INPUT DEVICE FOR FOLDABLE DISPLAY DEVICE AND INPUT METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100103133A1
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun Jin, Park, Min Kyu, Park, Yong Gook
• Granted Patent: US 8,564,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member

Abstract

An input apparatus including an electronic pen and a terminal having a foldable display unit is provided. An electronic pen generates an ultrasonic signal and an infrared signal. A terminal detects the ultrasonic signal and the infrared signal and calculates coordinate information of the electronic pen based on the received ultrasonic signal and the infrared signal. The terminal determines coordinate information of the electronic pen with respect to the foldable display unit by measuring a folding angle of the foldable display unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic pen configured to generate an ultrasonic signal and an infrared signal; and

a terminal comprising a foldable display unit, the terminal configured to detect the ultrasonic signal and the infrared signal, and to determine coordinate information of the electronic pen based on the ultrasonic signal, the infrared signal, and a folding angle of the foldable display unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic pen comprises:

a pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure signal in response to the electronic pen contacting a point on the foldable display unit;

an ultrasonic generator configured to generate the ultrasonic signal in response to the pressure signal;

an infrared ray generator configured to generate the infrared signal in response to the pressure signal;

a power supply unit configured to supply power to the ultrasonic generator and the infrared ray generator; and

a processor configured to control power supplied by the power supply unit, and to control the ultrasonic generator to generate the ultrasonic signal and the infrared ray generator to generate the infrared signal in response to the pressure signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises:

an ultrasonic sensor unit comprising a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor, wherein the first ultrasonic sensor is configured to determine a first distance to the electronic pen based on the ultrasonic signal and the second ultrasonic sensor is configured to determine a second distance to the electronic pen based on the ultrasonic signal;

an infrared sensor unit configured to determine a third distance to the electronic pen based on the infrared signal;

an angle sensor unit configured to determine the folding angle of the foldable display unit; and

a controller configured to receive the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, the folding angle, and a fourth distance between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor, and to calculate the coordinate information of the electronic pen using the folding angle, the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and the fourth distance.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller comprises:

a sensor value receiving unit configured to receive the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and the folding angle;

a coordinate value calculation unit configured to calculate the coordinate information of the electronic pen using the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and the folding angle; and

an input signal application unit configured to activate a function of the terminal associated with a display map output to the display unit, the display map being mapped to the coordinate information.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the coordinate value calculation unit calculates a fifth distance between the electronic pen and a first side of the display unit where the ultrasonic sensor unit, the infrared sensor unit, and the angle sensor unit are situated, calculates a straight distance between an edge and a point where the display unit is folded, the edge being an intersection of the first side and a second side of the display unit, and calculates a sixth distance using the folding angle, the sixth distance being a shortest distance between the electronic pen and the point where the display unit is folded.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the foldable display unit is configured to display a display map comprising at least one of a key map, a menu map, and a link map, and

wherein the terminal further comprises a storage unit configured to store the display map.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller activates a function of the terminal allocated to a second point of the display map when a first point indicated by the coordinate information matches the second point of the display map.

8. An input method of an apparatus comprising an electronic pen and a terminal having a foldable display unit, the input method comprising:

determining a first distance between a first ultrasonic sensor unit of the terminal and the electronic pen in response to the first ultrasonic sensor unit detecting an ultrasonic signal generated by the electronic pen;

determining a second distance between a second ultrasonic sensor unit of the terminal and the electronic pen in response to the second ultrasonic sensor unit detecting the ultrasonic signal;

detecting a third distance between an infrared sensor unit of the terminal and the electronic pen in response to the infrared sensor unit detecting an infrared signal generated by the electronic pen;

calculating a fifth distance, the fifth distance being a shortest distance between the electronic pen and a first side of the display unit, the first ultrasonic sensor, the second ultrasonic sensor, and the infrared sensor being situated on the first side, wherein the fifth distance is calculated using the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and a fourth distance between the first ultrasonic sensor and the second ultrasonic sensor;

determining a folding angle of the foldable display unit; and

calculating coordinate information on the display unit of the electronic pen by using the folding angle, the fifth distance, and a straight distance between an edge of the first side and a point where the display unit is folded.

9. The input method of claim 8, further comprising displaying, on the foldable display unit, a display map.

10. The input method of claim 9, further comprising activating a function of the display map corresponding to the coordinate information.

11. The input method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating, by the electronic pen, an input signal in response to the electronic pen contacting a point on the display unit; and

generating, by the electronic pen, the ultrasonic signal and the infrared signal in response to generation of the input signal.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic pen configured to generate at least one signal; and

a terminal comprising a foldable display unit, the terminal configured to detect the at least one signal and determine coordinate information of the electronic pen based on the at least one signal and a folding angle of the foldable display unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one signal comprises a first signal and a second signal different from the first signal, and the terminal is configured to detect the first signal and the second signal and to determine the coordinate information of the electronic pen based on the first signal, the second signal, and the folding angle of the foldable display unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first signal is an ultrasonic signal, and the second signal is an infrared signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the electronic pen comprises:

a pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure signal;

an ultrasonic generator configured to generate the first signal in response to the pressure signal; and

an infrared ray generator configured to generate the second signal in response to the pressure signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the terminal comprises:

an ultrasonic sensor unit comprising at least one ultrasonic sensor, wherein the ultrasonic sensor unit detects the first signal and determines a first distance from the ultrasonic sensor unit to the electronic pen based on the first signal;

an infrared sensor unit comprising an infrared sensor to detect the second signal, wherein the infrared sensor unit determines a second distance from the infrared sensor to the electronic pen based on the infrared signal;

an angle sensor unit configured to determine the folding angle; and

a controller configured to calculate the coordinate information based on the first distance, the second distance, and the folding angle.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ultrasonic sensor unit detects a third signal generated by the ultrasonic generator, wherein the ultrasonic sensor unit comprises a first ultrasonic sensor to detect the first signal and a second ultrasonic sensor to detect the third signal, and wherein the controller calculates the coordinate information based on a third distance associated with the third signal.