Method and apparatus to facilitate non-flush general navigation buttons for a clamshell handheld device
AssigneeResearch In Motion Limited
InventorTrevor Plestid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A handheld device comprising a first portion and a second portion rotatably coupled to the first portion. The handheld device is movable between an opened configuration and a closed configuration. A non-flush navigation button is coupled to one of the first and the second portion wherein the non-flush navigation button is disposed in a position that is accessible for manipulation in both the opened and the closed configurations.
Claims21
A handheld device comprising:
- a processor for controlling the operation of the handheld device;
- a lid having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface;
- a lower casing rotatably coupled to the lid, the lid and the lower casing being rotatable relative to each other about an axis of rotation such that the handheld device is movable between an opened configuration and a closed configuration;
- a primary display on the lid visible in the opened configuration;
- a secondary display on the lid visible in the closed configuration;
- and
- a non-flush navigation button located within the lid for accepting an input, the non-flush navigation button being accessible from the inner surface of the lid when the device is in the opened configuration, and being accessible from the outer surface of the lid and inaccessible from the inner surface of the lid when the device is in the closed configuration;
- the non-flush navigation button having a primary button orientation in the opened configuration and a secondary button orientation in the closed configuration, the secondary button orientation being flipped about the axis of rotation with respect to the primary button orientation;
- the processor being configured to execute instructions to:
- determine whether the non-flush navigation button is in the primary or the secondary button orientation based on whether the device is in the opened or the closed configuration;
- process navigation input accepted by the non-flush navigation button in a primary or a secondary navigation orientation corresponding to the primary or secondary button orientation of the non-flush navigation button, the secondary navigation orientation being flipped about the axis of rotation with respect to the primary navigation orientation;
- detect whether the device has changed configuration;
- and
- change the navigation orientation to correspond to the button orientation when the device has changed configuration.
A method for facilitating a non-flush navigation button in a handheld device having a lid having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface and a lower casing rotatably coupled together such that the handheld device is movable about an axis of rotation between an opened and a closed configuration, the handheld device having a primary display visible in the opened configuration and a secondary display visible in the closed configuration, the non-flush navigation button having a primary button orientation in the opened configuration and a secondary button orientation in the closed configuration, the secondary button orientation being flipped about the axis of rotation with respect to the primary button orientation, the method comprising:
- determining whether the non-flush navigation button is in the primary or the secondary button orientation based on whether the device is in the opened or the closed configuration;
- processing navigation input using the non-flush navigation button in a primary or a secondary navigation orientation corresponding to the primary or secondary button orientation of the non-flush navigation button, the secondary navigation orientation being flipped about the axis of rotation with respect to the primary navigation orientation;
- detecting whether the device has changed configuration;
- and
- changing the navigation orientation to correspond to the button orientation when the device has changed configuration;
- the non-flush navigation button being accessible from the inner surface of the lid when the device is in the opened configuration, and being accessible from the outer surface of the lid and inaccessible from the inner surface of the lid when the device is in the closed configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.