Communication Device with Disabled Touchscreen and Non-Slip Trackpad

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional communication devices with touchscreens and physical keyboards are challenging for users with limited physical dexterity due to high sensitivity and increased likelihood of inadvertent inputs, leading to frequent mistakes and difficulties in navigation and inputting information.

Innovation Solution

A cellular phone design featuring a fully integrated body with a touchscreen, a large non-slip trackpad extending across the front face, and a physical keyboard, where the touchscreen's control capabilities can be disabled or re-enabled through various user inputs or settings to reduce accidental interactions, enhancing usability for users with limited dexterity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a touchscreen is used for navigation and input, then the device can have a larger display area without a physical keyboard, but users with limited physical dexterity experience increased inadvertent touches and reduced control accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay areaVSAvoidinput accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A physical keyboard is introduced as an intermediary input device between the user and the device functions. This physical interface provides tactile feedback and requires deliberate pressing action, reducing inadvertent inputs while maintaining access to all device functions that would otherwise require touchscreen interaction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The input interface is segmented into multiple modalities: a physical keyboard for deliberate input, a trackpad for navigation, and a touchscreen for visual display only. This segmentation allows users to choose the most appropriate input method for each task, improving both accuracy and comfort

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If a physical keyboard is added to assist users with limited dexterity, then key stroke input becomes easier, but inadvertent contact with the touchscreen above the keyboard still occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvekey stroke inputVSAvoidinadvertent touchscreen contact

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The touchscreen's input functionality is extracted and separated from its display function. The touchscreen remains as a visual display interface, while a physical keyboard provides the input capability. This extraction eliminates the harmful effect of inadvertent touchscreen registration while preserving all input capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the touchscreen less sensitive to reduce inadvertent touches, the solution inverts the approach by making the touchscreen non-responsive to touches and providing input capability through a separate physical keyboard interface below it

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a small trackpad is provided for GUI navigation, then navigation capability is added, but the small size and slick surface make it difficult for users with limited dexterity to maintain contact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation capabilityVSAvoidcontact maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The trackpad surface texture is made dynamic/adaptable to user needs by providing a non-slip surface that increases friction and improves finger grip. This dynamic surface property allows users with limited dexterity to maintain contact more easily while preserving the trackpad's navigation functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10503400B2Communication device for users with limited physical dexterity

Publication Date: 2019.12.10 BYNUM MARK

AI summary

A communication device for users with limited physical dexterity. More specifically, the presently disclosed technology relates to a communication device, such as a cellular phone, that allows a user having limited physical dexterity to more effectively and accurately provide input into the device. The presently disclosed technology teaches a communication device with at least a touchscreen input device and a physical keyboard, wherein the control capabilities of the touchscreen input device may be disabled and/or re-enabled. The disabling and/or re-enabling may occur based on an input received into an input device or may occur automatically based on the contextual usage of the communication device. Still further, the electronic device may include a touchpad that may comprise a non-slip surface and may be sized and/or shaped such that users with limited physical dexterity may more efficiently navigate the interface of the communication device using the touchpad.