Coordinates input apparatus having divided coordinates input surface

• US 20030043113A1
• Filed: 09/03/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Itoh, Akihisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,348,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

In a coordinates input apparatus having a coordinates input surface that is operated by a coordinates pointer, a pointing mark on a screen being moved in accordance with the operation of the coordinates pointer, the coordinates input surface is divided by boundaries into at least nine divided regions, a function switch is allocated to each of the divided regions, and a predetermined function is associated with the function switch, the predetermined function being executed when the coordinates pointer is moved from a first divided region to a second divided region across one of the boundaries.

Claims

1. A coordinates input apparatus having a coordinates input surface that is operated by a coordinates pointer, a pointing mark on a screen being moved in accordance with operation of the coordinates pointer,

wherein the coordinates input surface is divided by boundaries into at least nine divided regions, and a function switch is allocated to each of the divided regions;

and

a predetermined function is associated with the function switch, the predetermined function being executed when the coordinates pointer is moved from a first divided region to a second divided region across a boundary.

2. A coordinates input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined function is deactivated when the coordinates pointer is detached from the second divided region.

3. A coordinates input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function associated with the function switch of the second divided region is a function of moving the pointing mark in a predetermined direction.

4. A coordinates input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the divided regions include a plurality of

peripheral regions adjacent to a periphery of the coordinates input surface, and at least one central regions surrounded by the peripheral regions;

and

the function associated with the function switch of at least one of the peripheral regions is a function of moving the pointing mark in a predetermined direction.

5. A coordinates input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the coordinates pointer is moved in a direction that is different from the predetermined direction in the at least one of the peripheral regions, direction of movement of the pointing mark is set to a combined direction of the predetermined direction and the direction of movement of the coordinates pointer.

6. A coordinates input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function associated with the function switch of the second divided region is a function of coordinates output device.