CONTROL SYSTEMS INVOLVING NOVEL PHYSICAL CONTROLS AND TOUCH SCREENS

• US 20100182137A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Timothy R. Pryor
• Original Assignee: Timothy R. Pryor
• Inventors: Pryor, Timothy R.
• Application Number:
  US12/748,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182137A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.500
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/145 Instrument input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/126 Rotatable input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/145 Input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/06 of controls, e.g. controls knobs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatus, which enable the reconfigurable control of vehicles, homes, computers and other applications. Physical controls and virtual displayed controls on single and multipoint touch screens are used, separately or in combination to enable higher visibility and understanding of control information and easier operation of controls, particularly useful in stressful situations. Some embodiments use optical sensors and rear projection of displayed embodiments, and are advantageous where curved screens are desired such as in a car.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a system comprising:

providing a vehicle display controlled by a computer;

locating a plurality of physical control members proximate said vehicle display, the location of at least one of said members being used to input data to a system;

sensing, substantially simultaneously, said plurality of physical control members;

using data from said sensing means, and said computer, determining the position of at least one of said physical control members; and

controlling said system as a result of said sensed position.