Computer Input Device

• US 20090051659A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Soitec Silicon On Insulator Technologies SA (Soitec S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Soitec Silicon On Insulator Technologies SA (Soitec S.A.)
• Inventors: Mickelborough, Phillip John
• Application Number:
  US11/793,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20090051659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence

Abstract

A device (1) for data entry into an electronic device such as a computer, personal digital assistant (PDA) or mobile phone is provided, comprising thumb and finger touch pads (5,3), arranged on the device in a pattern corresponding to the natural thumb and finger tip positions of the thumb and fingers when relaxed; each finger pad (3) extending in backward and forward directions; the thumb pad (5) extending in left and right directions; position detecting means to detect the position of the thumb and each finger tip along each of the thumb and finger pads (5,3); finger data selection means to select for each finger a character or instruction corresponding to the detected position of a finger tip when in contact with a finger pad (3); thumb option selection means to select an option corresponding to the detected position of the thumb when in contact with the thumb pad (5); selection display means to display the character or instruction selected on each finger pad (3) according to the option selected on the thumb pad (5); and data entry detecting means to detect lifting of a finger from a finger pad (3) and enter a character or instruction into the electronic device based on the character or instruction selected on the finger pad (3) for which lifting is detected and based on the option selected on the thumb pad (5). Instead of touch pads, pressure cups can be used.

Claims

1. A device for data entry into an electronic device having a screen, comprising:

a first touch pad (5) for the thumb and two to four touch pads (3,4) for the fingers, arranged on the device in a pattern corresponding to the natural thumb and finger tip positions of the thumb and fingers when relaxed;

each finger touch pad (3,4) extending in backward and forward directions from a reference point along a line or arc corresponding to the natural path of the finger tips followed when the fingers are flexed and extended;

the thumb touch pad (5) extending in left and right directions from a reference point along a line or arc corresponding to the natural path of the thumb followed when the thumb is moved left and right;

position detecting means to detect the position of the thumb and each finger tip along each of the thumb and finger touch pads (3,4,5), wherein a plurality of positions in the backward direction and a plurality of positions in the forward direction from the reference point of each finger touch pad (3,4) are detectable;

finger data selection means to select for each finger a character or instruction corresponding to the detected position of a finger tip when in contact with a finger touch pad (3,4);

thumb option selection means to select an option corresponding to the detected position of the thumb when in contact with the thumb touch pad (5);

selection display means to display on the screen the character or instruction selected on each finger touch pad (3,4) according to the option selected on the thumb touch pad (5); and

data entry detecting means to detect tapping or lifting of a finger on or from a finger touch pad (3,4) and enter a selected character or instruction displayed on the screen into the electronic device based on the character or instruction selected on the finger touch pad (3,4) for which tapping or lifting is detected and based on the option selected on the thumb touch pad (5).

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said data entry detecting means detects tapping of a finger on a finger touch pad (3,4) and enters a displayed, selected character or instruction into the electronic device based on the character or instruction selected on the finger touch pad (3,4) for which tapping is detected and based on the option selected on the thumb touch pad (5).

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said data entry detecting means detects lifting of a finger momentarily from a finger touch pad (3,4) and enters a displayed, selected character or instruction into the electronic device based on the character or instruction selected on the finger touch pad (3,4) for which lifting is detected and based on the option selected on the thumb touch pad (5).

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the number of finger touch pads (3,4) is four.

5. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a second thumb touch pad (5), wherein the first and second thumb touch pads (5) are disposed one on either side of the finger touch pads (3,4), for either-handed data entry.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the thumb touch pad (5) is disposed below the finger touch pads (3,4) and is sufficiently large to enable either-handed data entry.

7. A device according to claim 1, in paired combination with another said device of opposite- or either-handedness, for two hand data entry.

8. A device according to claim 1, further comprising pointing means wherein in the absence of any position detected on one or two of the finger touch pads (3,4), the pointing means points or moves a cursor and enters instructions, based on finger positions detected on one or two other finger touch pads (3,4) and on the thumb touch pad (5).

9. A device according to claim 1, further comprising pointing means wherein in the absence of any position detected on the finger touch pads (3,4), the pointing means points or moves a cursor and enters instructions, based on positions detected on the thumb touch pad (5).

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of positions detectable in each of the backward and forward directions from the reference point for each finger touch pad (3,4) is 4.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein 3 to 6 positions are detectable for the thumb touch pad (5).

12. A device according to claim 1, further comprising selection availability display means to display on the screen some or all of the characters or instructions available for selection on each finger touch pad (3,4) according to the option selected on the thumb touch pad (5).

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a computer, PDA or mobile phone.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a computer and the data entry device further comprises a mounting for ergonomically orienting the data entry device for the user.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said mounting is adjustable to enable the data entry device to be oriented in any of a plurality of positions.

16. A device according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a computer and the data entry device further comprises a wrist support and power control means operable via the wrist support, for controlling the power supply or power management for the data entry device.

17. A device according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone having touch pads arranged thereon and operable for left- or right-handed use as a thumb touch pad (5) and four finger touch pads (3,4) with the thumb touch pad (5) disposed on one side face of the phone and the four finger touch pads (3,4) disposed on the other side face of the phone.

18. A device according to claim 17, further comprising a touch pad (7) operable for the ball of the thumb disposed on said one side face of the phone below the thumb touch pad (5).

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein the position detecting means can further detect the ball of the thumb on its touch pad (7), and the device further comprises device activating means to activate the device only when the position detecting means has detected all of the thumb tip, finger tips and ball of the thumb on their respective touch pads (3,4,5,7).

20. A device according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a personal digital assistant (PDA) having a thumb touch pad (5) and four finger touch pads (3,4) arranged thereon with the thumb touch pad (5) disposed on a minor face of the PDA and the four finger touch pads (3,4) disposed on an external major or internal major face of the PDA.

21. A device according to claim 1, wherein the selection display means displays the selected characters or instructions on the screen in a fixed or moving window portion (6) thereof.

22. A device according to claim 21, wherein said window portion (6) is moved progressively along with the character entry position or text cursor as the characters or instructions are entered.

23. A device according to claim 1, wherein the thumb touch pad (5) and four finger touch pads (3,4) are part of one large touch pad that can identify the position, movement and contact area of more than one finger.

24. A device according to claim 1, wherein the thumb touch pad (5) and four finger touch pads (3,4) are separate touch pads.