PORTABLE DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A COMPUTER AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20070115266A1
• Filed: 10/09/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hsieh, Kuan-Hong, Lin, Tay-Yang, Liu, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/309,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20070115266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A method for controlling a computer via a portable device is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing an input unit configured in the portable device for operational inputs; providing an operation interface for selecting either one of a computer controlled mode and a portable device controlled mode if the portable device is connected to the computer, wherein the input unit serves as an input unit for the computer in the computer controlled mode, and the input unit serves the audio signal generating device in the portable device controlled mode; receiving an operational input from the input unit, and generating a control signal corresponding to the operational input; translating the control signal to a control instruction according to input mappings and transmitting the control instruction to the computer, if the input unit of the portable device is in the computer controlled mode; and performing operations corresponding to the control instruction. A portable device for controlling a computer is also provided.

Claims

1. A portable device for controlling a computer which has a central processing unit (CPU) and a computer interface, the portable device comprising:

a device interface;

an input unit for receiving an operational input, and for generating a control signal corresponding to the operational input;

a microcontroller unit (MCU) electrically connected to the device interface and the input unit;

an operation interface for selecting either one of a computer controlled mode and a portable device controlled mode if the device interface is connected to the computer interface, wherein the input unit serves as an input unit for the computer in the computer controlled mode, and the input unit serves the audio signal generating device in the portable device controlled mode;

wherein the MCU translates the control signal into a control instruction according to input mappings and transmits the control instruction to the computer via the computer interface in the computer controlled mode, and the CPU executes the control instruction.

2. The portable device as described in claim 1, wherein the MCU performs the operation corresponding to the control signal in the portable device controlled mode.

3. The portable device as described in claim 1, wherein a form of the operation interface is selected from a menu option form and a key form.

4. The portable device as described in claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing the input mappings for the operational input.

5. A method for controlling a computer via a portable device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an input unit configured in the portable device for operational inputs;

providing an operation interface for selecting either one of a computer controlled mode and a portable device controlled mode if the portable device is connected to the computer, wherein the input unit serves as an input unit for the computer in the computer controlled mode, and the input unit serves the audio signal generating device in the portable device controlled mode;

receiving an operational input from the input unit, and generating a control signal corresponding to the operational input;

translating the control signal to a control instruction according to input mappings and transmitting the control instruction to the computer, if the input unit of the portable device is in the computer controlled mode; and

performing operations corresponding to the control instruction.

6. The method as described in claim 5, wherein a form of the operation interface is selected from a menu option form and a key form.