WO2008003646A1

WO2008003646A1 - Portable electronic communication device with a hardware keypad with improved usability

Info

Publication number: WO2008003646A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/056532
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carmen Santa Cruz
Original assignee: Palm, Inc.
Priority date: 2006-07-06
Filing date: 2007-06-29
Publication date: 2008-01-10
Also published as: EP2039132A1; DE102006031370A1

Abstract

A portable electronic communications device, in particular a mobile telephone (10) or cordless telephone, comprises a housing (12) on which a display device (14) and a keypad (16) are provided, the keypad (16) being constructed separately from the display device (14) for the inputting of multiple alphanumeric characters, wherein the keypad (16) has multiple character keys (20), to each of which at least one alphanumeric character is assigned, which can be selected and activated by activation of the character key (20) for display in the display device (14), wherein the communication device additionally comprises a key selection and activation means (18), by the activation of which (u, d, r, l) one of the character keys (20) can be selected as an active key (20b), wherein the communications device further comprises a display means (21) which is constructed in order to display the currently selected active key (20b) of the keypad (16), and wherein the alphanumeric character assigned to the currently selected active character key (20b) can be activated by means of the key selection and activation means (18) for display by the display device (14).

Description

Portable electronic communication device with a hardware keypad with improved operability

description

The present application relates to a portable electronic communication device, in particular a mobile telephone or cordless telephone, comprising a housing on which a display device and a keypad are provided, wherein the keypad is formed separately from the display device for inputting a plurality of alphanumeric characters, the keypad having a A plurality of character keys, each of which is associated with at least one alphanumeric character, which is selectable and activatable by an actuation of the character key for display in the display device.

Such communication devices are commonly used e.g. as mobile phones or cordless phones in use. Some mobile phones even have a full QWERT Y keyboard or QWERTY keyboard, depending on the sales region.

An "alphanumeric character" within the meaning of the present application may be any character of the ANSI character code and may include at least the regular letters of the alphabet (AZ) as well as numbers from 0 to 9. However, "alphanumeric characters" within the meaning of the present application also become viewed other characters, such as Cyrillic or Asian characters, such as those described e.g. to be used in India or Thailand. Even Chinese or Japanese characters (Hiragana and Katagana) are considered "alphanumeric characters" within the meaning of the present application if they can be entered by pressing a key on a keypad. "Alphanumeric character" is therefore any character that can be used. to generate written information.

A "keypad" according to the present application designates an area on the housing in which a plurality of operable keys are provided. A key is usually operated by pressing. However, this is not intended to preclude other types of actuation of a key, for example, merely by touching a key formed from a touch-sensitive device.

One problem encountered with the use of keys provided on portable electronic communication devices is related to the miniaturization of such devices. In many cases, the keys are so small and so close together that it is difficult for many people to use them correctly. This is especially the case for people who suffer from limited motor skills.

Known solutions to this problem provide a keypad displayed on the display device, a so-called "soft key field", where a key can be selected by a control switch provided on the housing of the communication device.

First, a large portion of the display area of the display device is abandoned in favor of the display of the softkey field. As a result, much of the display area of the display device is used to display valuable information, such as information. of the current input result, assistance, etc., lost.

Second, due to the above-mentioned miniaturization, the display of a softkey field again results in very small characters which are displayed on the display device to designate the individual keys of the softkey field. Therefore, people with impaired sight have difficulty choosing the character they want. Again, it becomes difficult to select the appropriate keys to form a desired string.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a portable electronic communication device of the generic type defined above, which provides a simple input of alphanumeric characters into the communication device, without undue display area of the Abandon display device.

This object is achieved by a portable electronic communication device of the type mentioned above, which further comprises a Tastenauswahl- and activating means, by the operation of one of the character keys as an active button is selectable, wherein the communication device further comprises a display means which is adapted to the currently active key of the keypad, and wherein the alphanumeric character associated with the currently selected active character key is activatable by the key selection and activating means for display by the display device.

In such a communication device, the key selection and activation means may be constructed in size and operability such that a key of the plurality of keys can be conveniently selected, so that the small size and close arrangement of the keys in the keypad control the operation of the key Do not interfere with key selection. By providing the display means, the operator can easily recognize which key is the currently selected active key. Finally, the activation of the currently selected active key can also be performed conveniently using the key selection and activation means.

The key selection and activation means thus allows an operator to designate one of the plurality of keys in a keypad, namely the so-called "active key", and to activate that key without pressing it to the same result as if the selected key had been pressed manually.

In many cases, a keypad not only includes keys associated with alphanumeric characters to be displayed but also includes function keys associated with at least one control function. Examples of known function keys include the Shift key, the Alt key, the Enter key, the Delete key, the Tab key, and so on - A -

formatted input text and / or can serve to increase the number of available characters. By selecting and activating or pressing a sequence of individual keys, even a large number of Chinese or similar characters can be made available. Therefore, to enhance the functionality of the communication device discussed herein, it may be contemplated that the keypad further includes function keys, each of which is associated with at least one control function, and one of which is selectable as an active key by operation of the key selection and activation means, wherein a control function associated with the currently selected active function key is activatable by the key selection and activation means.

In this connection, the portable electronic communication device may be provided with a memory which stores an activation of a function key so that the selected and activated function can be executed when the next character key is activated. In this way, the known function of a shift key can be realized. For other functions, however, such as the Del key, no such memory is necessary.

Activation of a key by the key selection and activation means may be accomplished by further actuation of the key selection and activation means. This requires the operator to act actively to activate a selected key, be it a character key or a function key.

Unfortunately, however, there are cases in which the motor skills of operators are so limited that any operation to be performed by fingers (pushing, pushing a switch, etc.) places an extraordinary burden on these persons. In such cases, the communication device may be configured to include a control device configured to display the alphanumeric character associated with the currently selected active character key in the display device upon expiration of a predetermined period of time without changing the active key, and / or activates the control function assigned to the currently selected active function key. This is also a possible way to activate a key through the key selection and activation means. In this case, the operator only needs to select the active key which he wishes to display on the display device and, after having selected the desired key as the active key, only has to wait until the predetermined time has elapsed.

To select a desired key as active from a plurality of keys, the key selection and activating means may comprise a selector switch which is displaceable in a first direction and in a second direction different from the first direction, preferably orthogonal to the first direction to issue a second actuation signal. Thus, the selector switch may be constructed as a "joystick" already present on numerous cell phones to navigate through user menus, contact lists, received messages, and so on.

"Relocatable" in this context includes both a translational movement and a rotational movement.

The same selection switch can be used not only to select an active key but also to activate it. This can be realized in such a way that the selector switch can be displaced in a third direction different from the first and the second direction, preferably orthogonal thereto, in order to output a third actuation signal. For example, the selection switch can be pressed to activate the previously selected active key. There is an advantage in that the selection switch can be made larger than the character and function keys of the keypad, so that it is easier to operate such a selection switch than to operate character or function keys.

Alternatively, the key selection and activation means may comprise a plurality of selection switches, eg in the form of a known navigation key arrangement. In such a selector switch arrangement, a switch can be provided for each direction of navigation, for example up, down, left and right. By actuating one of the directional switches, one of the keys currently active in the respective direction is selected as the new active key, starting from the currently active key, while the selection of the previously active key is canceled. A currently active key may be activated by simultaneously actuating at least two of the directional switches of the selector switch assembly. Additionally or alternatively, a further switch for activating the currently active key can be provided. The directional switches may be formed and arranged in the shape of arrows pointing in the direction associated with the respective switch. The additional activation switch may be located in the middle of the directional switches.

For persons with a very limited ability to use their fingers, it may be advantageous if the key selection and activating means comprises at least one sensor for detecting a change in a spatial orientation of the communication device with respect to a stationary coordinate system, wherein an actuation of the Tastenauswahl- and Activation agent is carried out by changing the spatial orientation of the communication device. The key selection and activation means may then be actuated without the operator having to press any button or switch, simply by changing the spatial orientation of the communication device, e.g. by tilting or turning them.

Of course, the relief provided by the present invention is not only helpful to persons with physical disabilities, but may be convenient to any operator of a portable electronic communications device.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the key selection and activating means may additionally or alternatively comprise at least one acceleration sensor, so that the key selection and activating means are triggered by shaking the apparatus along predetermined Spaces can be actuated. Preferably, an acceleration sensor is provided for each actuation direction. For example, shaking the communication device along two mutually orthogonal directions may serve to select the active key among the plurality of keys of the keypad while shaking the communication device along a third direction, which is preferably orthogonal to both the first and second directions. can be used to activate the currently selected active key.

The display means is any means which is adapted to display the active key of an operator. This indication may be visual and / or mechanical and / or auditory and / or tactile. For example, each selectable and activatable button of the keypad may be associated with a section of electrochromic material to which an electrical voltage is applied when the respective button is currently active. The electrochromic material then changes color. Preferably, the key may be at least partially made of such an electrochromic material. Additionally or alternatively, the keys may be configured to have a variable shape, particularly with regard to the dimension with which they protrude from the housing. Consequently, the currently active key may protrude more or less out of the housing than the remaining non-active keys. Such a function can be realized as described in document WO 2005 062323 A.

Furthermore, additionally or alternatively, the speaker of the communication device may be used to acoustically output the character and / or the function associated with the currently active key. For this purpose, the communication device may be provided with a memory in which is stored data needed to output the character or the function by an artificial voice.

For ergonomic reasons, it is advantageous if the display means comprises illumination means, so that the respective selected active key one Illuminated state, which is different from that of the non-active buttons. "Different illumination state" in the context of the present application includes both situations in which only the currently selected active button is illuminated, and situations in which the currently selected active button is illuminated brighter or darker than the remaining non-active buttons, as well This latter situation has the advantage that even the non-active keys are readable when the ambient lighting conditions are poor.

Two lighting conditions may also differ according to this application if the lighting of the currently active key flashes at a frequency different from that of the non-active keys, which includes the case that only the active key is flashing. It is also considered to be a different lighting condition according to the present invention when the currently selected active key is illuminated with a light having a different color compared to the non-active keys. In order to increase the ease of perception of the currently selected active button, combinations of the above ways and ways of establishing different illumination states may be used.

One way to illuminate the active button (s) and / or the non-active buttons without significantly increasing the number of components of a communication device is to use the backlighting commonly used to illuminate the keys of portable communication devices, particularly mobile phones and cordless phones, is present. In this case, it is preferred that the illumination means are associated with such a backlight. Compared with already known backlighting installations for illuminating keys of a communication device, a backlight control device has to be provided, which is designed to control the backlighting of individual keys in such a way that the intensity and / or the color or / and the flashing frequency of individual keys can be set. In the following, the present invention will be explained in more detail on the basis of a preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the portable electronic communication device of Fig. 1 after operation of a key selection and activating means provided on the communication device.

Fig. 1 shows a hand-held mobile telephone 10 as an embodiment of a portable electronic communication device. This mobile telephone 10 comprises a housing 12 with a display device 14 and a hardware keypad 16, which is formed separately from the display device 14.

In addition, a joystick 18 is then provided in the housing 12 between the display device 14 and the keypad 16.

The keypad 16 includes a plurality of character keys, each of which is associated with one or more alphanumeric characters, forming a QWERTY keyboard. The space key 22 is also considered a character key. In those cases where one and the same character is associated with a same character key 20 as both a capital letter and a lower case letter, selection between the uppercase and lowercase characters may be made by activating a shift key 24. The lowercase letter is selected as the default. Incorrectly entered characters can be deleted by activating a delete key 26. If different characters are assigned to the same character key 20, these different characters can be selected by activating a Ctrl key or by activating an Alt key 30. The Shift key 24, Delete key 26, Ctrl key 28 and the Alt key 30 are examples of function keys. It is also conceivable for one and the same function key to have two or more functions assigned to it, which in turn can be changed by, for example, using the switching function. Button 24 can be selected. Again, a function is selected in the default setting.

Whenever the communication device is in a text entry or text editing mode, pressing a character key activates the associated alphanumeric character for display in the display device 14. This means that pressing the character key causes the associated alphanumeric character in the display device 14 is displayed at a current cursor position.

The trend towards miniaturization of mobile phones and other electronic communication devices has resulted in small size devices with small size keys.

For many people, it is difficult to operate such keys 20 to 30 of the keypad 16, especially when it is difficult for them to control the movement of their fingers. For such a case, the cellular phone 10 shown in Fig. 1 provides a special mode of simplified input.

Once this mode is started, the backlight of the keypad 16 is turned on, illuminating all the keys 20 to 30 of the keypad 16 by emitting light and passing through the interior of the housing 12 through transmissive portions of the keys 20 to 30 of the keypad 16 is transmitted.

To allow a user to distinguish the individual keys, while a key which is set in a default setting as an active key at the time of entering this mode is illuminated differently than the other keys. For example, a centrally located key, eg, the key 20a, by default is the currently set active key at the time of entering the above mode. This key 20a is lit brighter than the remaining keys of the keypad 16, which is indicated at 21. Additionally or alternatively, this currently set active key 20a may have a backlight of different color compared to the remaining keys of the keypad 16 and / or may flash at a particular frequency while the remaining keys of the keypad 16 are illuminated continuously.

The joystick 18 is part of the key selection and activating means. The joystick can be tilted in four directions u, d, 1 and r, as indicated by the respective arrows in FIG. Further, the joystick 18 may be pressed in a direction orthogonal to the drawing plane of FIG.

When the joystick 18 is tilted once in one of the directions u, d, 1, r, the respective key adjacent to the currently set active key in the operating direction of the joystick 18 is selected as the new active key, while the selection of the previously active key is canceled.

FIG. 2 shows a situation after the joystick 18 has been operated once in the direction of the arrow d from the situation of FIG. 1 and has been operated twice in the direction of the arrow 1. Consequently, the character key 20 is now selected as the active key, while the selection of the character key 20a is canceled. When the joystick 18 is depressed in the situation of FIG. 2, the character associated with the currently selected active key 20b is displayed in the display device 14.

In this example, the joystick 18 is used to navigate through the keys of the keypad 16 to select a key and to activate that key. This operation corresponds to an immediate pressing of the button 20b and leads to the same result.

Additionally or alternatively, the selection of an active key from the plurality of keys 20 to 30 of the keypad 16 may be accomplished by tilting or shaking the cellular phone 10 in a corresponding direction of actuation. For this purpose, the mobile phone 10 must be equipped with corresponding sensors that are able to detect the tilting and / or the acceleration of the mobile phone 10 in a particular direction. In this way, for example, by shaking the mobile phone 10 in a direction orthogonal to the drawing plane of Figures 1 and 2, not only the selection of an active key but also their activation can be controlled.

For the sake of completeness, the keys denoted by 32 in Fig. 2 are so-called "softkeys" having varying functions The momentary function associated with the keys 32 is indicated in the display device 14 above the respective key 32. The keys 34 are left and right of the joystick 18 The keys 34 may also be used as "softkeys" in the manner described above and well known.

Claims

claims

Portable electronic communication device, in particular a mobile telephone (10) or cordless telephone, comprising a housing (12) on which a display device (14) and a keypad (16) are provided, the keypad (16) being separate from the display device (12). 14) for inputting a plurality of alphanumeric characters, the key pad (16) having a plurality of character keys (20, 20a, 20b), each of which is assigned at least one alphanumeric character which is activated by an actuation of the character key (20, 20a, 20b). 20a, 20b) is selectable and activatable for display in the display device (14), characterized in that the communication device further comprises a key selection and activating means (18), by the actuation of which (u, d, r, 1) one of the character keys ( 20, 20a, 20b) is selectable as an active button (20a, 20b), the communication device further comprising a display means (21) formed therefor et is to display the currently selected active button (20a, 20b) of the keypad (16), and wherein the alphanumeric character associated with the currently selected active character button (20a, 20b) is displayed by the button selection and activating means (18) for display by the display device (14) can be activated.

2. Communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the keypad (16) further comprises function keys (24, 26, 28, 30), each of which is assigned at least one control function and which one by an operation (u, d, r , 1) of the key selection and activation means (18) is selectable as an active key, wherein a control function associated with the currently selected active function key is activatable by the key selection and activation means (18).

3. Communication device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the activation of one of the currently selected active character key (20a, 20b) associated with the alphanumeric character for display by the display device (14) and / or the activation of one of the currently selected active function key assigned Control function by a further operation of the Tastenauswahl- and activating means (18) is executed / will.

4. Communication device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a control device which is designed such that after a predetermined period of time without changing the active key (20a, 20b) of the currently selected active character key (20a, 20b) associated alphanumeric characters in the display device (14) is displayed or / and the currently selected active function key associated control function is activated.

5. Communication device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Tastenauswahl- and activating means (18) comprises a selector switch (18) which in a first direction (u, d) and in one of the first direction (u, d ) Different, preferably to this orthogonal second direction (r, 1) is displaceable to output a first and a second actuation signal.

6. Communication device according to claim 5, characterized in that the selection switch (18) in one of the first (u, d) and the second direction (r, 1) different, preferably orthogonal thereto, third direction is displaceable to a third actuating signal issue.

A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the key selection and activation means (18) comprises at least one sensor for detecting a change in a spatial orientation of the communication device relative to a stationary coordinate system, wherein an operation of the key selection and activation means (18) is performed by changing the spatial orientation of the communication device.

8. Communication device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display means comprises illumination means (21), so that the respective selected active button (20a, 20b) has a lighting state which differs from that of the non-active buttons (20, 20b). 24, 26, 28, 30) differs.

9. Communication device according to claim 8, characterized in that the display means (21) is formed such that the respective active button (20a, 20b) is brighter or darker than the non-active buttons (20, 24, 26, 28, 30), or / and that the illumination of the respective active button (20a, 20b) flashes at a frequency different from that of the non-active buttons (20, 24, 26, 28, 30), or / and that the Illumination color of the respective active button (20a, 20b) is different from that of the non-active buttons (20, 24, 26, 28, 30).

10. Communication device according to claim 9, characterized in that the selectable buttons (20, 24, 26, 28, 30) of the keypad (16) have a backlight, wherein the illumination means (21) is associated with the backlight.