User interface device and user interface method

• US 20070291018A1
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Wan-je, Jang, Hyun-kook, Kwon, Heui-jin, Song, Sang-gon, Kim, Joon-Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 8,519,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 input device for effective navigation, a user interface device and a user interface method, and a computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program to perform the method, the user interface device including a display unit, a rotatable input unit used to instruct a movement and a selection of a highlighted item in the display unit, and a control unit to control the device to perform a function corresponding to the received signal when a movement signal or a rotation signal is received from the input unit.

Claims

1. A user interface device comprising:

a display unit to display a selection mark and one or more selectable items;

an input unit comprising;

a movement instruction unit to output a movement signal instructing a movement of the selection mark among the one or more selectable items, and

a rotation unit that is rotatable to output a rotation signal instructing a selection of a selectable item distinguished by the selection mark in the display unit; and

a control unit to control the user interface device to perform a function corresponding to a received signal when the movement signal and/or the rotation signal is received from the input unit.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selection mark is a highlight.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement instruction unit receives a first direction input to instruct the movement of the selection mark in a first direction, and a second direction input to instruct the movement of the selection mark in a second direction.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the movement instruction unit comprises a touch sensor to sense touches in at least two directions to receive the first direction input or the second direction input; and

the movement signal is generated from the touches in the at least two directions.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the input unit comprises a portion on which the touch sensor operates that is visibly distinct on a surface of the input unit and is provided to have a length, longer than a width, running horizontally or vertically on the surface of the input unit.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the selectable items are arranged parallel to the first direction and the second direction; and

the control unit controls the movement of the selection mark in the first direction when the movement signal is generated from a touch in the first direction, and controls the movement of the selection mark in the second direction when the movement signal is generated from a touch in the second direction.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the rotation unit rotates the input unit:

the touch sensor rotates such that the touch sensor senses touches in a third direction to receive a third direction input and a fourth direction to receive a fourth direction input;

the selectable items are arranged parallel to the third direction and the fourth direction; and

the control unit controls the movement of the selection mark in the third direction when the movement signal is generated from a touch in the third direction, and controls the movement of the selection mark in the fourth direction when the movement signal is generated from a touch in the fourth direction.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the function to be performed according to a rotation direction of the rotation unit, and the rotation signal indicates the rotation direction.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control unit performs the selection of the selectable item distinguished by the selection mark when the rotation unit is rotated in a first rotation direction, and performs a function of canceling a previous selection when the rotation unit is rotated in a second rotation direction.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the rotation unit is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise at an angle of substantially 90°

by user manipulation.

11. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the movement instruction unit comprises at least two input keys to receive the first direction input or the second direction input; and

the movement signal is generated from presses of the at least two input keys.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the at least two input keys comprises a first key and a second key arranged parallel to the first direction and the second direction;

the selectable items are arranged parallel to the first direction and the second direction; and

the control unit controls the movement of the selection mark in the first direction when the movement signal is generated from a press of the first key, and controls the movement of the selection mark in the second direction when the movement signal is generated from a press of the second key.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the rotation unit rotates the input unit:

the movement instruction unit receives a third direction input to instruct the movement of the selection mark in a third direction, and a fourth direction input to instruct the movement of the selection mark in a fourth direction;

the selectable items are arranged parallel to the third direction and the fourth direction;

the first key and the second key are arranged parallel to the third direction and the fourth direction; and

the control unit controls the movement of the selection mark in the third direction when the movement signal is generated from the press of the first key, and controls the movement of the selection mark in the fourth direction when the movement signal is generated from the press of the second key.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises a portion on which the movement instruction unit operates that is visibly distinct on a surface of the input unit and is provided to have a length, longer than a width, running horizontally or vertically on the surface of the input unit.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation signal instructs the control unit to perform the selection of the selectable item distinguished by the selection mark or to perform a function of canceling a previous selection.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement instruction unit is provided to have a length, longer than a width, in a first direction, and the selectable items are arranged parallel to the first direction.

17. An input device comprising:

a movement instruction unit to output a movement signal instructing a movement of a selection mark among one or more selectable items, and

a rotation unit that is rotatable to output a rotation signal instructing a selection of a selectable item distinguished by the selection mark; and

a control unit to control the user interface device to perform a function corresponding to a received signal when the movement signal and/or the rotation signal is received from the input unit.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a display unit to display the selection mark and the one or more selectable items.

19. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the movement instruction unit is provided to have a length, longer than a width, in a first direction, and the selectable items are arranged parallel to the first direction.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the movement instruction unit receives a first direction input to instruct the movement of the selection mark in a first direction, and a second direction input to instruct the movement of the selection mark in a second direction.

21. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

the movement instruction unit comprises a touch sensor to sense touches in at least two directions to receive the first direction input or the second direction input; and

the movement signal is generated from the touches in the at least two directions.

22. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

the movement instruction unit comprises at least two input keys to receive the first direction input or the second direction input; and

the movement signal is generated from presses of the at least two input keys.

23. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control unit determines the function to be performed according to a rotation direction of the rotation unit, and the rotation signal indicates the rotation direction.

24. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the control unit performs the selection of the selectable item distinguished by the selection mark when the rotation unit is rotated in a first rotation direction, and performs a function of canceling a previous selection when the rotation unit is rotated in a second rotation direction.

25. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the one or more selectable items are comprised in a menu, and each of the one or more selectable items, when distinguished by the selection mark and selected by a rotation of the rotation unit, opens another menu comprising one or more other selectable items or executes an item function, such that a plurality of rotations of the rotation unit opens a plurality of menus until a selected selectable item executes the item function.

26. A user interface method used in a device including a rotatable input unit, the method comprising:

receiving a movement signal or a rotation signal from the input unit;

performing a movement of a selection mark among one or more selectable items when the movement signal is received; and

performing a selection of a selectable item distinguished by the selection mark when the rotation signal instructing the selection is received.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

displaying the selection mark and the one or more selectable items on a display unit.

28. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a first direction input to generate the movement signal that instructs the movement of the selection mark in a first direction;

or

receiving a second direction input to generate the movement signal that instructs the movement of the selection mark in a second direction.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein:

the receiving of the first direction input comprises sensing a touch on the input unit in the first direction; and

the receiving of the second direction input comprises sensing a touch on the input unit in the second direction.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising:

displaying a first screen in which the selectable items are arranged parallel to the first direction and the second direction.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising:

displaying a second screen when the input unit is rotated in which the selectable items are arranged parallel to a third direction and fourth direction; and

sensing a touch on the input unit in the third direction to generate the movement signal that instructs the movement of the selection mark in the third direction when the input unit is rotated, or sensing a touch on the input unit in the fourth direction to generate the movement signal that instructs the movement of the selection mark in the fourth direction when the input unit is rotated.

32. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein:

the receiving of the first direction input comprises receiving a pressing of a first input key provided on the input unit; and

the receiving of the second direction input comprises receiving a pressing of a second input key provided on the input unit.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

displaying a first screen in which the selectable items are arranged parallel to the first direction and the second direction.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:

displaying a second screen when the input unit is rotated in which the selectable items are arranged parallel to a third direction and fourth direction; and

receiving the pressing of the first input key to generate the movement signal that instructs the movement of the selection mark in the third direction when the input unit is rotated, or receiving the pressing of the second input key to generate the movement signal that instructs the movement of the selection mark in the fourth direction when the input unit is rotated.

35. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

generating the rotation signal instructing the selection of the selectable item distinguished by the selection mark when the input unit is rotated in a first rotation direction;

generating a rotation signal instructing a canceling of a previous selection when the input unit is rotated in a second rotation direction; and

performing the canceling of the previous selection when the input unit is rotated in the second rotation direction.

36. A computer readable recording medium encoded with the method of claim 26 implemented by a computer.