INPUT DEVICE

• US 20090079695A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tatehata, Naoki, Kimata, Teruyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/235,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079695A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A dial is displayed in display unit showing a plurality of menus, and a control unit connected to an operation unit and the display unit rotates the dial in response to the move of a finger on the operation unit, and thereby a desired menu is selected, and when selecting the menu shown in the display unit, while the finger is touching the operation unit, the dial is rotated by observing the display unit, so that the menu can be selected. Hence, it is not necessary to observe visually the operating position of the operation unit every time, and the input device capable of controlling various operations of an appliance by a simple manipulation can be obtained.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a display unit showing a plurality of menus;

an operation unit having a plurality of operation keys; and

a control unit connected to the operation unit and the display unit,

wherein a dial is shown in the display unit, and the control unit rotates the dial in response to move of a finger on the operation unit, and selects the menu.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein a marker is provided at a specified position of the dial.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the operation unit has a touch pad, and a plurality of operation keys disposed on the touch pad, and when the finger touches the operation unit, the control unit detects a position of the operation unit touched by the finger through the touch pad.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the menu display of the display unit in response to a moving speed of the finger.