Human input apparatus with touch sensors and method for calculating movement value thereof

• US 7,616,193 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Inventors: Hong, Jae-Surk, Joung, Chul-Yong, Lee, Bang-Won, Shin, Young-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIS, RANDAL L
• Application Number:
  US11/245,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

Provided is a human input apparatus and method for calculating a movement value thereof. The human input apparatus includes a plurality of touch sensors for varying and outputting output signals by direct contact, a sensing unit for receiving the output signals in parallel from the plurality of touch sensors and generating input data in response to the output signals, and a movement value calculating means for extracting valid input data from the input data and operating on and outputting a movement value using operated-on data comparing the valid input data with reference data and the reference data. Accordingly, a mechanical device mounted on the human input apparatus in order to express movement can be replaced by an electronic device employing the touch sensors, so that it is possible not only to prevent malfunction caused by noise or abrasion of a mechanical switch, but also to reduce power consumption and production cost. Further, it is advantageous for downsizing.

Claims

1. A human input apparatus comprising:

a plurality of touch sensors for varying and outputting output signals by direct contact;

a sensing unit for receiving the output signals in parallel from the plurality of touch sensors and outputting input data in response to the output signals; and

a movement value calculating means for extracting valid input data from the input data and generating an operated-on data comparing the valid input data with a reference data, and operating and outputting a movement value using the reference data and the operated-on data,

wherein the movement value calculating means includes;

a valid input extractor for receiving the input data to determine whether the input data is valid or not and extracting and outputting the valid input data;

a reference data storage for storing the reference data;

a movement value operator for operating on the movement value using the operated-on data and the reference data; and

an output unit for outputting the movement value, and

wherein the valid input extractor adjusts the input data when contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact are not continuous in the input data to make the contact indication bits continuous, and outputs the adjusted data as the valid input data.

2. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operated-on data is obtained by an exclusive-OR (XOR) operation of the valid input data and the reference data.

3. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valid input extractor outputs the input data as the valid input data when the input data does not change for a predetermined time.

4. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valid input extractor outputs the input data as the valid input data when the contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact are continuous in the input data.

5. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valid input extractor outputs the valid input data when the valid input data is not identical to the reference data.

6. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement value calculating means outputs the movement value when the valid input data is identical to the reference data and when the contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact include a most or least significant bit in the valid input data, in the same manner as the contact indication bits continue to move in a constant direction.

7. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement value calculating means varies only the reference data into the valid input data without generating the operated-on data or outputting the movement value when either one of the valid input data and the reference data indicates that all of the touch sensors are out of contact.

8. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement value operator performs:

a changing contact position detecting function of performing an exclusive-OR (XOR) operation on the valid input data and the reference data and outputting the operated-on data;

a movement validity determining function of determining that movement is valid when “

1”

bits of the operated-on data are two or more in number and when all bits of the reference data which correspond to the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data all are not identical;

a movement magnitude operating function of, when determining that the movement is valid, detecting first and second values that correspond to numbers of “

1” and

“

0”

bits respectively among the bits of the reference data which correspond to the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data, and outputting either one of the first and second values as a movement magnitude; and

a movement direction setting function of setting a movement direction depending on whether or not a first bit that is the bit of the reference data which corresponds to a most significant bit of the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data has the same value as a second bit that is the bit of the reference data which corresponds to a bit adjacent to the most significant bit of the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data.

9. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movement value operator outputs a predetermined maximum magnitude as the movement magnitude when the movement magnitude is larger than the predetermined maximum magnitude.

10. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movement value operator outputs the larger of the first and second values as the movement magnitude.

11. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movement value operator outputs the smaller of the first and second values as the movement magnitude.

12. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movement value operator determines that the second bit indicates that the touch sensor is out of contact when the most significant bit of the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data is the most significant bit of the operated-on data, and sets the movement direction.

13. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the human input apparatus scrolls an image on a screen using the movement value.

14. A human input apparatus comprising:

a plurality of touch sensors for varying and outputting output signals by direct contact;

a sensing unit for receiving the output signals in parallel from the plurality of touch sensors and outputting input data in response to the output signals; and

a movement value calculating means for extracting valid input data from the input data and calculating and outputting a movement value using input data upper and lower points that are most and least significant bits of the valid input data indicating that the touch sensors are in contact and reference data upper and lower points that are most and least significant bits of the reference data indicating that the touch sensors are in contact,

wherein the movement value calculating means includes;

a valid input extractor for receiving the input data to determine whether the input data is valid or not, and extracting and outputting the valid input data;

a reference data storage for storing the reference data;

a movement value operator for operating on the movement value using the input data upper point, the input data lower point, the reference data upper point, and the reference data lower point; and

an output unit for outputting the movement value, and

wherein the valid input extractor outputs the input data as the valid input data when the input data does not change for a predetermined time.

15. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the valid input extractor outputs the input data as the valid input data when contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact are continuous in the input data.

16. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the valid input extractor adjusts the input data when contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact are not continuous in the input data to make the contact indication bits continuous, and outputs the adjusted data as the valid input data.

17. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the valid input extractor outputs the valid input data when the valid input data is not identical to the reference data.

18. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the movement value calculating means outputs the movement value when the valid input data is identical to the reference data and when contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact include the most or least significant bit in the valid input data, in the same manner as the contact indication bits continue to move in a constant direction.

19. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the movement value calculating means varies only the reference data into the valid input data without operating on or outputting the movement value when either one of the valid input data and the reference data indicates that all the touch sensors are out of contact.

20. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the movement value operator performs:

a changing contact position detecting function of detecting the input data upper point, the input data lower point, the reference data upper point and the reference data lower point;

a movement validity determining function of calculating a first value of subtracting the input data upper point from the reference data upper point and a second value of subtracting the input data lower point from the reference data lower point and determining that movement is valid when signs of the first and second values are not different from each other;

a movement magnitude operating function of outputting either one of an absolute value of the first value and an absolute value of the second value as a movement magnitude; and

a movement direction setting function of setting a movement direction depending on the sign of the first value.

21. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the movement value operator outputs a predetermined maximum magnitude as the movement magnitude when the movement magnitude is larger than the predetermined maximum magnitude.

22. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the movement value operator outputs the larger of the absolute values of the first and second values as the movement magnitude.

23. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the movement value operator outputs the smaller of the absolute values of the first and second values as the movement magnitude.

24. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the movement value operator sets the movement direction depending on the sign of the second value when the first value is 0.

25. The human input apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the human input apparatus scrolls an image on a screen using the movement value.

26. A method for calculating a movement value of a human input apparatus including a plurality of touch sensors for varying and outputting output signals by direct contact, and a sensing unit for receiving the output signals in parallel from the plurality of touch sensors and outputting input data in response to the output signals, the method comprising:

a valid input data extracting step of receiving the input data to determine whether or not the input data is valid and outputting valid input data;

a movement value operating step of operating on the movement value using operated-on data comparing the valid input data with a reference data;

a reference data changing step of changing the reference data into the valid input data; and

a movement value outputting step of outputting the movement value,

wherein the valid input data extracting step adjusts the input data when contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact are not continuous in the input data to make the contact indication bits continuous, and outputs the adjusted data as the valid input data.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the operated-on data is obtained by an exclusive-OR (XOR) operation of the valid input data and the reference data.

28. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the valid input data extracting step outputs the input data as the valid input data when the input data does not change for a predetermined time.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the valid input data extracting step outputs the input data as the valid input data when the contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact are continuous in the input data.

30. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the valid input data extracting step outputs the valid input data when the valid input data is not identical to the reference data.

31. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the method for calculating the movement value outputs the movement value when the valid input data is identical to the reference data and when the contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact include a most or least significant bit in the valid input data, in the same manner as the contact indication bits continue to move in a constant direction.

32. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the method for calculating the movement value performs only the reference data changing step without performing the movement value operating step and the movement value outputting step when either one of the valid input data and the reference data indicates that all the touch sensors are out of contact.

33. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the movement value operating step includes:

a changing contact position detecting sub-step of performing an exclusive-OR (XOR) operation on the valid input data and the reference data and outputting the operated-on data;

a movement validity determining sub-step of determining that movement is valid when “

1”

bits of the operated-on data are two or more in number and when all bits of the reference data which correspond to the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data all are not identical;

a movement magnitude operating sub-step of, when determining that the movement is valid, detecting first and second values that correspond to numbers of “

1” and

“

0”

bits respectively among the bits of the reference data which correspond to the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data, and outputting either one of the first and second values as a movement magnitude; and

a movement direction setting sub-step of setting a movement direction depending on whether or not a first bit that is the bit of the reference data which corresponds to a most significant bit of the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data has the same value as a second bit that is the bit of the reference data which corresponds to a bit adjacent to the most significant bit of the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the movement magnitude operating sub-step outputs a predetermined maximum magnitude as the movement magnitude when the movement magnitude is larger than the predetermined maximum magnitude.

35. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the movement magnitude operating sub-step outputs the result of multiplying the movement magnitude by a predetermined coefficient.

36. The method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the coefficient is a number obtained by dividing a pixel number for a size of an icon on a screen by an integer.

37. The method as claimed in claim 35, further comprising a movement speed sensing step of measuring a time until the valid input data changes and sensing a movement speed,

wherein the coefficient is set in proportion to the movement speed.

38. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the movement magnitude operating sub-step outputs the larger of the first and second values as the movement magnitude.

39. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the movement magnitude operating sub-step outputs the smaller of the first and second values as the movement magnitude.

40. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the movement direction setting sub-step determines that the second bit indicates that the touch sensor is out of contact when the most significant bit of the “

1”

bits of the operated-on data is the most significant bit of the operated-on data, and sets the movement direction.

41. A method for calculating a movement value of a human input apparatus including a plurality of touch sensors for varying and outputting output signals by direct contact and a sensing unit for receiving the output signals in parallel from the plurality of touch sensors and outputting input data in response to the output signals, the method comprising:

a valid input data extracting step of receiving the input data to determine whether or not the input data is valid and outputting valid input data;

a movement value operating step of operating on the movement value from input data upper and lower points that are most and least significant bits of the valid input data indicating that the touch sensors are in contact and from reference data upper and lower points that are most and least significant bits of the reference data indicating that the touch sensors are in contact;

a reference data changing step of changing the reference data into the valid input data; and

a movement value outputting step of outputting the movement value,

wherein the valid input data extracting step adjusts the input data when contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact are not continuous in the input data to make the contact indication bits continuous, and outputs the adjusted data as the valid input data.

42. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the valid input data extracting step outputs the input data as the valid input data when the input data does not change for a predetermined time.

43. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the valid input data extracting step outputs the input data as the valid input data when the contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact are continuous in the input data.

44. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the valid input data extracting step outputs the valid input data when the valid input data is not identical to the reference data.

45. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the method for calculating the movement value outputs the movement value when the valid input data is identical to the reference data and when the contact indication bits indicating that the touch sensors are in contact include the most or least significant bit in the valid input data, in the same manner as the contact indication bits continue to move in a constant direction.

46. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the method for calculating the movement value performs only the reference data changing step without performing the movement value operating step and the movement value outputting step when either one of the valid input data and the reference data indicates that all the touch sensors are out of contact.

47. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the movement value operating step includes:

a changing contact position detecting sub-step of detecting the input data upper point, the input data lower point, the reference data upper point and the reference data lower point;

a movement validity determining sub-step of calculating a first value of subtracting the input data upper point from the reference data upper point and a second value of subtracting the input data lower point from the reference data lower point and determining that movement is valid when signs of the first and second values are not different from each other;

a movement magnitude operating sub-step of outputting either one of an absolute value of the first value and an absolute value of the second value as a movement magnitude; and

a movement direction setting sub-step of setting a movement direction depending on the sign of the first value.

48. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the movement magnitude operating sub-step outputs a predetermined maximum magnitude as the movement magnitude when the movement magnitude is larger than the predetermined maximum magnitude.

49. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the movement magnitude operating sub-step outputs the result of multiplying the movement magnitude by a predetermined coefficient.

50. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein the coefficient is a number obtained by dividing a pixel number for a size of an icon on a screen by an integer.

51. The method as claimed in claim 49, further comprising a movement speed sensing step of measuring a time until the valid input data changes and sensing a movement speed,

wherein the coefficient is set in proportion to the movement speed.

52. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the movement magnitude operating sub-step outputs the larger of the absolute values of the first and second values as the movement magnitude.

53. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the movement magnitude operating sub-step outputs the smaller of the absolute values of the first and second values as the movement magnitude.

54. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the movement direction setting sub-step sets the movement direction depending on the sign of the second value when the first value is 0.