DISPLAY INPUT DEVICE

• US 20110164063A1
• Filed: 11/26/2009
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Shimotani, Mitsuo, Sadahiro, Takashi, Sempuku, Tsuyoshi, Ohta, Masako, Okano, Yuichi, Matsubara, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 8,963,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A display input device is comprised of a touch panel 1 for carrying out a display of information and an input of information, a proximity sensor 12 for detecting a movement of an object to be detected which is positioned opposite to the touch panel 1 in a noncontact manner, and a control unit 3 for, when the proximity sensor 12 detects an approach of the object to be detected to within a predetermined distance from the touch panel 1, moving a specific display object displayed on the touch panel 1 close to a stop position of the object to be detected to display the specific display object.

Claims

1. A display input device comprising:

a touch panel for carrying out a display of information and an input of information;

a proximity sensor for detecting a movement of an object to be detected which is positioned opposite to said touch panel; and

a control unit for, when said proximity sensor detects an approach of said object to be detected to within a predetermined distance from said touch panel, moving a specific display object displayed on said touch panel close to a stop position of said object to be detected to display said specific display object.

2. The display input device according to claim 1, wherein said display object has attribution information showing that said movement is possible, and said control unit moves the specific display object displayed on said touch panel close to the stop position of said object to be detected to display said specific display object with reference to said attribution information.

3. The display input device according to claim 1, wherein when moving said display object close to the stop position of said object to be detected at a predetermined speed to display said display object, said control unit rearranges and displays said display object in such a way that said display object does not overlap any other display object.

4. The display input device according to claim 1, wherein said control unit carries out a process of enlarging said display object to display said display object according to a distance between said object to be detected and said touch panel.

5. The display input device according to claim 1, wherein when said proximity sensor detects an approach of said object to be detected to within the predetermined distance from said touch panel, said control unit moves said display object displayed on said touch panel to a predetermined position close to the stop position of said object to be detected to display said display object.

6. The display input device according to claim 1, wherein said display object has attribution information showing that said movement is possible and said attribution information includes information specifying a display pattern of said display object, and when said proximity sensor detects that said object to be detected is positioned in a left half of said touch panel, said control unit moves said display object close to the stop position of said object to be detected to display said display object according to said attribution information and on a basis of a first pattern, whereas when said proximity sensor detects that said object to be detected is positioned in a right half of said touch panel, said control unit moves said display object close to the stop position of said object to be detected to display said display object according to said attribution information and on a basis of a second pattern.

7. The display input device according to claim 1, wherein said display object has attribution information showing that said movement is possible, said display input device has an operator detecting means for detecting whether either a driver or a passenger on a front seat operates said display input device, and said attribution information includes information specifying a display pattern of said display object, and wherein when said operator detecting means determines that said driver operates said display input device, said control unit displays said display object according to a display pattern suitable for operations by said passenger on a driver'"'"'s seat, whereas when said operator detecting means determines that said passenger on the front seat operates said display input device, said control unit displays said display object according to a display pattern suitable for operations by said passenger on the front seat.

8. The display input device according to claim 7, wherein when said operator detecting means determines that said driver operates said display input device and when said operator detecting means determines that said passenger on the front seat operates said display input device, said control unit selects said display object which is to be moved close to the stop position of said object to be detected according to the attribute shown by said attribution information.

9. The display input device according to claim 1, wherein said control unit moves said display object close to the stop position of said object to be detected according to a speed dependent upon a distance between said touch panel and said object to be detected which is detected by said proximity sensor to display said display object.

10. The display input device according to claim 9, wherein said control unit changes the speed at which said control unit moves said display object to display said display object according to the attribution information about said display object.

11. The display input device according to claim 9, wherein said control unit changes the speed at which said control unit moves said display object to display said display object, the speed being determined according to the distance between said touch panel and said object to be detected, according to a user setting inputted via said touch panel.

12. The display input device according to claim 1, wherein said display input device has a speed sensor for detecting a running state of a vehicle, and when said speed sensor detects that said vehicle is running, said control unit moves said display object which is preselected close to the stop position of said object to be detected at a predetermined speed to display said display object.

13. The display input device according to claim 12, wherein said proximity sensor detects whether said object to be detected approaches said touch panel from either a direction of a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle or a direction of a front seat of the vehicle, and when said proximity sensor determines that said object to be detected approaches said touch panel from the direction of said front seat of the vehicle, said control unit moves said display object which is preselected close to the stop position of said object to be detected to display said display object.