Inputting device for electronic products and method for interacting with a graphical user interface

• US 20070132715A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Original Assignee: Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Inventors: Liu, Ming-Hsiung
• Application Number:
  US11/299,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20070132715A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

An inputting device for electronic products and method for interacting with a graphical user interface, wherein the inputting device for electronic products has a plurality of mechanical reactors to lower the cost and make maintenance easier compared to the prior art. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface of the present invention provides an action-operating mode and a text-operating mode, which not only provides the user using their thumb or fingers with kind and convenient advantages, but also allows them to directly execute commands or searching for files or data by inputting numbers or letters. The inputting device of the present invention further uses the principle of fuzzy logic.

Claims

1. An inputting device for electronic products, comprising:

a circuit board having a plurality of mechanical reactors and a cable for outputting signals, said plurality of mechanical reactors arranged in an annular-manner adjacently; and

a protective layer covering said circuit board and said mechanical reactors.

2. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 1, wherein said mechanical reactors respectively match with an inputting signal.

3. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 1, wherein said circuit board has at least twelve mechanical reactors respectively representing a number/symbol, or at least twenty-six mechanical reactors respectively representing a letter of the English alphabet.

4. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 1, wherein each said mechanical reactors has a pair of contacts formed on said circuit board, an elastic element for conducting the pair of contacts, and a separating layer disposed between said circuit board and said protective layer, and said separating layer is formed with a plurality of openings corresponding to said elastic elements.

5. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 4, wherein said elastic element is a metal dome.

6. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 1, further comprises a central button, said central button is disposed at a central position of said mechanical reactors.

7. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 6, wherein said central button is disposed on an upper surface or a lower surface of said circuit board.

8. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 1, wherein said mechanical reactors are divided into a plurality of operating regions, and the mechanical reactors are arranged in respective said operating regions and represent an identical command.

9. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 8, wherein the mechanical reactor covering two of the operating regions represents a null command.

10. The inputting device for electronic products as in claim 8, wherein said mechanical reactors are divided into four main operating regions, and each of said main operating regions is divided into three secondary operating regions.

12. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 1, wherein a signal of said inputting mode is produced by said central button of said input device.

13. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 12, wherein a signal of said inputting mode is changed according to a predetermined turn when pressing said central button continually.

14. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 13, wherein said inputting mode comprises an action-operating mode and a text-operating mode.

15. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 14, further comprises a step of judging whether the plurality of signals from the mechanical reactors are changing continuously.

16. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the following steps when the plurality of signals from the mechanical reactors are changing continuously:

transforming said continuous signals to a linear action; and

applying said linear action to at least one object of said graphical user interface.

17. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the following step when the plurality of signals from the mechanical reactors are not changing continuously:

transforming said plurality of signals to a command corresponding to the operating regions belonged to said signals.

18. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 14, wherein said method further comprises the following step when the inputting mode is at text operation mode:

comparing the strength of the plurality of signals from the mechanical reactors.

19. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of comparing the strength of the plurality of signals depends upon a current strength produced by pressing the mechanical reactors.

20. The method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product as claimed in claim 19, wherein said method further comprises:

transforming the signal with the strongest strength to a matching text; and

outputting the text to said graphical user interface.

11. A method for interacting with a graphical user interface produced by an inputting device of an electronic product, said inputting device having a plurality of mechanical reactors arranged in an annular-manner and a central button disposed at a central position of said mechanical reactors, said reactors being divided into a plurality of operating regions, said method comprising the following steps:

receiving a signal of an inputting mode from said inputting device;

transforming said electronic product to said selected inputting mode and displaying said mode on said graphical user interface;

receiving a plurality of signals from the mechanical reactors produced by a user'"'"'s inputting actions;

transforming the plurality of signals into a corresponding operating command according to said inputting mode; and

applying said operating command to said graphical user interface.