Interface controlling apparatus and method using force

• US 9,519,350 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Bho Ram, Park, Joon Ah, Lee, Hyun Jeong, Lim, Soo Chul, Lee, Hyung Kew, Han, Seung Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOHLMAN, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US14/017,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

An interface controlling apparatus and method may generate content control information by analyzing force input information received from at least one force sensor, and may control content based on the content control information.

Claims

1. An interface controlling system, the system comprising:

a contact unit configured to receive a lateral force input information relative to a contact surface of the contact unit;

a base disposed on one surface of the contact unit;

a sensing unit including a force sensor configured to measure the lateral force input information received from the contact unit, wherein the force sensor is laterally disposed between the contact unit and the base; and

a content controller configured to generate content control information by analyzing the measured lateral force input information, and to control content, for provision to a user, based on the generated content control information,

wherein an elastic substance is laterally disposed between the force sensor and at least one of the contact unit or the base.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzing of the measured lateral force input information includes analyzing a direction of the lateral force input information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a first side of the force sensor faces a lateral side of the contact unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a second side of force sensor faces the base.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the elastic substance is disposed between the contact unit and the force sensor to transfer, to the force sensor, the lateral force input information received from the contact unit.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feedback layer disposed between the support layer and the sensor layer, the feedback layer comprising a feedback provider configured to generate feedback based on the lateral force input information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the feedback provider generates the feedback based upon a determined relationship between the lateral force input information and the controlling of the content by the content controller.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the force sensor is disposed in an opening that is formed between the base and the contact unit, so as to be formed along the circumference of the contact unit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the contact unit or the base are formed to have one of an oval shape, an elliptical shape, and a polygonal shape.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the force sensor is arranged based on one of a continuous arrangement pattern and a discontinuous arrangement pattern.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the contact unit and the force sensor are combined into an integrated mixed layer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the base has a surface having an uneven portion;

and

the integrated mixed layer comprises the force sensor disposed sequentially with the contact unit on the uneven portion of the base.

13. An interface controlling system, the system comprising:

a contact unit;

an information receiver configured to receive, from a force sensor, a lateral force input information relative to a contact surface of the system and associated with an input force,

wherein the force sensor is laterally disposed between the contact surface and a base, and

wherein the base is disposed on one surface of the contact unit;

an information analyzer configured to generate content control information by analyzing the lateral force input information; and

a content controller configured to control content based on the content control information,

wherein an elastic substance is laterally disposed between the force sensor and at least one of the contact unit or the base.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising plural force sensors to generate the lateral force input information, wherein the information analyzer generates the content control information by analyzing a direction of the lateral force input information.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the information analyzer determines whether the lateral force input information is greater than a reference value set to control the content, and generates the content control information when the lateral force input information is greater than the reference value.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information used to determine a scroll direction of a visible area of the content based on the lateral force input information, and

the content controller scrolls the visible area of the content based on the content control information.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information used to control a visible area of the content to be enlarged or reduced based on a combination of the lateral force input information, and

the content controller enlarges or reduces the visible area of the content based on the content control information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the information analyzer determines an enlargement rate or a reduction rate of the visible area based on a magnitude of force of the lateral force input information, and generates the content control information to control the visible area of the content to be enlarged or reduced based on the determined rate.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information used to determine a selection area with respect to a menu, a folder, or a file of the content based on the lateral force input information, and

the content controller determines the selection area with respect to the menu, the folder, or the file of the content based on the content control information.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information used to determine an upper area or a lower area with respect to a menu, a folder, or a file of the content based on a combination of the lateral force input information, and

the content controller determines the upper area or the lower area with respect to the menu, the folder, or the file of the content based on the content control information.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information used to determine a search direction or a search section with respect to multimedia of the content based on the lateral force input information, and

the content controller determines the search direction or the search section with respect to the multimedia of the content based on the content control information.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information used to determine a previous file or a subsequent file with respect to multimedia of the content based on a combination of the lateral force input information, and

the content controller determines the previous file or the subsequent file with respect to the multimedia of the content based on the content control information.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information used to determine a page turning direction with respect to multimedia of the content based on the lateral force input information, and

the content controller determines the page turning direction with respect to the multimedia of the content based on the content control information.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information used to control a front page or a last page of the content to be displayed based on a combination of the lateral force input information, and

the content controller controls the front page or the last page of the content to be displayed based on the content control information.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein

the information receiver receives another item of input information, and

the information analyzer generates the content control information based on the lateral force input information and the other item of input information.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the other item of input information comprises at least one of contact input information, acceleration information, angular velocity information, and geomagnetic information.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information based on the lateral force input information and the contact input information, and

the content controller determines a target of the content based on the contact input information and controls the determined target based on the lateral force input information.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein

the information analyzer generates the content control information based on the lateral force input information and at least one of the acceleration information, the angular velocity information, and the geomagnetic information, and

the content controller moves a target of the content based on at least one of the acceleration information, the angular velocity information, and the geomagnetic information, and changes a size of the target based on the lateral force input information.

29. The system of claim 13, wherein the lateral force input information comprises at least one of an action point of force that is input to the force sensor, a direction of force, a magnitude of force, and a time duration of force.

30. The system of claim 13, wherein the information receiver, information analyzer, and content controller are collectively configured in an application processor distinct from one or more integrated circuits that make up a sensing unit that comprises the force sensor.

31. The system of claim 13, wherein the force sensor is in a sensor layer formed on a support layer, along with a contact layer and a base layer being formed on the support layer, with the contact unit being configured for receiving the lateral force and a perpendicular force corresponding to the input force.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the sensor layer and the contact unit are formed in a same layer area above the base layer.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the sensor layer and the base layer are formed in a same layer area below the contact unit.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein a feedback provision layer is formed between the support layer and the base layer, the feedback provision layer providing haptic feedback based upon the input force.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein a buffer layer is formed between the contact layer and the base layer.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein an unlocking of content, enabling content to be accessed that is not enabled for access when the content is locked, is based upon a sequence of distinctly detected directions of lateral force input information matching an unlocking sequence.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the force sensor is formed as a home button of a mobile device of the system.

38. The system of claim 13, wherein a traversal of a menu, as the content, and selection of a menu item of the menu is performed based upon one or more distinctly detected directions of lateral force input information.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the force sensor is formed as a home button of a mobile device of the system.

40. The system of claim 38, where the force sensor is included in a remote controller device distinct from a device, of the system, that comprises the content controller.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the device of the system that includes the content controller is a display unit.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein a movement of the menu or menu item on a display is elastic, such that after a movement of the menu or menu item, based on the one or more distinctly detected directions, the menu or menu item elastically returns to an original position where the menu or menu item was before the movement of the menu or menu item.

43. An interface controlling system, comprising:

a contact unit configured to receive lateral force input information relative to a contact surface of the contact unit;

a base disposed on one surface of the contact unit;

a sensing unit disposed along one lateral surface of the contact unit, and provided with a force sensor configured to measure the lateral force input information received from the contact unit, wherein the force sensor extends along an entire length of the lateral surface of the contact unit and is laterally disposed between the contact unit and the base; and

a content controller configured to generate content control information by analyzing a direction of the measured lateral force input information, and to control content based on the content control information,

wherein an elastic substance is laterally disposed between the force sensor and at least one of the contact unit or the base.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the force sensor is disposed on the base, which is disposed below the contact unit.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the elastic substance is disposed between the force sensor and the contact unit to transfer, to the force sensor, the lateral force input information received from the contact unit.

46. An interface controlling method, the method comprising:

receiving, from a force sensor, a force input information associated with input force that is applied to a contact surface of a contact unit, the force input information being a lateral force input information relative to the contact surface,

wherein the force sensor is laterally disposed between the contact unit and a base,

wherein the base is disposed on one surface of the contact unit, and

wherein an elastic substance is laterally disposed between the force sensor and at least one of the contact unit or the base;

generating content control information by analyzing the lateral force input information; and

controlling content based on the content control information.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the analyzing of the lateral force input information comprises analyzing a direction of the lateral force input information.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the generating comprises:

determining whether the lateral force input information has a magnitude that is greater than a reference value set, the reference value being input force value that represents an intended force input has been made to control the content; and

generating the content control information when the lateral force input information is greater than the reference value.

49. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium comprising computer readable code to control a processing device configured to implement the method of claim 46.