Removable input module

1. A removable input module for a touch-screen device, the input module comprising:

an attachment mechanism arranged to attach the input module to the touch-screen device;

at least one input control; and

an accelerometer and/or a magnetometer, wherein the accelerometer and/or magnetometer is configured to provide signals used for determining an orientation of the input module relative to the touch-screen device or another input module.

2. The removable input module according to claim 1 comprising the accelerometer configured to provide signals used for determining an orientation of the input module relative to the touch-screen device or another input module and wherein the orientation of the input module is determined by comparing an output of the accelerometer to an output of an accelerometer in the touch-screen device or another input module.

3. The removable input module according to claim 1 comprising the magnetometer configured to provide signals used for determining an orientation of the input module relative to the touch-screen device or another input module and wherein the orientation of the input module is determined by comparing an output of the magnetometer to a plurality of stored reference values for the output.

4. The removable input module according to claim 3 , wherein the magnetometer is a Hall effect sensor.

5. The removable input module according to claim 3 , wherein the output of the magnetometer depends on a magnetic field generated by a speaker arrangement in the touch-screen device.

6. The removable input module according to claim 3 , wherein the magnetometer is configured to provide signals used for determining an orientation of the input module and for determining a position of the input control.

7. The removable input module according to claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to provide outputs used for detecting an operational state of the input module; and

a processor arranged to analyze outputs from the one or more sensors to detect the operational state of the input module.

8. The removable input module according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises the accelerometer and/or the magnetometer.

9. The removable input module according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is arranged to select an operational state from a set comprising three or more candidate states.

10. The removable input module according to claim 9 , wherein the set comprises three or more candidate states selected from:

i) Not attached to anything,

ii) Attached to a touch-screen device,

iii) Attached to an object which is not a touch-screen device,

iv) Attached to a dock,

v) Attached to a touch-screen device which is switched on,

vi) Attached to a touch-screen device which is switched off,

vii) One of a plurality of input modules attached to a touch-screen device

viii) Attached to a dock and charging, and

ix) Attached to a dock and not charging.

11. The removable input module according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a wire-free communication module

and wherein the processor is further arranged to:

reduce a transmission power of the wire-free communication module in response to detecting that the input module is attached to a touch-screen device; and/or

communicate with a first entity via the wire-free communication module in response to detecting that the input module is in a first operational state and to communicate with a second entity via the wire-free communication module in response to detecting that the input module in a second operational state.

12. The removable input module according to claim 11 , wherein the first entity comprises the touch-screen device, the second entity comprises another input module or a charging dock and the second operational state indicates that the input module is connected to the charging dock.

13. The removable input module according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more sensors configured to provide outputs used for detecting an operational state of the input module comprises a magnetometer and the processor is arranged to analyze an output signal of the magnetometer and to determine that the input module is connected to a charging dock if the output signal corresponds to a pre-defined magnetic field generated by the charging dock.

14. The removable input module according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more sensors configured to provide outputs used for detecting an operational state of the input module comprises a magnetometer and the processor is arranged to analyze an output signal of the magnetometer and to determine that the input module is connected to the touch-screen device if the output signal corresponds at least in part to a magnetic field generated by a speaker arrangement in the touch-screen device.

15. The removable input module according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a module arranged to communicate a wireless identifier to the touch-screen device, wherein the wireless identifier is used by the touch-screen device to link the input module to the touch-screen device.

16. The removable input module according to claim 15 , wherein the module comprises one of an RFID tag or a LED arranged to communicate the wireless identifier by flashing.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an output signal from one of an accelerometer or a magnetometer in a removable input module for a touch-screen device; and

determining an orientation of the input module relative to the touch-screen device or another input module based at least on the output signal.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

determining an operational state of the input module based at least on the output signal from the accelerometer or magnetometer or an output signal from one or more other sensors in the input module.

19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

reducing a transmission power of a wire-free communication element in response to detecting an operational state indicating that the input module is attached to the touch-screen device.

20. A removable input module for a touch-screen device, the input module comprising:

an attachment mechanism arranged to attach the input module to the touch-screen device;

at least one input control; and

a module position sensor configured to provide signals used for determining an orientation of the input module relative to the touch-screen device or another input module.