Wearable touch pad device

• US 20040145576A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Zondag, Eduard Gerhard
• Application Number:
  US10/475,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/26 Remote control device with touch screen display

Abstract

A touch pad device (1) comprising one or more touch sensitive areas (2) provided on at least one side of the housing for allowing a user to touch a certain part of the areas to input desired information, control electronics (52) connected to the touch sensitive areas (2), provided in the interior of the housing and for output of a control signal for interpreting the desired information, and a signal transmitter (15, 53) connected to the control electronics for transmitting the control signal to the outside of a touch pad device e.g. for controlling an apparatus such as household appliances, and/or audio video apparatuses.

Claims

1. A touch pad device (1), comprising:

a housing;

one or more touch sensitive areas (2) provided on at least one side of the housing for allowing a user to touch a certain part of the areas to input desired information;

control electronics (52) connected to the touch sensitive areas (2), provided in the interior of the housing and for output of a control signal for interpreting the desired information; and

a signal transmitter (15, 53) connected to the control electronics for transmitting the control signal to the outside of a touch pad device e.g. for controlling an apparatus such as household appliances, and/or audio video apparatuses;

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter (53) is a wireless transmitter (15).

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising additional input means (7) for varying the sensitivity of the touch sensitive area (2) according to input from the user.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises attaching means (12,14) for attaching/detaching the device to and from clothing.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control changes dependent on the position of the touch on the touch sensitive area (2).

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising receiving means (15) for receiving management information for the device.

7. The device according to claim 1, are arranged to be activated or de-activated by tapping on the touch sensitive area (2).

8. A device according to claim 1 equipped with indicator means (4, 5) for indicating which side of the touch sensitive area is sensitive and which side is less sensitive.

9. Apparatus and/or clothing provided with a device according to any of the preceding claims.