Input method and input device

• US 20030234768A1
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi, Nashida, Tatsushi, Poupyrev, Ivan
• Granted Patent: US 7,088,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A display panel disposed on the front surface of a device shows information related to an operation input. A sensor for detecting a touch of an object is disposed on the back surface of the device. A mark representing the touch position is displayed at a position directly above the position of a touch detected by the sensor on the display panel. When the mark representing the touch position and the display position of the information are overlapped, an input process corresponding to the overlapped information is performed.

Claims

1. An input method comprising:

an operation-input display step of displaying information related to an operation input at a display position;

a detecting step of detecting a touch of an object at a touch position on a first surface behind the information displayed at the operation input display step;

a touch-position display step of displaying a mark at a mark position directly above the touch position, the mark representing the touch position; and

an input step of determining whether the display position of the information displayed at the operation-input display step and the mark position of the mark displayed at the touch-position display step are overlapped, and when overlapping is determined, executing an input process corresponding to the overlapped information.

2. An input method according to claim 1, wherein:

the detecting step detects an approach of the object to an approach position on the first surface behind the information; and

the touch-position display step displays a mark representing the approach position.

3. An input method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting step detects a touch of the object on a second surface before the information displayed at the operation-input display step.

4. An input method according to claim 3, wherein:

when the detecting step performs one of the touch detection on the first surface and the touch detection on the second surface, the input step selects an input item; and

when the detecting step performs the other, the input step performs an input process of adjusting a value related to the selected input item.

5. An input method according to claim 1, further comprising a vibrating step causing temporary vibration in accordance with the state of the touch detection at the detecting step.

6. An input device comprising:

a display panel disposed on the front surface of a casing;

a back-surface sensor for detecting a touch of an object at a touch position on the back surface of the casing; and

control means for displaying information related to an operation input on the display panel, displaying a mark representing the touch position at the corresponding display panel position directly above the touch position detected by the back-surface sensor, determining whether the display position of the information and the position of the mark are overlapped, and when overlapping is determined, executing an input process corresponding to the overlapped information.

7. An input device according to claim 6, wherein:

the back-surface sensor detects an approach of the object to an approach position on the back surface of the casing; and

the control means displays a mark representing the approach position detected by the back-surface sensor on the corresponding display panel position.

8. An input device according to claim 6, further comprising a front-surface sensor for detecting a touch on the front surface of the display panel wherein the control means performs a predetermined input process corresponding to the touch position detected by the front-surface sensor.

9. An input device according to claim 8, wherein:

when one of the back-surface sensor and the front-surface sensor performs touch detection, the control means performs an input process of selecting an input item; and

when the other performs touch detection, the control means performs an input process of adjusting a value related to the selected input item.

10. An input device according to claim 6, further comprising an actuator for temporarily vibrating the casing provided with the display panel wherein the control means controls vibrations of the actuator in accordance with a touch-detection state obtained by the back-surface sensor.