Methods and systems for typing

• US 9,280,207 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Graumann, David L., Healey, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/977,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-172, 341 22- 34, 340/407.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/046 Adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus for selecting symbols based on actuation of one or more keys or switches associated with a vehicle. One or more processors may interpret signals generated from the one or more keys or switches to ascertain symbols associated with the same.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor associated with a vehicle, a first signal from a first input sensor section comprising one or more keys and associated with a vehicle, wherein the first signal is indicative of an actuation of at least one of the one or more keys, wherein each of the one or more keys correspond to symbols from a first set of symbols or symbols from a second set of symbols;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a second signal from a second input sensor section associated with the vehicle and separate from the first input sensor section, wherein the second signal is indicative of a state of a switch included in the second input sensor section, and wherein a symbol input associated with the at least one of the one or more keys is based at least in part on the state of the switch, wherein the state of the switch corresponds to one of the first set of symbols or the second set of symbols;

determining, by the at least one processor, the symbol input associated with a textual message based at least in part on both the first signal and second signal; and

providing, by the at least one processor, a display signal to a display associated with the vehicle to display the symbolic input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal indicates that the at least one of the one or more keys have been pressed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a slider switch and the state of the switch corresponds to a position of a slider of the slider switch.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the position is one of:

(i) a first position corresponding to a first state, or (ii) a second position corresponding to a second state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein possible positions of the slider includes a third position corresponding to a third state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a mapping of symbols to combinations of the first signal and the second signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input sensor section and the second input sensor section is mounted on a steering wheel of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a third signal from a third section of the input sensor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining a symbol input is based at least in part on the third signal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the third section of the input sensor comprises a scroll slider input device.

11. A steering wheel of a vehicle comprising:

a first input section comprising a plurality of keys and configured to provide a first signal based on actuation of one or more of the plurality of keys, wherein each of the one or more keys correspond to symbols from a first set of symbols or symbols from a second set of symbols;

a second input section comprising a switch and configured to provide a second signal based on a state of the switch, wherein a symbol input associated with the one or more of the plurality of keys is based at least in part on the state of the switch, wherein the state of the switch corresponds to one of the first set of symbols or the second set of symbols;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to both the first input section and the second input section and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and generate a display signal based at least in part on both the first signal and the second signal; and

a display communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to receive the display signal and provide a display output based on the display signal.

12. The steering wheel of claim 11, wherein the plurality of keys comprise a capacitive panel sensor.

13. The steering wheel of claim 11, wherein an area of one or more of the plurality of keys is different from an area of the other of the plurality of keys.

14. The steering wheel of claim 13, wherein the areas of keys most distal from a rim of the steering wheel have a greater area than keys that are relatively more proximal to the rim.

15. The steering wheel of claim 11, wherein, the switch comprises a slide switch having a slider, wherein the position of the slider corresponds to the state of the switch.

16. The steering wheel of claim 11, further comprising an electronic memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store a mapping of symbols to various combinations of the first signal and the second signal.

17. The steering wheel of claim 16, wherein the generating the display signal comprises comparing the first signal and the second signal to the mapping.

18. The steering wheel of claim 11, wherein the display output comprises at least one symbol.

19. The steering wheel of claim 11, further comprising a third input section and configured to provide a third signal to the at least one processor.

20. The steering wheel of claim 19, wherein the third input section comprises a scroll slider input device.

21. A chordic keyboard provided associated with, a vehicle comprising:

at least four keys and configured to provide a key signal, wherein each of the at least four keys correspond to symbols from a first set of symbols or symbols from a second set of symbols;

a switch configured to be selectively actuated contemporaneously with one or more of the at least four keys and configured to provide a switch signal;

at least one processor configured to receive the key signal and the switch signal and determining a symbol corresponding to both the received key signal and switch signal, wherein the actuation of the switch corresponds to one of the first set of symbols or the second set of symbols;

at least one display communicatively coupled to the at least on processor and configured to display the determined symbol.

22. The chordic keyboard of claim 21, wherein the at least four keys are mounted on a rim of a steering wheel.

23. The chordic keyboard of claim 21, wherein the at least four keys comprises four keys.

24. The chordic keyboard of claim 23, wherein one or more of the four keys are configured to be actuated in various combinations contemporaneously with the first switch.

25. The chordic keyboard of claim 23, wherein each unique variation of actuated keys along with the actuated first switch correspond to a respective symbol.

26. The chordic keyboard of claim 21, further comprising an electronic memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store a mapping of symbols to various combinations of the key signal and the switch signal.

27. The chordic keyboard of claim 26, wherein determining a symbol comprises comparing the first signal and the second signal to the mapping.

28. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors associated with a vehicle, executes a operations comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first input sensor section mounted on a steering wheel, wherein the first signal is indicative of an actuation of at least one key of the first input sensor section, wherein each of the at least one keys correspond to symbols from a first set of symbols or symbols from a second set of symbols;

receiving a second signal from a second input sensor section mounted on the steering wheel, wherein the second signal is indicative of a state of a switch of the second input sensor section, and wherein a symbol input associated with the at least one key is based at least in part on the state of the switch;

determining a symbol input based in part on both the first signal and second signal wherein the state of the switch corresponds to one of the first set of symbols or the second set of symbols; and

,

providing a display signal to a display mounted on the steering wheel to display the symbol input.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the operations further comprising storing a mapping of symbols to various combinations of the first signal and the second signal.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein determining the symbol input comprises comparing the first signal and the second signal to the mapping.