Apparatus and method for controlling a sound reproduction apparatus

• US 8,566,719 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Toh, Boon Keat Eddy, Tan, Jeng Khim, Dong, Cunsheng Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US13/131,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/863, 715/719
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

There is provided a control apparatus and method for controlling a sound reproduction apparatus. The control apparatus and method enables control of at least one parameter of audio reproduction depending on contact with a touch sensitive panel. The parameters which may be controlled include, for example, volume, bass, treble, equalizer settings and the like. The functions of the sound reproduction apparatus which may be controlled include, for example, radio channel selection, track selection, album selection and the like.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for controlling at least one parameter of audio reproduction of a sound reproduction apparatus, the at least one parameter being associable with a current level which is variable, the control apparatus including:

a touch sensitive panel operable to communicate data based on contact thereon;

a controller coupled to the touch sensitive panel for processing communicated data from the touch sensitive panel, data communicated from the touch sensitive panel being processable by the controller in a manner such that variance of the current level is determinable based on contact on the touch sensitive panel; and

a visual indicator coupled to the controller, the visual indicator configured such that a visual indication is providable by visually denoting the current level and the variance determinable in association thereto, the visual indicator and the touch sensitive panel being arranged in a manner such that contact on the touch sensitive panel one of substantially coincides and fails to substantially coincide with the visual indication denoting the current level,

wherein when contact on the touch sensitive panel substantially coincides with the visual indication which denotes the current level, the controller processes data communicated from the touch sensitive panel in a manner such that variance of the current level of the at least one parameter is determined;

wherein when contact on the touch sensitive panel fails to substantially coincide with the visual indication which denotes the current level, the controller ignores data communicated from the touch sensitive panel;

wherein the control apparatus is operable in one of a first parameter control mode and a fine-tuning first parameter mode;

wherein when the controller recognizes contact to the touch sensitive panel by one of a first appendage and a second appendage, the control apparatus operates in the first parameter control mode, and variance of the current level of the at least one parameter is determined in a manner such that the level is increased by primary increments when the first appendage is moved in the first direction and the level is decreased by primary decrements when the first appendage is moved in the second direction;

wherein when the controller recognizes contact to the touch sensitive screen by the first appendage and the second appendage in a manner such that they are substantially side-by-side together, the control apparatus operates in the fine-tuning first parameter mode; and

variance of the current level of the at least one parameter is determined in a manner such that the level is increased in secondary increments when the first appendage and the second appendage are moved in the first direction, and the level is decreased in secondary decrements when the first appendage and the second appendage are moved in the second direction; and

wherein the secondary increment is less than the primary increment and the secondary decrement is less than the primary decrement.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the touch sensitive panel is transparent and is over-laid on the visual indicator.

3. The control apparatus of claim 2, wherein contact on the touch sensitive panel is established by a first appendage which is movable in one of a first direction and a second direction when in contact with the touch sensitive panel, and wherein when contact on the touch sensitive panel substantially coincides with the visual indication denoting the current level.

4. The control apparatus of claim 3,

wherein data communicated from the touch sensitive panel relates to at least one of an initial contact position, direction of subsequent movement, a rate of the movement and a departing contact position, of the first appendage on the touch sensitive panel, and

wherein the subsequent movement is in a direction selected from a group comprising:

latitudinal, longitudinal, radial and any combination of the aforementioned.

5. The control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the visual indicator includes visual indicia selected from a group comprising:

a plurality of illumination sources, a plurality of LEDs and an LCD panel.

6. The control apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of LEDs is able to vary a level of brightness.

7. The control apparatus of claim 3, wherein contact on the touch sensitive panel is further established by a second appendage which is movable in one of a first direction and a second direction when in contact with the touch sensitive panel.

8. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control apparatus operates in the fine-tuning first parameter mode when contact of at least one of the first and second appendages substantially coincides with the visual indication which denotes the current level.

9. A method for controlling at least one parameter of audio reproduction of a sound reproduction apparatus using a touch sensitive panel over-laid on a visual indicator, the at least one parameter being associable with a current level which is variable and which is visually denotable via the visual indicator by way of a visual indication in a manner such that the current level and any variance in association thereto is visible though the touch sensitive panel, the method including:

contacting the touch sensitive panel in a manner such that contact on the touch sensitive panel one of substantially coincides and fails to substantially coincide with the visual indication denoting the current level; and

determining whether contact on the touch sensitive panel substantially coincides with the visual indication denoting the current level,

wherein when contact on the touch sensitive panel substantially coincides with the visual indication denoting the current level, the current level is varied based on contact on the touch sensitive panel;

wherein when contact on the touch sensitive panel fails to substantially coincide with the visual indication denoting the current level, the current level is not varied regardless of contact on the touch sensitive panel;

wherein the touch sensitive panel overlaid on the visual indicator is associable with a control apparatus which is operable in one of a first parameter control mode and a fine-tuning first parameter mode;

wherein when contact to the touch sensitive panel is established by one of a first appendage and a second appendage, the control apparatus operates in the first parameter control mode, and variance of the current level of the at least one parameter is determined in a manner such that the level is increased by primary increments when the first appendage is moved in the first direction and the level is decreased by primary decrements when the first appendage is moved in the second direction;

wherein when contact to the touch sensitive screen is established by the first appendage and the second appendage in a manner such that they are substantially side-by-side together, the control apparatus operates in the fine-tuning first parameter mode, and variance of the current level of the at least one parameter is determined in a manner such that the level is increased in secondary increments when the first appendage and the second appendage are moved in the first direction, and the level is decreased in secondary decrements when the first appendage and the second appendage are moved in the second direction; and

wherein the secondary increment is less than the primary increment and the secondary decrement is less than the primary decrement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the visual indicator includes visual indicia selected from a group comprising:

a plurality of illumination sources, a plurality of LEDs and an LCD panel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of LEDs is able to vary a level of brightness.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein contact on the touch sensitive panel is established by a first appendage which is movable in one of a first direction and a second direction when in contact with the touch sensitive panel, and wherein when contact on the touch sensitive panel substantially coincides with the visual indication.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and the second directions are selected from a group comprising:

latitudinal, longitudinal, radial and any combination of the aforementioned.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein contact on the touch sensitive panel is further established by a second appendage which is movable in one of a first direction and a second direction when in contact with the touch sensitive panel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the touch sensitive panel overlaid on the visual indicator is associable with a control apparatus which is further operable in one of a second parameter control mode and a functional control mode, and

wherein when contact to the touch sensitive screen is established by the first and second appendages, the control apparatus operates in one of the second parameter control mode and the functional control mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the control apparatus operates in the second parameter control mode when the first and second appendages contact the touch sensitive panel in a manner such that they are either approaching one another or distancing from one another.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the control apparatus operates in the functional control mode when the first and second appendages contact the touch sensitive panel in a manner such that they are substantially side-by-side together and either one of them taps on the touch sensitive panel.