Apple invents user-programmable switch for iPhone
Late last week the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple’s patent application titled User Programmable Switch . Apple’s patent generally relates to systems and methods for switching or determining user preferences or profiles in settings related to the operation of portable devices such as the iPhone. Apple proposes the introduction of a mechanical switch that would allow users to rapidly change their preferences on-the-fly to better reflect their lifestyle changes between work, home and/or school. Steve Jobs and Scott Forstall are listed amongst the inventors of this patent.
Apple’s Patent Background
Portable devices, such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and in general, devices with wireless communication capabilities are becoming increasingly common. These portable devices have grown more complex over time, incorporating many features including, for example, MP3 player capabilities, photographing capabilities, web browsing capabilities, email capabilities, text messaging capabilities and the like.
The user of these portable devices, such as a cell phone incorporating web browsing, photograph taking, MP3 player, email and text messaging capabilities, range from teenagers to professionals. Often each user has his/her particular preferences in how the cell phone or PDA is set up. The set up may include display brightness, ring tone, ring volume, email notification, text notification, background display image, call forward, call volume, Bluetooth headset setup etc. For example, a teenager may prefer to have multiple set ups for different settings such as in school, at home, or at a party.
The teenager may prefer to have a unique music clip as ring tone, low volume, high power savings, and provocative background display while in school and amongst friends. However, the same person may prefer a traditional ring tone, low volume, moderate power savings (for playing games or playing music from MP3 player) and a less distinct background display while at home. Similarly, the same person may want to have a silent ring tone and volume but using only vibration mode while keeping the same provocative background while in the library.
Typically, changing profile settings often require the user to make changes through the various menus in the user interface using the keypad when the phone is activated. For users who lead busy lives, such as professionals, who frequently transitions among different environments, like from a personal office into a meeting and into a public space, this method of changing profile settings becomes inconvenient. Users are often multi-tasking. Sometimes they simply do not even have minutes or even seconds to fidget with their phones to change profile settings suitable to the new environment or circumstances.
Consequent of the dynamic and fast paced lifestyle of users, a more convenient and less burdensome manner of changing user profile setting that can complement and keep up with the fast pace lifestyles is needed. There is a demand for a direct and simple manner in changing user profile on the fly without having to use the keypad and menus in the user interface.
Apple’s Summary
The various methods and devices described herein relate to devices which, in at least certain embodiments, may include at least one mechanical switch for users to select a user profile interface setting and at least one processor for causing the device to respond to the mechanical switch. The mechanical switch may be dedicated for the purpose of selecting a profile among a plurality of profiles. In other words, actuation of the switch may immediately and directly lead to a change in the user profile without the use of the menus and keypads in the user interface.
Apple’s patent FIGS. 8A -C are perspective views of exemplary mechanical switches that could be implemented in a portable device such as a future iPhone.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method to change a user profile interface setting includes: receiving an actuation of a dedicated mechanical switch with at least two switch positions on a portable data processing device to toggle between at least two programmable, mirrored user interface profile settings, receiving an electrical output corresponding to the actuation of the mechanical switch to each of the at least two switch positions, controlling a selection of parameters in the at least two programmable, mirrored user interface profile settings of the portable data processing device, and determining and selecting a preference in the at least two programmable, mirrored user interface profile settings.
The portable data processing device may be a telephone, such as a cell phone, or an integrated telephone and media player, or other types of devices such as a PDA that transmits and receives information as a means of communication. This device includes numerous user profiles. In one embodiment, all profiles may include a plurality of mirrored fields. However each field may have the same or different values across different profiles. Each field or setting has multiple different values or options. Each field controls an aspect of the interface for communication and each value or option indicates a different selection within the interface. The device includes a processing logic to process the interrupt request from the actuation of the mechanical switch to change profiles.
Apple lists Scott Forstall (Mountain View, CA), Gregory Christie (San Jose, CA), Steven P. Jobs (Palo Alto, CA), Imran Chaudhri (San Francisco, CA), Patrick L Coffman (Menlo Park, CA) and Nitin Ganatra (San Jose, CA) as the inventors of this patent.
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Written and researched by Neo.
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