# US 2014/0191941 A1 · Portable user input system operable in two modes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191941 A1 - Document ID: US20140191941A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/104,642 - Filed: 2013-12-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Solatido Inc. - Applicants: Solatido Inc. - Inventors: Thomas M. Sherlock - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191941A1 ## CPC - G06F 1/163: {Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt} - G02B 27/017: {Head mounted} - G06F 1/1664: {Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard} - G06F 1/1666: {Arrangements for reducing the size of the integrated keyboard for transport, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys (G06F1/1664 takes precedence)} - G06F 3/0221: {Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys (G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666)} - G02B 2027/014: {comprising information/image processing systems} - G02B 2027/0178: {Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract A portable user interface device receives user inputs in two modes. The user interface device includes a central portion attached to two side portions. Relative rotation between the central portion and the side portions converts the user interface device between the two modes. In the first mode, the user interface device is suspended on the front of a user's torso. In the second mode, the user interface device may be placed on a substantially flat horizontal surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A user interface device comprising: a first portion; a second portion comprising a first set of input devices, the second portion hinged to the first portion for relative rotation between a first mode and a second mode; and a third portion comprising a second set of input devices, the third portion hinged to the first portion for relative rotation between the first mode and the second mode, in the first mode: the first portion is suspended on a front of a user's torso with the first and second sets of input devices facing away from the user's torso, and in the second mode: the first and second sets of input devices are arranged to face away from a substantially flat surface, and the first portion is placed on the substantially flat surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a third set of input devices selected from a group consisting of: keys, touch pads, scroll wheels, thumb wheels, joysticks, mouth controllers, and track balls, levers, directional pads, and touch screens. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a housing configured to physically accommodate a processing device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The user interface device of claim 3, wherein the processing device comprises a mobile computing device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, further comprising: a suspension system connected to at least one of the first, second, and third portions and configured to suspend the user interface device on the user's torso. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The user interface device of claim 5, wherein the suspension system is selected from a group consisting of: a neck strap, a torso strap, a shoulder strap, and hook and loop fasteners. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second and third portions are configured to resist relative rotation when the first, second, and third portions are arranged in the first mode or the second mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein each of the second and third portions further comprises: a frame having at least four edges, two edges of the at least four edges being substantially parallel, the frame configured to secure the first or second set of input devices on the second or third portion; and a plurality of skirts, each skirt attached to the frame at one of the at least four edges and extending substantially perpendicular to a plane containing the first or second set of input devices on the second or third portion, the plurality of skirts dimensioned to enclose the first portion in the first mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein each of the second and third portions has a substantially flat edge along which the first set of input devices or the second set of input devices is arranged, the flat edges of the second and third portions forming an angle between 120 and 160 degrees in the second mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the first set of input devices or the second set of input devices is selected from a group consisting of: keys, touch pads, scroll wheels, thumb wheels, joysticks, mouth controllers, and track balls, levers, directional pads, and touch screens. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the user interface device communicates with a display device that indicates functional assignment of the first and second sets of input devices. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the user interface communicates with a head-mounted display. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein functions of the first and second sets of input devices are reprogrammable. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the second portion is hinged to a first edge of the first portion and a third portion is hinged to a second edge of the first potion, the second edge adjacent to the first edge. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The user interface device of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of input devices form a QWERTY keyboard. ### Claim 16 A method for operating a user interface device, comprising: arranging a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion of a user interface device in a first mode in which the first portion is suspended on a front of a user's torso with a first set and a second set of input devices on the second and third portions facing away from the user; detecting a change of an arrangement of the first, second, and third portions from the first mode into a second mode in which the first and second sets of input devices are arranged to face away from a substantially flat surface on which the first portion is placed; and changing a mapping of signals from the input devices to a processor in response to detecting the change of the arrangement of the first, second, and third portions from the first mode into the second mode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: detecting a change of the arrangement of the first, second, and third portions from the second mode into the first mode; and changing the mapping of signals from the input devices to the processor in response to detecting the change of the arrangement of the first, second, and third portions from the second mode into the first mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the mapping associates signals from the first or second sets of input devices with at least one of: a number, a letter, a punctuation mark, a linguistic character, a tone, a color, a musical note, a command to a program executing on the processor, a macro, a movement, and a symbol. ### Claim 19 A computing device comprising: a user interface device comprising: a first portion; a second portion comprising a first set of input devices, the second portion hinged to the first portion for relative rotation between a first mode and a second mode; and a third portion comprising a second set of input devices, the third portion hinged to the first portion for relative rotation between the first mode and the second mode, in the first mode: the first portion is suspended on a front of a user's torso with the first and second sets of input devices facing away from the user's torso, and in the second mode: the first and second sets of input devices are arranged to face away from a substantially flat surface, and the first portion is placed on the substantially flat surface; a processing unit coupled to the user interface device and configured to receive user input via the user interface device; and a display device coupled to the user interface device and configured to display at least user input. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computing device of claim 19, wherein the user interface device comprises a housing configured to physically accommodate the processing unit.