Operating device for controlling electronic devices utilizing a touch panel

• US 20020067345A1
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Endo, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

An operating device for controlling electronic devices that are controlled by displaying plural operation keys on a touch panel is shown. The operating device stores the correspondence of a key code with an area on the touch panel, and outputs the key code corresponding to the area including a designated point. When there is a key that invalidates an operation input to the key, the operating device expands the areas of the keys adjacent thereto. Even if a user presses a border area between a desired key and its adjacent key, the operating device will judge that the desired key has been pressed.

Claims

1. An operating device for a touch panel, comprising:

a plurality of operating keys displayed on said touch panel;

a plurality of key determination areas of said plurality of operating keys; and

a control unit operable to expand at least one of said plurality of key determination areas.

2. The operating device of claim 1 wherein said touch panel displays the operating keys and specific images.

3. The operating device of claim 1 wherein said control unit reduces the key determination area of an operating key that invalidates an operation input.

4. The operating device of claim 3 wherein said control unit is operable to delete the key determination area of the operating key that invalidates an operation input.

5. The operating device of claim 1 wherein said control unit reduces the key determination area of an operating key when said operating key is initially invalid.

6. The operating device of claim 1 wherein said control unit expands the key determination areas of operation keys adjacent to an initially invalid operating key.

7. The operating device of claim 6 wherein said control unit is operable to delete the key determination area of the initially invalid operating key.

8. An operating device for a touch panel, comprising:

a display unit operable to display a plurality of operating keys on said touch panel;

a designation point coordinate detecting unit in communication with said touch panel and operable to detect a location pressed on said touch panel;

a key determination unit in communication with said designation point coordinate detecting unit and operable to output key codes corresponding to key determination areas of operating keys;

a key area corresponding table in communication with said key determination unit and operable to store a correspondence between a key code and a key determination area on the said panel; and

a control unit in communication said key area corresponding table and operable to reduce a key determination area of an operating key and expand key determination areas of operating keys adjacent to said operating key.

9. The operating device of claim 8 wherein said designation point coordinate detecting unit outputs a coordinate data corresponding to a point on said touch panel pressed by a user.

10. The operating device of claim 8 wherein said control unit is operable to delete the key determination area of said operating key.

11. A method of changing key determination areas on a touch panel comprising the acts of:

displaying a plurality of operating keys on said touch panel;

providing at least one key determination area corresponding with at least one of said plurality of operating keys;

identifying an invalid operating key; and

expanding said at least one key determination area.

12. The method of changing key determination areas on a touch panel of claim 11 further comprising the act of reducing a key determination area that corresponds to said invalid operating key.

13. The method of changing key determination areas on a touch panel of claim 11 further comprising the act of deleting a key determination area that corresponds to said invalid operating key.

15. The method of changing key determination areas on a touch panel of claim 15 wherein said act of reducing a key determination area comprises reducing a key determination area that corresponds to said invalid operating key.

14. A method of changing key determination areas on a touch panel comprising the acts of:

displaying a plurality of operating keys on said touch panel;

providing at least one key determination area corresponding with at least one of said plurality of operating keys;

identifying an invalid operating key; and

reducing said at least one key determination area.