Electronic device having multi-functional human interface

• US 10,635,192 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mokibo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innopresso, Inc.
• Inventors: Cho, Eunhyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US15/735,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20200012354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• 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 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• 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 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits

Abstract

A multi-functional human interface device includes a control unit and a first multi-functional input button. The first multi-functional input button includes a cover unit configured to receive a touch input of a user'"'"'s finger, an electrode unit including a transmitter and a receiver to form an electric field, an elastic unit configured to move from a first height to a second height when a first pressure is applied from the cover unit and configured to move back to the first height when the first pressure from the cover unit is released, and a switch unit configured to generate an electric signal representing an input of a predetermined letter.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a multi-functional human interface with a keyboard layout, the electronic device comprising:

a plurality of buttons configured to;

be arranged according to the keyboard layout, receive a vertical push input from a user, and move upward or downward according to the push input;

a plurality of electrodes configured to;

form a touch region of which at least part is overlapped with the keyboard layout as viewed from above, and include a first plurality of electrodes forming a drive line, to which a drive signal for inducing a capacitance, is applied by being electrically connected in a first direction, and a second plurality of electrodes forming a scan line, from which a scan signal for detecting a change of the capacitance caused by the touch input is received, by being electrically connected in a second direction, the first direction being any one of a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the keyboard layout, the second direction being the other one of the widthwise direction and the lengthwise direction of the keyboard layout;

a plurality of switches configured to acquire a key input upon the movement of the plurality of buttons; and

a controller configured to acquire a key value allocated to a button corresponding to a switch that acquires the key input, acquire a touch coordinate value calculated using the change of the capacitance, and perform to output a keyboard input reflecting the key value when a keyboard mode is activated, to output a mouse input inducing a movement of a pointer using a change of the touch coordinate value when a mouse mode is activated, and to output a digitizer input reflecting a position of the pointer using the touch coordinate value when a digitizer mode is activated.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the keyboard mode is activated, the controller prohibits outputting of the mouse input.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller obtains the mouse input based on a difference between a first touch coordinate value corresponding to a first scan timing and a second touch coordinate value corresponding to a second scan timing prior to the first scan timing, and obtain the digitizer input based on a current touch coordinate value in consideration of a matching relationship between a screen region of a display outputting the pointer and the touch coordinate value.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the controller determines the matching relationship considering an initial touch coordinate value of an initial touch input which is firstly done after the digitizer mode is activated.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller obtains the mouse input based on a difference between a first touch coordinate value at a first scan time point and a second touch coordinate value at a second scan time point which is next to the first scan time point and corresponds to the same touch input maintained from the first scan time point, and obtains the digitizer input based on a relative location of a current touch coordinate value to an initial touch coordinate being acquired when the digitizer mode is initiated.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the mouse mode includes a left- hand mode and a right-hand mode, and wherein the controller activates:

a first portion of the plurality of electrodes in a first touch region when the left-hand mode is activated, and a second portion of the plurality of electrodes in a second touch region of which a center is located to a right-side of a center of the first touch region when the right-hand mode is activated.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller sets at least portion of the touch region matched to the screen region in the digitizer mode so that an initial touch coordinate value of an initial touch input that is done firstly when the digitizer mode is activated corresponds to a center of the screen region.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein upon receiving of a specific touch input from outside of the at least portion of the touch region matched to the screen region in the digitizer mode, the controller changes a matching relationship between the at least portion of the touch region and the screen region based on the specific touch input.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller differently sets a matching relationship between a screen region of a display outputting the pointer and the touch coordinate value according to an initial touch input which is done firstly after entering of the digitizer mode.

10. An electronic device having a multi-functional human interface with a keyboard layout, the electronic device comprising:

a plurality of buttons configured to;

be arranged according to the keyboard layout, receive a vertical push input from a user, and move upward or downward according to the push input;

a plurality of electrodes configured to;

form a touch region of which at least part is overlapped with the keyboard layout as viewed from above, and include a first plurality of electrodes forming a drive line, to which a drive signal for inducing a capacitance, is applied by being electrically connected in a first direction, and a second plurality of electrodes forming a scan line, from which a scan signal for detecting a change of the capacitance caused by the touch input is received, by being electrically connected in a second direction, the first direction being any one of a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the keyboard layout, the second direction being the other one of the widthwise direction and the lengthwise direction of the keyboard layout;

a plurality of switches configured to acquire a key input upon the movement of the plurality of buttons; and

a controller configured to acquire a key value allocated to a button corresponding to a switch that acquires the key input, acquire a touch coordinate value calculated using the change in the capacitance, and perform to output a keyboard input reflecting the key value when a keyboard mode is activated, and to output a pointer control signal reflecting the touch coordinate value when a touch mode is activated,

wherein the controller calculates the touch coordinate value corresponding to the touch input based on the scan signal when the touch mode is activated, acquires a relative coordinate value from the touch coordinate value when the touch mode is a mouse mode, acquires an absolute coordinate value from the touch coordinate value when the touch mode is a digitizer mode, and outputs a pointer position control signal based on at least one of the relative coordinate value and the absolute coordinate value.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the relative coordinate value is calculated based on a change of the touch coordinate value corresponding to a single touch input, and

wherein the absolute coordinate value is calculated using the touch coordinate value in consideration of a matching relationship between the touch region and a screen region in which a pointer is displayed.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller sets the matching relationship based on an initial touch coordinate value corresponding to an initial touch input that is firstly done after the digitizer mode is activated.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the relative coordinate value is calculated based on a difference between a touch coordinate value during a current scan period and a touch coordinate value during a previous scan period, and

wherein the absolute coordinate value is calculated based on a difference operation between the touch coordinate value during the current scan period and an initial touch coordinate value that is firstly acquired after the digitizer mode is activated.

14. A control method of an electronic device having a multi-functional human interface with a keyboard layout, wherein the electronic device includes:

a plurality of buttons configured to;

be arranged according to the keyboard layout, receive a vertical push input from a user, and move upward or downward according to the push input;

a plurality of electrodes configured to;

form a touch region of which at least part is overlapped with the keyboard layout as viewed from above, and include a first plurality of electrodes forming a drive line, to which a drive signal for inducing a capacitance, is applied by being electrically connected in a first direction, and a second plurality of electrodes forming a scan line, from which a scan signal for detecting a change of the capacitance caused by the touch input is received, by being electrically connected in a second direction, the first direction being any one of a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the keyboard layout, the second direction being the other one of the widthwise direction and the lengthwise direction of the keyboard layout;

a plurality of switches configured to acquire a key input upon the movement of the plurality of buttons; and

a controller configured to acquire a key value allocated to a button corresponding to a switch that acquires the key input and acquire a touch coordinate value calculated using the change in the capacitance,

the control method comprising;

activating at least one of a keyboard mode, a mouse mode and a digitizer mode;

outputting a keyboard input reflecting the key value corresponding to the push input when the keyboard mode is activated;

outputting a mouse input inducing a movement of a pointer using a change of the touch coordinate value when the mouse mode is activated; and

outputting a digitizer input reflecting a position of the pointer using the touch coordinate value when the digitizer mode is activated.

15. The control method of claim 14, wherein the outputting of a mouse input comprises calculating the change of the touch coordinate value based on a difference between a touch coordinate value during a current scan period and a touch coordinate value during a previous scan period, and

wherein the outputting of a digitizer input comprises acquiring the digitizer input from the touch coordinate value in consideration of a matching relationship between a screen region of a display outputting the pointer and the touch coordinate value.

16. The control method of claim 15, further comprising setting the matching relationship so that the position of the pointer on the screen region corresponds to a touch coordinate value of a touch input that is first obtained after the digitizer mode is activated.

17. The control method of claim 14, wherein the outputting of a mouse input comprises calculating the change of the touch coordinate value based on a difference between a touch coordinate value during a current scan period and a touch coordinate value during a previous scan period;

and

wherein the outputting of a digitizer input comprises acquiring the digitizer input based on a difference between the current touch coordinate value and a touch coordinate value of a touch input that is firstly obtained after the digitizer mode is activated.

18. The control method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the mouse mode is a left-hand mode or a right-hand mode when the mouse mode is activated;

activating a portion of the electrodes in a left side of the touch region when the mouse mode is the left-hand mode;

activating a portion of the electrodes in a right side of the touch region when the mouse mode is the right-hand mode; and

activating all of the electrodes when the digitizer mode is entered.

19. The control method of claim 14, further comprising setting at least portion of the touch region matched to a screen region in which the pointer is displayed so that an initial touch coordinate value of an initial touch input that is done firstly when the digitizer mode is activated corresponds to a center of the screen region.

20. The control method of claim 19, further comprising:

acquiring a specific touch input from outside of the at least portion of the touch region matched to the screen region in the digitizer mode; and

changing a matching relationship between the at least portion of the touch region and the screen region based on the specific touch input.

21. The control method of claim 14, further comprising setting a matching relationship between a screen region of a display outputting the pointer and the touch coordinate value according to an initial touch input which is done firstly after entering of the digitizer mode.

22. A control method of an electronic device having a multi-functional human interface with a keyboard layout, wherein the electronic device includes:

a plurality of buttons configured to;

be arranged according to the keyboard layout, receive a vertical push input from a user, and move upward or downward according to the push input;

a plurality of electrodes configured to;

form a touch region of which at least part is overlapped with the keyboard layout as viewed from above, and include a first plurality of electrodes forming a drive line, to which a drive signal for inducing a capacitance, is applied by being electrically connected in a first direction, and a second plurality of electrodes forming a scan line, from which a scan signal for detecting a change of the capacitance caused by the touch input is received, by being electrically connected in a second direction, the first direction being any one of a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the keyboard layout, the second direction being the other one of the widthwise direction and the lengthwise direction of the keyboard layout;

a plurality of switches configured to acquire a key input upon the movement of the plurality of buttons; and

a controller configured to acquire a key value allocated to a button corresponding to a switch that acquires the key input, and acquire a touch coordinate value calculated using the change of the capacitance,

the control method comprising;

activating at least one of a keyboard mode and a touch mode;

outputting a keyboard input reflecting the key value when the keyboard mode is activated;

calculating the touch coordinate value corresponding to the touch input based on the scan signal and outputting a pointer control signal reflecting the touch coordinate value when the touch mode is activated;

acquiring a relative coordinate value from the touch coordinate value when the touch mode is a mouse mode;

acquiring an absolute coordinate value from the touch coordinate value when the touch mode is a digitizer mode; and

outputting a pointer position control signal based on at least one of the relative coordinate value and the absolute coordinate value.

23. The control method of claim 22, further comprising:

calculating the relative coordinate value based on a change of the touch coordinate value corresponding to a single touch input; and

calculating the absolute coordinate value through the touch coordinate value in consideration of a matching relationship between the touch region and a screen region in which a pointer is displayed.

24. The control method of claim 23, further comprising setting the matching relationship based on an initial touch coordinate value corresponding to an initial touch input that is firstly done after the digitizer mode is activated.

25. The control method of claim 22, further comprising:

calculating the relative coordinate value based on a difference between a touch coordinate value during a current scan period and a touch coordinate value during a previous scan period; and

calculating the absolute coordinate value based on a difference operation between the touch coordinate value during the current scan period and an initial touch coordinate value that is firstly acquired after the digitizer mode is activated.