Remotely operated input system

• US 20080148187A1
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Miyata, Masahiko, Hiroe, Terukazu
• Application Number:
  US12/000,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20080148187A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/122 Instrument input devices with reconfigurable control functions, e.g. reconfigurable menus
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A display type input system is installed in a vehicle as an input machine. The display type input system displays various button selection determination screens of a menu screen, a destination setting screen, an audio setting screen, etc., on a display in the vehicle and allows the user to move a button focus on the display with a remote input device distant from the display to select and determine any desired item button, thereby causing the vehicle to execute the vehicle-installed function responsive to the button. A determination button operated by the user to determine the selected item button is laid out for the screens.

Claims

1. A remotely operated input system comprising:

a display;

a display controller that controls the display to display a function selection screen in which various item buttons and a determination region are laid out;

an input device that is separated from the display and allows an operator to perform determination operation of the various item buttons by designating an absolute position and moving a selection coordinate position on the screen based on the designated absolute position; and

a function execution unit that recognizes the item button in which the selection coordinate position is placed just before the selection coordinate position is placed in the determination region and executes a function of the recognized item button.

2. The remotely operated input system according to claim 1, wherein the display controller controls the display to display the determination region as a determination button different from the item buttons.

3. The remotely operated input system according to claim 1, wherein the various item buttons and the determination region in the function selection screen are arranged so that the selection coordinate position operated by the operator can be moved to one common determination region directly from any of the item buttons.

4. The remotely operated input system according to claim 1, wherein

the display controller lays out, in a display coordinate region of the item buttons, a selection coordinate region in which the selection coordinate position is to be placed when the item button is selected and a determination coordinate region in which the selection coordinate position is to be placed when the selected item button is determined, and

when the selection coordinate position is placed in the determination coordinate region, the function execution unit executes a function of the selection coordinate region in which the selection coordinate position is placed just before the selection coordinate position is placed in the determination coordinate region.

5. The remotely operated input system according to claim 4, wherein

the determination coordinate region includes a plurality of selection determination coordinate regions which are shifted in a predetermined direction,

when the selection coordinate position is placed on one of the plurality of selection determination coordinate regions, a content of the item button is shifted by one in a shifting direction corresponding to the predetermined direction.

6. The remotely operated input system according to claim 4, wherein the display controller lays out, in the function selection screen, a neutral coordinate region which connects the contiguous item buttons for allowing the operator to move the selection coordinate position from one of the item buttons to another.

7. The remotely operated input system according to claim 1, wherein the display controller lays out, in the function selection screen, a return region for returning a displayed screen to a preceding screen when the selection coordinate position is placed on the return region.

8. The remotely operated input system according to claim 1 further comprising a click feel generation mechanism for generating a click feel for operation of the input device when the item button or the determination region placed in a selection state with the selection coordinate position is switched to another button or another coordinate region.

9. The remotely operated input system according to claim 1, wherein when the selection coordinate position is placed in the determination region, the function execution unit immediately executes the function of the recognized item button.

10. The remotely operated input system according to claim 1, the remotely operated input system is used as an input channel of a vehicle-installed machine.