Control unit with variable visual indicator

• US 20050050005A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Keys, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Swedish Keys, LLC
• Inventors: Ivancic, Valdi
• Granted Patent: US 7,071,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/016 programmable

Abstract

A system for controlling an apparatus (11, 21, 31), which system comprises a control unit (13, 23, 33) adapted to transfer control signals to the apparatus dependent on the control data. Said control unit comprises data input means (14, 24, 34, 44) to input said control data, and said apparatus comprises interpreting means adapted to translate said control signal into an action. Aiming to indicate for a user of the control unit, which action the apparatus is arranged to take when activating the data input means, a visual indicator is arranged on said data input means. The invention is characterized in that said data input means comprises a variable presentation means (45, 57), arranged to realise said indicator, wherein said control unit comprises a first storage means (53) adapted to store the visual data presentable with said presentation unit. Preferably, said control unit comprises several separate data input means, each provided with a presentation means, in which each presentation means comprises separate displays, arranged to present a picture dependent on said visual data. (FIG. 4)

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled).

29. A method of operating a control unit comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with at least one of the touchable inputs having a touchable input display, memory for holding a plurality of images, and a processor; and

(b) showing one of the plurality of images on the touchable input display.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein there is a plurality of touchable input displays with each touchable input display carried by one of the plurality of touchable inputs, a plurality of sets of images are held by the memory, and in step (b) each one of the plurality of touchable input displays shows an image from one of the plurality of sets of the images.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the memory and processor are both located onboard the control unit.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising configuration data that is held by the memory that determines which touchable input display of the plurality of touchable input displays shows which image of the one set of images displayed in step (b).

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the memory and processor are both located onboard the control unit.

34. The method of claim 29 further comprising a display screen, wherein there is a plurality of touchable input displays with each one of the touchable input displays carried by one of the touchable inputs, there is a plurality of sets of images displayed on the display screen with each set of images comprised of a plurality of images, and the steps further including (i) selecting a plurality of images displayed on the display screen, (ii) designating the set of images to which the selected images belong, and (iii) storing the plurality of sets of images in the memory, and wherein in step (b) each one of the plurality of touchable input displays shows an image from one of the plurality of sets of the images.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the display screen comprises an apparatus to which the control unit is linked and manual engagement of one of the touchable inputs causes a control signal to be provided by the control unit to the apparatus.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the control unit comprises a keyboard, the apparatus comprises a computer, and the memory and the processor are both located onboard the keyboard.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the computer is configured to interpret the control signal of the touchable input when manually engaged and thereafter cause an action to be performed that relates to the image shown on the touchable input display of the touchable input that was manually engaged.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein each touchable input comprises a key that is pressed by a user.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein each key is displaced when pressed by the user.

40. The method of claim 29 wherein at least one of the plurality of images is provided via the Internet.

41. The method of claim 29 wherein at least one of the plurality of images is provided via the Internet and in step (b) the at least one of the plurality of images provided via the Internet is shown on the touchable input display.

42. The method of claim 29 wherein at least one of the plurality of images is provided via the Internet and stored in the memory, and wherein the memory is disposed onboard the control unit.

43. The method of claim 29 further comprising a personal computer that is linked to the control unit, wherein the control unit comprises a keyboard, and wherein the image shown on the touchable input display in step (b) is provided via the Internet.

44. The method of claim 29 further comprising a communications network and wherein at least one of the plurality of images is provided via the communications network and in step (b) the at least one of the plurality of images provided via the communications network is shown on the touchable input display.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising an apparatus that is controlled by the control unit.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile phone.

47. The method of claim 29 further comprising a database and wherein at least one of the plurality of images is provided by the database and in step (b) the at least one of the plurality of images provided by the database is shown on the touchable input display.

48. The method of claim 47 further comprising a personal computer linked to the control unit and the control unit comprises a keyboard with each touchable input comprising a key of the keyboard that includes one of the touchable input displays.

49. The method of claim 29 further comprising a plurality of apparatuses linked to the control unit wherein one of the images is shown on the touchable input display when the control unit is controlling one of the apparatuses and wherein the other one of the images is shown on the touchable input display when the control unit is controlling the other one of the apparatuses.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the touchable input causes a specific action to be performed by the corresponding apparatus being controlled by the control unit that relates to the image shown by the touchable input display of the touchable input and wherein the image shown on the touchable input display when the control unit is controlling one of the apparatuses is different than when the control unit is controlling the other one of the apparatuses.

51. The method of claim 29 further comprising a computer linked to the control unit, wherein the computer is configured with a software program that causes a specific one of the plurality of images to be shown on the touchable input display in step (b).

52. The method of claim 29 further comprising a computer linked to the control unit, wherein there are a plurality of touchable inputs each equipped with a touchable input display, wherein the memory holds a plurality of sets of images with each set of images including a plurality of different images, wherein the computer is configured with a software program that provides to the control unit a plurality of sets of images each comprised of a plurality of different images, and wherein in step (b) a different image of one of the plurality of sets of images is displayed on each one of the touchable input displays.

53. The method of claim 29 further comprising a computer linked to the control unit, wherein there are a plurality of touchable inputs each equipped with a touchable input display, wherein the memory holds a plurality of sets of images with each set of images including a plurality of different images, wherein the computer is configured with a software program that provides to the control unit a plurality of sets of images each comprised of a plurality of different images along with configuration data designating which image of which one of the plurality of sets of images is to be displayed on which touchable input display, and wherein in step (b) an image of the one of the plurality of sets of images is displayed on each one of the touchable input displays.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the control unit comprises a keyboard and the memory and processor are both disposed onboard the keyboard.

55. The method of claim 29 wherein there are a plurality of touchable inputs each equipped with a touchable input display, wherein the memory holds a plurality of sets of images with each set of images including a plurality of different images, wherein in step (b) an image of the one of the plurality of sets of images is displayed on each one of the touchable input displays, and the step further comprising touching one of the plurality of touchable inputs causes an image of the other one of the plurality of sets of images to be displayed on each one of the touchable input displays.

56. A method of configuring a plurality of touchable input displays each of a touchable input control unit used in controlling an apparatus comprising the steps of:

(a) visually presenting a plurality of sets of touchable input display image data that each comprises touchable input display image data that is displayable on each one of the plurality of touchable input displays;

(b) selecting one of the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data; and

(c) causing touchable input display image data from the selected set of touchable input display image data to be displayed on each one of the plurality of touchable input displays.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data is visually presented during step (a) on a display screen of the apparatus.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein each one of the touchable inputs comprises a displaceable key.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the apparatus comprises a game console.

60. The method of claim 58 wherein the apparatus comprises a personal computer.

61. The method of claim 58 wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile phone.

62. The method of claim 56 wherein before step (c), the step further comprising permitting a user to designate which touchable input display image data of the selected set of selected set of touchable input display image data is to be displayed on a particular one of the plurality of displays.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein user designation of which touchable input display image data of the selected set of touchable input display image data is to be displayed on a particular one of the plurality of displays is stored as touchable input display image configuration data.

64. The method of claim 62 wherein the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data is stored.

65. The method of claim 62 wherein user designation of which touchable input display image data of the selected set of touchable input display image data is to be displayed on a particular one of the plurality of displays is stored as touchable input display image configuration data and the plurality of sets of touchable display image data is stored.

66. The method of claim 62 wherein one of the plurality of touchable input display image data is configured to be displayed by a particular one of the touchable input displays by selecting and dragging the one of the plurality of touchable input display image data to a visually presented representation of the particular touchable input display.

67. The method of claim 62 wherein at least one of the plurality of touchable input display image data is visually presented and edited by the user.

68. The method of claim 67 wherein the visually presented display image data is comprised of a plurality of pixels each of which can be selectively activated by the user.

69. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image data is provided via the Internet.

70. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image data for at least one touchable input display is provided via the Internet along with an indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet.

71. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image data is provided via the Internet, wherein the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprises a control unit of the apparatus, and the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet is stored onboard the control unit.

72. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image data for at least one touchable input display is provided via the Internet along with an indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet, wherein the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprises a control unit of the apparatus, and the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet and the indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet are stored onboard the control unit.

73. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image configuration data is provided via the Internet as to which touchable input display image data is to be displayed on which one of the touchable input displays.

74. The method of claim 56 wherein the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprises a control unit of the apparatus and the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data is stored onboard the control unit.

75. The method of claim 74 wherein control unit is linked to the apparatus.

76. The method of claim 75 wherein the control unit comprises a keyboard and the apparatus comprises a computer.

77. The method of claim 76 wherein each touchable input comprises a displaceable key and each touchable input display comprises a display carried by a corresponding one of the displaceable keys.

78. The method of claim 75 wherein the control unit comprises a keyboard, the apparatus comprises a personal computer, and the keyboard is removably linked to the personal computer.

79. The method of claim 78 wherein each touchable input comprises a displaceable key and each touchable input display comprises a display carried by a corresponding one of the displaceable keys.

80. The method of claim 79 wherein each display comprises a liquid crystal diode.

81. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image data is provided via a database.

82. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image data for at least one touchable input display is provided via a database along with an indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the database.

83. The method of claim 56 wherein the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data are provided via a database.

84. The method of claim 56 wherein the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data are provided via a database and display image configuration data as to which touchable input display image data is to be shown on which touchable input display is also provided via the database.

85. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image data is provided via a database, wherein the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprises a control unit of the apparatus, and the touchable input display image data provided via the database is stored onboard the control unit.

86. The method of claim 56 wherein touchable input display image data for at least one touchable input display is provided via a database along with an indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the database, wherein the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprises a control unit of the apparatus, and the touchable input display image data provided via the database and the indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the database are stored onboard the control unit.

87. The method of claim 56 wherein touching at least one of the touchable inputs causes the set of input display image data not selected in step (c) to be displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of touchable input displays.

88. The method of claim 87 wherein a plurality of the touchable inputs are touched at the same time to cause a set of input display image data not selected in step (b) to be displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of touchable input displays.

89. The method of claim 87 wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile phone.

90. The method of claim 56 wherein there are a plurality of apparatuses, the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprise a control unit linked to the plurality of apparatuses, one of the plurality of sets of touchable input image display data is manually selected by a user of the control unit in step (b) to display image data from the selected set of touchable input display image data on a corresponding one of the plurality of touchable input displays in step (c) with the selected set of touchable input display image data being associated with one of the plurality of apparatuses, and another one of the plurality of sets of touchable image display data is manually selectable by a user in step (b) so as to cause touchable input display image data from the selected set of touchable input display image data to be displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of touchable input displays in step (c) with the selected set of touchable input display image data being associated with a different one of the plurality of apparatuses.

91. The method of claim 90 wherein the control unit is wirelessly linked to each one of the plurality of apparatuses.

92. A method of operating a control unit used to control an apparatus comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with at least one of the touchable inputs having a touchable input display;

(b) receiving image data from the Internet; and

(c) using the received image data from the Internet to cause an image to be displayed on the touchable input display.

93. The method of claim 92 wherein the apparatus being controlled by the control unit is a personal computer, the control unit comprises a computer keyboard, each one of the plurality of touchable inputs comprises a key of the computer keyboard and at least one of the keys of the computer keyboard includes the at least one touchable input display.

94. The method of claim 92 wherein the apparatus being controlled by the control unit is a mobile, the control unit comprises a keypad of the mobile phone, each one of the plurality of touchable inputs comprises a key of the keypad and at least one of the keys of the keypad includes the at least one touchable input display.

95. The method of claim 92 wherein the apparatus being controlled by the control unit is a gaming console, the control unit comprises a keyboard, each one of the plurality of touchable inputs comprises a key of the keyboard and at least one of the keys of the keyboard includes the at least one touchable input display.

96. A method of operating a control unit used to control an apparatus comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with each one of the plurality of touchable inputs comprising a touchable input display;

(b) receiving data via the Internet of at least one image and designating which of the plurality of touchable input displays is to display the at least one image; and

(c) displaying the at least one of the image on the designated touchable input display.

97. A method of operating a control unit used to control a computer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with each one of the plurality of touchable inputs comprising a touchable input display;

(b) receiving data from the computer of a plurality of images and designating which one of the plurality of images is to be displayed on which one of the plurality of touchable input displays; and

(c) displaying each one of the plurality of images on the designated touchable input display.

98. A method of operating a control unit used to control a computer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with each one of the plurality of touchable inputs comprising a touchable input display;

(b) receiving data from the computer comprised of a plurality of sets of images and designating which one of the plurality of images of one of the plurality of sets of images is to be displayed on which one of the plurality of touchable input displays; and

(c) displaying each one of the plurality of images of the one of the plurality of sets of images on the designated touchable input display.

99. A method of operating a control unit used to control a computer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with each one of the plurality of touchable inputs comprising a touchable input display;

(b) receiving data from the computer comprised of a plurality of sets of images and designating which one of the plurality of images of one of the plurality of sets of images is to be displayed on which one of the plurality of touchable input displays;

(c) displaying each one of the plurality of images of the one of the plurality of sets of images on the designated touchable input display; and

(d) causing each one of the plurality of images of the other one of the plurality of sets of images to be displayed on the designated touchable input display.

100. The method of claim 99 wherein in step (d) the computer causes each one of the plurality of images of the other one of the plurality of sets of images to be displayed on the designated touchable input display.

101. The method of claim 99 wherein in step (d) a user pressing a touchable input causes each one of the plurality of images of the other one of the plurality of sets of images to be displayed on the designated touchable input display.