USER INTERFACE DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20110241822A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Pill, Stuart Ronald, Bink, Cornelis Petrus Joseph, Tsang, Peter Tjin Sjoe Kong, Opran, Constantin Alexandru
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/4.31
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser

Abstract

A user interface device (1) comprises a non-flexible part (3); at least one flexible part (5) coupled to the non-flexible part (3); and at least one sensor, for detecting bending of a respective flexible part (5) with respect to the non-flexible part (3), and for producing a command in response to sensing bending of the respective flexible part (5).

Claims

1. A user interface device (1, 11), comprising:

a non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b);

at least one flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) coupled to the non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b); and

at least one sensor, for detecting bending of a respective flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) with

respect to the non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b), and for producing a command in response to sensing bending of the respective flexible part (5, 17a, 17b).

2. The user interface device (1, 11) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

3. The user interface device (1, 11) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one sensor comprises a quantum tunnelling composite.

4. The user interface device (1, 11) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one sensor is coupled to the non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b) and the flexible part (5, 17a, 17b).

5. The user interface device (1, 11) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one sensor is configured to sense bending of the respective flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) with respect to the non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b) at an interface between the flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) and the non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b).

6. The user interface device (1, 11) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) comprises a polymer such as silicone or rubber or a similar material.

7. A method of controlling a device via a user interface device (1, 11) that comprises a non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b), at least one flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) coupled to the non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b), and at least one sensor, the method comprising:

detecting bending of the flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) with the sensor; and

producing a command in response to said sensing to control the device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the bending of the flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) comprises detecting a change in voltage produced by deformation of a piezoelectric material.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the bending of the flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) comprises detecting a change in current passed by a quantum tunnelling composite upon deformation.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the command controls content playback in an associated playback device.

11. A content playback system, comprising a playback device and a user interface device (1, 11) comprising:

a non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b);

at least one flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) coupled to the non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b); and

at least one sensor, for detecting bending of a respective flexible part (5, 17a, 17b) with

respect to the non-flexible part (3, 13, 15a, 15b), and for producing a command in response to sensing bending of the respective flexible part (5, 17a, 17b).