INPUT DEVICE

• US 20140062872A1
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Takehiko
• Granted Patent: US 10,719,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

There is provided an input device, including a steering pad that is arranged on a steering wheel of a vehicle and includes a first face and a second face opposite to the first face, a first input unit that is arranged on the first face of the steering pad and receives an operation causing a first change of a display form in a display unit, and a second input unit that is arranged on the second face of the steering pad and receives an operation causing a second change of a display form in the display unit.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a steering pad that is arranged on a steering wheel of a vehicle and includes a first face and a second face opposite to the first face;

a first input unit that is arranged on the first face of the steering pad and receives an operation causing a first change of a display form in a display unit; and

a second input unit that is arranged on the second face of the steering pad and receives an operation causing a second change of a display form in the display unit.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the first change of the display form is movement of a cursor displayed on the display unit in a first direction,

the second change of the display form is movement of the cursor in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction,

the first input unit receives a first operation causing the first change,

the second input unit receives a second operation causing the second change,

the first operation is an operation of sliding the first input unit, and

the second operation is an operation of sliding the second input unit.

3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first input unit and the second input unit receives a third operation of executing a function corresponding to an item on which the cursor is displayed, and

the third operation is an operation of pressing at least one of the first input unit and the second input unit.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the first change of the display form is transition of a display in the display unit in a first direction,

the second change of the display form is transition of the display in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction,

the first input unit receives a fourth operation causing the first change,

the second input unit receives a fifth operation causing the second change,

the fourth operation includes an operation of pressing the first input unit and a slide operation performed consecutively to the pressing operation, and

the fifth operation includes an operation of pressing the second input unit and a slide operation performed consecutively to the pressing operation.

5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the first change of the display form is enlargement of a display in the display unit,

the second change of the display form is reduction of the display,

the first input unit receives a sixth operation causing the first change,

the second input unit receives a seventh operation causing the second change,

the sixth operation is an operation of continuously pressing one of the first input unit and the second input unit for a predetermined period of time or more, and

the seventh operation is an operation of continuously pressing the other of the first input unit and the second input unit for a predetermined period of time or more.

6. The input device according to claim 2,

wherein the first input unit vibrates according to the first operation, and the second input unit vibrates according to the second operation.

7. The input device according to claim 6,

wherein, when it is possible to move the cursor according to one of the first operation and the second operation, the operated first input unit or the operated second input unit vibrates according to a first pattern, and when it is not possible to move the cursor, the operated first input unit or the operated second input unit vibrates according to a second pattern.

8. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first input unit and the second input unit has a shape of a curved band.

9. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the first input unit and the second input unit are arranged at positions at which a projection image of the first input unit is substantially orthogonal to a projection image of the second input unit.

10. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the first face is a face substantially facing an operator who operates the first input unit and the second input unit.

11. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising

a wheel section that is formed integrally with the steering pad,

wherein the first input unit and the second input unit are arranged within a range in which the first input unit and the second input unit are operable with different fingers when a predetermined portion of the wheel section is gripped.

12. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the first input unit and the second input unit are touch pads or rotatable dials.

13. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising

a communication unit that performs communication with a mobile terminal,

wherein the display unit is a display unit disposed in the mobile terminal.