Data input device, data input method, data input program and recording medium wherein such data input program is recorded

• US 7,944,432 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Appside Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Appside Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Nobumitsu, Mizushima, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharifi; Koosha
• Application Number:
  US11/793,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20080094355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18.01, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 341/34, 341/35, 379/353, 345/156, 345/173, 345/174, 345/176, 345/184
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9625 using a force resistance transducer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/975 using a capacitive movable element
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

This invention is directed to the provision of a data input device that is operated by a novel method of inputting the force applied on a force sensor as polar coordinate data and subjecting the data to input processing which utilizes the r value and the θ value.

A portable telephone 1 detects the force applied on a force sensor 51 of an input unit 50 as rectangular coordinate data and converts the detected rectangular coordinate data into polar coordinate data. Then, with reference to an allocating table that has recorded characters and ranges of θ values to which the individual characters are allocated, the character allocated to the obtained θ value is selected. Then, when the r value larger than a prescribed threshold is input, the entry of the selected parameter is determined.

Claims

1. A data input device comprising:

a detecting unit for detecting an applied force as rectangular coordinate data;

a converting unit for converting the rectangular coordinate data detected by said detecting unit into polar coordinate data;

a selecting unit for selecting a character to be input in accordance with a θ

value of the polar coordinate data converted by said converting unit;

a determining unit for determining to input the character selected by said selecting unit in accordance with an r value of the polar coordinate data converted by said converting unit;

a first calculating unit for calculating the amount of change of the θ

value obtained by said converting unit;

a second calculating unit for calculating the amount of change of the r value obtained by said converting unit; and

a first judging unit for comparing the amount of change of the θ

value calculated by said first calculating unit and the amount of change of the r value calculated by said second calculating unit and judges which of the amounts of change is larger under prescribed conditions;

wherein

said selecting unit selects the character to be input when said judging unit judges that the amount of change of the θ

value is larger and

said determining unit determines to input the character selected by said selecting unit when said judging unit judges that the amount of change of the r value is larger.

2. The data input device described in claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing an allocating table having registered therein characters and ranges of θ

values serving to allocate the individual characters;

wherein

said selecting unit is adapted to select as the character to be input the character allocated to the θ

value obtained by said converting unit by reference to the allocating table stored in said storage unit.

4. The data input device described in claim 1, further comprising:

a third calculating unit for calculating the amount of change in the θ

values obtained by said converting unit;

wherein

said selecting unit is adapted to select the characters to be input in an order prescribed for each prescribed amount of change relative to the amount of change calculated by said third calculating unit.

5. The data input device described in claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit for displaying the character selected by said selecting unit.

6. The data input device described in claim 1, further comprising:

a second judging unit for judging whether the r value obtained by said converting unit is larger than a prescribed threshold;

wherein

said selecting unit is adapted to select the character to be input when said second judging unit judges that the r value is larger than the threshold.

7. The data input device described in claim 1, further comprising:

a third judging unit for judging whether the r value obtained by said converting unit is larger than a prescribed threshold;

wherein

said determining unit is adapted to determine to input the character selected by said selecting unit when said third judging unit judges that the r value is larger than the threshold.

8. The data input device described in claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth calculating unit for calculating the amount of change of the r value obtained by said converting unit; and

a fourth judging unit for judging whether the amount of change of the r value calculated by said fourth calculating unit is larger than the prescribed threshold;

wherein

said determining unit determines to input the character selected by said selecting unit when said fourth judging unit judges that the amount of change of the r value is larger than the threshold.

9. The data input device described in claim 1, wherein

said character consists of a number and a prescribed symbol.

10. The data input device described in claim 1, wherein

said character is displayed on a key top or the housing of the peripheral part of a key top.

11. The data input device described in claim 1, wherein

the key top or the housing of the peripheral part of the key top is provided thereon with punctiform or linear projections, grooves, or convexo-concave patterns with the object of aiding in the selection of the character.

12. The data input device described in claim 1, wherein

the key top possesses a petallike or starlike shape.

13. The data input device described in claim 1, wherein

said data input device is a portable telephone, a PHS, a note-type personal computer, a portable game device, a PDA, an electronic pocketbook, a remote controller for an electronic device, a camera, a digital camera, or a cam coder.

14. The data input device described in claim 1, wherein

said data input device is a peripheral instrument for a computer or a game device.

3. A data input device comprising:

a detecting unit for detecting an applied force as rectangular coordinate data

a converting unit for converting the rectangular coordinate data detected by said detecting unit into polar coordinate data;

a selecting unit for selecting a character to be input in accordance with a θ

value of the polar coordinate data converted by said converting unit;

a determining unit for determining to input the character selected by said selecting unit in accordance with an r value of the polar coordinate data converted by said converting unit,

a storage unit for storing an allocating table having registered therein characters and ranges of θ

values serving to allocate the individual characters;

said selecting unit is adapted to select as the character to be input the character allocated to the θ

value obtained by said converting unit by reference to the allocating table stored in said storage unit, wherein

the allocating table stored by said storage unit has ranges of θ

values possessing no allocated character interspersed between the ranges of θ

values having allocated the individual characters.

15. A data input method comprising:

a detecting step of detecting an applied force as rectangular coordinate data;

a converting step of converting the rectangular coordinate data detected by said detecting step into polar coordinate data;

a selecting step of selecting the character to be input in accordance with a θ

value of the polar coordinate data converted by said converting step; and

a determining step of determining to input the character selected by said selection step in accordance with an r value of the polar coordinate data converted by said converting step;

a first calculating step for calculating the amount of change of the θ

value obtained by said converting unit;

a second calculating step for calculating the amount of change of the r value obtained by said converting unit; and

a judging step for comparing the amount of change of the θ

value calculated by said first calculating step and the amount of change of the r value calculated by said second calculating step and judges which of the amounts of change is larger under prescribed conditions;

wherein;

said selecting step selects the character to be input when said judging step judges that the amount of change of the θ

value is larger and

said determining step determines to input the character selected by said selecting step when said judging step fudges that the amount of change of the r value is larger.

16. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium on which a data input program is recorded, wherein said data input program for causing a data input device to execute:

a detecting step of detecting an applied force as rectangular coordinate data;

a converting step of converting the rectangular coordinate data detected by said detecting step into polar coordinate data;

a selecting step of selecting the character to be input in accordance with a θ

value of the polar coordinate data converted by said converting step; and

a determining step of determining to input the character selected by said selection step in accordance with an r value of the polar coordinate data converted by said converting step;

a first calculating step for calculating the amount of change of the θ

value obtained by said converting unit;

a second calculating step for calculating the amount of change of the r value obtained by said converting step; and

a judging step for comparing the amount of change of the θ

value calculated by said first calculating step and the amount of change of the r value calculated by said second calculating step and judges which of the amounts of change is larger under prescribed conditions;

wherein

said selecting step selects the character to be input when said judging step judges that the amount of change of the θ

value is larger and

said determining step determines to input the character selected by said selecting step when said judging step fudges that the amount of change of the r value is larger.