Operation input using touch screen and operation lever

• US 9,335,846 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Arakawa, Shuri
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, David
• Application Number:
  US13/857,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0205 Lever arrangements for operating keyboard cursor control keys in a joystick-like manner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

An operation input device includes a detection part configured to detect an operation performed by a detected object, an operation part including an operation lever attached to the detection part and configured so as to allow an operation of the operation part in a first direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and a display control part configured so as to control a display device to display on a display screen a first region that displays a first image based on the operation performed by the detected object, a second region that displays a second image based on the operation of the operation lever in the first direction, and a third region that displays a third image based on the operation of the operation lever in the second direction.

Claims

1. An operation input device, comprising:

a touch sensor configured to detect a touch operation performed by a detected object without requiring a contact with a contact point except the touch sensor;

an operation part comprising an operation lever attached to the touch sensor and configured so as to allow an operation of the operation part in a first direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction;

a display control part configured so as to control a display device to display on a display screen a first region that displays a first image based on the operation performed by the detected object, a second region that displays a second image based on the operation of the operation lever in the first direction, and a third region that displays a third image based on the operation of the operation lever in the second direction; and

a memory part configured to comprise a dictionary in which a plurality of characters, a plurality of words including the characters, and a plurality of sentences including the characters are housed,

wherein the display control part is configured to recognize the character written in the touch sensor based on the operation of the detected object, to extract the candidates of the recognized character from the dictionary of the memory part, and to control the extracted result to be displayed on the second region as the second image, and

wherein the display control part is configured to, after a character has been selected from the candidates of the recognized character that has been displayed on the second region as the second image by the operation of the operation lever in the first direction, extract the words or the sentences based on the selected character from the dictionary so as to be displayed on the third region as the third image.

2. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the display control part is configured to, after a word or a sentence has been selected from the candidates of the word or the sentence that have been displayed on the third region as the third image by the operation of the operation lever in the second direction, control the selected word or sentence to be displayed on an input region of the display screen.

3. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the detected object comprises a finger or a pen.

4. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein the touch sensor is disposed on a top surface of the operation part to allow the operation of the finger or pen from upward, and

wherein the touch sensor is allowed to move in the first direction and the second direction together with the operation lever.

5. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein the first image comprises a locus of the operation made by the finger or the pen on an operation surface of the touch sensor.

6. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is attached to an end of the operation lever.

7. The operation input device according to claim 6, wherein the operation part further comprises a Y carriage extending in an X axis direction as the first direction and an X carriage extending in a Y axis direction as the second direction, and

wherein the operation lever is allowed to move in the X axis direction and the Y axis direction by being supported by the Y carriage and the X carriage.

8. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation input device is configured so as to be disposed in a center console of a vehicle.