Control unit with variable visual indicator

• US 7,071,845 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United Keys, Inc.
• Original Assignee: United Keys, Inc.
• Inventors: Ivancic, Valdi
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US10/950,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 341/23, 341/28, 348/170, 348/172, 410/89, 410/90
• US Class Current: 341/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/016 programmable

Abstract

A system for controlling an apparatus (11, 21, 31), which system comprises a control unit (13, 23, 33) adapted to transfer control signals to the apparatus dependent on the control data. Said control unit comprises data input means (14, 24, 34, 44) to input said control data, and said apparatus comprises interpreting means adapted to translate said control signal into an action. Aiming to indicate for a user of the control unit, which action the apparatus is arranged to take when activating the data input means, a visual indicator is arranged on said data input means. The invention is characterized in that said data input means comprises a variable presentation means (45, 57), arranged to realise said indicator, wherein said control unit comprises a first storage means (53) adapted to store the visual data presentable with said presentation unit. Preferably, said control unit comprises several separate data input means, each provided with a presentation means, in which each presentation means comprises separate displays, arranged to present a picture dependent on said visual data.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a plurality of touchable input displays onboard a control unit having a plurality of touchable inputs used in controlling an apparatus comprising the steps of:

(a) visually presenting, on a display screen of the apparatus, a plurality of sets of touchable input display image data that each comprises a touchable input display image that is displayable on each one of the plurality of touchable input displays;

(b) selecting one of the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data; and

(c) causing each touchable input display image data from the selected set of touchable input display image data to be displayed on one of the plurality of touchable input displays.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the display screen is linked to the apparatus, and further comprising a processor configured to display touchable input display image data of the selected touchable input display image data on one of each one of the plurality of touchable input displays.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each one of the touchable inputs comprises a displaceable key, wherein a plurality of the displaceable keys comprises a displaceable display key, each of which includes one of the touchable input displays, and wherein the processor is disposed onboard the control unit.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the apparatus comprises a game console.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the apparatus comprises a personal computer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile phone and the control unit comprises a keypad having a plurality of buttons each comprising one of the touchable input displays.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein before step (c), the step further comprising permitting a user of the apparatus to designate which touchable input display image data of the selected set of selected set of touchable input display image data is to be displayed on a particular one of the plurality of touchable input displays.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein user designation of which touchable input display image data of the selected set of touchable input display image data is to be displayed on a particular one of the plurality of the touchable input displays is stored as touchable input display image configuration data.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data is stored.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein user designation of which touchable input display image data of the selected set of touchable input display image data is to be displayed on a particular one of the plurality of displays is stored onboard the control unit as touchable input display image configuration data along with the corresponding touchable display image data therefor.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein one of the plurality of touchable input display image data is configured to be displayed by a particular one of the touchable input displays by selecting and dragging the one of the plurality of touchable input display image data to a visually presented representation of the particular associated touchable input display shown on the display screen of the apparatus.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of the plurality of touchable input display image data is visually presented and editable by the user.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the visually presented display image data is comprised of a plurality of pixels shown on the display screen of the apparatus, each pixel of which can be selectively activated or deactivated by the user.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein touchable input display image data is provided via the Internet.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein touchable input display image data for at least one touchable input display is provided via the Internet along with an indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein touchable input display image data is provided via the Internet, wherein the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprises a control unit of the apparatus, and the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet is stored onboard the control unit.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein touchable input display image data for at least one touchable input display is provided via the Internet along with an indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet, wherein the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprises a control unit of the apparatus, and the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet and the indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the Internet are stored onboard the control unit.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein touchable input display image configuration data is provided via the Internet as to which touchable input display image data is to be displayed on which one of the touchable input displays.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein touchable input display image data is provided via a database.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein touchable input display image data for at least one touchable input display is provided via a database along with an indication of which touchable input display is to show the touchable input display image data provided via the database.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data are provided via a database.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein touching at least one of the touchable inputs causes the set of input display image data not selected in step (c) to be displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of touchable input displays.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein a plurality of the touchable inputs are touched at the same time to cause a set of input display image data not selected in step (b) to be displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of touchable input displays.

24. The method of claim 12 wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile phone.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of apparatuses, the plurality of touchable inputs and touchable input displays comprise a control unit linked to the plurality of apparatuses, one of the plurality of sets of touchable input image display data is manually selected by a user of the control unit in step (b) to display image data from the selected set of touchable input display image data on a corresponding one of the plurality of touchable input displays in step (c) with the selected set of touchable input display image data being associated with one of the plurality of apparatuses, and another one of the plurality of sets of touchable image display data is manually selectable by a user in step (b) so as to cause touchable input display image data from the selected set of touchable input display image data to be displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of touchable input displays in step (c) with the selected set of touchable input display image data being associated with a different one of the plurality of apparatuses.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the control unit is wirelessly linked to each one of the plurality of apparatuses.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sets of touchable input display image data are provided via a database and display image configuration data as to which touchable input display image data is to be shown on which touchable input display is also provided via the database.

27. A method of configuring a plurality of touchable input displays onboard a control unit having a plurality of touchable inputs used in controlling an apparatus, comprising the steps of:

(a) visually presenting on a display screen of the apparatus, a plurality of touchable input displayable images;

(b) visually presenting on the display screen a touchable input display image configuration comprised of a plurality of visually presented touchable input display images of the control unit;

(c) selectively associating at least one of the plurality of visually presented touchable input display images with one of the plurality of the visually presented touchable input displays of the visually presented touchable input display image configuration; and

(d) communicating the at least one touchable input display image configuration to the control unit.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the control unit is linkable to the apparatus, each one of the plurality of touchable input displayable images is comprised of appearance data that includes image pixel data, and the at least one touchable input display image configuration comprises a visual representation of the plurality of touchable input displays of the touchable input control that is shown on the display screen of the apparatus.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the control unit comprises a keyboard and the apparatus comprises a computer.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein each touchable input comprises a displaceable key and each touchable input display comprises a display carried by a corresponding one of the displaceable keys.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the control unit comprises a keyboard, the apparatus comprises a personal computer having a mouse linked thereto, the keyboard is linked to the personal computer, and wherein a user of the personal computer selects one of the plurality of visually presented touchable input display images shown on the display screen of the personal computer using the mouse in selectively associating the selected touchable input display image with the one of the plurality of the visually presented touchable input displays of the visually presented touchable input display image configuration in step (c).

32. The method of claim 31 wherein each touchable input comprises a displaceable key, wherein each touchable input display comprises a display carried by a corresponding one of the displaceable keys, wherein each visually presented touchable input displayable image comprises a display carrying key displayable image comprised of key display pixel image data, and wherein the visually presented touchable input display configuration comprises display key configuration data represented by a plurality of visually presented display carrying displaceable keys corresponding to display carrying displaceable keys onboard the keyboard, and wherein during step (c), the user drags the selected visually presented display carrying key displayable image to the one of the plurality of the visually presented display carrying displaceable keys.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein each display comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) and the control unit further comprises a processor disposed onboard the control unit configured to display at least the selected display carrying key displayable image on the associated one of the plurality of the visually presented display carrying displaceable keys onboard the control unit in step (d).

35. A method of configuring a plurality of touchable input displays onboard a control unit having a plurality of touchable inputs each equipped with a touchable input display and the control unit linked to an apparatus, comprising the steps of:

(a) showing on a display screen linkable to the apparatus a plurality of touchable input displayable images;

(b) showing on the display screen a plurality of control unit touchable input display layout configurations each comprising a plurality of touchable input displays or locations thereof visually represented on the display screen;

(c) selecting one of the plurality of the control unit touchable input display layout configurations;

(d) selecting one of the plurality of the touchable input displayable images;

(e) associating the selected one of the plurality of the touchable input displayable images with one of the plurality of touchable input displays or locations thereof of the selected control unit touchable input display layout configuration; and

(f) providing the selected one of the plurality of the touchable input displayable images and selected control unit touchable input display layout configuration to the control unit.

36. A method of configuring a plurality of touchable input displays onboard a control unit having a plurality of touchable inputs each equipped with a touchable input display and the control unit linked to a computer, comprising the steps of:

(a) showing on a display screen linked to the computer a plurality of touchable input displayable images;

(b) showing on the display screen a control unit touchable input display layout configurations comprising a plurality of touchable input displays or locations thereof visually represented on the display screen;

(d) selecting with a mouse linked to the computer one of the plurality of the touchable input displayable images;

(e) dragging the selected one of the plurality of the touchable input displayable images to one of the plurality of touchable input displays or locations thereof of the control unit touchable input display layout configuration designating the selected one of the plurality of the touchable input displayable images with the one of the plurality of touchable input displays or locations thereof of the control unit touchable input display layout configuration; and

(f) transmitting from the computer to the control unit data comprised of at least the selected one of the plurality of the touchable input displayable images and designation of which one of the plurality of touchable input displays or locations thereof of the control unit touchable input display layout configuration.

37. A method of operating a control unit used to control an apparatus comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with a plurality of the plurality of touchable inputs having a touchable input display, providing an apparatus that is linked to a display screen, that is linked to the control unit, and that is connectable to the Internet;

(b) visually showing on the display screen a plurality of images of a character or symbol;

(c) visually showing on the display screen at least one image representative of a plurality of display equipped touchable input displays or display equipped touchable input display locations;

(d) selecting one of the plurality of character or symbol images;

(e) associating the selected one of the plurality of character or symbol images with one of the plurality of display equipped touchable input displays or display equipped touchable input display locations;

(f) transmitting character or symbol image data of the selected one of the plurality of character or symbol images and configuration data associating the selected one of the plurality of display equipped touchable input displays or display equipped touchable input display locations to a database on the Internet data defining the selected one of the plurality of character or symbol images and designation of which of the plurality of touchable input displays is to display the selected one of the plurality character or symbol images; and

(g) wherein the data defining the selected one of the plurality of character or symbol images and designation of which of the plurality of touchable input displays is to display the selected one of the plurality of character or symbol images is downloadable from the database on the Internet to an apparatus linked to a control unit having a plurality of touchable inputs at least a plurality of which have a touchable input display and displayable on the designated touchable input display.

38. A method of operating a control unit used to control a computer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with a plurality of the plurality of touchable inputs comprising a touchable input display, and a computer comprising a display screen and a manipulable input device with the computer being linkable to the control unit and connectable to a network;

(b) displaying on the display screen a plurality of images capable of being displayed on a touchable input display;

(c) displaying on the display screen a plurality of touchable inputs or touchable input locations;

(d) selecting one of the plurality of images by user manipulation of the manipulable input device;

(e) assigning the selected one of the plurality of images to one of the plurality of touchable inputs or touchable input locations by user manipulation of the manipulable input device;

(f) transmitting data to the network comprising the selected one of the plurality of images along with designation of which one of the touchable inputs or touchable input locations is to display the selected one of the plurality of images; and

(g) wherein the selected image and designation data is downloadable from the network to any computer connected to the network that transmits the selected image and designation data to a control unit linked to the computer that has a plurality of touchable inputs each comprised of a touchable input display.

39. A method of operating a control unit used to control a computer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a keyboard or key pad control unit comprised of a plurality of plurality of rows of keys each having a plurality of keys with a plurality of the keys comprising display keys that are each equipped with an integral key display, and a computer comprising a display and a mouse with the computer being linkable to the control unit and connectable to a network;

(b) displaying on the computer display a plurality of display key displayable images;

(c) displaying on the computer display a visual representation of a plurality of display keys or display key locations;

(d) selecting manually one of the plurality of display key displayable images using the mouse;

(e) dragging the selected one of the plurality of display key displayable images onto one of the plurality of display keys or display key locations to designate it be displayable thereon;

(f) transmitting the selected one of the plurality of display key displayable images and display key or display key location designation to the network; and

(g) wherein the selected one of the plurality of display key displayable images and display key or display key location designation is downloadable from the network to any computer connected to the network that includes a control unit linked to the computer that has a plurality of keys with a plurality of the keys each equipped with a key display.

40. A method of operating a control unit used to control a computer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a control unit comprised of a plurality of touchable inputs with each one of the plurality of touchable inputs comprising a touchable input display and a computer linkable to a display and a mouse with the computer being linkable to the control unit and connectable to a network;

(b) displaying on the computer display a plurality of images capable of being displayed on a touchable input display;

(c) displaying on the computer display a visual representation of a plurality of touchable input displays or touchable input display locations;

(d) selecting manually each one of the plurality of touchable input displayable images using the mouse;

(e) dragging each selected one of the plurality of touchable input displayable images onto one of the plurality of the visually represented touchable input displays or touchable input display locations thereby designating the selected one of the plurality of touchable input displayable images for display thereon;

(f) transmitting the selected plurality of display key displayable images and corresponding touchable input display or touchable input display location designation therefor to the network; and

(g) wherein the selected plurality of display key displayable images and corresponding display key or display key location designation therefor is downloadable from the network to any computer connected to the network that includes a control unit linked to the computer that has a plurality of touchable inputs with a plurality of the touchable inputs each comprising a touchable input display.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the network further comprises a database and step (f) the selected plurality of display key displayable images and corresponding touchable input display or touchable input display location designation therefor is transmitted to the database on the network and in step (g) the selected plurality of display key displayable images and corresponding display key or display key location designation therefor is downloadable from the database on the network.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the network comprises the Internet.