Remote controller with touchpad for receiving handwritten input functions

• US 7,760,190 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: ELAN Mircoelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Yeh, I-Hau
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdin; Shaheda A
• Application Number:
  US11/135,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/157, 382/4, 382/13, 382/115, 382/119, 178 1801- 18096
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive

Abstract

A remote controller comprises a touchpad having a handwriting region to be operated to generate an input signal, a driver coupled with the touchpad, and a microcontroller coupled with the driver to respond to the input signal to generate a control signal for a controlled apparatus, so as to give a command to the controlled apparatus, or to name a file or to search a file on the controlled apparatus. On the touchpad, several key patterns may be provided or one or more regions may be arranged, to provide various input functions of key mode, mouse mode, scroll mode or graphic mode.

Claims

1. A remote controller comprising:

a touchpad having a plurality of key patterns and a handwriting region thereon, for being operated to thereby generate an input signal, whereby a user inputs text in the handwriting region to commence a search operation of the entered text on a controlled apparatus;

a driver coupled with the touchpad;

a signal generator; and

a microcontroller coupled with the driver and the signal generator, for responding to the input signal to control the signal generator to generate a remote control signal for said controlled apparatus whereby said input text is displayed on said controlled apparatus;

said signal generator for wirelessly transmitting said remote control signal;

wherein the plurality of key patterns define a key pattern region, said key pattern region and the handwriting region being in at least partial overlapping relation each with respect to the other on the touchpad.

2. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the signal generator comprises an IR generator or an RF generator.

3. The remote controller of claim 1, further comprising a mode switch for switching the touchpad to a key mode or a handwriting mode.

4. The remote controller of claim 3, wherein the mode switch further comprises a function of switching the touchpad to a mouse mode, a scroll mode or a graphic mode.

5. The remote controller of claim 3, wherein the mode switch is provided by one of the plurality of key patterns.

6. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the touchpad comprises a capacitive touchpad or a resistive touchpad.

7. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of key patterns comprise at least one fluorescent pattern.

8. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of key patterns are printed on the touchpad.

9. The remote controller of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the microcontroller for responding to the input signal to display.

10. The remote controller of claim 9, wherein the display comprises an LCD, an OLED display or an EL display.

11. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the touchpad has a protrusion at one of the plurality of key patterns.

12. The remote controller of claim 1, further comprising a recognition module coupled to the microcontroller for recognizing a trace on the handwriting region.

13. The remote controller of claim 1, further comprising a recognition module coupled to the microcontroller for recognizing a number of fingers touching on the handwriting region.

14. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the input signal is to operate with a menu on the controlled apparatus.

15. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the input signal is to search a file on the controlled apparatus.

16. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the input signal is to name a file on the controlled apparatus.

17. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the controlled apparatus comprises a digital AV apparatus, a digital information apparatus or a household electric appliance.

18. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the driver and the microcontroller are integrated together.

19. A remote controller comprising:

a plurality of keys for being operated to thereby generate a first input signal;

a touchpad having a handwriting region for being operated to thereby generate a second input signal, wherein a user can input text in the handwriting region to commence a search operation of the entered text on a controlled apparatus;

a driver coupled with the touchpad;

a mode switch for switching the touchpad to a mouse mode, a scroll mode or a graphic mode;

a signal generator; and

a microcontroller coupled with the plurality of keys, the driver and the signal generator, for responding to the first and second input signals to control the signal generator to generate a remote control signal for said controlled apparatus whereby said input text is displayed on said controlled apparatus;

said signal generator for wirelessly transmitting said remote control signal.

20. The remote controller of claim 19, wherein the signal generator comprises an IR generator or an RF generator.

21. The remote controller of claim 19, wherein the touchpad comprises a capacitive touchpad or a resistive touchpad.

22. The remote controller of claim 19, further comprising a display coupled to the microcontroller for responding to the second input signal to display.

23. The remote controller of claim 22, wherein the display comprises an LCD, an OLED display or an EL display.

24. The remote controller of claim 19, wherein the mode switch is on the touchpad.

25. The remote controller of claim 19, further comprising a recognition module coupled to the microcontroller for recognizing a trace on the handwriting region.

26. The remote controller of claim 19, further comprising a recognition module coupled to the microcontroller for recognizing a number of fingers touching on the handwriting region.

27. The remote controller of claim 19, wherein the second input signal is to operate with a menu on the controlled apparatus.

28. The remote controller of claim 19, wherein the second input signal is to search a file on the controlled apparatus.

29. The remote controller of claim 19, wherein the second input signal is to name a file on the controlled apparatus.

30. The remote controller of claim 19, wherein the controlled apparatus comprises a digital AV apparatus, a digital information apparatus or a household electric appliance.

31. The remote controller of claim 19, wherein the driver and the microcontroller are integrated together.

32. A remote controller comprising:

a touchpad having a plurality of key patterns and a handwriting region thereon, for being operated to thereby generate an input signal, wherein a user can input text in the handwriting region to commence a search operation of the entered text on a controlled apparatus;

a driver coupled with the touchpad;

a mode switch for switching the touchpad to a key mode or a handwriting mode;

a signal generator; and

a microcontroller coupled with the driver and the signal generator, for responding to the input signal to control the signal generator to generate a remote control signal for said controlled apparatus whereby said input text is displayed on said controlled apparatus;

said signal generator for wirelessly transmitting said remote control signal.

33. The remote controller of claim 32, wherein the mode switch further comprises a function of switching the touchpad to a mouse mode, a scroll mode or a graphic mode.