INPUT DEVICE, METHOD, AND SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150286298A1
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Younggyun, PARK, Dooyong, LEE, Jaehak, KIM, Minho, SEO, Eunjung, CHOI, Gyucheol
• Granted Patent: US 10,228,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An input method of an electronic device using an input device including a drawing unit is provided. The input method includes acquiring drawing unit related information, confirming an attribute of the drawing unit based on the acquired drawing unit-related information, receiving a drawing input by an input device, to which the drawing unit is attached, using a touch panel of the electronic device, and outputting a drawing expression through the display of the electronic device in response to an attribute of the drawing unit and a drawing pattern of the drawing input.

Claims

1. An input device for an electronic device, the input device comprising:

a pen comprising an input reactor configured to provide an input signal to the electronic device; and

at least one detachable drawing unit attached to the pen and comprising a drawing contact unit.

2. The input device of claim 1,

wherein the pen comprises a pen point portion and a pen holder portion, and

wherein the drawing unit comprises at least one of:

a case-type drawing unit comprising an input unit configured to cover the pen point portion and a support portion configured to cover the pen holder portion and coupled with the input unit, the input unit comprising the drawing contact unit,

a cap-type drawing unit attached to the pen point portion and comprising the drawing contact unit, or

a tip-exchangeable drawing unit inserted into the pen point portion and comprising the drawing contact unit.

3. The input device of claim 2,

wherein the pen comprises a separable tip removing unit on a tip end of the pen holder portion, and

wherein the pen holder portion comprises a tip storage unit configured to store the tip-exchangeable drawing unit when the separable tip removing unit is separated.

4. The input device of claim 3, wherein the separable tip removing unit comprises a tong configured to pull out the tip-exchangeable drawing unit inserted into the pen point portion.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the pen forms a body, and the drawing unit is configured as a head-exchangeable tip coupled to the body.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the drawing unit or the pen further comprises a communication chip configured to store information related to the drawing unit or to transmit the information related to the drawing unit to the electronic device.

7. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

an activator configured to change an attribute of the input signal provided by the pen in an activated state.

8. An input method of an electronic device using an input device comprising a drawing unit, the input method comprising:

acquiring drawing unit-related information;

confirming an attribute of the drawing unit based on the acquired drawing unit-related information;

receiving a drawing input by an input device, to which the drawing unit is attached, using a touch panel of the electronic device; and

outputting a drawing expression through the display of the electronic device in response to an attribute of the drawing unit and a drawing pattern of the drawing input.

9. The input method of claim 8, wherein the acquiring of the drawing unit-related information comprises at least one of:

acquiring the drawing unit-related information with a user input through an input module; and

receiving the drawing unit-related information from the input device through a communication module.

10. The input method of claim 9, wherein the drawing unit-related information comprises a unique ID of a corresponding drawing unit.

11. The input method of claim 10,

wherein the drawing unit comprises a drawing contact unit, and

wherein the attribute of the drawing unit comprises at least one information item among a type, a shape, a size, or a material of the drawing contact unit.

12. The input method of claim 10,

wherein the input device comprises an input reactor configured to provide an input signal to the electronic device, and

wherein the receiving of the drawing input comprises receiving a proximity input by the input reactor.

13. The input method of claim 12,

wherein the outputting of the drawing expression through the display panel outputs the drawing expression further in response to an attribute of the proximity input, and

wherein the attribute of the proximity input comprises at least one information item among a proximity distance, a movement speed, an elapsed time after inputting, a movement progressing direction, a number of inputting times of the proximity input, and a stopping duration of the proximity input, and a surface material virtually set on the touch panel.

14. The input method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a feedback operation corresponding to the drawing input to a user based on the attribute of the drawing unit when the drawing input is received,

wherein the provided feedback operation comprises at least one of vibration, attraction, and sound.

15. An input system of an electronic device comprising:

an input device comprising a pen comprising an input reactor configured to provide an input signal to the electronic device, and at least one detachable drawing unit attached to the pen and comprising a drawing contact unit,

wherein the electronic device comprises;

a touch panel configured to receive a drawing input by the input device, to which the drawing unit is attached,

a display panel configured to output a drawing expression corresponding to the drawing input, and

a processor configured;

to confirm an attribute of the drawing unit based on unique information of the drawing unit, and

to control the drawing expression output in response to the attribute of the drawing unit and a drawing pattern of the drawing input.

16. The input system of claim 15, wherein the attribute of the drawing unit comprises at least one information item among a type, a shape, a size or a material of the drawing contact unit.

17. The input system of claim 15,

wherein the input device comprises a communication chip configured to transmit unique information of the drawing unit to the electronic device, and

wherein the electronic device comprises a communication module configured to receive the unique information of the drawing unit from the input device.

18. The input system of claim 15,

wherein the drawing input comprises a proximity input using an input reactor of the input device,

wherein the processor is further configured to control the drawing expression output further in response to an attribute of the proximity input, and

wherein the attribute of the proximity input comprises at least one information item among a proximity distance, a movement speed, an elapsed time after inputting, a movement progressing direction, a number of inputting times of the proximity input, a stopping duration of the proximity input, or a surface material virtually set on the touch panel.

19. The input system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform a control such that a feedback operation corresponding to the drawing input is provided to a user based on the attribute of the drawing unit when the drawing input is received.

20. The input system of claim 18, further comprising:

a feedback operation unit configured to provide the feedback operation corresponding to the drawing input,

wherein the feedback operation unit comprises at least one of an electromagnet included in the input device, and an electromagnet, a vibration device, or a speaker included in the electronic device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to control the feedback operation unit based on at least one of the attribute of the drawing unit or the attribute of the proximity input.

21. The input system of claim 15, wherein the attribute of the drawing unit is received by the electronic device from the drawing unit.