Input device for moving cursor and scrolling image on screen

• US 7,593,006 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hara, Osamu, Itoh, Akihisa, Ogino, Kouichi, Ooshita, Kazuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Srilakshmi K
• Application Number:
  US11/345,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

In the case where the operator is moving the cursor on the computer screen through the use of a mouse, when the cursor display moves to a position which coincides with any of the menu display, a boundary position of the menu display or a position which coincides with the icon display, pressure sensing power generating means within the mouse is actuated to give a shock force or the like to the operator. This enables the operator to recognize the grasp in the operating state by not only visual judgment but also by hand.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a display;

a computer body housing;

a driver;

software for displaying a screen on the display;

software for scrolling the screen; and

a supervisory program for supervising a state of image data to be displayed on the display and for receiving coordinate data from the driver;

a plane-shaped input means fixedly housed in the computer body for giving an operation input signal for scrolling the screen to the computer body, wherein the input means outputs coordinate information to the supervisory program when a surface is scanned with a finger or an input pen; and

a vibration generating means disposed below the input means to generate shock or vibration to a hand of an operator, wherein the vibration generation means comprises a vibrating element that receives a feedback command signal from the computer body to give a shock force to the finger or the input pen and wherein vibration is given to the input means through the use of the vibration generating means,

wherein an operation command is given to the vibration generating means from the computer body in accordance with the state of the image data supervised through the use of the supervisory program to change a time interval or magnitude of the vibration in accordance with a state of scrolling of the screen performed when a surface of the input means is scanned with a finger or an input pen;

wherein the vibration generating means provides vibration to the input means or the vicinity of the input means in response to the operation command from the computer body;

wherein the supervisory program supervises the position of a cursor on the image display and gives an operation command to the driver when the cursor moves to a boundary line between menu items or icon within the image display;

wherein when the supervisory program supervises an amount of image data to be displayed on the screen and performs input for scrolling the screen through the use of the input means, the supervisory program gives an operation command for changing a time interval or magnitude of the vibration from the vibration generating means in response to a magnitude of the amount of the image data, where the time interval or magnitude of the vibration is changed toward an end of a scrolling operation; and

wherein the driver processes the operation command and provides the operation command as a feedback signal to the vibrating generating means.

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the input means is a plane-shaped capacitive input means and wherein the time interval or magnitude of the vibration is changed in response to the feedback command signal from the computer body when the position of a cursor display on the screen is moved to a predetermined position.

3. An input device according to claim 1, wherein:

the image display comprises an icon, including a slider of a scroll bar;

the vibration generating means is intermittently actuated in response to the movement of the slider to provide a continuous click sensation or shock force to the operator; and

the time interval of the click sensation or shock force is changed toward an end of a scrolling operation.