Electronic apparatus, input device and method for control thereof

• US 10,789,043 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2018
• Issued: 09/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Yong-woo, Yoon, Chang-heon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, William
• Application Number:
  US16/057,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20190065142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/24 Structural combinations of separate transducers or of two parts of the same transducer and responsive respectively to two or more frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/028 Structural combinations of loudspeakers with built-in power amplifiers, e.g. in the same acoustic enclosure H04R2499/10 takes precedence; Single (sub)woofer with two or more satellite loudspeakers for mid- and high-frequency band reproduction driven via the (sub)woofer H04R2205/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/022 Plurality of transducers corresponding to a plurality of sound channels in each earpiece of headphones or in a single enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a sensor, a communicator and a processor that, based on sensing an input device being attached, identifies a control function assigned to an area to which the input device is attached, and based on receiving a signal corresponding to a predetermined physical operation from the input device through the communicator, performs a control operation corresponding to the received signal based on the identified control function.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a sensor;

a communicator; and

a processor configured to;

based on sensing an input device being attached to the electronic apparatus, identify an area where the input device is attached among a plurality of areas according to a sum of a resistance included in the area and a resistance included in the input device, each of the plurality of areas to which the input device is attachable comprises resistances that are different from each other,

identify a control function assigned to the area; and

based on receiving a signal corresponding to a predetermined physical operation from the input device through the communicator, perform a control operation corresponding to the received signal based on the identified control function.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a storage configured to map and store information obtained by mapping identification information of each area among the plurality of areas where a different control function is assigned to each area,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

based on a sensing value sensed through the sensor being a first sensing value, identify that the input device is attached to a first area among the plurality of areas, and identify a control function corresponding to the first area based on the stored information; and

based on the sensing value sensed through the sensor being a second sensing value, identify that the input device is attached to a second area among the plurality of areas, and identify a control function corresponding to the second area based on the stored information.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, based on a signal corresponding to a user voice input through a microphone of the input device being received from the input device, identify a predetermined command corresponding to the user voice, and perform a control operation corresponding to the predetermined command based on the identified control function.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus comprises a magnetic material in each area among the plurality of areas in a body, and

wherein the processor is further configured to, based on the input device being attached to an area, identify a control function mapped to identification information corresponding to a sensing value sensed in the area to which the input device is attached.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to,

based on sensing the input device being detached, and receiving a signal corresponding to the predetermined physical operation from the input device, perform a control operation corresponding to the received signal based on a control function corresponding to the area to which the input device is most recently attached.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a storage configured to store information about a default control command corresponding to each of a plurality of physical operations,

wherein the processor is further configured to, based on sensing the input device being detached, and receiving a signal corresponding to a physical operation from the input device, perform a control operation according to a control command corresponding to the physical operation based on the information stored in the storage.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply,

wherein the power supply is configured to, based on the input device being attached to the area, provide power for charging the input device to a charging terminal arranged in the area.

8. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input device receives at least one from among a whirl operation and a button operation.

9. An input device that is removable from an electronic apparatus, the input device comprising:

a sensor;

a communicator;

an input interface comprising at least one from among a whirl button and a press button; and

a processor configured to, based on sensing through the sensor that the input device is attached to an area among a plurality of areas of the electronic apparatus, identify an area where the input device is attached among the plurality of areas according to a sum of a resistance included in the area and a resistance included in the input device, each of the plurality of areas to which the input device is attachable comprises resistances that are different from each other,

identify a control function with respect to the electronic apparatus which is assigned to the area, and control the communicator to transmit a control signal corresponding to a physical operation input through the input interface to the electronic apparatus based on the identified control function.

10. The input device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to,

based on sensing the input device being detached, transmit a control signal corresponding to a physical operation input through the input interface to the electronic apparatus based on a control function corresponding to the area of the electronic apparatus to which the input device is most recently attached.

11. The input device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a storage configured to store information about a default control command corresponding to each physical operation with respect to the input interface,

wherein the processor is further configured to, based on sensing the input device being detached, transmit a control signal corresponding to a physical operation input through the input interface to the electronic apparatus based on the information stored in the storage.

12. A method for controlling an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

sensing an input device being attached;

identifying an area where the input device is attached among a plurality of areas according to a sum of a resistance included in the area and a resistance included in the input device, each of the plurality of areas to which the input device is attachable comprises resistances that are different from each other;

identifying a control function assigned to the area among the plurality of areas;

receiving a signal corresponding to a predetermined physical operation from the input device; and

performing a control operation corresponding to the received signal based on the identified control function.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sensing the input device being attached comprises:

based on a sensing value sensed through a sensor being a first sensing value, identifying that the input device is attached to a first area among the plurality of areas, and based on the sensing value being a second sensing value, identifying that the input device is attached to a second area among the plurality of areas, and

wherein the identifying of the control function comprises;

based on sensing that the input device is attached to the first area, identifying a control function corresponding to the first area, and based on sensing that the input device is attached to the second area, identifying a control function corresponding to the second area.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the receiving of the signal further comprises:

receiving a signal corresponding to a user voice that is input through a microphone of the input device,

wherein the performing of the control operation comprises identifying a predetermined command corresponding to the user voice and performing a control operation corresponding to the predetermined command based on the identified control function.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the electronic apparatus includes a magnetic material in each area among the plurality of areas in a body, and

wherein the identifying of the control function comprises, based on the input device being attached to an area, identifying a control function mapped to identification information corresponding to a sensing value sensed in the area to which the input device is attached.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

based on sensing the input device being detached, and receiving a signal corresponding to the predetermined physical operation from the input device, performing a control operation corresponding to the received signal based on a control function corresponding to the area to which the input device is most recently attached.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

based on sensing the input device being detached and receiving a signal, after the input device is detached, corresponding to a physical operation from the input device, performing a control operation according to a control command corresponding to the physical operation based on information about a default control command corresponding to each of a plurality of physical operations.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

based on the input device being attached to an area, providing power for charging the input device to a charging terminal arranged in the area.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the input device receives at least one from among a whirl operation and a button operation.