Shared input key method and apparatus

• US 20060244727A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Zatloukal, Peter, Engstrom, G. Eric, Salman, Majeed D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,030,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• 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 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating input of data to an electronic device using overlaid inputs is disclosed. A determination is made as to which of a plurality of terminating hand members is being used to activate a key. A first character value is assigned to an activation of the key, based at least upon the determination.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a body;

a keyboard upon said body; and

a detection mechanism to determine which of a user'"'"'s terminating hand members, used to operate said keyboard, is being utilized to activate a key on said keyboard at an instance in time, said detection mechanism being equipped to monitor movement of at least a portion of at least one of a user'"'"'s two hands.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detection mechanism comprises a camera.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said detection mechanism further comprises logic to temporally analyze a plurality of images from said camera, said images including positions of said user'"'"'s terminating hand.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said camera is integrated with said body.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detection mechanism includes at least one terminating hand member sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said terminating hand member sensor is equipped to detect when a corresponding terminating hand member is in a non-use position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detection mechanism comprises at least one pressure sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one pressure sensor comprises a sensor to detect pressure on a side of said body, said side corresponding to said determined terminating hand member.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detection mechanism comprises at least one motion detector.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said motion detector is to detect motions associated with a key activation.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone and a personal digital assistant.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a body;

a keyboard upon said body; and

a camera to monitor movement of a user'"'"'s terminating hand members with respect to said keyboard, said monitoring of movement to provide an indicia of which of said user'"'"'s terminating hand members is being used to activate a key of said keyboard.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said monitoring of movement comprises temporally analyzing a plurality of images from said camera, said images including positions of said user'"'"'s terminating hand members.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a body;

a keyboard upon said body; and

at least one pressure sensor to monitor movement of a user'"'"'s terminating hand members with respect to said keyboard, said monitoring of movement to provide an indicia of which of said user'"'"'s terminating hand members is being used to activate a key of said keyboard.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said at least one pressure sensor comprises a sensor to detect pressure on a side of said body.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said side corresponds to said determined terminating hand member.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a body;

a keyboard upon said body; and

a motion sensor to monitor movement of said body, said monitoring of movement to provide an indicia of which of said user'"'"'s terminating hand members is being used to activate a key of said keyboard.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said motion sensor is a MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) device.

19. In an electronic device comprising a keyboard and having a plurality of input keys, at least one key having associated with it two character values, a method comprising:

determining which of a plurality of terminating hand members is being used to activate a key; and

assigning a first character value to an activation of said key, based at least in part upon said determination.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

assigning a second character value to said activation of said key, wherein said activation occurs after delay time from said determining.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said determining comprises monitoring movement of at least a portion of at least one of a user'"'"'s two hands.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said determining comprises temporally analyzing a plurality of images, said images including positions of said user'"'"'s terminating hand members.