Human interface apparatus having input unit for pointer location information and pointer command execution unit

• US 9,612,668 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innopresso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innopresso, Inc.
• Inventors: Cho, Eunhyung
• Primary Examiner(s): McLoone, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US14/794,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20150309592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0208 Arrangements for adjusting the tilt angle of a keyboard, e.g. pivoting legs for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1667
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A human interface apparatus comprising the steps of: receiving text input from a user; switching to input mode for pointing location information; receiving input for pointing location information from the user; and switching the human interface apparatus to a text input mode, wherein the text input area and the pointing location information input area have at least a part of the area in common.

Claims

1. A human interface device, comprising:

a text input unit comprising a plurality of physical buttons;

a pointer location input unit comprising a plurality of capacitive touch pads formed on top surfaces of the physical buttons, respectively, the pointer location input unit receiving information indicating a pointer location from a user motion on the touch pads, wherein the pointer location indicates a location of a pointer displayed on a digital device connected to the human interface device via wired or wireless connection;

a first button configured to activate or deactivate a pointer location input mode and to execute at least one function at the pointer location; and

a communication unit configured to transmit the pointer location information to the digital device,

wherein the first button is provided in an area separate from the text input unit,

wherein the first button comprises a capacitive touch sensor detecting a user touch input, the pointer location input mode being temporarily activated while the user touch input is maintained without mechanically pressing the first button,

wherein the at least one function is executed at the pointer location when the first button is mechanically pressed,

wherein the pointer location input mode is permanently activated without maintaining the user touch input while the first button is locked.

2. The human interface device of claim 1, wherein the human interface device further comprises a second button configured to activate or deactivate the pointer location input mode each time the second button is mechanically pressed or touched.

3. The human interface device of claim 1, wherein the first button is locked when the first button is fixed to a predetermined position.

4. A method for receiving a user input in a human interface device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a text input unit comprising a plurality of physical buttons, a text input of a user;

receiving, by a pointer location input unit, information indicating a pointer location from a user motion on a plurality of capacitive touch pads formed on top surfaces of the physical buttons, respectively, wherein the pointer location indicates a location of a pointer displayed on a digital device connected to the human interface device via wired or wireless connection;

activating or deactivating, by a first button, a pointer location input mode;

executing, by the first button, at least one function at the pointer location; and

transmitting, by a communication unit, the pointer location information to the digital device,

wherein the first button is provided in an area separate from the text input unit,

wherein the first button comprises a capacitive touch sensor detecting a user touch input, the pointer location input mode being temporarily activated while the user touch input is maintained without mechanically pressing the first button,

wherein the first button executes the at least one function at the pointer location when the first button is mechanically pressed,

wherein the pointer location input mode is permanently activated without maintaining the user input touch while the first button is locked.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises activating or deactivating, by a second button, the pointer location input mode each time the second button is mechanically pressed or touched.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first button is locked when the first button is fixed to a predetermined position.

7. A human interface device, comprising:

a text input unit comprising a plurality of physical buttons;

a pointer location input unit configured to recognize information indicating a pointer location from a user motion on a plurality of capacitive touch pads formed on top surfaces of the physical buttons, respectively, wherein the pointer location indicates a location of a pointer displayed on a digital device connected to the human interface device via wired or wireless connection;

a first button configured to activate or deactivate a pointer location input mode and configured to receive a command to perform at least one function at the pointer location; and

a communication unit configured to transmit the pointer location information to the digital device,

wherein the first button is provided in an area separate from the text input unit,

wherein the first button comprises a capacitive touch sensor detecting a touch of a user, a first input is generated by recognizing the touch of the user, the first button is operated by the first input of the user, and the human interface device is operated in the pointer location input mode temporarily while the first input is maintained without mechanically pressing the first button,

wherein a second input is generated when the first button is mechanically pressed, the first button is operated by the second input of the user, when the second input is recognized, the first button is operated to receive the command to perform the at least one function at the pointer location,

wherein a third input of the user is recognized via the first button while the first button is locked, and when the third input of the user is recognized, the pointer location input mode is maintained as an activation mode even if the first input is released.

8. The human interface device of claim 7, wherein the human interface device further comprises a second button configured to receive a fourth input to activate and deactivate the pointer location input mode, wherein whenever the fourth input is recognized via the second button, the pointer location input mode is changed between an activation mode and a deactivation mode.

9. The human interface device of claim 7, wherein the first button is locked when the first button is fixed to a predetermined position.