Hand-held electronic device with multiple input mode thumbwheel
View Patent ↗A thumbwheel input device oriented on an incline and comprising a wheel such that a first input is generated by rotation of the wheel about its axis, and a holder also having an axis of rotation and a portion thereon to receive the wheel whereby a second input is generated by rotation of the holder about the second axis.
1. An input assembly comprising:
a holder configured to hold a thumbwheel in an inclined position;
an arm extending around a bottom of the assembly towards the holder for engaging a bottom of the holder; and
a tactile switch positioned between the arm and the holder and activatable in response to a depression of an exposed part of the thumbwheel.
2. The input assembly of claim 1 , wherein said thumbwheel is permitted rotation in any of a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction.
3. The input assembly of claim 1 , wherein said holder comprises a bracket, said bracket configured to hold a rotary switch.
4. The input assembly of claim 1 , wherein said holder is configured to be rotatable between a first position and a second position.
5. The input assembly of claim 4 , wherein rotation of said holder between the first position and the second position comprises a rocking motion therebetween.
6. The input assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotary switch configured to detect a first rotary input representative of rotation of the thumbwheel about a first rotation axis.
7. The input assembly of claim 6 , wherein rotation of said thumbwheel forms the first rotary input.
8. The input assembly of claim 1 , wherein said holder is configured to be rotatable between a first position and a second position.
9. The input assembly of claim 8 , wherein rotation of said holder between the first position and the second position comprises a rocking motion therebetween.
10. The input assembly of claim 1 further comprising control logic configured to receive indications of detection of a first rotary input.
11. The input assembly of claim 10 , wherein said control logic is configured to generate a first signal representative of input rotation in a first direction and to generate a second signal representative of input rotation in a second direction.
12. The input assembly of claim 1 , wherein rotation of said holder about a rotation axis provides for a seesaw movement of said holder.
13. The input assembly of claim 1 , wherein said holder comprises a rotating encoder switch with the thumbwheel sitting on the rotating encoder switch such that a lower axle of the thumbwheel sits in a recess on the rotating encoder switch allowing the thumbwheel to rotate around its axis of rotation.
14. The input assembly of claim 13 , wherein the rotating encoder switch detects inputs to the device when the thumbwheel is rotated around the thumbwheel's axis of rotation.
15. The input assembly of claim 14 , wherein the rotating encoder switch is attached to a thumbwheel assembly PCB.
16. The input assembly of claim 15 , wherein the thumbwheel assembly PCB attaches to a device PCB by a flex circuit.
17. The input assembly of claim 15 , wherein the thumbwheel assembly PCB is in contact with the tactile switch on the opposite side of the PCB than the rotatable encoder switch.