Single user input mechanism for controlling electronic device operations

Abstract

A unique input mechanism for controlling several operations of an electronic device is provided. Using the unique input mechanism, which may be the single input mechanism for providing user inputs to the electronic device, a user may provide different inputs or combinations of inputs to control different operations based on the current mode or capacity of the electronic device. For example, a single, short click of a button may control a media operation (e.g., play/pause) in a media mode, and the same input may control a telephony operation (e.g., initiate/terminate call) in a telephony mode. In some embodiments, different inputs may be associated with different types of operations. The unique input mechanism may include, for example, a button, a switch, a key, or an actuator.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A method comprising:
 receiving a user input with an input mechanism of an electronic device;   in response to the receiving, determining with the electronic device a type of the received user input;   in response to a determination that the received user input is a first input type of a plurality of input types, determining with the electronic device whether the electronic device is currently in a first mode of the electronic device; and   in response to a determination that the received user input is a second input type of the plurality of input types, determining with the electronic device whether the electronic device is currently in a second mode of the electronic device.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the input mechanism is remote from the electronic device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the input mechanism comprises one of a button, a switch, a key, and an actuator. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the first mode comprises a media mode. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second mode comprises a communications mode. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the first input type and the second input type of the plurality of input types differ from one another only in one of a duration of a single contact of the input mechanism by a user and a quantity of consecutive contacts of the input mechanism by the user. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein:
 the input mechanism comprises a single button;   the first input type comprises a single short press of the single button; and   the second input type comprises a single long press of the single button.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the determining whether the electronic device is currently in the first mode occurs only when the determined type of the received user input is the first input type. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the determining whether the electronic device is currently in the second mode occurs only when the determined type of the received user input is the second input type. 
     
     
         35 . A method comprising:
 conducting with an electronic device a first communications operation;   during the conducting, receiving with the electronic device an incoming request to initiate a second communications operation;   during the receiving, detecting a user input with a unique input mechanism of the electronic device;   in response to a determination that the detected user input is a first input type of a plurality of input types, terminating the first communications operation using the electronic device; and   in response to a determination that the detected user input is a second input type of the plurality of input types, placing the first communications operation on hold using the electronic device.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  further comprising, in response to any one of the terminating and the placing, initiating with the electronic device the second communications operation. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving the incoming request from a remote device. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first communications operation comprises an ongoing call. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first input type and the second input type of the plurality of input types differ from one another only in one of a duration of a single contact of the unique input mechanism by a user and a quantity of consecutive contacts of the unique input mechanism by the user. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the unique input mechanism comprises one of a button, a switch, a key, and an actuator. 
     
     
         41 . An electronic device comprising:
 a unique input mechanism configured to detect user inputs;   a communications component configured to:
 conduct communications operations; and 
 receive incoming communications requests; and 
   a controller configured to:
 during a conduction of a first communications operation by the communications component, obtain a first incoming communications request to conduct a second communications operation from the communications component; 
 during the obtaining of the first incoming communications request, acquire a first user input from the unique user input mechanism; 
 determine a type of the acquired first user input; 
 in response to a determination that the acquired first user input is a first input type of a plurality of input types, instruct the communications component to terminate the conduction of the first communications operation; and 
 in response to a determination that the acquired first user input is a second input type of the plurality of input types, instruct the communications component to place the conduction of the first communications operation on hold. 
   
     
     
         42 . The electronic device of  claim 41 , wherein the communications component is configured to conduct the first communications operation with a first remote device. 
     
     
         43 . The electronic device of  claim 41 , wherein the communications component is configured to receive the first incoming communications request from a second remote device. 
     
     
         44 . The electronic device of  claim 41 , wherein the controller is further configured to, after any one of the instruction to the communications component to terminate the conduction of the first communications operation and the instruction to the communications component to place the conduction of the first communications operation on hold, instruct the communications component to conduct the second communications operation. 
     
     
         45 . The electronic device of  claim 41 , wherein the first communications operation comprises an ongoing call. 
     
     
         46 . The electronic device of  claim 45 , wherein the second communications operation comprises a new call. 
     
     
         47 . The electronic device of  claim 41 , wherein the first input type and the second input type of the plurality of input types differ from one another only in one of a duration of a single contact of the unique input mechanism by a user and a quantity of consecutive contacts of the unique input mechanism by the user. 
     
     
         48 . The electronic device of  claim 41 , wherein the unique input mechanism comprises one of a button, a switch, a key, and an actuator.