Glove-type data input device and sensing method thereof

• US 7,012,593 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Sang-Jun, Hwang, Chang-Hwan, Lee, Ki-Tae, Yoon, Sung-Pyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US10/173,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/162, 345/169, 345/189, 340/402.1, 340/407.2, 340/407.1, 341/20, 341/21, 341/22, 463/36, 463/37, 463/39, 463/43, 704/3, 704/270, 704/271, 704/272, 704/275
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device

Abstract

A glove-type data input device and a sensing method thereof. In the data input device shaped into a glove, a sensor unit senses the change of a glove shape or a position change, and the resulting pressure at at least one contact surface, and outputs a predetermined sensing signal according to the sensing. An analyzer determines input data by analyzing the sensing signal. An output port outputs the determination result to an external terminal.

Claims

1. A glove-type data input device comprising:

a sensor unit shaped into fingers, for sensing a change of a glove shape or a position change, and a resulting pressure at at least one contact surface, and outputting a predetermined sensing signal according to the sensing;

an analyzer for determining input data by analyzing the sensing signal; and

an output port for outputting a determination result to an external terminal,

wherein the sensor unit includes five sensors, each positioned at a tip of a finger, and at least one of the sensors is an analog input mode sensor including four sensor tips for sensing left, right, up and down directions and

wherein a vector sum according to an area over which the analog input mode sensor is pressed in an analog input mode indicates a scroll direction.

2. The glove-type data input device of claim 1, wherein the analyzer includes a database including data information corresponding to each sensing signal.

3. The glove-type data input device of claim 1, wherein the analog input mode sensor surrounds the finger, is tapered in a direction of the tip of the finger, and senses input data as digital data when at least three of the sensor tips are pressed.

4. The glove-type data input device of claim 1, wherein the analyzer determines an input mode by combining signals received from the sensors and converts the signals to an input signal to the terminal in the determined input mode.

5. The glove-type data input device of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the analysis result to the terminal.

6. A method of determining input data by analyzing signals from sensors, at least one of the sensors being a direction sensor in a glove-type data input device, comprising the steps of:

(1) determining an input mode of the glove-type data input device if the glove-type data input device is connected to a terminal and initialized;

(2) sensing a scroll direction, scrolling in a speed corresponding to a strength of an input signal, and determining whether a digital signal has been received if the input mode is an analog input mode;

(3) determining whether the digital signal has been produced by using the sensors in combination, upon receipt of the digital signal in the sensing step (2) or in the case that the input mode is a digital input mode, and performing a combination input operation if the digital signal has been produced by using the sensors in combination;

(4) performing a successive input operation if it is determined that data has been received successively via the input signal;

(5) checking a power level of the input signal and performing a pressure-related operation if the power level is equal to or greater than a threshold; and

(6) determining whether an analog signal has been received if the power level is less than the threshold, or after the checking step (5), returning to the sensing step (2) upon receipt of the analog signal, and returning to the determining step (3) if the analog signal has not been received.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein before it is determined whether the analog signal has been received in the determining step (6), it is determined whether time taken for the input is equal to or longer than a predetermined time and it is determined that a short key has been input if the time taken for the input is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, and a predetermined function is invoked.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the input mode is toggled between the digital input mode and the analog input mode when the sensors are pressed simultaneously a predetermined number of times.

9. A glove-type data input device comprising:

a sensor unit shaped into fingers, for sensing a change of a glove shape or a position change, and a resulting pressure at least one contact surface, and outputting a predetermined sensing signal according to the sensing;

an analyzer for determining input data by analyzing the sensing signal; and

an output port for outputting a determination result to an external terminal,

wherein the sensor unit includes five sensors, each positioned at a tip of a finger, and at least one of the sensors is an analog input mode sensor including four sensor tips positioned around the finger for sensing left, right, up and down directions.