Pad type input device and scroll controlling method using the same

• US 7,705,831 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ohshita, Kazuhito, Watanabe, Kenji, Suzuki, Shoji, Kikuchi, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdin; Shaheda A
• Application Number:
  US11/552,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/177, 345/178, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A pad type input device is provided. The pad type input device includes an operation surface which includes a scroll area operated by an operation body. A detector is operative to detect a touch position of the operation body placed on the operation surface as positional information on a coordinate plane. A data processor is operative to acquire an operation signal obtained by the detector to perform a predetermined process. The data processor outputs a scroll signal that moves display contents in a predetermined scroll direction when the operation body placed on the scroll area is in a stop state where the operation body does not move, even after a predetermined time elapses.

Claims

1. A pad type input device comprising:

an operation surface which includes a scroll area operated by an operation body;

a detector that is operative to detect a touch position of the operation body placed on the operation surface as positional information on a coordinate plane; and

a data processor that is operative to acquire an operation signal obtained by the detector to perform a predetermined process,

wherein the data processor executes a scroll lock timer routine when the operation body placed on the scroll area is in a stop state where the operation body does not move, even after a predetermined time elapses,

wherein the scroll lock timer routine includes specifying a scroll speed information, outputting a scroll signal that moves display contents in a predetermined scroll direction, the scroll signal including the scroll speed information, and setting the scroll lock timer which determines a duration of time until next scroll lock timer routine is executed, and

wherein the scroll lock timer routine is repeatedly executed based on the scroll lock timer until the operation body is not placed on the scroll area.

2. The pad type input device according to claim 1, wherein the data processor is operative to acquire a movement direction of the operation body, which is previously detected, as a scroll direction, and output the scroll signal including the scroll direction when it is determined that the operation body is in the stop state.

3. The pad type input device according to claim 1, wherein the scroll signal includes scroll speed information that controls a scroll speed.

4. The pad type input device according to claim 2, wherein the scroll area has a first scroll area for vertical scroll, a second scroll area for horizontal scroll, or both.

6. The pad type input device according to claim 1, wherein the data processor is further operative to:

when the operation body moves from a previous position by at least a predetermined distance within a predetermined time period, determine whether or not a scroll operation is performed, and output the scroll signal if a scroll operation is performed;

when the operation body does not move from the previous position by at least the predetermined distance within the predetermined time period, determine whether or not a scroll operation is performed in the previous operation, and initiate the scroll lock timer routine if a scroll operation is performed in the previous operation.

5. A scroll controlling method of a pad type input device including an operation surface which includes a scroll area operated by an operation body, a detector which detects a touch position of the operation body placed on the operation surface as positional information on a coordinate plane, a data processor which acquires an operation signal obtained by the detecting means to perform a predetermined process, and a display which displays display contents processed by the data processing means, the method comprising:

setting a scroll lock timer which determines a duration of time until next scroll lock timer routine is executed;

determining whether the operation body placed on the scroll area is in a stop state where the operation body does not move, even after a predetermined time elapses wherein the scroll lock timer routine is repeatedly executed based on the scroll lock timer until the operation body is not placed on the scroll area, and

outputting a scroll signal for moving the display contents in a predetermined scroll direction to an operating system when it is determined that the operation body is in the stop state.