User interface apparatus and portable information apparatus

• US 20040008191A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi, Mori, Eijiro, Poupyrev, Ivan, Schwesig, Carsten
• Granted Patent: US 7,456,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• 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 interface apparatus has a flexible part including a one-dimensional analog sensor for sensing distortion of the flexible part, and a processor unit for detecting one of input states based on a value of the detected distortion and having a task run. The task relates to a selected input state. The input states are related to dynamic or static positive/negative distortion of the flexible part. The user interacts with the apparatus by physically manipulating a body of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A user interface apparatus having a flexible part, comprising:

an analog sensor for sensing distortion of the flexible part, and

means for detecting one of a plurality of first-type input states based on a value of the distortion sensed by the analogue sensor and having a task run, the task being related to a selected first-type input state, wherein

at least one of the plurality of first-type input states is related to one of dynamic and static positive distortion of the flexible part,

at least one of the plurality of first-type input states is related to one of dynamic and static negative distortion of the flexible part, and

the plurality of first-type input states are respectively related to different distortion statuses of the flexible part.

2. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of first-type input states is related to a neutral state of the flexible part in which no distortion is detected.

3. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a two-dimensional position sensor for sensing at least one of a user touch position in a two-dimensional plane and/or a direction of movement of the user touch position, and

means for detecting a second-type input state related to the user touch position sensed by the two-dimensional position sensor and having a task run, the task being related to a selected second-type input state.

4. The user interface apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the present user interface apparatus is configured as an electric device of a single body including a flexible display panel as the flexible part, and

the two-dimensional position sensor is disposed on the back of the flexible display panel.

5. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the tasks is for controlling the graphical user interface object.

6. The user interface apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the tasks related to the second-type input state is for controlling at least one of the moving direction, position and geometrical transformation of the graphical user interface object.

7. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of first-type input states is a transition state corresponding to a task that performs analog control of a graphical user interface object.

13. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one or a plurality of additional input means.

14. An apparatus including a user interface unit, wherein the user interface unit includes the user interface apparatus according to claim 1 and one or a plurality of additional input devices.

8. An apparatus configured to have a single body including a processing unit and a display unit, the apparatus comprising:

an analog sensor disposed on the body for detecting user'"'"'s analogue input applied on the body of the apparatus,

wherein the processing unit changes a screen view displayed on the display unit based on an output value of the analogue sensor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the screen view to be changed includes an image superposed on an existing view, and

the processing unit changes one of visual properties of the superposed image in accordance with the output value of the analogue sensor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the screen view to be changed includes an image that enables to provide a visual impression to a user that the image indicates selectable items and an item selected, and

the processing unit changes selectable items and an item selected included in the image in accordance with the output value of the analogue sensor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

scroll means for controlling scrolling of the screen view in accordance with user'"'"'s input,

wherein the processing unit selects one of selectable graphic user interface elements displayed in a current screen view by detecting if a position of the graphic user interface element is reached to a predetermined position of a screen of the display unit, and switches a mode of operation so as to accept a user input for confirming selection of the detected element

12. An apparatus configured to have a single body including a processing unit and a display unit, the apparatus comprising:

an analog sensor disposed on the body for detecting user'"'"'s analogue input applied on the body of the apparatus,

wherein the processing unit comprises an image processing unit having a plurality of operation modes to generate a screen view displayed on the display unit, and

wherein the processing unit controls functionality of at least one of the operation modes based on an output value of the analogue sensor.

15. A portable information apparatus operated in response to a user input, comprising:

a main body;

gesture input means for obtaining physical interaction applied on the main body by a user; and

processing means for executing processing in accordance with the user input.

16. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a visual display, which is placed in a front surface of the main body, for visually displaying a result of the processing by the processing means; and

direction input means, which is placed in a back surface of the main body, for inputting a direction in a display screen of the visual display in response to an operation performed with a user'"'"'s finger.

17. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a tactile presentation section for providing a tactile feedback indicating a processing result obtained in the processing means.

18. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the gesture input means comprises:

operation sections turnably connected to both right and left edge portions of the main body, respectively;

a rotation sensor for detecting an operation amount of turning of the operation section with respect to the main body; and

a data acquisition section for providing an output of the rotation sensor, as a gesture input, to the processing means.

19. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the main body is flexible; and

the gesture input means comprises a bend sensor for detecting an amount of bend in the main body caused by the physical interaction by the user, and a data acquisition section for providing an output of the bend sensor, as a gesture input, to the processing means.

20. The portable information apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the bend sensor detects a direction of bending in the main body in addition to the amount thereof.

21. The portable information apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a flexible visual display, which is placed in a front surface of the main body, for visually displaying a result of the processing by the processing means; and

flexible direction input means, which is placed in a back surface of the main body, for inputting a direction in response to an operation performed with a user'"'"'s finger.

22. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the gesture input means comprises:

operation sections attached to both right and left edge portions of the main body, respectively;

a force sensor for detecting force applied to cause distortion in the operation section with respect to the main body; and

a data acquisition section for providing an output of the force sensor, as a gesture input, to the processing means.

23. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the gesture input means comprises:

a pressure sensor for detecting force applied to cause distortion in the operation section with respect to the main body; and

a data acquisition section for providing an output of the pressure sensor, as a gesture input, to the processing means.

24. The portable information apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the pressure sensor is placed in both front and back surfaces of the main body, and detects pressure applied by the user, who is holding both right and left edge portions of the main body, so as to cause upward and/or downward bending in the main body.

25. The portable information apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the force sensor detects a value and a direction of the force applied on the main body.

26. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a visual display, which is placed in a front surface of the main body, for visually displaying a processing result of the processing means; and

direction input means for inputting a direction in a display screen of the visual display,

wherein the processing means simultaneously and transparently processes the gesture input from the gesture input means and the direction input from the direction input means.

27. The portable information apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the processing means performs a process, which corresponds to the physical interaction accepted by the gesture input means, to an object in the display screen, the object being designated by using the direction input means.

28. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the gesture input means comprises a force sensor for detecting a strength of the physical interaction applied on the main body by the user; and

the processing means uses an output of the force sensor, which is a continuous variable, as an analog value for interface control.

29. The portable information apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a tactile presentation section for providing a tactile feedback to the user, the tactile feedback indicating the analog value accepted by the gesture input means.

30. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the gesture input means comprises a force sensor for detecting a strength of the physical interaction applied on the main body by the user; and

the processing means controls a system operation in response to an output of the force sensor if the output of the force sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold.

31. The portable information apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising a tactile presentation section for providing a tactile feedback to the user so as to confirm validity of the physical interaction accepted by the gesture input means.

32. The portable information apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the gesture input means comprises a force sensor for detecting a strength of the physical interaction applied on the main body by the user; and

the processing means analyzes a pattern of the force detected by the force sensor, and uses the pattern of the force as a specific command.

33. The portable information apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a tactile presentation section for providing a tactile feedback to the user so as to confirm successful analysis of the physical interaction accepted by the gesture input means and corresponding successful execution of the specific command.