Wristwatch type device and method for moving pointer

• US 7,215,319 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2001
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kamijo, Noboru, Inoue, Tadanobu, Kishimoto, Kohichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LESPERANCE, JEAN E
• Application Number:
  US09/682,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20020027547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,127 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 345/173, 345/179, 345/168, 345/169, 345/163, 368/30, 368/83, 368/84, 368/241, 368/242
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

A feature of the present invention includes a device having a display controller for controlling a display position of the pointer on the display screen, a displacement detector for detecting a displacement of the device itself, and a pointer mover for moving the pointer on the display screen based on the detected displacement of the device itself.

Claims

1. A wristwatch type device, comprising:

a display for displaying a screen;

a case for supporting the display;

an attached belt attached to the case;

a touch sensor mounted in the case or the attached belt for performing a predetermined operation on an object displayed on the screen, wherein the touch sensor is provided on both sides of the display; and

an image sensor, wherein an image sensed by the image sensor is processed to obtain a displacement of the device itself.

2. The wristwatch type device according to claim 1, further comprising:

displacement detection section for detecting a displacement of the display; and

pointer position changing device for changing a display position of a pointer based on the detected results, thereby moving the pointer displayed on the screen.

3. The wristwatch type device according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor is located in a part of the display.

4. The wristwatch type device according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor has a minimum resolution of 36×

36 dots.