Apparatus for controlling digital device based on touch input interface capable of visual input feedback and method for the same

• US 20090090568A1
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Melfas Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Melfas Incorporated
• Inventors: Min, Dong Jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a digital device, which controls the digital device by using a sensor sensing a touch of a human body, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling a digital device, which controls a digital device via a touch sensor and provides feedback information based on touch information of a sensor. The digital device control apparatus comprises a sensor including a plurality of touch-sensitive switches separated from each other by a certain distance and sensing user'"'"'s touch on the touch-sensitive switches for generating touch information; a control information generating unit generating control information for controlling the mobile device based on the touch information; a control unit controlling the mobile device according to the generated control information; a feedback information generating unit generating feedback information based on the touch information; and a plurality of light-emitting devices visually displaying the feedback information to the user corresponding to the plurality of the touch-sensitive switches. According to the present invention, the user may clearly recognize the plurality of the touch-sensitive switches being touched.

Claims

1. A mobile device controlled by a touch input of a user, comprising:

a sensor including a plurality of touch-sensitive switches separated from each other by a certain distance and sensing a touch of the user on the touch-sensitive switches for generating touch information;

a control information generating unit generating control information for controlling the mobile device based on the touch information;

a control unit controlling the mobile device according to the generated control information;

a feedback information generating unit generating feedback information based on the touch information; and

a plurality of light-emitting devices visually displaying the feedback information to the user corresponding to the plurality of the touch-sensitive switches.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the light-emitting devices is a light-emitting diode.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are located within a predetermined range from the relevant touch-sensitive switch.

4. An apparatus for controlling a digital device based on a touch input of a user, comprising:

a sensor including a plurality of touch-sensitive switches separated from each other by a certain distance and sensing a touch of the user on the touch-sensitive switches for generating touch information;

a feedback information generating unit generating feedback information based on the touch information; and

a feedback display unit visually displaying the feedback information to the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the feedback display unit comprises a plurality of light-emitting devices corresponding to the plurality of touch-sensitive switches.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are light-emitting diodes, respectively.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the light-emitting devices are located within a predetermined range from the relevant touch-sensitive switches.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the light-emitting devices emit light with respect to the time when the user touches the relevant touch-sensitive switches.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the light-emitting devices emit light in different brightness or different colors according to the touch information.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the feedback information is determined according to a control state of the digital device.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensor and the feedback information generating unit are embodied in a single chip.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the feedback information generating unit is embodied in a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

13. A method of controlling a digital device based on a touch input of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

generating touch information by sensing a touch of the user on a plurality of touch-sensitive switches separated from each other by a certain distance;

generating control information for controlling the digital device based on the touch information;

controlling the digital device according to the generated control information;

generating feedback information based on the touch information; and

visually displaying the feedback information to the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, in the step of visually displaying the feedback information to the user, the feedback information is displayed using a plurality of light-emitting devices corresponding to the plurality of touch-sensitive switches.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the light-emitting devices are located within a predetermined range from the relevant touch-sensitive switches.

16. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for executing the method according to claim 13 is recorded.