Telephonic communications – Supervisory or control line signaling – Substation originated
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-03
2004-06-15
Chiang, Jack (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Supervisory or control line signaling
Substation originated
C379S433130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06751312
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a stick switch comprising a pointing stick. The pointing stick is tilted and pushed by a fingertip for inputting. The stick switch is available for a pointing device of a portable electronic device like a portable telephone and a PDA (personal digital assistant).
Recently, most of portable electronic devices each comprises a pointing device for moving a cursor in their displaying devices. For example, a portable telephone nowadays has not only a basic communication function but also several functions, and the pointing device is used for selecting one of these functions from a function menu. Typical functions besides the communication function may be, for example, a telephone directory function for selecting a recipient name instead of inputting its recipient telephone number, a timer function for displaying current date and time, an alarm function for sounding an alarm when a predetermined condition occurs, and a calling sound selection function. The pointing device is also used in these typical functions.
A stick switch is applicable for a pointing device of a portable electronic device. As an example of such a portable electronic device, description will be made about a portable telephone
102
comprising a stick switch for its pointing device. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the portable telephone
102
is covered with a case
104
. On a front surface of the case
104
, push buttons
106
, a display
108
, a microphone hole
110
, and a speaker hole
112
are installed. The push buttons
106
are used as number keys and other function keys. The display
108
displays a screen and a cursor that is movable by a maneuver of a user on the display. A microphone is installed under the microphone hole
110
. A speaker is installed under the speaker hole
112
. Further, an opening
114
is formed between the top row of the push buttons
106
and the display
108
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, a stick switch
116
is installed on an inner board
118
under the opening
114
. A slope
118
is formed in order to help a user to easily operate the stick switch
116
.
As shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, the stick switch
116
comprises a switch box
122
and a stick
124
. The top end of the stick
124
is covered with a know
126
whose top part is exposed from the opening
114
. The knob
126
has a cavity (not shown) for inserting the top end of the stick
124
, a skirt
128
formed around the cavity and a projection
130
formed opposite to the cavity and centered on the skirt
128
.
The stick
124
, as shown in
FIG. 3
, can be tilted in four directions A, B, C, and D by the user. Further, the stick
124
can be pushed downward in a direction E. In the switch box
122
, there is one common terminal
132
and five optional terminals
134
,
136
,
138
,
140
and
142
, as shown in FIG.
4
. Each of the optional terminals corresponds to one of the directions A, B, C, D and E. When the stick
124
is operated, the common terminal
132
is connected with either one of the corresponding optional terminals.
Usually, a user can operate the portable telephone
102
by tilting/pushing the stick
124
. The user puts his/her fingertip on the top of the projection
130
and tilts/pushes the stick
134
. For example, the cursor displayed on the display
108
moves right/left when the user tilts the stick
124
to the direction C/D. The cursor moves upward/downward when the user tilts the stick
124
to the direction A/B. To push the stick
124
to the direction E means to select an item, such as an icon and a telephone number, corresponding to current position of the cursor displayed on the display
108
.
The illustrated portable electronic device comprising the stick switch
116
has problems below.
First, it is difficult for the portable electronic device comprising the stick switch
116
to possess both portability and operability at the same time. Specifically, if a length L
0
from the top of the projection
130
to the opening
114
is long, then a user puts and keeps his/her fingertip on the top of the projection
130
easily, and as a result, the portable electronic device has high operability. On the other hand, when the user puts the portable electronic device into a bag, a pocket or the like, the top of the projection
130
is possibly caught in it and consequently the user has to be careful in taking out the portable electronic device. Furthermore, the portable electronic device might be wrongly operated when the top of the projection
130
is accidentally tilted/pushed. However, merely shortening the length L
0
is harmful to operability of the portable electronic device.
Second, it is difficult for the portable electronic device to have both thinness of the portable electronic device and operability of the stick switch
116
at the same time. Here, the length between both ends of the stick
124
is referred to as length L
1
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, when the length L
1
is short, a force F for tilting the stick
124
is strong. On the contrary, when the length L
1
becomes longer, the force F becomes weak but the length L
1
makes the case
104
thicker.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stick switch that has excellent operability and portability.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a knob that is for use in the stick switch. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electronic portable device that has the stick switch excellent in operability.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a portable telephone that has a good portability.
According to the present invention, a knob for covering a top of a pointing stick which is projected from a switch box of a stick switch and which is inclined in different directions in order to carry out switch operations in accordance with each of the directions is provided. The knob has a concave top surface fitted with a fingertip and has at least one groove corresponding to one of the directions.
In this knob, the concave top surface is engaged with the fingertip so that the knob can efficiently transmit the force of the fingertip to the pointing stick even if the pointing stick is short. Consequently, the knob can make the stick switch thin without spoiling operability.
In the above-mentioned knob, the concave top surface may be substantially spherical in shape on a plane view.
The knob may be formed by either one of an elastic material and a rigid material.
When the stick switch is inclined in four directions which are azimuthally spaced apart from one another by 90 degrees, the knob may have at least one groove formed on the top surface along hypothetical crossing lines indicating the four directions. In this case, the grooves are formed on the top surface along the four directions, respectively. The top surface may have an edge of a circular shape, each groove formed on the top surface along a hypothetical diameter line of the edge. The top surface may have an edge of a circular shape; each groove formed on the edge.
According to the present invention, a stick switch comprising a pointing stick which is projected from a switch box of the stick switch and which is inclined in different directions in order to carry out switch operations in accordance with each of the directions is provided. The pointing stick of the stick switch has a concave top surface fitted with a fingertip and has at least one groove corresponding to one of the directions.
In this stick switch, the concave top surface may be substantially spherical in shape on a plane view.
When the pointing stick may be inclined in four directions which are azimuthally spaced apart from one another by 90 degrees, the pointing stick may have at least one groove formed on the top surface along hypothetical crossing lines indicating the four directions. In this case, the grooves may be formed on the top surface along the four directions, respectively. The top surface may have an edge of a circular shape, each groove formed on the top surface along a hypot
Chiang Jack
Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP.
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