HUMAN INTERFACE APPARATUS HAVING INPUT UNIT FOR POINTER LOCATION INFORMATION AND POINTER COMMAND EXECUTION UNIT

• US 20150309592A1
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innopresso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eunhyung Cho
• Inventors: CHO, Eunhyung
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0208 Arrangements for adjusting the tilt angle of a keyboard, e.g. pivoting legs for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1667
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A human interface apparatus comprising the steps of: receiving text input from a user; switching to input mode for pointing location information; receiving input for pointing location information from the user; and switching the human interface apparatus to a text input mode, wherein the text input area and the pointing location information input area have at least a part of the area in common.

Claims

1. A human interface device, comprising:

a text input unit comprising a plurality of physical buttons;

a pointer location information input unit configured to activate a motion detection area, which is formed to be parallel to an upper surface of the physical buttons, and recognize information related to a pointer location from a user motion on the motion detection area, wherein the pointer location indicates a location of a pointer displayed on a digital device being connected to the human interface device via wired or wireless connection;

a pointer execution command unit configured to receive a command to perform at least one function at the pointer location;

a mode shift unit configured to activate a pointer location input mode; and

a communication unit configured to transmit the information related to the pointer location to the digital device;

wherein the pointer location information input unit comprises an optical signal reflector or absorber which is provided around first to third sides of the text input unit, the reflector or absorber is provided above the upper surface of the physical buttons, and the mode shift unit is provided on a fourth side of the text input unit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the pointer location information input unit comprises a sensor module having an optical emitter and a camera and wherein an optical signal being received by the camera passes through a light tunnel.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the mode shift unit is provided at an area separate from the physical buttons of the text input unit.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the mode shift unit is located at a lower side of the text input unit and wherein, by recognizing that a user input is being received by the mode shift unit, the mode shift unit transmits a signal indicating that the pointer location input mode is activated to a mode shift command receiving unit.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the physical button is configured of an upper portion of a button receiving a pressure from a user, and an elastic body applying a physical force so as to allow the upper portion of the button to return to its initial position when the pressure of the user is released.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first side and the third side are respectively located on a left side and a right side of the text input unit, and the second side is located on an upper side of the text input unit, and the fourth side is located on a lower side of the text input unit.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the pointer location information input unit includes at least two sensor modules and the two sensor modules are respectively located on a lower left side corner area and a lower right side corner area of the human interface device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the mode shift unit is operated by a first input of the user that is inputted via a first button, and the pointer execution command unit is operated by a second input of the user that is inputted via the first button.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first button is configured of a material being detectable an electrical signal generated by the touch of user, the first input is generated by recognizing the electrical signal, while the first input is maintained the device is operated in the pointer location input mode, and when the first input is released the pointer location input mode is cancelled.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the mode shift unit is operated by a second input of the user that is inputted to a second button and whenever the second input is inputted the mode shift unit is operated to change the mode between the text input mode and the pointer location input mode.

11. A method for receiving a user input in a human interface device, comprising:

receiving, by a text input unit comprising a plurality of physical buttons, a text input of a user;

activating, by a pointer location information input unit, a motion detection area, which is formed to be parallel to an upper surface of the physical buttons;

recognizing, by the pointer location information input unit, information related to a pointer location from a user motion on the motion detection area, wherein the pointer location indicates a location of a pointer displayed on a digital device being connected to the human interface device via wired or wireless connection

receiving, by a pointer execution command unit, a command to perform at least one function at the pointer location;

receiving, by a mode shift unit, a mode shift signal which activates a pointer location information input mode; and

transmitting, by a communication unit, the information related to the pointer location to the digital device;

wherein the pointer location information input unit comprises an optical signal reflector or absorber which is provided around first to third sides of the text input unit, the reflector or absorber is provided above the upper surface of the physical buttons, and the mode shift unit is provided on a fourth side of the text input unit.

12. A human interface device, comprising:

a text input unit comprising a plurality of physical buttons to receive a text input from a user during a text input mode;

a pointer input unit comprising at least one optical sensor module to receive a pointer input from the user during a pointer input mode, wherein the at least one optical sensor module activates a motion detection area which is formed above an upper surface of the physical buttons and recognize a user motion on the motion detection area;

a mode shift unit configured to shift to one mode between the text input mode and the pointer input mode; and

a communication unit configured to transmit information related to the user motion to a digital device being connected to the human interface device via wired or wireless connection;

wherein the pointer input unit comprises an optical signal reflector or absorber which is provided around first to third sides of the text input unit, the reflector or absorber is provided above the upper surface of the physical buttons, and the mode shift unit is provided on a fourth side of the text input unit.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the pointer input unit comprises two sensor modules and the two sensor modules are respectively provided on a lower left side corner area and a lower right side corner area of the human interface device.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the pointer input unit comprises two sensor modules and the two sensor modules are provided on the fourth side of the text input unit.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the device further comprises a pointer execution command unit configured to receive a command to perform at least one function at the pointer location.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the pointer execution command unit is provided on the fourth side of the text input unit.