Information Input Device for Portable Electronic Apparatus and Control Method

• US 20080165138A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Zhongqing
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

The present invention discloses an information input device for a portable electronic apparatus comprising a touch unit for perceiving the touch from a user and generating a change in current, a current detection unit for detecting said change in current and sending associated detection signal, an input information generating unit for generating input information based on said detection signal and an output interface for transferring said input information to said electronic apparatus, which further comprises: an input state acquisition unit for acquiring the input state when the user uses said portable electronic apparatus; and an input switch unit for parsing said input state and control the on and off of trackpad-type input of said portable electronic apparatus based on said input state. An information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An information input device for a portable electronic apparatus comprising a touch unit for perceiving the touch from a user and generating a change in current, a current detection unit for detecting said change in current and sending corresponding detection signal, an input information generating unit for generating input information based on said detection signal and an output interface for transferring said input information to said electronic apparatus, wherein said information input device further comprises:

an input state acquisition unit for acquiring the input state when the user uses said portable electronic apparatus; and

an input switch unit for parsing said input state and control the on and off of trackpad-type input of said portable electronic apparatus based on said input state.

2. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input state acquisition unit is an input state determiner which acquires the input state of said portable electronic apparatus based on the detection signal of said current detection unit.

3. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said input information generating unit, said input state acquisition unit and said input switch unit are elements separated from or integrated with each other or software modules executed by the processor of said information input device.

4. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said input state determiner is an area-calculating module which calculates the touched area of said touch unit based on said detection signal.

5. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input state acquisition unit is an input state detector which acquires the input state of said portable electronic apparatus based on the detection of the position of the user'"'"'s hand.

6. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said input state detector is used for detecting the position of the user'"'"'s hand and which may be a mechanical detector, an infrared detector, a visible light detector or an inductive detector.

7. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input switch unit is an output interface control unit, and the output interface is opened when it is determined that the input state is the user uses said input information device, otherwise the output interface is closed.

8. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input switch unit is an input information generation control unit, and said input information generating unit is turned on when it is determined that the input state is the user uses said input information device, otherwise said input information generating unit is turned off.

9. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input switch unit is a processor interface control unit, and the reception of input information by said electronic apparatus is enabled when it is determined that the input state is the user uses said input information device, otherwise the reception of input information by said electronic apparatus is prohibited.

10. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein said input state acquisition unit is an image acquirer which films the position of the user'"'"'s hand.

11. The information input device for a portable electronic apparatus according to any one of claim 10, wherein said input switch unit is an input reception control unit which is located in the processor of said portable electronic apparatus and parses the signal acquired by said an image acquirer, and the reception of input information by said electronic apparatus is enabled when it is determined that the input state is the user uses said input information device, otherwise the reception of input information by said electronic apparatus is prohibited.

12. An information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus, which is applicable to an electronic apparatus with a trackpad-type information input device and comprises:

1) acquiring the input state in which a user uses said portable electronic apparatus; and

2) parsing said input state and controlling the on and off of trackpad-type input of said portable electronic apparatus based on said input state.

13. The information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein acquiring comprises:

11) receiving a detection signal obtained by said trackpad-type information input device with respect to the user'"'"'s touch;

12) determining whether the user correctly uses said trackpad-type information input device based on said detection signal.

14. The information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein determining further comprises:

calculating the contact area between the user and said trackpad-type information input device based on said detection signal and comparing said contact area and a preset value;

if said contact area is less than the preset value, it means that the user uses said trackpad-type information input device correctly, otherwise it means the user misoperates said trackpad-type information input device.

15. The information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein further comprises:

1a) detecting the position of the user'"'"'s hand;

1b) determining whether the user intends to use said trackpad-type information input device based on said position of the user'"'"'s hand.

16. The information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said detecting can carried out with a mechanical detector, an infrared detector, a visible light detector or an inductive detector.

17. The information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein controlling further comprises:

the output interface of said trackpad-type information input device is opened when it is determined that the input state is the user uses said trackpad-type information input device, otherwise the output interface of said trackpad-type information input device is closed;

or the input information generating unit of said trackpad-type information input device is turned on when it is determined that the input state is the user uses said trackpad-type information input device, otherwise the input information generating unit of said trackpad-type information input device is turned off;

or

the reception of input information by said electronic apparatus is enabled when it is determined that the input state is the user uses said trackpad-type information input device, otherwise the reception of input information by said electronic apparatus is prohibited.

18. The information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein acquiring further comprises:

1A) filming the image of the position of the user'"'"'s hand using an image acquirer;

1B) sending said filmed image to said electronic apparatus; and

wherein

the parsing and controlling comprises that said electronic apparatus parses the signal acquired by said image acquirer, and the reception of input information by said electronic apparatus is enabled when it is determined that the input state is the user uses said input information device, otherwise the reception of input information by said electronic apparatus is prohibited.