Input to an electronic apparatus
First Claim
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1. An electronic device, comprisinga processing system;
- a sensor for detecting vibrations caused by a user striking the device and outputting a signal indicative of a parameter of those vibrations;
whereinthe processing system is configured to analyse the signal output from the sensor and detect a location of the strike,wherein the detected location of the strike is utilised by the device to select a function to perform;
wherein the device is a mobile phone handset comprising at least one keypad and one display screen;
wherein the sensor is a microphone provided primarily to detect sound from a user speaking;
wherein the signal indicative of a parameter of the vibrations is a signal describing the pattern of vibrations;
wherein one or more input keys or areas are located on the display screen, the edges of the handset, the keypad, the keypad buttons or other surfaces of the apparatus, operable by a user to enter a character or command; and
wherein each input area produces a unique acoustic signature when struck by the user characteristic of said input area due to an asymmetric internal layout of the handset internal components or to variation in design features of the input areas,wherein said mobile phone is configured to use said microphone for picking up the acoustic signature of an input area struck by the user; and
wherein said processing system is configured to;
process said unique acoustic signature to detect said location of said strike using a stochastic process model defined by statistical parameter data comprising a set of statistical parameters representing signals from each of a plurality of different locations of said strike on said mobile phone handset; and
to;
input signal data from said sensor for a single said strike on the surface of said mobile phone;
express characteristics of said signal data using said stochastic process model defined by said statistical parameter data to determine for each of said different locations a probability that said single said strike is in said location; and
determine a probable closest match of data from said sensor for said single said strike to a said location to determine the location of said single said strike;
wherein said processing system is able to identify said location of a single said strike from said unique acoustic signature due to said asymmetric internal layout of said handset internal components.
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Abstract
An electronic device, comprising a processing system; a sensor for detecting vibrations caused by a user striking the device and outputting a signal indicative of a parameter of those vibrations; wherein the processing system is configured to analyse the signal output from the sensor and determine a parameter related to the location of the strike. Other methods and systems for making inputs to electronic devices are also described.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An electronic device, comprising
a processing system; -
a sensor for detecting vibrations caused by a user striking the device and outputting a signal indicative of a parameter of those vibrations;
whereinthe processing system is configured to analyse the signal output from the sensor and detect a location of the strike, wherein the detected location of the strike is utilised by the device to select a function to perform; wherein the device is a mobile phone handset comprising at least one keypad and one display screen; wherein the sensor is a microphone provided primarily to detect sound from a user speaking; wherein the signal indicative of a parameter of the vibrations is a signal describing the pattern of vibrations; wherein one or more input keys or areas are located on the display screen, the edges of the handset, the keypad, the keypad buttons or other surfaces of the apparatus, operable by a user to enter a character or command; and wherein each input area produces a unique acoustic signature when struck by the user characteristic of said input area due to an asymmetric internal layout of the handset internal components or to variation in design features of the input areas, wherein said mobile phone is configured to use said microphone for picking up the acoustic signature of an input area struck by the user; and wherein said processing system is configured to; process said unique acoustic signature to detect said location of said strike using a stochastic process model defined by statistical parameter data comprising a set of statistical parameters representing signals from each of a plurality of different locations of said strike on said mobile phone handset; and
to;input signal data from said sensor for a single said strike on the surface of said mobile phone; express characteristics of said signal data using said stochastic process model defined by said statistical parameter data to determine for each of said different locations a probability that said single said strike is in said location; and determine a probable closest match of data from said sensor for said single said strike to a said location to determine the location of said single said strike; wherein said processing system is able to identify said location of a single said strike from said unique acoustic signature due to said asymmetric internal layout of said handset internal components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of detecting user input to an electronic device, comprising detecting vibrations caused by a user striking an area of the device, determining the area struck by the user from a parameter of the vibrations, and executing a command in response to the detection, wherein the command is selected dependent on the detected location, wherein each input area of a plurality of areas each input area produces a unique acoustic signature when struck by the user characteristic of said input area (80-83, 89) due to an asymmetric internal layout of the electronic device internal components or to variation in design features of the input areas, and
wherein the method comprises processing said unique acoustic signature to detect said location of said strike using a stochastic process model defined by statistical parameter data comprising a set of statistical parameters representing signals from each of a plurality of different locations of said strike on said mobile phone handset; -
wherein said processing comprises; inputting signal data from said sensor for a single said strike on the surface of said mobile phone; expressing characteristics of said signal data using said stochastic process model defined by said statistical parameter data to determine for each of said different locations a probability that said single said strike is in said location; and determining a probable closest match of data from said sensor for said single said strike to a said location to determine the location of said single said strike; wherein said processing is able to identify said location of a single said strike from said unique acoustic signature due to said asymmetric internal layout of said handset internal components. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An electronic device, comprising
a processing system; -
a sensor for detecting vibrations caused by a user striking the device and outputting a signal indicative of a parameter of those vibrations;
whereinthe processing system is configured to analyse the signal output from the sensor and detect a location of the strike, wherein the detected location of the strike is utilised by the device to select a function to perform; wherein the device is a mobile phone handset comprising at least one keypad and one display screen; wherein the sensor is a microphone provided primarily to detect sound from a user speaking; wherein the signal indicative of a parameter of the vibrations is a signal describing the pattern of vibrations; wherein one or more input keys or areas are located on the display screen, the edges of the handset, the keypad, the keypad buttons or other surfaces of the apparatus, operable by a user to enter a character or command; and wherein each input area produces a unique acoustic signature when struck by the user characteristic of said input area due to an asymmetric internal layout of the handset internal components or to variation in design features of the input areas, wherein said mobile phone is configured to use said microphone for picking up the acoustic signature of an input area struck by the user; wherein said mobile phone handset is configured to process said unique acoustic signature to detect said location of said strike; and wherein said processing system is configured to; capture training data representing signals from said sensor for a plurality of different said training locations of said strike on said mobile phone handset; process said training data to determine statistical parameter data for said different locations of said strike, said statistical parameter data comprising a set of statistical parameters derived from signals from each of said plurality of said different said locations, wherein said set of statistical parameters defines a stochastic process model; input signal data from said sensor for a single said strike on the surface of said mobile phone; express characteristics of said signal data using said stochastic process model defined by said statistical parameter data to determine for said training locations a probability that said single said strike is in said training location; and determine a probable closest match of data from said sensor for said single said strike to a said training location to determine said location of said single said strike; wherein said processing system is able to identify said location of a single said strike from said unique acoustic signature due to said asymmetric internal layout of said handset internal components.
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Specification