User interface
First Claim
1. A device comprising:
- a user input device comprising a plurality of sensors in an array for providing N-way directional control, the array being for tactile actuation by a user;
a controller responsive to the actuation of a sensor by itself or the simultaneous actuation of a pair of adjacent sensors, thecontroller being configured to produce one of N different directional control signals upon actuation of a sensor by itself, or upon simultaneous actuation of an adjacent pair of sensors; and
wherein each of the N directional control signals belong to a first set of directional control signals or a second set of directional control signals, wherein each sensor in the array is associated with only one of the directional control signals of the first set and wherein each of the directional control signals of the second set is associated with an adjacent pair of sensors in the array, but not every one of the adjacent pairs of sensors is associated with a directional control signal of the second set.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A user input device for providing 8-way directional control, comprising a first set of sensors consisting of a first sensor adjacent a second sensor, constituting a first pair of sensors, and a third sensor adjacent the second sensor, constituting a second pair of sensors; and a second set of sensors, adjacent the second set of sensors, consisting of a fourth sensor adjacent a fifth sensor, constituting a third pair of sensors, and a sixth sensor adjacent the fifth sensor, constituting a fourth pair of sensors; wherein user actuation of a respective one of at least four of the six sensors provides for control in a respective one of four different directions and user actuation of a respective one of the first, second, third and fourth pairs of sensors provides for control in a respective one of the remaining four different directions.
9 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A device comprising:
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a user input device comprising a plurality of sensors in an array for providing N-way directional control, the array being for tactile actuation by a user; a controller responsive to the actuation of a sensor by itself or the simultaneous actuation of a pair of adjacent sensors, the controller being configured to produce one of N different directional control signals upon actuation of a sensor by itself, or upon simultaneous actuation of an adjacent pair of sensors; and wherein each of the N directional control signals belong to a first set of directional control signals or a second set of directional control signals, wherein each sensor in the array is associated with only one of the directional control signals of the first set and wherein each of the directional control signals of the second set is associated with an adjacent pair of sensors in the array, but not every one of the adjacent pairs of sensors is associated with a directional control signal of the second set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of providing N-way directional control using more than N/2 but less than N sensors in an array to provide N different directional control signals, wherein each of the N different directional control signals is a member of either first set of directional control signals or a second, different, set of directional control signals, the method comprising:
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associating each one of the sensors in the array with only one directional control signal from the first set of directional control signals; associating each of the directional control signals of the second set with a pair of sensors in the array without associating each of the pairs of sensors in the array with a directional control signal of the second set; detecting when a sensor or sensors of the array are actuated; and
providing the directional control signal associated with the detected actuated sensor(s).
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24. A device, for providing 8-way directional control, comprising
a first set of sensors consisting of a first sensor adjacent a second sensor, constituting a first pair of sensors, and a third sensor adjacent the second sensor, constituting a second pair of sensors; - and
a second set of sensors, adjacent the first set of sensors, consisting of a fourth sensor adjacent a fifth sensor, constituting a third pair of sensors, and a sixth sensor adjacent the fifth sensor, constituting a fourth pair of sensors;
whereinuser actuation of a respective one of at least four of the six sensors provides for control in a respective one of four different directions and user actuation of each of the first, second, third and fourth pairs of sensors provides for control in a respective one of the remaining four different directions. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of providing 8-way directional control using a user input device comprising a first set of sensors consisting of a first sensor adjacent a second sensor, constituting a first pair of sensors, and a third sensor adjacent the second sensor, constituting a second pair of sensors and a second set of sensors, adjacent the first set of sensors, consisting of a fourth sensor adjacent a fifth sensor, constituting a third pair of sensors, and a sixth sensor adjacent the fifth sensor, constituting a fourth pair of sensors, comprising the steps of:
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actuating predetermined ones of the sensors to move in any one of a first four orthogonal directions, and actuating each of the predetermined the four pairs of the sensors to move in respective ones of a second four orthogonal directions, off-set by 45 degrees from the first four orthogonal directions.
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44. A device for providing N-way directional control, the device comprising:
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a user input device comprising more than N/2 sensors but less than N sensors in an array for directional control, the array being for tactile actuation by a user; a controller responsive to the actuation of a sensor by itself or the simultaneous actuation of a pair of adjacent sensors; wherein the controller produces one of N different directional control signals upon actuation of a sensor by itself, or upon the simultaneous actuation of an adjacent pair of sensors; and wherein each of the N directional control signals belong to a first set of directional control signals or a second set of directional control signals, wherein each sensor in the array is associated with only one of the directional control signals of the first set and wherein each of the directional control signals of the second set is associated with an adjacent pair of sensors in the array, but not every one of the adjacent pair of sensors is associated with a directional control signal of the second set.
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45. A method, comprising:
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associating each one of the sensors in an array with only one directional control signal from a first set of directional control signals; associating each of the directional control signals of a second set of directional control signals with an adjacent pair of sensors in the array without associating each of the pairs of sensors in the array with a directional control signal of the second set; detecting when a sensor in the array is actuated, or when an adjacent pair of sensors in the array are simultaneously actuated; and producing the directional control signal associated with the detected actuated sensor(s).
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Specification