DETECTING A USER INPUT WITH AN INPUT DEVICE

• US 20100214257A1
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evertz Audio Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Studer Professional Audio GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wussler, René, Huber, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,310,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

An input device and methods for detecting user input using an input device. An example input device includes a multi-touch sensing display configured to detect multiple simultaneous triggers on a surface of the multi-touch sensing display as distinct input events. The input device also includes at least one mechanical control element arranged on the surface of the multi-touch sensing display. The at least one mechanical control element is configured to generate an input event. The input event is detected by the multi-touch sensing display in response to actuation of the at least one mechanical control element.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a multi-touch sensing display configured to detect multiple simultaneous triggers on a surface of the multi-touch sensing display as distinct input events; and

at least one mechanical control element arranged on the surface of the multi-touch sensing display, the at least one mechanical control element configured to generate an input event, the input event being detected by the multi-touch sensing display in response to actuation of the at least one mechanical control element.

2. The input device of claim 1 where the multi-touch sensing display is configured to detect multiple simultaneous triggers that include touches, near-touches, or a combination thereof as distinct input events.

3. The input device of claim 1 where the at least one mechanical control element is mounted to the surface of the multi-touch sensing display.

4. The input device of claim 1 comprising:

at least two mechanical control elements, where the multi-touch sensing display is adapted to detect a simultaneous actuation of the at least two mechanical control elements as separate input events.

5. The input device of claim 1 where the at least one mechanical control element includes a trigger element that triggers the input event when the trigger element touches or comes within a predetermined distance of the surface at a position, where the multi-touch sensing display is adapted to detect the position at which the input event is triggered.

6. The input device of claim 4 where the control element includes a movable component, the trigger element being arranged on the movable component such that when actuating the control element by moving the movable component, the multi-touch sensing display detects the movement of the trigger element relative to the surface.

7. The input device of claim 6 where the movable component is configured to move the trigger element in a plane substantially parallel to the surface at a distance to the surface at which it triggers an input event when actuating the control element, so that input events are successively triggered for different positions at the surface.

8. The input device of claim 6 where the movable component is configured to move the trigger element, when actuating the control element, substantially perpendicular to the surface between a position with a first distance to the surface and a position with a second distance to the surface chosen such that the movement of the trigger element triggers the input event.

9. The input device of claim 1 further comprising:

a processing unit, where the multi-touch sensing display is configured to detect a position of the input event generated by the control element and where the processing unit is adapted to assign a value to a parameter controlled by the mechanical control element in dependence on the position at which the input event was detected.

10. The input device of claim 9 where the input device is connected to an audio mixing device, the parameter controlling a function of the audio mixing device.

11. The input device of claim 1 where the multi-touch sensing display includes one of a capacitive touchscreen panel, an inductive touchscreen panel, and a total internal reflection based touchscreen panel.

12. The input device of claim 1 where the multi-touch sensing display includes a display unit with an integrated array of optical sensors.

13. The input device of claim 12 where the integrated array of optical sensors includes a liquid crystal display unit.

14. The input device of claim 1 where the multi-touch sensing display is configured to indicate a value of or a type of a parameter controlled by the mechanical control element within a predetermined region adjacent to the mechanical control element.

15. A method of detecting a user input with an input device comprising a multi-touch sensing display adapted to detect multiple simultaneous touches or near touches to a surface of the multi-touch sensing display as distinct input events and at least one mechanical control element arranged on the surface of the multi-touch sensing display, the method comprising:

in response to an actuation of the at least one mechanical control element, generating an input event and detecting the input event by the multi-touch sensing display; and

adjusting a parameter associated with the at least one mechanical control element in accordance with the detected input event.

16. The method of claim 15 where the input device includes at least two mechanical control elements, the method further comprising:

in response to a simultaneous actuation of the at least two mechanical control elements, detecting at least one separate input event for each of the at least two mechanical control elements by the multi-touch sensing display; and

for each of the at least two mechanical control elements, adjusting a parameter associated with the mechanical control element in accordance with the input event detected for the respective mechanical control element.

17. The method of claim 15 where the detecting of an input event includes the steps of:

determining a position on the surface of the multi-touch sensing display at which the input event occurred; and

determining a setting of the parameter associated with the mechanical control element on the basis of the determined position.

18. The method of claim 15 where the actuation of the control element includes moving a trigger element arranged on the control element relative to the surface, and where:

the step of generating the input event includes the step of reflecting or scattering light off the trigger element onto optical sensors in response to the moving of the trigger element, the optical sensors being disposed adjacent to the surface of the multi-touch sensing display; and

the step of detecting the input event includes the step of detecting the light by the optical sensors.

19. The method of claim 15 where the actuation of the control element includes moving a trigger element arranged on the control element relative to the surface, where:

the step of generating an input event includes the step of disturbing an electrical field established adjacent to the surface by movement of the trigger element, and

the step of detecting the input event includes the step of detecting a position at which the disturbance of the electrical field occurred.

20. An audio console comprising:

an input device having a multi-touch sensing display configured to detect multiple simultaneous triggers on a surface of the multi-touch sensing display as distinct input events, and at least one mechanical control element arranged on the surface of the multi-touch sensing display, the at least one mechanical control element configured to generate an input event, the input event being detected by the multi-touch sensing display in response to actuation of the at least one mechanical control element.

21. The audio console of claim 20 where the input device comprises a plurality of mechanical control elements arranged in an array and regions sensitive to simultaneous touches or near touches between the elements, the multi-touch sensing display being further configured to display information relating to parameters associated with the plurality of mechanical control elements in the regions.

22. An audio console comprising:

a multi-touch sensing display adapted to detect multiple simultaneous touches or near touches to a surface of the multi-touch sensing display as distinct input events; and

a plurality of mechanical control elements arranged on the surface of the multi-touch sensing display, where each of the mechanical control elements is configured such that an actuation of the mechanical control element generates an input event detected by the multi-touch sensing display, the audio console being configured to assign a parameter to be controlled to each of the mechanical control elements, to adjust the parameter assigned to a mechanical control element in accordance with an input event detected for the mechanical control element, and to display an indication of a setting or type of the parameter adjacent to the mechanical control element.

23. The audio console of claim 22 where each mechanical control element includes a movable component and a trigger element arranged on the movable component such that when actuating the mechanical control element by moving the movable component, the multi-touch sensing display detects the movement of the trigger element relative to the surface.

24. An input device comprising:

a multi-touch sensing display configured to detect multiple simultaneous touches or near touches to a surface of the multi-touch sensing display as distinct input events;

at least one mechanical control element arranged on the surface of the multi-touch sensing display; and

a predetermined region on the multi-touch sensing display adjacent to the mechanical control element, the multi-touch sensing display being configured to display an indication of a setting or a type of a parameter controlled by the mechanical control element within the predetermined region, where the at least one mechanical control element is configured to generate an input event detected by the multi-touch sensing display in response to actuation of the at least one mechanical control element, and where the input device is configured to adjust a setting of the parameter controlled by the mechanical control element in accordance with the detected input event.

25. The audio console of claim 24 where the mechanical control element includes a movable component and a trigger element arranged on the movable component such that when actuating the mechanical control element by moving the movable component, the multi-touch sensing display detects the movement of the trigger element relative to the surface, the input device being configured to adjust the setting of the parameter controlled by the mechanical control element in accordance with the detected movement.

26. The input device of claim 24 where the multi-touch sensing display includes at least one of:

a capacitive touchscreen panel,

an inductive touchscreen panel,

an integrated array of optical sensors, and

a total internal reflection based touchscreen panel.