position.
11. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 10,
comprising at least one pivot pad disposed between the back and the
support tray about which the support tray is pivotable when the
locking plate is in the unlocked position.
12. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 10,
comprising at least one switch disposed between the back and the
support tray for actuating in response to pivoting of the support
tray and the touch-sensitive display.
13. The touch screen display assembly according to claim 12,
wherein the support tray is biased away from the back.
14. An electronic device comprising: a housing comprising a back; a
support tray moveable relative to the back of the housing; a
touch-sensitive display supported by the support tray and moveable
with the support tray relative to the back of the housing, the
touch-sensitive display including a display device and a
touch-sensitive overlay disposed on the display device; a locking
arrangement having a locking plate disposed between the support
tray and the back, the locking plate moveable between a locked
position for locking the support tray and an unlocked position in
which the support tray is moveable relative to the back of the
housing; and operational components housed in the housing and
comprising a touch screen controller connected to the
touch-sensitive overlay and a processor connected to the display
device and the touch-screen controller.
15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the
locking arrangement comprises guides for guiding movement of the
locking plate between the locked position and the unlocked
position.
16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the guides
comprise guide pins extending through guide slots in the locking
plate from one of the support tray and back.
17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the guides
comprise guide pins extending from the back through guide slots in
the locking plate.
18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the guide
pins comprise a pair of guide pins proximal a respective one of
each of four corners, each pair of guide pins extending through one
of the guide slots in the locking plate.
19. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the
locking arrangement comprises a motor cooperating with the locking
plate for moving the locking plate between the locked position and
the unlocked position.
20. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the
locking arrangement comprises locking pins extending from the
support tray arranged for moving towards the back when the locking
plate is in the unlocked position and for abutting the locking
plate when the locking plate is in the locked position.
21. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the
locking plate comprises holes located in alignment with the locking
pins when the locking plate is in the unlocked position.
22. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein ones of
the locking pins extend through respective ones of the holes when
the support tray and the touch-sensitive display are moved toward
the back.
23. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the
support tray and the touch-sensitive display are pivotable relative
to the back when the locking plate is in the unlocked position.
24. The electronic device according to claim 23, comprising at
least one pivot pad disposed between the back and the support tray
about which the support tray is pivotable when the locking plate is
in the unlocked position.
25. The electronic device according to claim 23, comprising at
least one switch disposed between the back and the support tray for
actuating in response to pivoting of the support tray and the
touch-sensitive display.
26. The electronic device according to claim 25, wherein the
support tray is biased away from the back.
27. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the
processor is connected to the locking arrangement for moving the
locking plate into the locked position in response to receipt of a
lock command at the processor and for moving the locking plate into
the unlocked position in response to receipt of an unlock command
at the processor.
Description
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a touch screen display and
an electronic device with a touch-sensitive input screen that is
moveable relative to a base of the electronic device for providing
tactile feedback when in use.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Electronic devices, including portable electronic devices,
have gained widespread use and can provide a variety of functions
including, for example, telephonic, electronic messaging and other
personal information manager (PIM) application functions. Portable
electronic devices can include several types of devices including
mobile stations such as simple cellular telephones, smart
telephones, wireless PDAs, and laptop computers with wireless
802.11 or Bluetooth capabilities. These devices run on a wide
variety of networks from data-only networks such as Mobitex and
DataTAC to complex voice and data networks such as GSM/GPRS, CDMA,
EDGE, UMTS and CDMA2000 networks.
[0003] Devices such as PDAs or smart telephones are generally
intended for handheld use and easy portability. Smaller devices are
generally desirable for portability. A touch screen input/output
device is particularly useful on such handheld devices as such
handheld devices are small and are therefore limited in space
available for user input and output devices. Further, the screen
content on the touch screen devices can be modified depending on
the functions and operations being performed.
[0004] Touch screen devices include a display, such as a liquid
crystal display, with a touch-sensitive overlay exposed for input
and output. These touch screen devices suffer from inherent
disadvantages relating to user interaction and response, however.
For example, such touch screen devices fail to provide
user-desirable tactile feedback for positively indicating input.
Poor or no tactile feedback causes difficulty in discerning whether
or not an intended input has been received and can result in
receipt of erroneous input at the device, for example, by
additional or double input. Electronic devices with a moveable
touch screen display relative to a base of the device can provide
tactile feedback to user. These devices are intended to provide
tactile feedback in response to a force applied to the touch screen
display. Further improvements for tactile feedback and control of
such feedback are desirable, however.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described,
by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures,
wherein:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of components of a
portable electronic device according an embodiment;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a top view of a portable electronic device
according to an embodiment;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a simplified longitudinal cross-sectional side
view through switches of the portable electronic device of FIG.
2;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a support tray of the
portable electronic device;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a simplified longitudinal sectional side view
through locking pins of the portable electronic device of FIG.
2;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the support tray of FIG. 4
including a locking arrangement shown in an unlocked position;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the support tray, similar to
FIG. 6, with the locking arrangement shown in a locked
position;
[0013] FIG. 8 is a simplified lateral sectional side view through
locking pins of the portable electronic device of FIG. 2, with the
locking arrangement shown in the unlocked position;
[0014] FIG. 9 is a view of the portable electronic device similar
to FIG. 8 with the locking arrangement shown in the locked
position;
[0015] FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the locking
arrangement in the unlocked position and a force applied to one
side of the portable electronic device;
[0016] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a support tray including a
locking arrangement according to another embodiment, the locking
arrangement shown in an unlocked position; and
[0017] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the support tray including
the locking arrangement of FIG. 11, the locking arrangement shown
in a locked position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of
illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may
be repeated among the Figures to indicate corresponding or
analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set
forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by
those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described
herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other
instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not
been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments
described herein. Also, the description is not to be considered as
limited to the scope of the embodiments described herein.
[0019] The present disclosure generally relates to an electronic
device, which in the embodiments described herein is a portable
electronic device. Examples of portable electronic devices include
mobile, or handheld, wireless communication devices such as pagers,
cellular phones, cellular smart-phones, wireless organizers,
personal digital assistants, wirelessly enabled notebook computers
and the like.
[0020] The portable electronic device may be a two-way
communication device with advanced data communication capabilities
including the capability to communicate with other portable
electronic devices or computer systems through a network of
transceiver stations. The portable electronic device may also have
the capability to allow voice communication. Depending on the
functionality provided by the portable electronic device, it may be
referred to as a data messaging device, a two-way pager, a cellular
telephone with data messaging capabilities, a wireless Internet
appliance, or a data communication device (with or without
telephony capabilities). The portable electronic device may also be
a portable device without wireless communication capabilities as a
handheld electronic game device, digital photograph album, digital
camera and the like.
[0021] Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows a block
diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a portable electronic device
20. The portable electronic device 20 includes a number of
components such as the processor 22 that controls the overall
operation of the portable electronic device 20. Communication
functions, including data and voice communications, are performed
through a communication subsystem 24. Data received by the portable
electronic device 20 can be decompressed and decrypted by a decoder
26, operating according to any suitable decompression techniques
(e.g. YK decompression, and other known techniques) and encryption
techniques (e.g. using an encryption technique such as Data
Encryption Standard (DES), Triple DES, or Advanced Encryption
Standard (AES)). The communication subsystem 24 receives messages
from and sends messages to a wireless network 200. In this
exemplary embodiment of the portable electronic device 20, the
communication subsystem 24 is configured in accordance with the
Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and General Packet
Radio Services (GPRS) standards. The GSM/GPRS wireless network is
used worldwide and it is expected that these standards will be
superseded eventually by Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) and
Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS). New standards
are still being defined, but it is believed that they will have
similarities to the network behavior described herein, and it will
also be understood by persons skilled in the art that the
embodiments described herein are intended to use any other suitable
standards that are developed in the future. The wireless link
connecting the communication subsystem 24 with the wireless network
200 represents one or more different Radio Frequency (RF) channels,
operating according to defined protocols specified for GSM/GPRS
communications. With newer network protocols, these channels are
capable of supporting both circuit switched voice communications
and packet switched data communications.
[0022] Although the wireless network 200 associated with the
portable electronic device 20 is a GSM/GPRS wireless network in one
exemplary implementation, other wireless networks may also be
associated with the portable electronic device 20 in variant
implementations. The different types of wireless networks that may
be employed include, for example, data-centric wireless networks,
voice-centric wireless networks, and dual-mode networks that can
support both voice and data communications over the same physical
base stations. Combined dual-mode networks include, but are not
limited to, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or CDMA1000
networks, GSM/GPRS networks (as mentioned above), and future
third-generation (3G) networks like EDGE and UMTS. Some other
examples of data-centric networks include WiFi 802.11, Mobitex.TM.
and DataTAC.TM. network communication systems. Examples of other
voice-centric data networks include Personal Communication Systems
(PCS) networks like GSM and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
systems.
[0023] The processor 22 also interacts with additional subsystems
such as a Random Access Memory (RAM) 28, a flash memory 30, a
display 32 with a touch-sensitive overlay 34 connected to an
electronic controller 36 that together are part of a touch screen
display 38, switches 39 for providing additional input in
combination with the touch screen display 38, an auxiliary
input/output (I/O) subsystem 40, a data port 42, a speaker 44, a
microphone 46, short-range communications 48 and other device
subsystems 50. The touch-sensitive overlay 34 and the display 38
provide a touch-sensitive display device and the processor 22
interacts with the touch-sensitive overlay 34 via the electronic
controller 36.
[0024] Some of the subsystems of the portable electronic device 20
perform communication-related functions, whereas other subsystems
may provide "resident" or on-device functions. By way of example,
the display 32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34 may be used for
both communication-related functions, such as entering a text
message for transmission over the network 200, and device-resident
functions such as a calculator or task list.
[0025] The portable electronic device 20 can send and receive
communication signals over the wireless network 200 after network
registration or activation procedures have been completed. Network
access is associated with a subscriber or user of the portable
electronic device 20. To identify a subscriber according to the
present embodiment, the portable electronic device 20 uses a
SIM/RUIM card 52 (i.e. Subscriber Identity Module or a Removable
User Identity Module) inserted into a SIM/RUIM interface 54 for
communication with a network such as the network 200. The SIM/RUIM
card 52 is one type of a conventional "smart card" that can be used
to identify a subscriber of the portable electronic device 20 and
to personalize the portable electronic device 20, among other
things. In the present embodiment the portable electronic device 20
is not fully operational for communication with the wireless
network 200 without the SIM/RUIM card 52. By inserting the SIM/RUIM
card 52 into the SIM/RUIM interface 54, a subscriber can access all
subscribed services. Services may include: web browsing and
messaging such as e-mail, voice mail, Short Message Service (SMS),
and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS). More advanced services may
include: point of sale, field service and sales force automation.
The SIM/RUIM card 52 includes a processor and memory for storing
information. Once the SIM/RUIM card 52 is inserted into the
SIM/RUIM interface 54, it is coupled to the processor 22. In order
to identify the subscriber, the SIM/RUIM card 52 can include some
user parameters such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity
(IMSI). An advantage of using the SIM/RUIM card 52 is that a
subscriber is not necessarily bound by any single physical portable
electronic device. The SIM/RUIM card 52 may store additional
subscriber information for a portable electronic device as well,
including datebook (or calendar) information and recent call
information. Alternatively, user identification information can
also be programmed into the flash memory 30.
[0026] The portable electronic device 20 is a battery-powered
device and includes a battery interface 56 for receiving one or
more rechargeable batteries 58. In at least some embodiments, the
battery 58 can be a smart battery with an embedded microprocessor.
The battery interface 56 is coupled to a regulator (not shown),
which assists the battery 58 in providing power V+ to the portable
electronic device 20. Although current technology makes use of a
battery, future technologies such as micro fuel cells may provide
the power to the portable electronic device 20.
[0027] The portable electronic device 20 also includes an operating
system 60 and software components 62 to 72 which are described in
more detail below. The operating system 60 and the software
components 62 to 72 that are executed by the processor 22 are
typically stored in a persistent store such as the flash memory 30,
which may alternatively be a read-only memory (ROM) or similar
storage element (not shown). Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that portions of the operating system 60 and the
software components 62 to 72, such as specific device applications,
or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into a volatile store
such as the RAM 28. Other software components can also be included,
as is well known to those skilled in the art.
[0028] The subset of software applications 62 that control basic
device operations, including data and voice communication
applications, will normally be installed on the portable electronic
device 20 during its manufacture. Other software applications
include a message application 64 that can be any suitable software
program that allows a user of the portable electronic device 20 to
send and receive electronic messages. Various alternatives exist
for the message application 64 as is well known to those skilled in
the art. Messages that have been sent or received by the user are
typically stored in the flash memory 30 of the portable electronic
device 20 or some other suitable storage element in the portable
electronic device 20. In at least some embodiments, some of the
sent and received messages may be stored remotely from the device
20 such as in a data store of an associated host system that the
portable electronic device 20 communicates with.
[0029] The software applications can further include a device state
module 66, a Personal Information Manager (PIM) 68, and other
suitable modules (not shown). The device state module 66 provides
persistence, i.e. the device state module 66 ensures that important
device data is stored in persistent memory, such as the flash
memory 30, so that the data is not lost when the portable
electronic device 20 is turned off or loses power.
[0030] The PIM 68 includes functionality for organizing and
managing data items of interest to the user, such as, but not
limited to, e-mail, contacts, calendar events, voice mails,
appointments, and task items. A PIM application has the ability to
send and receive data items via the wireless network 200. PIM data
items may be seamlessly integrated, synchronized, and updated via
the wireless network 200 with the portable electronic device
subscriber's corresponding data items stored and/or associated with
a host computer system. This functionality creates a mirrored host
computer on the portable electronic device 20 with respect to such
items. This can be particularly advantageous when the host computer
system is the portable electronic device subscriber's office
computer system.
[0031] The portable electronic device 20 also includes a connect
module 70, and an information technology (IT) policy module 72. The
connect module 70 implements the communication protocols that are
required for the portable electronic device 20 to communicate with
the wireless infrastructure and any host system, such as an
enterprise system, that the portable electronic device 20 is
authorized to interface with.
[0032] The connect module 70 includes a set of APIs that can be
integrated with the portable electronic device 20 to allow the
portable electronic device 20 to use any number of services
associated with the enterprise system. The connect module 70 allows
the portable electronic device 20 to establish an end-to-end
secure, authenticated communication pipe with the host system. A
subset of applications for which access is provided by the connect
module 70 can be used to pass IT policy commands from the host
system to the portable electronic device 20. This can be done in a
wireless or wired manner. These instructions can then be passed to
the IT policy module 72 to modify the configuration of the device
20. Alternatively, in some cases, the IT policy update can also be
done over a wired connection.
[0033] Other types of software applications can also be installed
on the portable electronic device 20. These software applications
can be third party applications, which are added after the
manufacture of the portable electronic device 20. Examples of third
party applications include games, calculators, utilities, etc.
[0034] The additional applications can be loaded onto the portable
electronic device 20 through at least one of the wireless network
200, the auxiliary I/O subsystem 40, the data port 42, the
short-range communications subsystem 48, or any other suitable
device subsystem 50. This flexibility in application installation
increases the functionality of the portable electronic device 20
and may provide enhanced on-device functions, communication-related
functions, or both. For example, secure communication applications
may enable electronic commerce functions and other such financial
transactions to be performed using the portable electronic device
20.
[0035] The data port 42 enables a subscriber to set preferences
through an external device or software application and extends the
capabilities of the portable electronic device 20 by providing for
information or software downloads to the portable electronic device
20 other than through a wireless communication network. The
alternate download path may, for example, be used to load an
encryption key onto the portable electronic device 20 through a
direct and thus reliable and trusted connection to provide secure
device communication.
[0036] The data port 42 can be any suitable port that enables data
communication between the portable electronic device 20 and another
computing device. The data port 42 can be a serial or a parallel
port. In some instances, the data port 42 can be a USB port that
includes data lines for data transfer and a supply line that can
provide a charging current to charge the battery 58 of the portable
electronic device 20.
[0037] The short-range communications subsystem 48 provides for
communication between the portable electronic device 20 and
different systems or devices, without the use of the wireless
network 200. For example, the short-range communications subsystem
48 may include an infrared device and associated circuits and
components for short-range communication. Examples of short-range
communication standards include standards developed by the Infrared
Data Association (IrDA), Bluetooth, and the 802.11 family of
standards developed by IEEE.
[0038] In use, a received signal such as a text message, an e-mail
message, or web page download is processed by the communication
subsystem 24 and input to the processor 22. The processor 22 then
processes the received signal for output to the display 32 or
alternatively to the auxiliary I/O subsystem 40. A subscriber may
also compose data items, such as e-mail messages, for example,
using the touch-sensitive overlay 34 on the display 32 that are
part of the touch screen display 38, and possibly the auxiliary I/O
subsystem 40. The auxiliary subsystem 40 may include devices such
as: a mouse, track ball, infrared fingerprint detector, or a roller
wheel with dynamic button pressing capability. A composed item may
be transmitted over the wireless network 200 through the
communication subsystem 24.
[0039] For voice communications, the overall operation of the
portable electronic device 20 is substantially similar, except that
the received signals are output to the speaker 44, and signals for
transmission are generated by the microphone 46. Alternative voice
or audio I/O subsystems, such as a voice message recording
subsystem, can also be implemented on the portable electronic
device 20. Although voice or audio signal output is accomplished
primarily through the speaker 44, the display 32 can also be used
to provide additional information such as the identity of a calling
party, duration of a voice call, or other voice call related
information.
[0040] Reference is now made to the remaining Figures, which show
various views of an exemplary portable electronic device 20, or
portions thereof. The portable electronic device 20 includes a
housing 80 having a back 82, a support tray 84 moveable relative to
the back 82 of the housing 80, a touch-sensitive display 38
supported by the support tray 84 and moveable with the support tray
84 relative to the back 82 of the housing 80, the touch-sensitive
display including the display device 32 and the touch-sensitive
overlay 34 disposed on the display device 32. A locking arrangement
cooperates with the support tray 84 for locking the support tray 84
and touch-sensitive display to inhibit movement of the support tray
84 relative to the back 82 of the housing 80. Operational
components are housed in the housing and include a touch screen
controller 36 connected to the touch-sensitive overlay 34 and a
processor 22 connected to the display device 32 and the
touch-screen controller 36.
[0041] Reference is now made to FIGS. 2 to 4 to describe an
embodiment of the tactile touch screen display for the portable
electronic device 20. The portable electronic device 20 includes
the housing 80 that houses the internal components shown in FIG. 1
and frames the touch screen display 38 such that the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 is exposed for user interaction
therewith when the portable electronic device 20 is in use. The
housing 80 includes a back 82, the frame 86, which frames the touch
screen display 38, sidewalls 88 that extend between and generally
perpendicular to the back 82 and the frame 86, and a rigid base 90
that is spaced from and generally parallel to the back 82. The base
90 can be any suitable base and can include, for example, a printed
circuit board or flex circuit board. The back 82 includes a plate
(not shown) that is releasably attached for insertion and removal
of, for example, the battery 58 and the SIM/RUIM card 52 described
above. It will be appreciated that the back 82, the sidewalls 88
and the frame 86 can be injection molded, for example. According to
the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the frame 86 is generally
rectangular although other shapes are possible. For example, the
corners of the frame 86 can be rounded.
[0042] It will be appreciated that the touch screen display 38 is
an assembly of components including, the touch-sensitive overlay 34
overlying the LCD display device 32 and other components including
optional components such as a backlight (not shown). The
touch-sensitive display portion of the touch screen display 38 is
disposed on the support tray 84 for providing structural support
and for inhibiting bending causing damage or breaking of the LCD
display device 32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34 and retained
on the support tray 84 in a suitable manner such as by retaining
clips. The support tray 84 along with the display device 32 and
touch-sensitive overlay 34, are biased away from the base 90,
toward the frame 86. The support tray 84 can be made from any
suitable material such as magnesium. The support tray 84 includes
the tray base 94 on which the touch-sensitive display, including
the display device 32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34, is
seated. The support tray also includes tray sides 96 and the lip
98. The tray sides 96 extend away from the tray base 94,
surrounding a portion of the edges of the LCD display device 32 and
the touch-sensitive overlay 34, to protect and support the edges of
the LCD display device 32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34 and
the lip 98 extends inwardly from each of the tray sides 96. In the
portable electronic device 20, the lip 98 is located near the
underside of the frame 86, between the frame 86 and the base 90, as
shown in FIG. 3, such that the frame 86 maintains the support tray
84, the display device 32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34 within
the housing 80. Thus, the support tray 84, the display device 32
and the touch-sensitive overlay 34, together are moveable within
and constrained by the housing 80.
[0043] The support tray 84 along with the display device 32 and the
touch-sensitive overlay 34, are biased into the rest position shown
in FIG. 3 at least partly by pivot gel pads 100, backside corner
gel pads 102 and lip gel pads 104 as will be described further
below. The support tray 84, the display device 32 and the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 together are movable within the housing
80 as a force, for example, on any side of the touch-sensitive
overlay 34 that is sufficient to overcome the bias, causes pivoting
of the support tray 84 along with the display device 32 and the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 about the pivot gel pads 100.
[0044] Two switches 39 (best shown in FIG. 3) are located between
the base 90 and the tray base 94 for providing additional input and
for providing tactile feedback to a user when pressing on the
touch-sensitive overlay 34. The switches 39 can be any suitable
switches, such as mechanical dome-type switches, located such that
displacement of the support tray 84 along with the display device
32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34 by pivoting about the pivot
gel pads 100 resulting from a user pressing, for example, one side
of the touch-sensitive overlay 34 with sufficient force to overcome
the bias actuates a respective one of the switches 39. In the
present embodiment, each one of the switches 39 is disposed on a
respective side of center of the portable electronic device 20,
proximal respective short ones of the sidewalls 88 with each switch
39 in contact with the support tray 84. Thus, displacement of the
support tray 84 along with the display device 32 and the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 as a result of user application of a
force thereto causes actuation of a respective one of the switches
39, thereby providing the user with positive tactile feedback
during user interaction with the user interface of the portable
electronic device 20.
[0045] The touch-sensitive overlay 34 can be any suitable
touch-sensitive surface such as a resistive or a capacitive
touch-sensitive surface. Thus, the touch-sensitive overlay 34
includes a number of layers in a stack and is fixed to the display
32 via a suitable optically clear adhesive. It will be appreciated
that the layers in the stack are dependent on the type of
touch-screen display.
[0046] The display device 32 provides graphical representations
that are selectable or manipulatable by user interaction with the
touch-sensitive overlay 34. In the present example, the X and Y
location of a touch event are both determined based on the signals
received at the controller 36 from the touch-sensitive overlay 34.
It will be appreciated that the location of a user's touch on the
touch screen display 38 is determined by determining the X and Y
location and user-selected input is determined based on the X and Y
location of the touch and the application executed by the processor
22.
[0047] The switches 39 provide additional input as actuation of
either of the mechanical switches 39 generates a further signal
input to the processor 22. The further signal from the actuation of
one of the mechanical switches 39 can cause the initiation of
commands at the processor 22, either alone or resulting from the
combination of the signal from the mechanical switch and signals
from the touch sensitive input surface 26. Thus, commands initiated
at the processor 40 can be a result of the signal generated from
one of the mechanical switches 39 alone or a result of the signal
generated from the mechanical switch 39 in combination with signals
from the touch sensitive input overlay 34 caused by user
interaction. User interaction can be, for example, the user
touching the touch-sensitive overlay 34 (or a cover on the
touch-sensitive overlay 34) or the user sliding a finger along the
touch-sensitive overlay 34. Different sliding actions of the finger
along the touch-sensitive overlay 34 can also result in different
commands initiated at the processor 22.
[0048] Reference is now made to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 to describe the
support tray 84 in further detail. As described, the support tray
84 includes the generally rectangular tray base 94 on which the LCD
display device 32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34 are seated.
The support tray 84 is a generally flat tray with locking pins 106
extending from a backside of the tray base 94, toward the base 90.
The locking pins 106 can be any suitable shape and can be made of
any suitable material. In the present embodiment, the support tray
84 is made of a suitable metal, such as magnesium and the locking
pins are formed in the tray base 94. In the present embodiment,
there are four locking pins 106, and a respective one of the
locking pins 106 extends from the tray base 94, proximal each of
the four corners of the tray base 94. The use and function of the
locking pins 106 will be described further below. The support tray
84 can also include, for example, actuators 108 for contacting and
actuating respective ones of the switches 39 when the portable
electronic device 20 is in use. The actuators 108 can also be any
suitable shape and can be made of any suitable material. The tray
base 94 also includes an opening such as a recessed portion or
notch through which connections can be made between the operational
components such as the processor 22 and the controller 36,
described above with reference to FIG. 1, and the LCD display
device 32 and touch-sensitive overlay 34.
[0049] As described, the tray sides 96 extend generally
perpendicularly away from the tray base 94 for circumscribing the
edges of the LCD display device 32 and the touch-sensitive overlay
34. The lip 98 extends inwardly from each of the tray sides 96 for
holding the lip gel pads 104 for interacting with the frame 86 of
the housing 80. As indicated above, the support tray 84 including
the tray base 94, tray sides 96, lip 98, locking pins 106 and
actuators 108 can be formed, cast or molded in any suitable
manner.
[0050] In the present embodiment, six gel pads are disposed on a
back side of the support tray 84, distal the tray sides 96 and the
lip 98. Of the six gel pads disposed on the back side of the
support tray 84, four back side corner gel pads 102 are located
near the corners of the support tray 84, with each of the corner
gel pads 102 near a respective one of the corners, partially along
a short side of the support tray 84, and two pivot gel pads 100
extend inwardly from long sides of the support tray 84, toward the
center. The back side corner gel pads 102 and the pivot gel pads
100 have a generally obround cross-section and can be connected to
the support tray 84 in any suitable manner such as mechanical
interlock with holes in the support tray 84. The pivot gel pads 100
are larger than the back side corner gel pads 102 in that the pivot
gel pads 100 extend farther away from the back side of the tray
base 94 for contacting the base 90 of the portable electronic
device 20.
[0051] Six lip gel pads 104 are also disposed on the lip 98 of the
support tray 84, extending away from the lip 98 and the tray base
94. The six lip gel pads 104 include four lip gel pads 104 located
at and extending around respective corners of the lip 98 and lip
gel pads 104 extending along and generally centered on the long
sides of the lip 98. The lip gel pads 104 on the lip 98 also have a
generally obround cross-section and can be connected to the support
tray 84 in any suitable manner such as by mechanical interlock with
through-holes in the lip 98. The lip gel pads 104 are small by
comparison to the pivot gel pads 100 in that the pivot gel pads 100
extend a greater distance from the support tray 84.
[0052] Each of the gel pads 100, 102, 104 acts as a biasing
element, providing positive tactile feedback for the user of the
device and protecting the LCD display device 32 and the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 as the gel pads 100, 102, 104 provide
cushioning and dampening for absorbing energy when the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 is depressed and for biasing the support
tray 84, display device 32 and touch-sensitive overlay 34 into a
rest position when the an external force is removed from the
touch-sensitive overlay 34.
[0053] Reference is now made to FIGS. 6 to 10 to describe the
locking arrangement for locking the support tray 84 to inhibit
movement relative to the back 82 of the housing 80. According to
the present embodiment, the locking arrangement includes a locking
plate 110 that has a number of holes, slots and notches therein.
The locking plate 110 is located between the tray base 94 and the
base 90 of the portable electronic device 20 and is shaped for
cooperating with the locking pins 106 extending from the tray base.
In the present embodiment, the locking plate is a metal sheet that
is shaped in generally hourglass section shape as best shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7. The locking plate can be formed, for example, from a
rectangular metal sheet with cut-away, generally V-shaped notches
along each long side of the rectangular sheet to result in the
shape as shown.
[0054] The cut-away portions along the long sides provide a
clearance from the pivot gel pads 100 so as not to interfere with
the pivot gel pads 100 on which the support tray 84 sits. The
locking plate 110 is also sized so as not to interfere with the
back side corner gel pads 102. Thus, the length of the locking
plate 110 is less than the length of the support tray 84.
[0055] A Teflon.TM. coating or other suitable coating on the
locking plate 110 aids in reducing friction and wear resulting from
movement of the locking plate 110 between a locked position, shown
in FIGS. 7 and 9, in which the support tray 84 is locked to inhibit
movement of the support tray 84 relative to the back 82 of the
portable electronic device 20 and an unlocked position, shown in
FIGS. 6, 8 and 10, in which the support tray 84 is free to pivot
about the pivot gel pads 100 in response to application of a force
on the touch-sensitive overlay 34, thereby moving relative to the
back 82 of the portable electronic device 20 (best shown in FIG.
10).
[0056] As indicated above, the locking plate 110 includes a number
of holes and slots. A pair of guide slots are provided along each
side of the locking plate 110, near the ends of the locking plate
110. The guide slots 112 are generally obround in shape and extend
in the direction of movement of the locking plate 110 when moving
between the locked position and the unlocked position. The guide
slots 112 are each located to receive a respective pair of guide
pins 114 that extend from the support tray 84.
[0057] The guide pins 114 are sized and located to fit into the
guide slots 112, with two guide pins 114 in each respective one of
the guide slots 112, to guide the movement of the locking plate 110
between the locked position and the unlocked position. To reduce
friction, the guide pins can be made of suitable material such as
nylon or Delrin.TM. and are connected to the support tray 84 in any
suitable manner, such as by suitable mechanical connection. Thus,
when the locking plate 110 moves between the locked position (FIG.
7) and the unlocked position (FIG. 6), each of the guide slots 112
travels along a respective pair of guide pins 114. The movement of
the locking plate 110 is therefore guided.
[0058] To accommodate each of the actuators 108 and the respective
switches 39, a respective rectangular slot 116 is provided on each
side of the locking plate 110. Each rectangular slot 116 is
sufficiently sized to provide clearance around the actuators 108
and the switches 39 when the locking plate 110 is in and when
traveling between the locked position and the unlocked position.
Thus, the locking plate 110 does not interfere with the actuators
108 or with the switches 39 and each of the switches 39 can be
actuated by a respective one of the actuators 108 as a result of
pivoting of the support tray 84 about the pivot gel pads 100 when
the locking plate 110 is in the unlocked position.
[0059] Four lock pin holes 118 extend through the locking plate 110
with each one of the four lock pin holes 118 sized and located to
receive a respective one of the four locking pins 106 when the
locking plate 110 is in the unlocked position shown in FIGS. 6, 8
and 10. Thus, each one of the lock pin holes 118 is larger in
diameter than the respective one of the locking pins 106 and is
located in the locking plate 110, proximal a respective one of the
four corners of the tray base 94. As indicated, when the locking
plate 110 is in the unlocked position, each of the four lock pin
holes 118 is located to receive a respective one of the locking
pins 106. When a force is applied to the touch-sensitive overlay
sufficient to overcome the bias and cause pivoting of the support
tray 84 along with the touch-sensitive overlay 34 and the display
device 32, the two locking pins 106 on one side of the support tray
84 that is moved toward the base 90 are received in respective ones
of the lock pin holes 118 as best shown in the longitudinal
sectional view of FIG. 10. It will be appreciated that if a force
is applied to the touch-sensitive overlay sufficient to overcome
the bias and cause the support tray 84 along with the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 and the display device 32 to pivot in
the opposite direction, such that the other side of the support
tray 84 is moved toward the base 90, the other two locking pins 106
on the other side of the support tray are received in the
respective other ones of the lock pin holes 118. For the support
tray 84 to pivot on the gel pivot pads 100 a sufficient amount to
cause actuation of one of the switches 39, the locking pins 106 on
the same side of the support tray 84 as the one of the switches,
must be received in the respective lock pin holes 118.
[0060] When the locking plate 110 is in the locked position, the
lock pin holes 118 are not aligned with the locking pins 106 and
thus, the locking pins 106 are not received in the lock pin holes
118, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. Thus, when a force is applied
to one side of the touch-sensitive overlay, the two locking pins
106 on the same side of the support tray 84 abut the locking plate
110, inhibiting movement of the support tray 84 and inhibiting
actuating of either one of the switches 39.
[0061] One side of the locking plate 110 is connected to a gear
rack 120 by an intermediary arm 122. A complementary worm gear 124
cooperates with the gear rack 120 and is driven by a motor 126 that
is fixed to the housing of the portable electronic device 20 and is
connected to and controlled by the processor 20. It will be
appreciated that the processor 20 controls the motor 126 for
controlling driving of the worm gear 124, thereby controlling the
movement of the locking plate 110 between the locked position and
the unlocked position.
[0062] In the present embodiment, movement of the locking plate
from the locked position to the unlocked position can be toggled by
depression of a virtual button or buttons on the touch screen
display 38. Similarly, movement of the locking plate 110 from the
unlocked position to the locked position can be effectuated by
depression of a virtual button or buttons on the touch screen
display 38. It will be appreciated that rather than the movement of
the locking plate being effectuated by depression of a virtual
button or buttons, a button can be provided, for example, on a side
of the portable electronic device 20.
[0063] Reference is now made to FIGS. 5 and 10 to describe movement
of the support tray 84 along with the touch-sensitive overlay 34
and the display device 32 within the housing 80 of the portable
electronic device 20. FIG. 5 shows a simplified longitudinal
sectional side view of the portable electronic device 20 through
the locking pins 106, according to one embodiment in which the
support tray 84, display device 32 and touch-sensitive overlay 34
are in the rest position absent an externally applied force. FIG.
10 shows a simplified longitudinal sectional side view of portions
of the portable electronic device 20 through the locking pins 106,
according to one embodiment in which a force is applied by, for
example, a user pressing a finger into the touch screen display 38
in the direction of the arrow "A". As shown, the user presses on
the side of the touch-sensitive overlay 34, resulting in pivoting
of the support tray 84 on the pivot gel pads 100 such that the back
side corner gel pads 102 that are on the same side of the portable
electronic device 20 on which the force is applied are compressed
between the tray base 94 and the base 90. The lip corner gel pads
134 on the opposite side of the pivot gel pads 100 are compressed
between the lip 98 and the frame 86. Thus, the support tray 84
pivots and one of the actuators 108 (shown in FIG. 3) actuates a
respective one of the mechanical switches 39 (shown in FIG. 3) on
the same side of the portable electronic device 20 to which the
force is applied. Referring to FIG. 10, the locking pins 106 on the
same side of the portable electronic device 20 are received in the
respective lock pin holes 118, thereby permitting the pivoting such
that the one of the actuators 108 actuates the respective one of
the mechanical switches 39. When the force on the touch screen
display 38 is removed, the touch screen display 38 is biased by the
gel pads into the rest position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, with the
tray base 94 generally parallel with the base 90 of the portable
electronic device 20.
[0064] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9, when a lock command is received
at the processor 22 as a result of user-selection of a virtual
button on the touch screen display 38 for locking the support tray
84 along with the touch-sensitive overlay 34 and the display device
32, the motor 126 is energized such that the worm gear 124 is
driven in the direction to move the gear rack 120 resulting in
movement of the locking plate 110 into the locked position (shown
in FIGS. 7 and 9).
[0065] As indicated above, the lock pin holes 118 are not aligned
with the locking pins 106 when the locking plate 110 is in the
locked position. Thus, when a force is applied to one side of the
touch-sensitive overlay, the two locking pins 106 on the same side
of the support tray 84 abut the locking plate 110, inhibiting
movement of the support tray 84 and inhibiting actuation of the
switches 39.
[0066] When an unlock command is received at the processor 22 as a
result of user-selection of a virtual button on the touch screen
display 38 for unlocking the support tray 84, the motor 126 is
energized such that the worm gear 124 is driven in the opposite
direction to move the gear rack 120 such that the locking plate 110
is moved into the unlocked position (shown in FIGS. 6 and 8).
[0067] Reference is now made to FIGS. 11 and 12 which show a
locking arrangement for a portable electronic device according to
another embodiment. The locking arrangement according to the
present embodiment is similar to the locking arrangement of the
above-described embodiment, with the exception that a spool 130
cooperates with the gear rack 120 rather than the complementary
worm gear. The motor that drives the spool 130 is a piezoelectric
motor 132 that rotates and translates the spool 130 to cause
movement of the gear rack 120 resulting in movement of the locking
plate 110 from the unlocked position shown in FIG. 11 to the locked
position shown in FIG. 12 or from the locked position to the
unlocked position. The remainder of the features and the operation
of the locking arrangement are similar to those described above and
are therefore not further described herein.
[0068] The moveable support tray 84 along with the display device
32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34 provides for a tactile
feedback to the user when interacting with the touch-screen display
38 by, for example, depressing virtual buttons on the touch screen
display 38. The switches 39 provide desirable tactile feedback as
the clicking sound and feel provides a positive indication of
selection of the virtual button, for example. Further, the switches
39 can provide further input. In some instances, such movement of
the support tray 84 along with the display device 32 and the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 may be undesirable, however. For
example, a user employing the voice communications functions of the
portable electronic device 20 can inadvertently press on the
touch-sensitive overlay 34 by pressing the portable electronic
device 20 against his or her face or by inadvertently pressing with
a finger. In this case, the actuation of a switch 39 providing the
clicking sound and feel is undesirable as it may be distracting to
the user and to the person engaged in voice communications with the
user. The locking arrangement permits locking of the support tray
84 to inhibit movement thereby inhibiting actuation of the switches
39. Thus, the movement of the support tray 84 along with the
display device 32 and the touch-sensitive overlay 34 can be
selectively locked or unlocked, thereby selectively enabling or
disabling pivoting and the resulting actuation of the switches 39.
The selective locking and unlocking reduces unwanted noise
resulting from the actuation of switches and aids in reducing
erroneous input to the portable electronic device.
[0069] According to one aspect, there is provided a touch screen
display assembly for use in an electronic device. The touch screen
display assembly includes a housing having a back, a support tray
moveable relative to the back of the housing, a touch-sensitive
display supported by the support tray and moveable with the support
tray relative to the back of the housing, the touch-sensitive
display including a display device and a touch-sensitive overlay
disposed on the display device, and a locking arrangement
cooperating with the support tray for locking the support tray and
touch-sensitive display to inhibit movement of the support tray
relative to the back of the housing.
[0070] According to another aspect, there is provided an electronic
device. The electronic device includes a housing having a back, a
support tray moveable relative to the back of the housing, a
touch-sensitive display supported by the support tray and moveable
with the support tray relative to the back of the housing, the
touch-sensitive display including a display device and a
touch-sensitive overlay disposed on the display device, a locking
arrangement cooperating with the support tray for locking the
support tray and touch-sensitive display to inhibit movement of the
support tray relative to the back of the housing, and operational
components housed in the housing and including a touch screen
controller connected to the touch-sensitive overlay and a processor
connected to the display device and the touch-screen
controller.
[0071] While the embodiments described herein are directed to
particular implementations of the touch screen display and the
portable electronic device, it will be understood that
modifications and variations to these embodiments are within the
scope and sphere of the present disclosure. Also, the Figures
depict examples of the portable electronic device and other shapes
and configurations are possible. It will be appreciated that the
size and shape of many of the features can differ while still
providing the same function. It will also be appreciated that
similar functions can be carried out in alternative embodiments.
For example, the guide pins are described in the above examples as
extending from the support tray. Alternatively, the guide pins can
extend from the base, for example.
[0072] Many other modifications and variations may occur to those
skilled in the art. All such modifications and variations are
believed to be within the sphere and scope of the present
disclosure.
* * * * *