MOTION INPUT DEVICE FOR PORTABLE TERMINAL AND OPERATION METHOD USING THE SAME

• US 20110053641A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HONG, Hyun Su, SHIN, Seung Woo, LEE, Jae Myeon, KIM, Kyung Hwa, BAN, Ji Hye, OH, Jung Yeob, KIM, Jin Yong, LEE, Myeong Lo
• Granted Patent: US 8,866,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a motion input device for portable terminal and an operation method using the same. A motion input device of a portable terminal of the present invention includes a sensor unit configured to collect a sensor signal from at least one sensor; an operation recognition unit configured to generate a motion signal corresponding to an operation of portable terminal based on the sensor signal; a scenario preparation unit configured to generate an input scenario based on at least one motion signal; and a scenario mapping unit configured to detect, in a scenario database, a standards scenario corresponding to the input scenario, and to generate an input signal corresponding to the standards scenario.

Claims

1. A method of operating a portable terminal, the method comprising:

determining at least one standards scenario corresponding to an application program in the portable terminal;

operating at least one sensor arranged in the portable terminal;

receiving, from the at least one sensor, a sensor signal;

generating a motion signal based on the sensor signal, the motion signal corresponding to an operation of the portable terminal;

generating an input scenario based on the motion signal;

detecting, in the at least one standards scenario, a same standards scenario as the input scenario; and

generating an input signal corresponding to the detected standards scenario.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one standards scenario comprises:

detecting, in a scenario database, an input signal table associated with the application program; and

detecting, from among the input signal table, a standards scenario which is a comparison criteria of the input scenario.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a sensor signal comprises receiving at least one sensor signal according to a change of acceleration, a change of direction, a change of vibration, and/or a change of pressure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating a motion signal comprises generating a plurality of motion signals based on a first sensor signal from among the received at least one sensor signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a motion signal comprises generating the motion signal based on a combination of at least two sensor signals transmitted by the at least one sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a motion signal comprises generating, based on the sensor signal, at least one motion signal selected from the group consisting of a tapping motion signal, a shaking motion signal, a snapping motion signal, a tilting motion signal, a griping motion signal, and a no-operation motion signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating an input scenario comprises:

preparing an input scenario by using at least one of the at least one motion signal successively input before a motion signal indicating a completion of the input scenario is input, a plurality of the at least one motion signals being simultaneously input; and

generating the prepared input scenario as one input scenario.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a menu item of the portable terminal; and

displaying a standards scenario corresponding to at least one motion signal for executing the menu item by using at least one of a text, an image, and an icon.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

executing the application program of the portable terminal;

displaying, using at least one of a text, an image, and an icon, a standards scenario for controlling the application program, the standards scenario corresponding to a combination of at least one motion signal corresponding to the input signal.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying a parameter information comprising a frequency, a period, an intensity, and an interval of the motion signals, based on the standards scenario.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating, in response to a key input or a touch on a touch screen, a motion user interface mode supporting generation of the input signal; and

switching from an input mode of the portable terminal to the motion user interface mode.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a same standards scenario comprises:

comparing the input scenario with a table comprising a plurality of standards scenarios; and

detecting the same standards scenario if the same criteria scenario exists in the table.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an extension table by correcting a parameter type and a parameter value of the standards scenario.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating an extension table comprises:

displaying an extension table input tool to correct the parameter type and the parameter value of the standards scenario;

correcting the standards scenario according to the input signal input from an input unit based on the extension table input tool; and

storing the corrected standards scenario as the extension table.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the extension table input tool comprises:

displaying an application program selection area for selecting one of the application programs supported by the portable terminal; and

displaying the parameter type and the parameter value provided by a standards scenario allotted to the selected one application program.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from another terminal, an extension table comprising various parameter types and parameter values for a first standards scenario; and

setting the standards scenario to the first standards scenario provided by the extension table in response to loading the standards scenario according to activation of a first application program.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the application program in the portable terminal according to the generated input signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein operating the application program further comprises:

activating a first function of the portable terminal according to input signals generated from at least one of a key input or a touch input, or activating at least a second function successively executed while the first function is being executed;

generating, in response to shaking of the portable terminal, a shaking motion signal having an amplitude or amplitude change and a cyclic frequency while activating the first function; and

executing, in response to generation of the shaking motion signal, at least one of resetting, cancelation, removal, and termination of the first function and the second function.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein generating a shaking motion signal comprises:

generating a first shaking motion signal having a first amplitude or a first amplitude change and a first cyclic frequency within a determined time period;

generating a plurality of shaking motion signals by continuously generating the first shaking motion signal; and

generating a second shaking motion signal having a second amplitude or a second amplitude change and a second cyclic frequency within the determined time period.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first function is one of a letter output function according to the key input signal and a first menu function provided by the menu item of the portable terminal, and the second function is one of a second menu function executed based on an output letter and a function executed according to the key input signal input after activation of the first menu function.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a motion signal comprises sensing acceleration motion in a direction, and generating motion signals corresponding to the acceleration motion.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein generating a motion signal further comprises determining the acceleration motion as valid and generating motion signals if a first acceleration motion in a first direction is more than a critical value.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the acceleration motion is at least one of a rotation motion and a straight motion.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein an axis of the acceleration motion is an arbitrary axis.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the motion signal comprises information on acceleration direction.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising executing, based on the motion signal, stepwise movement in the application program using the generated input scenario.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein executing stepwise movement comprises one of:

moving to a next content or a previous content if the application program comprises a content player;

moving to a next channel or a previous channel if the application program comprises a channel player;

moving a highlight up, down, right, or left if the application program comprises a two-dimensional graphical user interface (GUI) object display; and

moving the highlight forward, backward, up, down, right, or left if the application program comprises a three-dimensional GUI object display.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a motion signal comprises generating a tilting angle signal corresponding to a tilting of the portable terminal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving a sensor signal comprises receiving a first sensor signal according to an acceleration change and a second sensor signal according to a direction change.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein generating a tilting angle signal comprises one of:

generating a plurality of tilting angle signals based on a type of sensor signal among the received sensor signals;

generating a first tilting motion signal based on a combination of the received sensor signals; and

generating at least one of a tilting start point, a tilting direction, and a tilting variation signal based on the sensor signal.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a sensor signal comprises sensing at least two consecutive tappings on the portable terminal.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least two consecutive tappings are tapped at intervals of a determined time period, and a set area within the portable terminal is tapped with the tapping having an intensity greater than a critical value.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein generating an input signal comprises generating an input signal corresponding to an input scenario generated according to the at least two consecutive tappings, and further comprising executing or stopping the application program according to the input signal.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein executing the application program comprises executing a still picture capturing function if the application program is at a still picture capturing mode.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein executing the application program comprises sensing a last tapping of the at least two consecutive tappings, and executing the still picture capturing function after a time period expires.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising outputting an alarm during or after the time period.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein executing the application program comprises starting or stopping moving picture shooting if the application program is in a moving picture shooting mode.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein executing the application program comprises starting moving picture encoding from a frame after a last tapping of the first at least two consecutive tappings is sensed, and continuing encoding until a frame before the first tapping of the second at least two consecutive tappings is sensed.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein executing the application program comprises outputting an alarm at a time between the first at least two consecutive tappings and when the moving picture encoding is started, and at a time between the second at least two consecutive tappings and when the moving picture encoding is terminated.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein executing the application program comprises:

executing content replay or temporary stop function if the application program is in a content replay mode; and

executing a digital multimedia broadcast (DMB) or a radio channel on or off function if the application program is a DMB or a radio.

41. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting and storing at least one tapping pattern and a function corresponding to the at least one tapping pattern, wherein generating a motion signal comprises determining a tapping pattern in response to a user inputting the at least one tapping pattern.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least one tapping pattern comprises at least one of tapping intensity, tapping position, tapping frequency, time interval information between the at least one tapping, a total tapping input time, and motion link information with other motions excluding the at least one tapping.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the number of tapping patterns can be set by the user.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising searching and executing the function corresponding to the determined tapping pattern from among functions corresponding to the stored at least one tapping pattern.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising activating at least one motion sensor before the determination of the tapping pattern.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the at least one motion sensor is activated in response to the user inputting a key.

47. The method of claim 41, further comprising displaying a message that requests selection of executing a function before the function corresponding to the determined tapping pattern is executed.

48. A method of operating a portable terminal, the method comprising:

activating an application program in response to an input of a motion input; and

displaying at least one motion signal combination corresponding to the application program using at least one of a text, an image, and an icon.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein displaying at least one motion signal combination comprises:

displaying a menu item of the portable terminal; and

displaying the at least one of the text, the image, and the icon.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein displaying at least one motion signal combination comprises displaying parameter information comprising a frequency, period, intensity, and interval of the motion signal.

51. The method of claim 48, further comprising generating a key input or a touch event to activate a motion user interface mode to support input signal generation based on a sensor signal before displaying the at least one motion signal combination.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein displaying at least one motion signal combination comprises displaying the at least one of the text, the image, and the icon in response to generation of the key input or the touch event.

53. A motion input device of a portable terminal, the motion input device comprising:

a sensor detection unit configured to receive at least one sensor signal from at least one sensor unit;

an operation recognition unit configured to generate, based on the at least one sensor signal, a motion signal corresponding to an operation of the portable terminal;

a scenario preparation unit configured to generate an input scenario based on the motion signal;

a storage unit configured to store at least one application program; and

a scenario mapping unit configured to detect, in a scenario database, a standards scenario corresponding to the input scenario, and to generate an input signal corresponding to the standards scenario after determining an application program being executed in the portable terminal, and determining at least one standards scenario corresponding to the determined application program and stored in the scenario database.

54. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein the storage unit comprises:

a scenario database comprising at least one input signal table comprising a first input signal table comprising the at least one standards scenario, the at least one standards scenario being a comparison criteria of the input scenario according to the application program.

55. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one from among an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a vibration sensor, a pressure sensor, and a terrestrial magnetism sensor.

56. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein the operation recognition unit generates a plurality of motion signals based on the collected at least one sensor signal, or generates one motion signal based on a combination of the at least one sensor signal.

57. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein the operation recognition unit generates at least one of a tapping motion signal, a shaking motion signal, a snapping motion signal, a tilting motion signal, a griping motion signal, and a no-operation motion signal based on the at least one sensor signal.

58. The motion input device of claim 57, wherein the scenario preparation unit prepares the input scenario by using at least one from among at least one of at least one motion signal successively inputted before a motion signal indicating a completion of scenario after the initialization and a plurality of motion signals which are simultaneously inputted and a motion signal input indicating the completion of scenario.

59. The motion input device of claim 53, further comprising a display unit comprising:

an area to display a menu item; and

an area to output at least one motion signal combination corresponding to the standards scenario for an execution of the menu item by using the at least one of a text, an image, and an icon.

60. The motion input device of claim 53, further comprising a display unit comprising:

a screen display unit set according to an execution of one of the at least one application program of the portable terminal;

an area to display, using at least one of a text, an image, and an icon, a standards scenario associated with at least one motion signal combination corresponding to the input signal for control of the one of the at least one application program.

61. The motion input device of claims 53, further comprising a display unit to display parameter information comprising a frequency, period, intensity, and interval of the motion signals, according to the standards scenario.

62. The motion input device of claim 53, further comprising at least one of a key input unit to generate a key input for activating a motion user interface mode supporting the generation of the input signal;

and

a touch screen to display an image corresponding to the key input and a touch event according to a corresponding touch image.

63. The motion input device of claim 62, wherein, on the touch screen, a link image to activate the motion user interface mode is displayed or not displayed according to an activation and deactivation of the motion user interface mode, respectively.

64. The motion input device of claim 53, further comprising a function execution unit to execute the application program according to the generated input signal.

65. The motion input device of claim 53, further comprising a display unit to display an extension table input tool for correcting a parameter type and a parameter value of the standards scenario.

66. The motion input device of claim 65, wherein the display unit comprises:

an application program selection area wherein a user selects one of the at least one application program stored in the storage unit; and

an area to display the parameter type and the parameter value of the standards scenario allocated to the selected application program.

67. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein the storage unit stores a first application program for supporting a first function of the portable terminal or at least one second function performed while the first function is executed according to the input signal, and

wherein the sensor detection unit detects a shaking motion signal according to a shaking of the portable terminal while at least one of the first function and the second function is being executed, and the motion recognition unit determines whether the shaking motion signal is a shaking motion signal having a determined amplitude, amplitude change, and cyclic frequency.

68. The motion input device of claim 67, further comprising a function execution unit to execute at least one motion of resetting, canceling, removing, and terminating at least one of the first function and the second function in response to generating the shaking motion signal.

69. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein a motion recognition unit generates a motion signal by sensing an accelerated motion of the portable terminal and generates a corresponding accelerated motion signal, and the scenario preparation unit generates the input scenario for an application program being executed based on the accelerated motion signal.

70. The motion input device of claim 69, wherein the motion recognition unit determines validity of the accelerated motion using a critical value of a reference accelerated motion.

71. The motion input device of claim 69, further comprising a function execution unit to execute step movement of the application program being executed in the portable terminal based on the input scenario.

72. The motion input device of claim 69, wherein the function execution unit controls the application program to associate with a next content or a previous content if the application program is a content player, controls the application program to move to a next channel or a previous channel if the application program is a channel player, controls the highlight to move up, down, right, or left if the application program is a two dimension graphical user interface (GUI) object view, and controls the highlight to move forward, backward, up, down, right, or left if the application program is a three dimension GUI object view.

73. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein a motion recognition unit generates a tilting angle signal corresponding to a tilting motion of the portable terminal based on the at least one sensor signal, and the scenario preparation unit generates an input scenario based on the tilting angle signal.

74. The input motion device of claim 73, wherein the motion recognition unit generates at least one of a gradual tilting angle signal based on a first sensor signal among the received at least one sensor signal, a tilting motion signal based on a combination of the received at least one sensor signal, and a tilting start point, tilting direction, and tilting variation signal based on the first sensor signal.

75. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein a motion recognition unit generates a first signal corresponding to at least two consecutive tappings of the portable terminal, and the scenario preparation unit generates, based on the generated first signal, the input scenario associated with the application program being executed.

76. The motion input device of claim 75, further comprising a function execution unit configured to execute a still picture capturing function after a last tapping of the at least two consecutive tappings is sensed, and a time period elapses if the application program is in a still picture shooting mode, the function execution unit configured to start moving picture encoding from a frame after the last tapping is sensed among a first two or more consecutive tappings and to execute the encoding until a frame before a first tapping is sensed among a second two or more consecutive tappings if the application program is in a moving picture shooting mode, the function execution unit configured to execute content play or temporarily stop execution of the content play if the application program is in a content play mode, and to execute channel on or off function of a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) or a radio if the application program is a DMB program or a radio program.

77. The motion input device of claim 53, wherein the storage unit stores at least one tapping pattern and an application program control function corresponding to the tapping pattern.

78. The motion input device of claim 77, further comprising a function execution unit configured to determine a tapping pattern in response to input of at least one tapping, to compare the determined tapping pattern with at least one tapping pattern stored in the storage unit, and execute a function corresponding to the determined tapping pattern.

79. The motion input device of claim 78, wherein the function execution unit is configured to activate at least one sensor before the tapping pattern is determined, or to activate at least one motion sensor in response to a user inputting a key.

80. The motion input device of claim 78, further comprising a display unit to display a message requesting selection of executing the application program control function before the application program control function corresponding to the determined tapping pattern is executed.

81. The motion input device of claim 77, wherein the tapping pattern comprises at least one of tapping intensity, tapping position, tapping frequency, time interval information between tappings, entire tapping input time, and motion link information with other motions excluding tapping.

82. A motion input device of a portable terminal, the motion input device comprising:

a storage unit to store an application program in response to input of a motion input; and

a display unit to display, using at least one of a text, an image, and an icon, at least one motion signal combination corresponding to the application program being executed on the portable terminal.

83. The motion input device of claim 82, wherein the display unit comprises:

a first area displaying a menu item corresponding to the application program; and

a second area displaying the at least one of a text, an image and an icon to execute the menu item.

84. The motion input device of claim 82, wherein the display unit displays, in a third area of the display unit, parameter information comprising frequency, period, intensity and interval of the motion signals.

85. The motion input device of claim 82, further comprising at least one of:

a key input unit to generate a key input for activating a motion user interface mode to support input signal generation based on a sensor signal; and

a touch screen to generate a touch event for activating the motion user interface mode to support input signal generation based on the sensor signal.

86. The motion input device of claim 82, wherein the display unit displays at least one of a text, an image, and an icon in response to generation of the key input or the touch event.