Rotary Input Device and Electronic Equipment

• US 20100271343A1
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fukoku Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd., Pro-Tech Design Corporation
• Inventors: Tsubota, Hirono, Kodaira, Takeshi, Suzuki, Takahiko, Nagashima, Kenji, Sako, Nobuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/764,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20100271343A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a rotary input device, including: a rotary operation device; a storage section to store screen information correlated to a display order; a display control section for displaying the screen and selection items; an item switch instructing section to switch the selection item; and a screen switch instructing section to switch the displayed screen, wherein the selection item is switched in a predetermined selection order when the rotary operation device rotates in one direction and switched in a reverse order when the rotary operation device rotates in the other direction, and the first screen is switched to the second screen when the rotary operation device rotates in the one direction in a state in which a last first selection item is selected and switched to the first screen when the device rotates in the other direction in the state in which a top second selection item is selected.

Claims

1. A rotary input device, comprising:

a rotary operation device rotatable around a shaft by receiving a rotation operation by an operator;

a storage section to store screen information in association with a display order of displaying screens, the screen information pertaining to the screens including a first screen containing first selection items arranged in a matrix, and a second screen provided to each of the first selection items, each second screen containing second selection items arranged in a matrix, each of the second selection items belonging to a corresponding first selection item;

a display control section to make a display section display one of the screens based on the screen information stored in the storage section screen, and to make the display section display a plurality of selection items arranged in a screen under display to be able to distinguish a selection item under selection from other selection items;

an item switch instructing section to instruct the display control section to switch the selection item under selection according to rotation of the rotary operation device; and

a screen switch instructing section to instruct the display control section to switch the screen under display according to the rotation of the rotary operation device in accordance with the display order stored in the storage section, wherein

the item switch instructing section instructs to switch the selection item under selection in a predetermined selection order when the rotary operation device rotates in one direction between a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, and instructs to switch the selection item under selection in an order reverse to the selection order when the rotary operation device rotates in the other direction between both the directions, and

the screen switch instructing section instructs to switch the first screen under display to the second screen when the rotary operation device rotates in the one direction in a state in which a last first selection item among the plurality of first selection items arranged in the first screen under display is under selection, and instructs to switch the second screen under display to the first screen when the rotary operation device rotates in the other direction in the state in which a top second selection item among the plurality of second selection items arranged in the second screen under display is under selection.

2. The rotary input device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection section to detect a rotation angle of the rotary operation device;

a rotation driving section to apply a rotary force to the rotary operation device; and

a force sense presenting section to apply the rotary operation device the rotary force with the rotation driving section to present the operator a force sense, wherein

the item switch instructing section instructs to switch the selection item under selection when the rotation angel detected by the detection section reaches a predetermined item switching angle,

the screen switch instructing section instructs to switch the screen under display when the rotation angle detected by the detection section reaches a predetermined screen switching angle, and

the force sense presenting section presents the force sense by means of at least any two actions in a combination of applying the rotary force in a normal rotation direction to the rotary operation device by the rotation driving section, applying the rotary force in a reverse rotation direction, and stopping applying the rotary force when the rotation angle detected by the detection section reaches the predetermined item switching angle, and/or when the rotation angle detected by the detection section reaches the predetermined screen switching angle.

3. The rotary input device according to claim 2, wherein the force sense presenting section changes a present way of the force sense to enable the operator to perceive the force sense in distinction between a case where the rotation angle detected by the detection section reaches the predetermined item switching angle and a case where the rotation angle detected by the detection section reaches the predetermined screen switching angle.

4. The rotary input device according to claim 3, wherein the force sense presenting section presents the force sense by means of at least any two actions in the combination of applying the rotary force in the normal rotation direction to the rotary operation device by the rotation driving section, applying the rotary force in the reverse rotation direction, and stopping applying the rotary force when the rotation angle detected by the detection section reaches the predetermined item switching angle, and presents the force sense by means of a combination of applying the rotary force in the normal rotation direction to the rotary operation device by the rotation driving section and stopping applying the rotary force when the rotation angle detected by the detection section reaches the predetermined screen switching angle.

5. The rotary input device according to claim 2, wherein the force sense presenting section presents the force sense by a combination of applying the rotary force in the reverse rotation direction to the rotary operation device by the rotation driving section and stopping applying the rotary force when the rotary operation device rotates in the one direction in a state in which a screen of a last display order is under display and a last selection item among a plurality of selection items arranged in the screen under display is under selection, and/or when the rotary operation device rotates in the other direction in the state in which a screen of a top display order is under display and a top selection item among the plurality of selection items arranged in the screen is under selection.

6. The rotary input device according to claim 2, wherein the force sense presenting section presents the force sense by applying the rotary force in the normal rotation direction to the rotary operation device in all of the rotation angles detected by the detection section other than the predetermined item switching angle and the predetermined screen switching angle, and presents the force sense by stopping applying the rotary force in the normal rotation direction to the rotary operation device by the rotation driving section, or by a combination of applying the rotary force in the reverse rotation direction and stopping applying the rotary force when the rotary operation device rotates in the one direction in a state in which a screen of a last display order is under display and a last selection item among a plurality of selection items arranged in the screen is under selection, and/or when the rotary operation device rotates in the other direction in the state in which a screen of a top display order is under display and a top selection item among the plurality of selection items arranged in the screen is under selection.

7. The rotary input device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection section to detect a depression of the rotary operation device in an axial direction; and

a determination section to determine a selection of one selection item when the depression is detected by the detection section in a state in which the one selection item among the plurality of selection items arranged in the screen under display is under selection.

8. The rotary input device according to claim 1, wherein

the detection section can detect a depressed position in the rotary operation device;

the screen switch instructing section instructs to switch the screen under display to a next screen when a depression of a predetermined first position of the rotary operation device is detected by the detection section, and instructs to switch the screen under display to a preceding screen when a depression of a predetermined second position of the rotary operation device is detected by the detection section.

9. The rotary input device according to claim 8, wherein

the detection section can detect a depression force when the rotary operation device is depressed, and

the screen switch instructing section instructs to switch the screen under display at a screen switching speed according to a magnitude of the depression force detected by the detection section when the depression of the predetermined first position of the rotary operation device is detected by the detection section, and/or when the depression of the second position of the rotary operation device is detected.

10. The rotary input device according to claim 8, wherein the force sense presenting section presents the force sense by at least two actions in the combination of applying the clockwise rotary force to the rotary operation device by the rotation driving section, applying the counterclockwise rotary force, and stopping applying the rotary force when the depression of the first position of the rotary operation device is detected by the detection section, when the depression of the second position of the rotary operation device is detected, and/or when a depression of a third position of the rotary operation device is detected.

11. Electronic equipment, comprising:

the rotary input device according to claim 1; and

the display section.