Input control system with the ability of setting arbitrary switch functions of the switch input section

• US 7,106,299 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/804,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20010030641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 361/679, 361/680, 361/681, 361/683, 361/686, 341/22, 715/864
• US Class Current: 345/160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

An input control system is operative to set functions of four switches of a switch input section, thereby resolving the problem of intricate operation, particularly the screen scroll operation, which has been encountered by the conventional input scheme based on an input pad and click keys.

Claims

1. An input control system comprising an input pad having a coordinate input portion for inputting coordinate data and four push-type switches, each of said switches is independent of said input pad and capable of having an ON state and an OFF state,

wherein a finger or a pen is slid across the input pad to input information for moving a pointer appearing on a screen of a display unit in an X-axis or Y-axis direction, and is tapped on said input pad to input information in a Z-axis direction or to perform a selection operation for selecting an icon pointed to by said pointer, the display unit being provided in the input control system or in a computer connected to the input control system,

wherein the four switches each comprises a default operation, said default operation being at least one operation selected from a left-click operation of a mouse, a right-click operation of a mouse, a scroll-up operation, and a scroll-down operation, respectively, when each of said four switches is switched to an ON state,

wherein the default operation for each of said four switches is changeable to a different operation by setting commands generated in a switch input section driver,

wherein changing of the default operation for each of said four switches is performed by a switching operation that is displayed on the screen of the display unit, said switching operation being specifically adapted to permit the setting or modification of the operation of each of said four switches,

wherein input data from the input pad and data from each of said four switches is formatted to a common format data by the input controller,

wherein the common format data includes X coordinate and Y coordinate positional information of the input pad, and ON or OFF information of each switch,

wherein the common format data is output as a single data item to the input driver and,

wherein the input driver can set or change the operation implemented in response to a pressing of each switch and processes the operation information of the input pad and the switch input section.

2. An input control system according to claim 1,

wherein the common format data includes operation information indicating tapping on the input pad, and on or off operation information of each switch.

3. An input control system comprising an input pad having a coordinate input portion for inputting coordinate data and at least one push-type switch, said at least one switch is independent of said input pad and capable of having an ON state and an OFF state,

wherein a finger or a pen is slid across said input pad to input information for moving a pointer appearing on a screen of a display unit in an X-axis or Y-axis direction, and is tapped on said input pad to input information in a Z-axis direction or to perform a selection operation for selecting an icon pointed to by said pointer, said display unit being provided in said input control system or in a computer connected to said input control system,

wherein said at least one switch comprises a default operation, said default operation being at least one operation selected from a left-click operation of a mouse, a right-click operation of a mouse, a scroll-up operation, and a scroll-down operation, respectively, when said at least one switch is switched to an ON state,

wherein said default operation for each of said at least one switch is changeable to a different operation by setting commands generated in a switch input section driver,

wherein said at least one switch has a scroll function, wherein while said at least one switch is pressed so as to continuously output ON data, said at least one switch continuously performs a scrolling operation independently of an operation of the input pad, and wherein when pressing against said at least one switch is released so as to output OFF data, said at least one switch stops the scroll operation,

wherein input data from the input pad and data from said at least one switch is formatted to a common format data by the input controller,

wherein the common format data is output as a single data item to the input driver, and

wherein the input driver can set or change the operation implemented in response to a pressing of each switch and processes the operation information of the input pad and the switch input section.

4. An input control system according to claim 3,

wherein a scroll operation routine is read out for a certain time in accordance with a timer for every predetermined time period in the input pad/switch input section driver so that an image being displayed is scrolled for the certain time.