INFORMATION INPUT DEVICE, INFORMATION INPUT METHOD, AND INFORMATION INPUT PROGRAM

• US 20110134063A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Norieda, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 10,185,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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

For input devices of mobile apparatuses placing more importance on the portability and mobile apparatuses placing more importance on display unit such as displays, it is possible to provide an input device and an input method which can easily be operated by a user even if an input unit in the apparatuses is small. The input device includes: an input unit formed by first vibration detection units which detect vibration transmitted via a body of a user holding the input device when a part of the user'"'"'s body is brought into contact, and a second vibration detection unit; and an input information identification module which calculates a detection time difference between the moment when the vibration is directed by the first vibration detection units and the moment when the vibration is directed by the second vibration detection unit and outputs a code signal corresponding to the time difference.

Claims

1. An information input device, comprising:

a first vibration detection unit which detects a vibration transmitted through a body of a user when a part of the body of the user is being tapped;

a second vibration detection unit which detects a vibration transmitted through the body of the user at a position that is different from a vibration detecting position of the first vibration detection unit in the body of the user; and

an input information identification module which calculates a detecting time difference that is a difference of detecting time by having one of the vibrations detected by the first vibration detection unit and detected by the second vibration detection unit as a reference, and identifies the tapped position in the body of the user based on the time difference.

2. The information input device as claimed in claim 1, comprising

a database which stores in advance a data table where a corresponding relation between the detecting time differences and the tapped positions in the body of the user is set, wherein

the input information identification module searches the data table stored in the database, and identifies the tapped position corresponding to the calculated detecting time difference.

3. The information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the input information identification module outputs a code signal corresponding to the identified tapped position.

4. The information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the input information identification module estimates a vibration component when the vibration detected by one of the first vibration detection unit and the second vibration detection unit inputs inside the device and transmits to the other detection unit according to a transmission function set in advance, and calculates the detecting time difference by taking a value acquired by subtracting the estimated vibration component from the other detected vibration as a detected vibration of the other detection unit.

5. The information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the first vibration detection unit and the second vibration detection unit include a vibration-proof material for blocking a vibration that becomes a noise for detecting the vibration from the body of the user.

6. The information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the first vibration detection unit and the second vibration detection unit include a sensor for detecting vibrations of one or more directions.

7. The information input device as claimed in claim 1, comprising

a plurality of the first vibration detection units, wherein

the information input identification module individually calculates differences in detecting time at which the vibration is detected by the plurality of first vibration detection units and detecting time at which the vibration is detected by the second vibration detection unit, and identifies the tapped position based on a plurality of detecting time differences.

8. The information input device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the database stores a data table in which a corresponding relation between the detecting time differences and the tapped positions based on physical features of the body is set.

9. A mobile apparatus, comprising the information device as claimed in claim 1 loaded thereon.

10. An information input method, comprising:

detecting a vibration transmitted through a body of a user when a part of the body of the user is being tapped, and detecting a vibration transmitted through the body of the user at a position that is different from that vibration detecting position;

calculating a detecting time difference that is a difference of detecting time by having one of the two detected vibrations as a reference; and

identifying the tapped position in the body of the user based on the time difference.

11. The information input method as claimed in claim 10, comprising

outputting a code signal corresponding to the identified tapped position, after identifying the tapped position in the body of the user.

12. The information input method as claimed in claim 10, comprising

estimating a vibration component when one of the detected vibrations transmits outside the body of the user and reaches the other detecting position according to a transmission function set in advance, and calculating the detecting time difference by taking a value acquired by subtracting the estimated vibration component from the other detected vibration as the other detected vibration.

13. The information input method as claimed in claim 10, comprising:

detecting the vibration at three or more points of the body of the user; and

individually calculating differences in regards to detecting time at which the vibration is detected by a given vibration detecting position and detecting time at which the vibration is detected by each of the other detecting positions by having the vibration detected at the given detecting position as a reference, and identifying the tapped position based on a plurality of detecting time differences.

14. (canceled)

15. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing an information input program, which causes a computer to execute:

a function which inputs vibration information outputted from first and second vibration detection units which detect, at different positions in the body of the user, a vibration transmitted through a body of a user when a part of the the body of the user is being tapped;

a detecting time difference calculating function which calculates a detecting time difference that is a difference of detecting time by having one of the both inputted vibration information as a reference; and

an input information identifying function which identifies the tapped position in the body of the user based on the time difference.

16. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing the information input program as claimed in claim 15, wherein

the input information identifying function is a function which outputs a code signal corresponding to the identified tapped position.

17. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing the information input program as claimed in claim 15, wherein

the detecting time difference calculating function is a function which estimates a vibration component when one of the vibrations detected by the first and second vibration detection nits transmits outside the body of the user and reaches the other detecting position according to a transmission function set in advance, and calculates the detecting time difference by taking a value acquired by subtracting the estimated vibration component from the other detected vibration as the other detected vibration.

18. An information input device, comprising:

first vibration detection means for detecting a vibration transmitted through a body of a user when a part of the body of the user is being tapped;

second vibration detection means for detecting a vibration transmitted through the body of the user at a position that is different from a vibration detecting position of the first vibration detection means in the body of the user; and

input information identification means for calculating a detecting time difference that is a difference of detecting time by having one of the vibrations detected by the first vibration detection means and detected by the second vibration detection means as a reference, and identifies the tapped position in the body of the user based on the time difference.