Mobile Device Touch Screen with Rear Home Button
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Solution Overview
Problem
The limited size of touch screens on mobile devices leads to a reduced effective viewing area, causing eye strain and inconvenience due to the need for small information display, and competing space with other user I/O devices like the home button and loudspeaker.
Innovation Solution
A mobile computing device design where the touch screen occupies the exterior front surface and the home button is placed on the opposite surface, allowing for a larger touch screen size, with features like an accelerometer to detect orientation and motion sensors to control the display's activation/deactivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the touch screen size is increased to provide a larger viewing area, then the display area is improved, but the space available for other user I/O devices (home button, loudspeaker) is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the home button from the front surface to the back surface of the device, effectively utilizing the third dimension (depth) to resolve the spatial conflict. This allows the front surface to be fully dedicated to the touch screen while the back surface accommodates the home button and other I/O devices, eliminating the area trade-off between display and control elements.
2Area of moving object
If the touch screen occupies most of the front surface to maximize display area, then the viewing area is improved, but unintended touch inputs occur during phone calls when the device is held to the ear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the home button from the front surface where it could cause unintended inputs during calls, and relocates it to the back surface. This separation ensures that the primary interaction area (front touch screen) is not accidentally activated when the device is held to the ear, while the home button remains accessible through deliberate back-surface interaction.
3Ease of operation
If the touch screen is made larger to reduce eye strain, then the viewing comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an accelerometer that automatically detects device orientation and triggers appropriate responses (blanking the display when held to the ear, enabling wake-on-shake functionality). This self-service approach allows the system to adapt to user context without requiring manual intervention or complex control interfaces, maintaining ease of operation while managing complexity through automated sensor-based decisions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration increases the effective viewing area, prevents unintended touch input during phone calls, and allows for convenient display management, enhancing user experience by providing a larger display area and reducing eye strain.
Implementation Method 1
an accelerometer operable to detect an orientation of the display panel
Implementation Method 2
The accelerometer may also be operable to detect a shaking motion on the mobile computing device as a user command to turn on or turn off the display panel
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile computing device comprising a display panel and a home button, the display panel being disposed on the exterior front surface and the home button being disposed on the exterior back surface of the mobile computing device. The front surface may be free of any additional user Input/Output devices apart from the display panel. The mobile computing device may further comprise an accelerometer and a phone circuit. Upon detection that the display panel faces away from a user during a phone call, displayed information on the display panel may be concealed automatically. The accelerometer may be also operable to detect shaking motions on the mobile computing device as a user command to turn on or turn off the display panel.