METHOD OF GENERATING KEY CODE IN COORDINATE RECOGNITION DEVICE AND APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20100026530A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Heo, Ji Min, Lee, Jae Kyung
• Application Number:
  US12/442,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026530A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a key code in a coordinate recognition device (video device controller 120) enable key code generation by a single instance of manipulation of a controller (140) by a user, obviating repetitive keypad manipulation and thereby facilitating controller operation. A coordinate recognition (120) device is provided with a touch pad (110) having a touch pattern of a predetermined shape, enabling a touch trajectory to be recognized in a simple manner. The apparatus includes a touch pad (110) having a predetermined touch pattern; a coordinate recognition unit (120) for recognizing coordinate values corresponding to a touch trajectory executed with respect to the touch pad (110), a controller (140) for calculating values of a direction, speed, and distance of the touch trajectory using the recognized coordinate values and for outputting a movement command signal based on the calculated values; and a key code generator (150) for generating a key code corresponding to the movement command signal. The method includes steps of recognizing coordinate values corresponding to a touch trajectory executed with respect to a touch pad (110) having a predetermined touch pattern; calculating a direction, speed, and distance of the touch trajectory using the recognized coordinate values; and generating a movement command signal corresponding to the calculated values, the generated movement command signal corresponding to a specific key code.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a key code in a coordinate recognition device, the apparatus comprising:

a touch pad having a predetermined touch pattern;

a coordinate recognition unit for recognizing coordinate values corresponding to a touch trajectory executed with respect to said touch pad;

a controller for calculating values of a direction, speed, and distance of the touch trajectory using the recognized coordinate values and for outputting a movement command signal based on the calculated values; and

a key code generator for generating a key code corresponding to the movement command signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined touch pattern of said touch pad is one selected from the group consisting of a vertically oriented rectangular shape, a horizontally oriented rectangular shape, a round annular shape, a hexagonal annular shape, a square annular shape, a downwardly curved crescent shape, an upwardly curved crescent shape, a cross-type shape, and a hybrid pattern formed of at least two of the rectangular, annular, and crescent shapes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein any one of the round annular shape, hexagonal annular shape, and square annular shape is formed to foster one of a circular touch trajectory and an elliptical touch trajectory.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the predetermined touch pattern is a hybrid pattern formed of at least two of the shapes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a selection button for selectively enabling elements of the hybrid pattern.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the selection button is arranged in a hollow of the predetermined touch pattern.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller determines a type of motion being executed for the touch trajectory according to a touch motion applied to said touch pad.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the determined motion type is one of an up/down motion, a right/left motion, and a circular motion.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a key signal input unit, having a plurality of keys, for generating a key signal input to said controller according to a user selection of at least one of the keys.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller calculates the touch trajectory values according to a key input signal supplied by a user.

11. A method of generating a key code in a coordinate recognition device, the method comprising:

recognizing coordinate values corresponding to a touch trajectory executed with respect to a touch pad having a predetermined touch pattern;

calculating a direction, speed, and distance of the touch trajectory using the recognized coordinate values; and

generating a movement command signal corresponding to the calculated values, the generated movement command signal corresponding to a key code output to control a video device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing in memory a plurality of key codes for controlling the video device, the stored key codes arranged according to speed, time, and distance of the touch trajectory,

wherein the key code is output to the video device with reference to the stored key codes.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing in memory information of the touch pad, the stored information including a full set of coordinate values corresponding to the predetermined touch pattern.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the stored information further includes values of distances between the coordinate values of the predetermined touch pattern and values of directions between the coordinate values of the predetermined touch pattern.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the coordinate values of the predetermined touch pattern are stored by a manufacturer of the coordinate recognition device.

16. The method of claim 11, said command signal generating comprising:

determining, by referencing the stored information, the direction and distance of the touch trajectory according to the recognized coordinate values of the touch trajectory, to calculate the speed of the touch trajectory by dividing the determined distance by a positive integer representative of a touch trajectory time.

17. The method of claim 11, said command signal generating comprising:

determining, by referencing the stored information, the direction of the touch trajectory according to the recognized coordinate values of the touch trajectory; and

finding an x-coordinate movement distance of the touch pad and a y-coordinate movement distance of the touch pad according to the recognized coordinate values of the touch trajectory, to calculate the distance of the touch trajectory based on the coordinate movement distances of the touch pad and to calculate the speed of the touch trajectory by dividing the calculated distance by a positive integer representative of a touch trajectory time.

18. The method of claim 11, said command signal generating comprising:

determining, by referencing the stored information, the direction and distance of the touch trajectory according to the recognized coordinate values of the touch trajectory; and

finding a time of the touch trajectory using a step counter, to calculate the speed of the touch trajectory by dividing the determined distance by the time of the touch trajectory.

19. The method of claim 11, said command signal generating comprising:

determining, by referencing the stored information, the direction of the touch trajectory according to the recognized coordinate values of the touch trajectory;

finding an x-coordinate movement distance of the touch pad and a y-coordinate movement distance of the touch pad according to the recognized coordinate values of the touch trajectory, to calculate the distance of the touch trajectory based on the coordinate movement distances of the touch pad; and

finding a time of the touch trajectory using a step counter, to calculate the speed of the touch trajectory by dividing the calculated distance by the time of the touch trajectory.

20. The method of claim 11, said command signal generating comprising:

dividing the predetermined touch pattern of the touch pad into a plurality of touch pattern areas; and

respectively storing in memory information including one set of coordinate values corresponding to each of the plurality of touch pattern areas, the stored information further including an indication of a distance between each of the plurality of touch pattern areas,

wherein the distance of the touch trajectory is calculated using the stored distance information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the touch pattern areas are arranged such that adjacent areas are spaced equidistantly from one another.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined touch pattern includes one of a rectangular touch pattern and a crescent touch pattern.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, if the executed touch trajectory travels in a first direction with respect to at least two of the touch pattern areas, the direction of the touch trajectory is determined as an increasing direction and wherein, if the executed touch trajectory travels in a second direction with respect to at least two of the touch pattern areas, the direction of the touch trajectory is determined as a decreasing direction.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined touch pattern includes an annular touch pattern.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein, if the executed touch trajectory is clockwise with respect to at least two of the touch pattern areas, the direction of the touch trajectory is determined as a first direction and wherein, if the executed touch trajectory is counterclockwise with respect to at least two of the touch pattern areas, the direction of the touch trajectory is determined as a second direction.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

counting, using an internal clock, a time corresponding to the execution of the touch trajectory,

wherein the speed of the touch trajectory is calculated using the counted time.

27. The method of claim 11, said command signal generating comprising:

assigning x- and y-axes to an area of the touch pad corresponding to the predetermined touch pattern;

dividing the touch pad area along the x axis into an upper y-axis area and a lower y-axis area; and

reconfiguring the touch pad area for point-for-point symmetry between the upper and lower y-axis areas, centering vertically on a maximum x-coordinate point of the touch pad area, to thereby reposition coordinates of the lower y-axis area,

wherein the direction and speed of the touch trajectory are calculated using the repositioned x-axis coordinates.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the x-axis coordinate of the repositioned lower y-axis area is expressed by

$x^{\prime }$

= L 2 + ( L 2 - x )

where x′

is the x-axis coordinate of the repositioned lower y-axis area, where x is the x-coordinate of the lower y-axis area without said reconfiguring of the touch pad area, and where L is twice the maximum x-coordinate value.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the direction of the touch trajectory is determined as a first direction if a difference between an x-axis value of start and end coordinates of the touch trajectory is greater than zero and wherein the direction of the touch trajectory is determined as a second direction if a difference between an x-axis value of start and end coordinates of the touch trajectory is less than zero.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the speed of the touch trajectory is calculated by dividing an absolute value of a difference between an x-axis value of start and end coordinates of the touch trajectory by a positive integer representative of a touch trajectory time.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the speed of the touch trajectory is calculated according to a touch trajectory time obtained using an internal clock.

32. The method of claim 11, wherein the key code includes a signal for moving an object on an on-screen display of the video device, the moved object controlling a function of the video device.