Electronic device, input device, and portable electronic device using the same

• US 20070037611A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saitoh, Toshiaki, Mori, Akitoshi, Yamamoto, Tamotsu, Yamaguchi, Katsumasa, Kimata, Teruyuki, Yonekubo, Shunichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,623,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.100
• 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 3/0481 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: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can be operated as imagined while checking display contents because the display contents on a displaying unit and an operation applied to an operating unit are linked together. An electronic device of the present invention includes a second operation button (4), a display portion (2), and a control portion (6) that controls a display on the display portion (2) in response to operations of the second operation button (4), a first operation button (3), and the like, wherein the control portion (6) changes display contents on the display portion (2) to link together with a tracing operation applied to the second operation button (4).

Claims

1. :

An electronic device, comprising;

an operating unit;

a displaying unit; and

a controlling unit that controls a display on the displaying unit in response to an operation of the operating unit;

wherein the operating unit senses an operation direction and an operation speed; and

wherein the controlling unit changes display contents on the displaying unit based on a sensed result in accordance with the operation applied to the operating unit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a geometrical shape of the display contents displayed on the displaying unit are previously determined to correspond with operable directions of the displaying unit.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit changes the display contents displayed on the displaying unit so that a changing direction of the display contents displayed on the displaying unit at least partially corresponds with a direction of the operation applied to the operating unit.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit changes the display contents on the displaying unit at a speed that is corresponded to a speed of the operation applied to the operating unit.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a function of changing the display contents by the operation of the operating unit is switched in response to the display contents on the displaying unit.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit scrolls the display contents on the displaying unit in response to the operation direction and the operation speed of the operating unit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit enlarges the display contents on the displaying unit when the operating unit is operated in one direction, and scales down the display contents on the displaying unit when the operating unit is operated in other direction.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit senses the operation direction by sensing a pressure.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the operating unit senses the operation position every predetermined time in response to a tracing operation, and calculates the operation direction and the operation speed.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit has an annular operation button, and senses the operation direction and the operation speed in response to a circular tracing operation.

11. An input device, comprising:

a substantially circular center button provided in a center portion; and

a plurality of peripheral buttons arranged in multiple-concentrically on an outer side to surround the center button;

wherein the center button and the peripheral buttons are arranged within an area that can be covered with a finger of a fixed hand.

12. The input device according to claim 11, wherein a physical clearance to avoid a wrong operation of another peripheral button when one peripheral button is operated is provided between the peripheral buttons respectively.

13. The input device according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral buttons have a different operating load to each other.

14. The input device according to claim 11, wherein the center button and the peripheral buttons are coupled via an elastic body with a buffering function.

15. The input device according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral buttons are held on a part of the elastic body.

16. The input device according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral buttons are formed by a different peculiar surface shape or a different peculiar material to each other.

17. The input device according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral buttons perform an input of information independently separately from the center button.

18. The input device according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral buttons include a first operation button and a second operation button;

and

wherein one of the first operation button and the second operation button has a convex surface shape and the other has a concave surface shape.

19. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

the input device set forth in claim 11;

a displaying unit that displays information input by the input device; and

a controlling unit that controls a display on the displaying unit in response to an operation of each button provided on the input device;

wherein the input device has a function of sensing whether or not the operation of the each button is present and sensing an operation direction and an operation speed, and

wherein the controlling unit has a function of changing display contents on the displaying unit based on a sensed result in accordance with the operation of the each button.