User input apparatus, computer connected to user input apparatus, and control method for computer connected to user input apparatus, and storage medium

• US 10,140,016 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US14/823,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20150347009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 345 76, 178 1806
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A user input apparatus is provided with user input means for the user to input data or a command by using the user'"'"'s human body, and use-form detection means for detecting a form in which the user uses the user input means by the user'"'"'s human body. A computer connected to the user input apparatus changes the operation of the application being executed by application execution means, according to a detection result obtained by the use-form detection means. Therefore, input operations can be performed without inconvenience even if the user cannot use one hand due to another work.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising:

a display apparatus configured to display a graphical user interface;

an input apparatus superposed on the display apparatus, the input apparatus including a plurality of first electrodes arranged along a first direction and a plurality of second electrodes arranged along a second direction different than the first direction, the first electrode is arranged to overlap a plurality of the second electrodes;

a transmitter connected to the first electrodes and configured to supply first signals to at least one of the first electrodes sequentially in a scanning manner;

a receiver connected to the second electrodes and configured to receive a second signal from at least one of the second electrodes, the second signal is altered according to a distance between an object and an intersection of a scanned first electrode and the second electrodes; and

a central processing unit configured to execute an authentication procedure including a password input.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication procedure authorizes a user to operate the information processing device.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein icons displayable on the display apparatus are from the group consisting of a program, data, and a folder handled in a computer system.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of fingers in the user input area is independently recognizable by the information processing device.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the input apparatus has a curved surface.

6. An information processing device comprising:

an input apparatus that includes a layer of first electrodes and a layer of second electrodes, the first electrodes are arranged along a first direction and the second electrodes are arranged along a second direction different than the first direction;

a transmitter configured to supply a first signal to a currently scanned one of the first electrodes before supplying the first signal to a next scanned one of the first electrodes, the first electrodes are electrically connected to the transmitter; and

a receiver configured to receive a second signal from at least one of the second electrodes, the second electrodes are electrically connected to the receiver,

wherein intersections are situated where the second electrodes cross the currently scanned one of the first electrodes, other intersections are situated where the second electrodes cross the next scanned one of the first electrodes,

wherein when the transmitter supplies the first signal to the currently scanned one of the first electrodes, the second signal is alterable according to distances between an object and the intersections and between the object and the other intersections.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6, wherein an alternating current supplied from the transmitter is the first signal.

8. The information processing device according to claim 6, wherein the layer of the first electrodes is made from an electrically conductive polymer.

9. The information processing device according to claim 6, wherein the layer of the second electrodes is made from an electrically conductive polymer.

10. The information processing device according to claim 6, further comprising:

an organic insulating material between the layer of the first electrodes and the layer of the second electrodes.

11. The information processing device according to claim 6, wherein a display apparatus includes the organic insulating material, the layer of the first electrodes, and the layer of the second electrodes.

12. The information processing device according to claim 11, wherein the display apparatus is configured to display a graphical user interface.

13. The information processing device according to claim 11, wherein icons displayable on the display apparatus are from the group consisting of a program, data, and a folder handled in a computer system.

14. The information processing device according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of fingers in the user input area of the display apparatus is independently recognizable by the information processing device.

15. The information processing device according to claim 6, wherein the input apparatus has a curved surface.