Apparatus with selectable functions

• US 8,314,778 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Niwa, Shinji, Asami, Katsushi, Akahori, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xavier, Antonio
• Application Number:
  US12/656,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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

Abstract

A user can wear a transmitter module on a finger. The transmitter module transmits an electric signal through a finger. An electronic device includes a touch panel as an input device and a conductive film. The conductive film is a part of a receiver module which receives the electric signal when the body part is approached to the conductive film. The control unit provides a performing module which selectively performs one function among the functions according to the detection result of the receiver module. A first function is performed when the user approaches a finger wearing the transmitter module. A second function is performed when the user approaches another finger not wearing the transmitter module.

Claims

1. An electric apparatus operable by a user, who wears a signal transmitter module attached to a limb of the user and supplying an electric signal via an attached part of the signal transmitter module, the electric apparatus comprising:

a detecting device including an electric conductor for receiving, by a direct contact or an electric coupling with the user, the electric signal output from the signal transmitter module, and detecting a contact or proximity of the electric conductor with a body part of the user corresponding to the attached part of the signal transmitter module based on the electric signal received by the electric conductor;

an input device operable by the user and responding to an operation different from an operation of the detecting device caused by the signal transmitter module so that the input device inputs an operation signal corresponding to a user operation, the input device being independent from the detecting device; and

a performing module performing a plurality of functions corresponding to the operation signal supplied from the input device,

wherein the performing module is configured to be able to perform the plurality of functions corresponding to the operation signal supplied from the input device, and selectively performs the plurality of functions according to a detection result of the detecting device,

wherein the input device includes one or more mechanical operable members;

wherein the input device is an input device for supplying the operation signal indicative of one mechanical operable member, which is actually operated, into the performing module as the operation signal;

wherein the performing module is configured to be able to perform the plurality of functions corresponding to each mechanical operable member on the input device; and

wherein, when the input device supplies the operation signal in response to an operation of the mechanical operable member, the performing module selectively performs one function according to the detection result of the detecting device, the one function being selected from the plurality of functions corresponding to the mechanical operable member actually operated.

2. The electric apparatus in claim 1,

wherein the input device detects a touching motion of the user to a touch surface, and supplies coordinates of a position, where the touching motion is detected on the touch surface, into the performing module as the operation signal;

wherein the performing module is configured to be able to perform the plurality of functions corresponding to the coordinates of the position supplied from the input device; and

wherein, when the input device supplies the coordinates of the position by detecting the touching motion, the performing module selectively performs one function according to the detection result of the detecting device, the one function being selected from the plurality of functions corresponding to the coordinates of the position.

3. The electric apparatus in claim 2,

wherein the electric conductor of the detecting device is provided as a conductive film placed on the touch surface.

4. The electric apparatus in claim 1, further comprising:

a display device,

wherein the performing module changes operation screen images displayed on the display device according to the detection result of the detecting device, and

wherein the performing module selectively performs the plurality of functions, respectively, according to the detection result of the detecting device by performing one function corresponding to user'"'"'s operation information which is indicated by the operation screen image displayed on the display device and is determined based on the operation signal supplied from the input device.

5. The electric apparatus in claim 1,

wherein the electric conductor of the detecting device is provided as a conductive film placed on a surface of the input device.

6. The electric apparatus in claim 1,

wherein the electric apparatus is operable by the user, who wears a plurality of signal transmitter modules;

wherein each signal transmitter module transmits a unique electric signal;

wherein the detecting device detects, based on the electric signal received by the electric conductor, a contact or proximity of the electric conductor with one of body parts of the user corresponding to a respective signal transmitter module; and

wherein the performing module selectively performs the plurality of functions, respectively, according to the detection result of the detecting device indicative of each one of the signal transmitter modules.

7. The electric apparatus in claim 6,

wherein the performing module selectively performs one function according to a detection order of the transmitter modules, of which the contact or the proximity is detected by the detecting device, the one function being selected from the plurality of functions corresponding to the operation signal supplied from the input device.

8. The electric apparatus in claim 6,

wherein the performing module selectively performs one function according to a combination of the transmitter modules, of which the contact or the proximity is simultaneously detected by the detecting device at a time of supply of the operation signal from the input device, the one function corresponding to the combination of the transmitter modules, and selected from the plurality of functions corresponding to the operation signal.

9. The electric apparatus in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein a relationship changing device changing a relationship between the function, which should be performed and correspond to the operation signal when the operation signal is supplied from the input device, and the detection result of the detecting device according to an instruction from the user.

10. The electric apparatus in claim 1,

wherein the performing module is configured to limit the performance of one or more of the plurality of functions when the detection result of the detecting device indicates no direct contact and no electric coupling with the user, and

wherein the performing module is configured to allow the performance of all of the plurality of functions when the detection result of the detecting device indicates direct contact or an electric coupling with the user.

11. The electric apparatus in claim 1,

wherein the detecting device is used as an authentication device, such that when the detecting device indicates direct contact or an electric coupling with the user, a subset of restricted functions are allowed to be controlled by the input device, and that when the detecting device indicates no direct contact and no electric coupling with the user, the subset of restricted functions are not allowed to be controlled by the input device.

12. The electric apparatus in claim 10,

wherein the detecting device is used as an authentication device, such that when the detecting device indicates direct contact or an electric coupling with the user, a subset of restricted functions are allowed to be controlled by the input device, and that when the detecting device indicates no direct contact and no electric coupling with the user, the subset of restricted functions are not allowed to be controlled by the input device.