Input device

• US 10,133,388 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Sudou, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Roberto
• Application Number:
  US13/984,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20130307809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,475 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 715700-866
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs

Abstract

An input device (101) according to the present invention includes a touch sensor (104) that detects contact, a display unit (103), a pressure detection unit (106) that detects pressure on the touch sensor (104), a memory unit (105) that stores indication information indicating existence of notification information, and a control unit (108) that controls the display unit (103) to display the indication information stored in the memory unit (105) when data based on pressure on the touch sensor (104) becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, thereby displays indication information in accordance with a user'"'"'s desire.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a touch screen sensor configured to detect contact;

a display;

a pressure detector configured to detect pressure on the touch screen sensor;

a memory configured to store indication information indicating existence of notification information that is not yet displayed; and

a controller configured to control the display to display a standby screen prior to detecting pressure on the touch screen sensor, wherein

the controller is configured to control the display to change the display from the standby screen to display the indication information stored in the memory when data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, regardless of a position of the touch screen sensor where the pressure is applied,

the controller is configured to control the display to change the display from the standby screen to display a menu without displaying the indication information when the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor is less than the threshold,

the notification information is displayed when the pressure is applied to a position of the indication information after the indication information is displayed,

the notification information includes a display of detailed information related to the indication information, and the indication information includes a display of a summary of information related to the notification information,

the indication information can be displayed without first displaying the menu, and the menu can be displayed without first displaying the indication information, and

the menu is a display of a plurality of icons corresponding with a plurality of respective functions of the input device, where each of the plurality of icons is configured to be pressed by the user in order to execute one of the plurality of functions.

2. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising a tactile sensation provider configured to provide a tactile sensation to a contacting object in contact with the touch screen sensor, wherein

when the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor becomes equal to or greater than the threshold, the controller controls the tactile sensation provider to provide the tactile sensation to the contacting object in contact with the touch screen sensor.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein when a position with respect to the touch screen sensor is a predetermined position, the controller controls the display to display the indication information.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein when the display is displaying the indication information, and the touch screen sensor detects contact at a position corresponding to the indication information, the controller controls the display to display notification information corresponding to the indication information.

5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller

sets, when a plurality of types of indication information exist, a plurality of thresholds corresponding to the types of indication information, and

when the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor becomes equal to or greater than any one of the plurality of thresholds, controls the display to display the indication information corresponding to the one of the plurality of thresholds.

6. The input device according to claim 5, wherein

the plurality of types of indication information include first indication information and second indication information, and

the controller

sets a first threshold corresponding to the first indication information to be a value smaller than a second threshold corresponding to the second indication information, and

when the first indication information is being displayed on the display, and the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor becomes equal to or greater than the second threshold, controls the display to display the second indication information together with the first indication information.

7. The input device according to claim 5, wherein

the plurality of types of indication information include first indication information and second indication information, and

the controller

sets a first threshold corresponding to the first indication information to be a value smaller than a second threshold corresponding to the second indication information, and

when the first indication information is being displayed on the display, and the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor becomes equal to or greater than the second threshold, controls the controller to display the second indication information instead of the first indication information.

8. The input device according to claim 5, wherein

when the contact on the touch screen sensor satisfies a predetermined trajectory condition while the indication information is being displayed on the display, the controller controls the display to hide display of the indication information being displayed on the display.

9. The input device according to claim 8, wherein

the controller sets a deletion maximum threshold larger than any other threshold and, when the contact on the touch screen sensor satisfies the predetermined trajectory condition while the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor is equal to or greater than the deletion maximum threshold, controls the display to hide display of the indication information being displayed on the display.

10. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

when the contact on the touch screen sensor satisfies a predetermined trajectory condition while the indication information is being displayed on the display, the controller controls the display to hide display of the indication information being displayed on the display.

11. The input device according to claim 10, wherein

the controller sets a deletion threshold larger than the threshold and, when the contact on the touch screen sensor satisfies the predetermined trajectory condition while the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor is equal to or greater than the deletion threshold, controls the display to hide display of the indication information.

12. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

when the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor becomes less than the threshold while the display is displaying a standby screen, the controller causes the display to display the menu instead of the standby screen.

13. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the indication information relates to a call and/or a mail.

14. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured

to control the display to display the indication information stored in the memory after the notification information is generated when the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor becomes equal to or greater than the threshold,

to control the display to display the menu when the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor is not equal to or greater than the threshold, and

to display the notification information when the displayed indication information is selected.

15. An input device comprising:

a touch screen sensor configured to detect contact;

a display;

a pressure detector configured to detect pressure on the touch screen sensor;

a memory configured to store indication information indicating existence of notification information that is not yet displayed; and

a controller configured to control the display to display a standby screen prior to detecting pressure on the touch screen sensor, wherein

the controller is configured to control the display to change the display from the standby screen to display the indication information stored in the memory when data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, regardless of a position of the touch screen sensor where the pressure is applied,

the controller is configured to control the display to change the display from the standby screen to display a menu without displaying the indication information when the data based on pressure on the touch screen sensor is less than the threshold,

the notification information is displayed when the pressure is applied to a position of the indication information after the indication information is displayed,

the notification information includes a display related to the indication information,

both the indication information and notification information comprise information relating to an event that occurred on the input device while a user was not using the input device or making contact with the input device, and, after the event occurred, the user, upon touching the device, is given an option to either review the indication and notification information regarding the event or proceed directly to the menu for operating various functions of the input device without reviewing the event, depending on whether the data based on pressure the user applies to the touch screen sensor of the input device is above or below the threshold, and

the menu is a display of a plurality of icons corresponding with a plurality of respective functions of the input device, where each of the plurality of icons is configured to be pressed by the user in order to execute one of the plurality of functions.