Input device and inputting method with input device

• US 6,801,191 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Atsushi, Mukai, Masaki, Sameshima, Osamu, Kamo, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamarre, Guy J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alphonse, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US09/843,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179, 345/173, 345/174, 345/177, 345/182, 178/18-20
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An input device is provided which is capable of entering a double tap operation even if an operation through a touch panel is performed in difficulty. The input device includes a coordinate acquiring section, a pressure acquiring section, a coordinate condition storing section, an on-pressure storing section for storing a first pressure and a second pressure smaller than the first pressure, a time condition storing section, and an input judging section. In operation, the pressure of the first pen touch operation detected by the pressure acquiring section exceeds a first pressure. Then, if the pressure of the second pen touch operation detected by the pressure acquiring section exceeds the second pressure within a certain time stored in the time condition storing section, and if the second pen touch operation is performed within a distance stored in the coordinate condition storing section, the input judging section qualifies the two consecutive pen touch operations as a double tap operation. As the threshold of the pressure of the second pen touch operation is smaller than an ordinary pressure, the double tap operation can correctly be identified even if the pressure of the second pen touch operation by any user becomes small.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an input unit for accepting first and second operations;

an operation amount acquiring unit that detects an amount of a property indicative of the first operation and an amount of a property indicative of the second operation;

a timer which starts counting time at a time at which or before which the property indicative of the first operation changes from an amount less than a first threshold amount to an amount equal to or greater than the first threshold amount; and

an input judging device which determines a double tap operation to be performed when the property indicative of the second operation changes from an amount less than a second threshold amount to an amount equal to or greater than the second threshold amount before said timer counts a certain time,

wherein the second threshold amount is smaller than the first threshold amount.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the timer starts counting time when the property indicative of the first operation changes from an amount less than the first threshold amount to an amount equal to or greater than the first threshold amount.

3. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising a peak detector for detecting a peak of the amount of a property indicative of the first operation, wherein said timer starts counting time when the peak of the amount of a property indicative of the first operation is detected.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the timer starts counting time when the property indicative of the first operation changes from an amount less than a third threshold amount to an amount equal to or greater than the third threshold amount.

5. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising a position acquiring means for detecting a first position of the first operation and a second position of the second operation.

wherein the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation are first and second pressures applied to said input unit at the first and second operations, respectively, and

wherein said input judging means judges that the double tap operation is performed when the second pressure changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount before said timer counts the certain time and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance.

6. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the amount of the property indicative of the first operation and the amount of the property indicative of the second operation is a magnitude of the property indicative of the first operation or the property indicative of the second operation.

7. The input device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation is a voice sound.

8. The input device according to claim 1, wherein said input judging means judges that the double tap operation is performed when the property indicative of the first operation changes from an amount greater than a fourth threshold amount to an amount less than the fourth threshold amount before said timer counts to certain time and when the property indicative of the second operation changes from less than the second threshold amount to an amount equal to or greater than the second threshold amount before said timer counts the certain time.

9. The input device according to claim 8, wherein the fourth threshold amount is smaller than the second threshold amount.

10. The input device according to claim 8, further comprising position acquiring means for detecting a first position of the first operation and a second position of the second operation,

wherein the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation are first and second pressures applied to said input unit at the first and second operations, respectively, and

wherein said input judging means judges that the double tap operation is performed when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than the fourth threshold amount to less than the fourth threshold amount before said timer counts the certain time, when the second amount changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount before said timer counts the certain time, and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance.

11. The input device according to claim 8,

wherein at least one of an amount of the property indicative of the first operation and the amount of the property indicative of the second operation is a magnitude of the property indicative of the first operation or the property indicative of the second operation.

12. The input device according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation is a voice sound.

13. The input device according to claim 8, wherein the timer starts counting time when the property indicative of the first operation changes from an amount equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

14. The input device according to claim 13, wherein the fourth threshold amount is equal to the third threshold amount.

15. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising position acquiring means for detecting a first position of the first operation and a second position of the second operation,

wherein the property indicative of the first operation is a duration of the first operation,

wherein the property indicative of the second operation is a duration of the second operation, and

wherein said input judging means judges that the double tap operation is performed when the duration of the second operation changes from an amount less than the second threshold amount to an amount equal to or greater than the second threshold amount before said timer counts the certain time and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance.

16. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the amount of the property indicative of the first operation and the amount of the property indicative of the second operation is a duration of a certain operation.

17. The input device according to claim 16, wherein the certain operation is to input a voice sound.

18. A method of inputting data with an input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting an amount of a property indicative of the first operation;

detecting an amount of a property indicative of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when the property indicative of the second operation changes from an amount less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the property indicative of the first operation changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount,

wherein the second threshold amount is smaller than the first threshold amount.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first time is a time at which the property indicative of the first operation changes from an amount less than the first threshold amount to an amount equal to or greater than the first threshold amount.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of detecting a peak of the amount of a property indicative of the first operation, wherein the first time is a time when the peak is detected.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first time is a time at which the amount of a property indicative of the first operation changes from equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

22. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a first position of the first operation; and

detecting a second position of the second operation,

wherein the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation are first and second pressures applied to said input unit at the first and second operations, respectively, and

wherein said step of judging that the double tap operation is performed comprises the step of judging that the double tap operation is performed when the second pressure changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within the certain time from the first time and when a distance between the first and second positions is less than a certain distance.

23. The method according to claim 18,

wherein at least one of an amount of the property indicative of the first operation and the amount of the property indicative of the second operation is a magnitude of the property indicative of the first operation or the property indicative of the second operation.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein at least one of the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation is a voice sound.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of judging that the double tap operation is performed comprises the step of judging that the double tap operation is performed when the property indicative of the first operation changes from equal to or greater than a fourth threshold amount to less than the fourth threshold amount within the certain time from the first time and when the second amount changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within the certain time from the first time.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the fourth threshold amount is less than the second threshold amount.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the fourth threshold amount is equal to the third threshold amount.

28. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a first position of the first operation; and

detecting a second position of the second operation,

wherein the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation are first and second pressures applied to said input unit at the first and second operations, respectively, and

wherein said step of judging that the double tap operation is performed comprises the step of judging that the double tap operation is performed when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than the fourth threshold amount to less than the fourth threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, when the second amount changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, and when a distance between the first and second positions is less than a certain distance.

29. The method according to claim 25,

wherein at least one of an amount of the property indicative of the first operation and the amount of the property indicative of the second operation is a magnitude of the property indicative of the first operation or the property indicative of the second operation.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein at least one of the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation is a voice sound.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein the first time is a time at which the property indicative of the first operation changes from an amount equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

32. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a first position of the first operation; and

detecting a second position of the second operation,

determining the duration of the first and second operations,

wherein the property indicative of the second operation is a duration of the second operation, and

wherein said step of judging that the double tap operation is performed comprises the step of judging that the double tap operation is performed when the property indicative of the second operation changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within the certain time from the first time and when a distance between the first and second position is smaller than a certain distance.

33. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation are respective durations of the first and second operations.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein at least one of the property indicative of the first operation and the property indicative of the second operation is a voice sound.

35. A program for instructing an input device to execute a method of inputting data, the input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when the second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein the second threshold amount is smaller than the first threshold amount.

36. The program according to claim 35, wherein the first time is a time at which the first pressure changes from less than the first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount.

37. The program according to claim 35, wherein said method further comprises the step of detecting a peak amount of the first pressure, and the first time is a time when the peak amount is detected.

38. A program for instructing an input device to execute a method of inputting data, the input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when the second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance.

wherein the first time is a time at which the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

39. A program for instructing an input device to execute a method of inputting data, the input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when the second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein said step of judging that the double tap operation is performed comprises the step of judging that the double tap operation is performed when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than a fourth threshold amount to less than the fourth threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, when the second pressure changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than the certain distance.

40. The program according to claim 39, wherein the fourth threshold amount is smaller than the second threshold amount.

41. The program according to claim 39, wherein the first time is a time at which the first pressure changes from an amount equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

42. The program according to claim 41, wherein the fourth threshold amount is equal to the third threshold amount.

43. A recording medium for storing a program which instructs an input device to execute a method of inputting data, the input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said recording medium being readable for the input device, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when a second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein the second threshold amount is smaller than the first threshold amount.

44. The recording medium according to claim 43, wherein the first time is a time at which the first amount changes from less than the first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount.

45. The recording medium according to claim 43, wherein said method further comprises the step of detecting a peak amount of the first pressure, and the first time is a time when the peak amount is detected.

46. A recording medium for storing a program which instructs an input device to execute a method of inputting data, the input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said recording medium being readable for the input device, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when a second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein the first time is a time when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than the third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

47. A recording medium for storing a program which instructs an input device to execute a method of inputting data, the input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations said recording medium being readable for the input device, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when a second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein said step of judging that the double tap operation is performed comprises the step of judging that the double tap operation is performed when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than a fourth threshold amount to less than the fourth threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, when the second pressure changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, and when the distance between the first and second positions is smaller than the certain distance.

48. The recording medium according to claim 47, wherein the fourth threshold amount is smaller than the second threshold amount.

49. The recording medium according to claim 47, wherein the first time is a time at which the first pressure changes from an amount equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

50. The recording medium according to claim 49, wherein the fourth threshold amounts is equal to the third threshold amount.

51. A program for instructing a computer to execute a method of inputting data, the computer being coupled with an input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when a second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein the second threshold amount is smaller than the first threshold amount.

52. The program according to claim 51, wherein the first time is a time at which the first pressure changes from less than the first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount.

53. The program according to claim 51, wherein said method further comprises the step of detecting a peak amount of the first pressure, and the first time is a time when the peak amount is detected.

54. A program for instructing a computer to execute a method of inputting data, the computer being coupled with an input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when a second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein the first time is a time when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

55. A program for instructing a computer to execute a method of inputting data, the computer being coupled with an input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when a second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein said step of judging that the double tap operation is performed comprises the step of judging that the double tap operation is performed when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than a fourth threshold amount to less than the fourth threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, when the second pressure changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, and when the distance between the first and second positions is smaller than the certain distance.

56. The program according to claim 55, wherein the fourth threshold amount is smaller than the second threshold amount.

57. The program according to claim 55, wherein the first time is a time at which the first pressure changes from an amount equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

58. The program according to claim 57, wherein the fourth threshold amount is equal to the third threshold amount.

59. A recording medium for storing a program which instructs a computer to execute a method of inputting data, the computer being coupled with an input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said recording medium being readable for the computer, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when the second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein the second threshold amount is smaller than the first threshold amount.

60. The recording medium according to claim 59, wherein the first time is a time at which the first pressure changes from less than the first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount.

61. The recording medium according to claim 59, wherein said method further comprises the step of detecting a peak amount of the first pressure, wherein the first time is a time when the peak amount is detected.

62. A recording medium for storing a program which instructs a computer to execute a method of inputting data, the computer being coupled with an input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said recording medium being readable for the computer, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when the second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein the first time is a time when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

63. A recording medium for storing a program which instructs a computer to execute a method of inputting data, the computer being coupled with an input device having an input unit for accepting first and second operations, said recording medium being readable for the computer, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first pressure and a first position of the first operation;

detecting a second pressure and a second position of the second operation; and

judging that a double tap operation is performed when the second pressure changes from less than a second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within a certain time from a first time at which or before which the first pressure changes from less than a first threshold amount to equal to or greater than the first threshold amount and when a distance between the first and second positions is smaller than a certain distance,

wherein said step of judging that the double tap operation is performed comprises the step of judging that the double tap operation is performed when the first pressure changes from equal to or greater than a fourth threshold amount to less than the fourth threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, when the second pressure changes from less than the second threshold amount to equal to or greater than the second threshold amount within the certain time from the first time, and when the distance between the first and second positions is smaller than the certain distance.

64. The recording medium according to claim 63, wherein the fourth threshold amount is smaller than the second threshold amount.

65. The recording medium according to claim 63, wherein the first time is a time at which the first pressure changes from an amount equal to or greater than a third threshold amount to less than the third threshold amount.

66. The recording medium according to claim 65, wherein the fourth threshold amount is equal to the third threshold amount.