Symbol Input Devices, Symbol Input Method and Associated Computer Program Product

• US 20140009414A1
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Hung-Chi, Huang, Ling-Hsuan
• Application Number:
  US13/855,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009414A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

A symbol input device, applied to a touch screen that generates a detection result according to touch points, includes a receiving unit, a storage unit and a control unit. The receiving unit receives the detection result, the storage unit stores a look-up table, and the control unit determines a symbol from the look-up table according to the number of the touch points on the touch screen indicated in the detection result.

Claims

1. A symbol input device, applied to a touch screen that generates a detection result according to touch points, the symbol input device comprising:

a receiving unit, for receiving the detection result;

a storage unit, for storing a first look-up table; and

a control unit, for determining a symbol from the first look-up table according to the number of touch points on the touch screen indicated in the detection result.

2. The symbol input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores a second look-up table, and the control unit determines to apply the first look-up table or the second look-up table according to a user input;

wherein when it is determined to apply the first look-up table, the control unit determines the symbol from the first look-up table according to the number of the touch points on the touch screen indicated in the detection result; and

when it is determined to apply the second look-up table, the control unit determines another symbol from the second look-up table according to the number of the touch points on the touch screen indicated in the detection result.

3. The symbol input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first look-up table comprises a plurality of sub-look-up tables, which respectively correspond to a plurality of non-overlapping areas on the touch screen and comprise corresponding relations between the number of touch points and different symbols, and the control unit determines the symbol from a corresponding sub-look-up table according to the number of touch points within a predetermined area among the plurality of areas on the touch screen indicated in the detection result.

4. The symbol input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of touch points is a total number of times that a position is sequentially pressed or a total number of touch points at different positions that are pressed within a predetermined time period.

5. The symbol input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit calculates the number of touch points within a first area on the touch screen and the number of touch points within a second area on the touch screen indicated in the detection result to obtain an index value, and the control unit determines the symbol from the first look-up table according to the index value.

6. The symbol input device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the index value comprises a first digit and a second digit, and the number of the touch points within the first area and the number of the touch points within the second area are respectively regarded as the first digit and the second digit.

7. The symbol input device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an output unit, for transmitting the symbol determined by the control unit to a television (TV) and displaying the symbol on a screen of the TV.

8. The symbol input device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the output unit transmits prompt information of different numbers of touch points and corresponding symbols to display the prompt information on the screen of the TV.

9. A symbol input method, applied to a touch screen that generates a detection result according to touch points, the symbol input method comprising:

receiving the detection result;

providing a storage unit for storing a first look-up table; and

determining a symbol from the first look-up table according to the number of touch points on the touch screen indicated in the detection result.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, the storage unit storing a second look-up table, the symbol input method further comprising:

determining whether to apply the first look-up table or the second look-up table according to a user input;

determining the symbol from the first look-up table according to the number of the touch points on the touch screen indicated in the detection result when it is determined to apply the first look-up table; and

determining another symbol from the second look-up table according to the number of the touch points on the touch screen indicated in the detection result when it is determined to apply the second look-up table.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first look-up table comprises a plurality of sub-look-up tables, which respectively correspond to a plurality of non-overlapping areas on the touch screen and comprise corresponding relations between the number of touch points and different symbols;

and the step of determining the symbol comprises determining the symbol from a corresponding sub-look-up table according to the number of touch points within a predetermined area among the plurality of areas on the touch screen indicated in the detection result.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the number of touch points is a total number of times that a position is continuously pressed or a total number of touch points at different positions that are pressed within a predetermined time period.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of determining the symbol comprises:

calculating the number of touch points within a first area on the touch screen and the number of touch points within a second area on the touch screen indicated in the detection result to obtain an index value; and

determining the symbol from the first look-up table according to the index value.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the index value comprises a first digit and a second digit, and the number of the touch points within the first area and the number of the touch points within the second area are respectively regarded as the first digit and the second digit.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting the symbol to a TV and displaying the symbol on a screen of the TV.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising transmitting prompt information of different numbers of touch points and corresponding symbols to display the prompt information on the screen of the TV.