WO2016060602A1

WO2016060602A1 - A mobile phone comprising a scroll wheel

Info

Publication number: WO2016060602A1
Application number: PCT/SE2015/051060
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas Enquist
Original assignee: Zound Industries International Ab
Priority date: 2014-10-14
Filing date: 2015-10-07
Publication date: 2016-04-21
Also published as: SE1451224A1

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a scroll wheel (10) for a handheld device (30), such a mobile phone. The scroll wheel is made of metal. It is hereby made possible to provide a navigation key, or user operation controlling device, which has good durability.

Description

A MOBILE PHONE COMPRISING A SCROLL WHEEL

Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to a scroll wheel. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a scroll wheel for use in a handheld device, such as a tablet computer or a mobile phone (e.g. a smart phone). The disclosure also presents a handheld device such as a mobile phone comprising a scroll wheel.

Background

There is a trend towards making electronics more fashionable. In making electronics more fashionable, there is a general trend towards a minimalist style. For example, handheld devices (e.g., tablet computers, mobile phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDA:s), etc.) include fewer and fewer mechanical components for controlling the various functions of these handheld devices. Today, almost all functions of these handheld devices are controlled by means of touch- sensitive user interfaces. For example, smart phones of today are typically equipped with touch- sensitive display screens, rather than mechanical keyboards, for inputting of various commands when a user interacts with the smart phones. Accordingly, input commands (e.g., the writing of a text message known as a SMS or the dialing of a telephone number) can be made by interacting with a virtual keyboard displayed at the touch-sensitive display screen.

There is a simultaneous trend to produce handheld devices that are relatively compact (e.g., small in size or thin in thickness). At the same time, users demand an increasing number of functions to be available at the handheld device. Therefore, it has become a challenge to design a user interface that allows users to easily interact with a multifunction handheld device. One user interface that has become particularly popular is the touch- sensitive display screen mentioned hereinabove. Touch- sensitive display screens allow users to interact with and send commands to a handheld device by touching an input object (e.g., a finger or a stylus) to the surface of the touch- sensitive display screen. Touch- sensitive display screens are attractive, e.g., because they facilitate the production of small form factor devices (e.g., handheld devices) on which there may be limited room to include a display as well as one or several mechanical buttons or the like typically used for allowing the user to interact with and send commands to the device. Also, inputting commands to a handheld device by touching a graphical user interface displayed on a touch- sensitive display screen is generally very intuitive to users, and thus touch- sensitive display screens are perceived as user- friendly. Summary

It is in view of the above considerations and others that the various

embodiments of the present invention have been made.

The appended independent claim 1 proposes a mobile phone comprising a scroll wheel, wherein the scroll wheel is made of metal. For example, the entire scroll wheel may be made of metal. As will be appreciated, advantageous embodiments of the present invention are defined in the appended dependent claims 2-15.

According to a first aspect, a scroll wheel for a handheld device is provided. The scroll wheel is made of metal. It is an advantage that the scroll wheel is made of metal, since this contributes to a scroll wheel with good durability. A scroll wheel made of a metal may also be robust. As a consequence, the scroll wheel made of a metal may resist hits or the like against the scroll wheel particularly well.

For example, the metal may be a metal alloy, such as brass (i.e. an alloy of copper and zinc). A scroll wheel made of a metal alloy may be particularly

advantageous. For example, a scroll wheel being made of brass has proven to provide an aesthetically appealing look. Other metal alloys, such as steel (i.e. an alloy of iron and carbon), could also be conceivable. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, other metal alloys may also be used.

Advantageously, the scroll wheel may also be provided with an anti-oxidation coating. This has the effect of preventing the scroll wheel from corrosion.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the scroll wheel may have a diameter in the range of approximately 8-14 millimeters.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the scroll wheel may have a height, i.e. a thickness, in the range of approximately 2.8-3.4 millimeters.

These above-mentioned dimensions have proven to allow for a pleasurable sensation when interacting with the scroll wheel.

In one embodiment, the scroll wheel comprises a circular outer periphery, the surface of which is rough.

In one embodiment, the scroll wheel comprises a circular outer periphery, the surface of which is knurled.

In one embodiment, the scroll wheel comprises a circular outer periphery, the surface of which comprises alternately reoccurring depressed and elevated shapes, respectively, that collectively form a regular pattern.

By providing an outer periphery, the surface of which is non-even, it is possible to provide a pleasurable sensation when interacting with the scroll wheel. Also, a non-even surface facilitates a better grip (e.g., between a finger tip and the scroll wheel) which in turn may allow for a better scrolling experience when interacting with the scroll wheel.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a handheld device such as a tablet computer, a mobile phone (e.g., a smart phone), or a personal digital assistant (PDA). The handheld device comprises a scroll wheel according to the first aspect described hereinabove.

The scroll wheel may e.g. be fitted into a compartment of the handheld device such that a part of the scroll wheel is exposed to the outside for thereby enabling the scroll wheel to sense a user operation (e.g., when a user scrolls the scroll wheel by his/her finger).

The handheld device may comprise a display and the scroll wheel may be positioned to have a rotational axis which is perpendicular to the display. In other words, the scroll wheel may be positioned to have a rotational axis which is parallel to a normal axis of the display.

In one embodiment, the handheld device comprises a display adapted to display at least one function which is selectable by a user of the handheld device, wherein the scroll wheel has a rotational axis which is perpendicular to the display and wherein the scroll wheel is rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise around the rotational axis to control the selection of said at least one function.

In one embodiment, the handheld device comprises a display adapted to display at least one function which is selectable by a user of the handheld device, wherein the scroll wheel has a rotational axis which is perpendicular to the display and wherein the scroll wheel is clickable in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis to control the selection of said at least one function.

In some embodiments, the at least one function includes an audio function such as a volume function, an equalizer function and/or an amplifier function.

In some embodiments, the display is adapted to display one or more functions (e.g. an audio function) which is/are selectable by a user of the handheld device and the scroll wheel is adapted to sense a user operation. A memory may store said function(s) which is/are selectable by the user. Furthermore, a controller or processor may be adapted to determine a user operation sensed by the scroll wheel to control the function(s) accordingly.

In contrast to prevalent currents and trends to reduce the number of mechanical components of a handheld device, this disclosure proposes the introduction of a mechanical, i.e., physical, scroll wheel for a handheld device. The scroll wheel according to the various embodiments disclosed herein is made of metal. This is an advantage, since this allows for a navigation key, or user operation controlling device, with a good durability. Moreover, a scroll wheel made of a metal may be robust. Hence, the scroll wheel may e.g. resist hits or the like against the scroll wheel. Still further, a scroll wheel made of metal may allow for an aesthetically appealing look, which is generally increasingly important when making electronics more fashionable. Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other aspects, features and advantages will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of various embodiments, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a scroll wheel;

Fig. 2A shows an example of a sub-assembly including the scroll wheel shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 2B-2C show an example of a scroll wheel assembly wherein a scroll wheel shown in Fig. 1 is fitted into a compartment of the handheld device such that a part, or portion, of the scroll wheel is exposed to the outside;

Fig. 3 shows an example embodiment of a handheld device comprising a scroll wheel shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 shows an example embodiment of the handheld device shown in Fig. 3.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those persons skilled in the art. Like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

With reference to Fig. 1, a schematic illustration of a scroll wheel 10 is shown. The scroll wheel 10 is suitable as a navigation key or user operation controlling device for use in handheld devices, such as mobile phones (e.g., smart phones) or tablet computers.

According to an example embodiment, the scroll wheel 10 is made of metal. For example, the entire scroll 10 wheel may be made of metal. It is advantageous that the scroll wheel 10 is made of metal, since this contributes to a scroll wheel 10 with good durability. A scroll wheel 10 made of a metal may also be robust. For example, a scroll wheel 10 made of a metal may resist hits or the like against the scroll wheel 10 in a relatively good manner.

In some embodiments, the metal may be a metal alloy, such as brass (i.e. an alloy of copper and zinc). A scroll wheel 10 made of a metal alloy may be particularly advantageous. For example, a scroll wheel 10 being made of brass has proven to provide an aesthetically appealing look. Other metal alloys, such as steel (i.e. an alloy of iron and carbon), could also be conceivable. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, other metal alloys may also be used.

Advantageously, the scroll wheel 10 may also be provided with an anti- oxidation coating. This may have the advantageous effect of preventing the scroll wheel 10 from corrosion. Preferably, but not necessarily, the scroll wheel 10 may have a diameter in the range of approximately 8-14 millimeters. Preferably, but not necessarily, the scroll wheel 10 may also have a height, i.e. a thickness, in the range of approximately 2.8-3.4 millimeters. These dimensions have proven to allow for a pleasurable sensation when interacting with the scroll wheel 10.

The scroll wheel 10 may comprise a circular outer periphery 11, the surface of which is rough. For example, the scroll wheel 10 may comprise a circular outer periphery 11, the surface of which is knurled. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the scroll wheel 10 may comprise a circular outer periphery 11, the surface of which comprises alternately reoccurring depressed shapes 1 la and elevated shapes 1 lb that collectively form a regular pattern. By providing an outer periphery 11, the surface of which is non- even, it is possible to provide a pleasurable sensation when interacting with the scroll wheel 10. Also, a non-even surface facilitates a better grip (e.g., between a finger tip of a user and the scroll wheel 10). When the scroll wheel 10 is used in a handheld device such as a mobile phone (or a tablet computer), this may allow for a better scrolling experience when interacting with the scroll wheel 10.

Fig. 2A is a schematic illustration of an example sub-assembly 20 including the scroll wheel illustrated in Fig. 1. The sub-assembly may comprise fastening means 21, such as a screw or the like. Also, a switching means 22, such as a rotary switch may be provided. The switching means 22 may provide a push function for clickable user interaction. Additionally, or alternatively, the switching means 22 may provide a rotary function for scrollable user interaction. A Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) 23 may also be included. Furthermore, a FPC stiffening means 24, or FPC stiffener, may be provided to support the FPC 23. Other sub-assemblies than the sub-assembly 20 shown in Fig. 2A are of course conceivable, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Figs 2B-2C show an example of a scroll wheel assembly, wherein the scroll wheel 10 shown in Fig. 1 is fitted into a compartment 25 of a handheld device. As can be seen in Fig. 2C, a part (or, portion) of the scroll wheel 10 is exposed to the outside. The exposed part of the scroll wheel 10 may for instance be touched, and thus operated, by a finger of a user's hand. For example, the scroll wheel can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise when scrolling the scroll wheel 10.

Turning now to Fig. 3, a schematic illustration of an example embodiment of a handheld device 30 will be briefly discussed. In this example, the handheld device 30 is a mobile phone such as a smart phone. Alternatively, the handheld device 30 may be a tablet computer or a personal digital assistant (PDA) to name a few other examples.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, the handheld device 30 comprises a scroll wheel 10, which is made of a metal. For example, the entire scroll wheel 10 may be made of metal. As described earlier, the scroll wheel 10 may be fitted into a compartment (not shown) of the handheld device 30. A part of the scroll wheel 10 is exposed to the outside. The exposed part, or portion, of the scroll wheel 10 thus enables the user to interact with the scroll wheel 10. In other words, the scroll wheel 10 is configured to sense a user operation (e.g., when a user scrolls the scroll wheel by his/her finger).

In the example embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the handheld device 30 comprises a display 31. The display 31 may advantageously be a touch- sensitive display. Displays (or display screens) such as touch- sensitive displays are conventional and known in the art. In order not to obscure this disclosure with unnecessary details, the display 31 will therefore not be discussed in any further detail herein.

Typically, the scroll wheel 10 has a rotational axis which is perpendicular to the display 31. Or said differently, the scroll wheel 10 is typically positioned to have a rotational axis which is perpendicular to the display 31. That is, the scroll wheel 10 may be positioned to have a rotational axis which is parallel to a normal axis of the display 31. For example, the scroll wheel 10 may be positioned, or installed, at a right-hand side 32 of the handheld device 30 as is shown in Fig. 3. Alternatively, the scroll wheel 10 may be positioned, or installed, at a left-hand side 33 (which is opposite to the right- hand side 32) of the handheld device 30. In still further embodiments, a handheld device 30 could have two scroll wheels positioned at either side of the handheld device 30, i.e. one scroll wheel at the right-hand side 32 and another scroll wheel at the left-hand side 33. In yet further embodiments, a scroll wheel may be positioned at an upper (e.g., top) side 34, and/or at a lower (e.g., bottom) side 35 of the handheld device 30

With continued reference to Fig. 3, the scroll wheel 10 is rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise around the rotational axis. For instance, the scroll wheel can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise around the rotational axis to control the selection of a certain function.

In some embodiments, the display 31 is adapted to display at least one function which is selectable by a user of the handheld device 30 and the scroll wheel 10 is rotatable clockwise, or counterclockwise, around the rotational axis to control the selection of said at least one function. Additionally, or alternatively, the scroll wheel 10 is clickable in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis. For example, the scroll wheel 10 may be clickable in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis to control the selection of said at least one function.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the scroll wheel 10 could be used to control any function which is conventional and known in the art for handheld devices 30. To this end, the scroll wheel 10 may for example be used to:

scroll through menu items, or menu icons;

- scroll through texts;

browse web pages;

change the light from the display 31 ;

etc.

Turning now to Fig. 4, an example embodiment of a handheld device 30 will be described in further detail. The handheld device 30 comprises a processor, or controller 41. Also, the handheld device 30 comprises a memory 42. The memory 42 may comprise one or several modules, which store one or more functions. For example, a volume function module 42a, an equalizer function module 42b, and/or an amplifier function module 42c may be provided. Other modules embodying additional or alternative function(s) may also be provided, e.g. in dependence of user demands or system requirements.

Also, a communications interface I/F 43 may be provided in order to allow the handheld device 30 to communicate with other handheld devices and/or computers, e.g. via a network such as the Internet. To this end, the communications interface 43 may comprise a transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx). Alternatively, the communications interface 43 may comprise a transceiver (Tx/Rx) combining both transmission and reception capabilities. The communications interface 43 may include a radio frequency (RF) interface allowing the handheld device to communicate with other devices and/or computers through a radio frequency band through the use of different radio frequency technologies such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), any other cellular network standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), or any other wireless technology such as Wi-Fi,

Bluetooth®, etcetera.

The handheld device 30 may further comprise a user interface. The user interface may comprise a display 31, which is advantageously a touch-sensitive display. The user interface may also comprise the scroll wheel 10, which has been described throughout this disclosure.

Still further, the handheld device 30 may include an audio interface. The audio interface may include at least one audio input (IN). The at least one audio input may, e.g., comprise a socket configured to receive a connector (e.g., a plug) of an electronic music instrument, such as an electric guitar. The audio interface may also comprise at least one audio output (OUT). The at least one audio output may include a loudspeaker. Additionally, or alternatively, the at least one audio output may comprise a socket configured to receive a connector (e.g., a plug) of a headphone.

As will be appreciated, the handheld device 30 may thus be a music device where a user plays his/her electronic music instrument (e.g., electric guitar) and listens to the music produced by the electronic music instrument through either a loudspeaker or through the headphone.

In some embodiments, the display 31 is adapted to display one or more functions 42a, 42b, 42c, ...42n which is/are selectable by a user of the handheld device 30. The scroll wheel 10 may be adapted to sense a user operation for selection of said one or more functions 42a, 42b, 42c, ...42n. As described earlier, the memory 42 may store said function(s) which is/are selectable by the user. Furthermore, the controller 41 may be adapted to determine a user operation sensed by the scroll wheel 10 to control the function(s) 42a, 42b, 42c,..., 42n accordingly. In some example embodiments, the controller 41 may be adapted to sense a user operation for selection of one or more of a volume function, an equalizer function and an amplifier function. This is particularly advantageous when the handheld device 30 is used as a music device for playing an electronic music instrument (e.g., an electric guitar). The provision of the scroll wheel 10 allows for a quick and user-friendly user interaction with the handheld device 30 for the selection of the volume function, the equalizer function and/or the amplifier function, all of which may be perceived as particularly important functions when using the handheld device 30 as a music device.

Modifications and other variants of the described embodiments will come to mind to one skilled in the art having benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the specific example embodiments described in this disclosure and that modifications and other variants are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Therefore, a person skilled in the art would recognize numerous variations to the described embodiments that would still fall within the scope of the appended claims. As used herein, the terms "comprise/comprises" or "include/includes" do not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Furthermore, although individual features may be included in different claims (or embodiments), these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion of different claims (or embodiments) does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. Finally, reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.

Claims

A mobile phone (30) comprising a scroll wheel (10), characterized in that the scroll wheel (10) is made of metal.

The mobile phone (30) according to claim 1, wherein the entire scroll wheel is made of metal.

3. The mobile phone (30) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal is a metal alloy.

4. The mobile phone (30) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the metal alloy is brass.

5. The mobile phone (30) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the scroll wheel (10) is provided with an anti-oxidation coating.

6. The mobile phone (30) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the scroll wheel (10) has a diameter in the range of approximately 8-14 millimeters.

7. The mobile phone (30) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the scroll wheel (10) has a height, i.e. thickness, in the range of approximately 2.8- 3.4 millimeters.

The mobile phone (30) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the scroll wheel (10) comprises a circular outer periphery (11) the surface of which is rough.

The mobile phone (30) according to any of the claims 1-7, wherein the scroll wheel (10) comprises a circular outer periphery (11) the surface of which is knurled.

10. The mobile phone (30) according to any of the claims 1-7, wherein the scroll wheel (10) comprises a circular outer periphery (11) the surface of which comprises alternately reoccurring depressed and elevated shapes (11a; l ib), respectively, that collectively form a regular pattern.

11. The mobile phone (30) according to any one of the claims 1-10, wherein the scroll wheel (10) is fitted into a compartment of the mobile phone (30) such that a part of the scroll wheel (10) is exposed to the outside for thereby enabling the scroll wheel (10) to sense a user operation.

12. The mobile phone (30) according to claim 11, wherein the mobile phone (30) comprises a display (31) and wherein the scroll wheel (10) is positioned to have a rotational axis which is perpendicular to the display (31).

13. The mobile phone (30) according to claim 12, wherein the display (31) is adapted to display at least one function which is selectable by a user of the mobile phone (30), and wherein the scroll wheel (10) is rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise around the rotational axis to control the selection of said at least one function.

14. The mobile phone (30) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the display (31) is adapted to display at least one function which is selectable by a user of the mobile phone (30), and wherein the scroll wheel (10) is clickable in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis to control the selection of said at least one function.

15. The mobile phone (30) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the at least one function includes an audio function such as a volume function, an equalizer function and/or an amplifier function.