THREE-DIMENSIONAL TOUCH PAD INPUT DEVICE

• US 20080024454A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Everest, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/461,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024454A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, method and computer application for electronic equipment 10 having a user input device that outputs information indicative of a location and an applied pressure of an object touching the user input device. Based on a change in the location and/or applied pressure of the object touching the user input device 20, information is processed move a cursor or other object displayed on a screen. Exemplary movements include zooming in on a portion of the display or zooming out on a portion of the display based upon detected asserted pressure on the user input device. In another embodiment, an object displayed on the display may be manipulated in a predetermined manner based on the signal received from the touchpad, which allows the display to be utilized in three-dimensional manner.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone comprising:

a processor;

a user input device for providing a signal to the processor, wherein the signal is indicative of a location and an applied pressure of an object touching the user input device;

a display coupled to the processor, wherein the display outputs an output signal corresponding to the signal; and

wherein, the processor causes the display to zoom in and/or zoom out based upon a change in the applied pressure.

2. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the user input device is a touchpad.

3. The mobile telephone of claim 2, wherein the touchpad is integrated in the mobile telephone.

4. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the user input device is a touch screen.

5. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein signal includes a first component related to the location and a second component related to the applied pressure.

6. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the output signal is in the form of a cursor.

7. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display.

8. The mobile telephone of claim 1, when the processor calculates increasing applied pressure, the display zooms in an area associated with the location.

9. The mobile telephone of claim 1, when the processor calculates decreasing applied pressure, the display zooms out of an area associated with the location.

10. A mobile telephone comprising:

a processor;

a touchpad for providing a signal to the processor, wherein the signal is indicative of a location and an applied pressure of an object touching the touchpad;

a display coupled to the processor, wherein the display outputs an output signal corresponding to the signal; and

wherein, the processor causes the display to zoom in and/or zoom out based upon a change in the applied pressure.

11. The mobile telephone of claim 10, wherein the touchpad is integrated in the mobile telephone.

12. The mobile telephone of claim 10, wherein signal includes a first component related to the location and a second component related to the applied pressure.

13. The mobile telephone of claim 10, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display.

14. The mobile telephone of claim 10, when the processor calculates increasing applied pressure, the display zooms in an area associated with the location.

15. The mobile telephone of claim 10, when the processor calculates decreasing applied pressure, the display zooms out of an area associated with the location.

16. A method for providing location information and applied pressure information to a processor, the method comprising:

providing a touchpad for providing a signal, wherein the signal is indicative of a location and an applied pressure of an object touching the touchpad;

receiving a signal from the object touching the touchpad;

outputting a signal indicative of the location and the applied pressure;

processing the signal in order to determine the location and the applied pressure; and

outputting an output signal on a display corresponding to the signal.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining whether the applied pressure is increasing and/or decreasing.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising zooming in on the location if applied pressure is increasing.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising zooming out on the location if applied pressure is decreasing.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing a tactile feedback based upon the determination of whether the applied pressure is increasing and/or decreasing.

21. A computer program stored on a machine readable medium in a mobile telephone, the program being suitable for receiving location information and applied pressure information from a touchpad, wherein when the touchpad determines an increase and/or a decrease in applied pressure, a display associated with the mobile telephone zooms in and/or zooms out based upon the amount of applied pressure detected.

22. A method for manipulating an object on a display, the method comprising:

displaying an object on a display;

selecting the object with a touchpad, wherein the touchpad provides a signal indicative of a location and an applied pressure of an object touching the touchpad; and

manipulating the displayed with the user input device;

outputting a signal indicative of the location and the applied pressure from the step of manipulation;

processing the signal in order to determine the location and the applied pressure; and

outputting an output signal on a display corresponding to the signal.