Input method and input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349987-A1
Application number	US-201615233403-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2016
Priority date	Feb 14, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An input method of performing an input manipulation according to information concerning manipulation bodies in contact with or close to a manipulation surface has a step to select a coordinate input mode or function input mode according to the number of manipulation bodies, a step to select a desired function according to a first manipulation associated with the number of manipulation bodies, a step to select a desired item according to a second manipulation associated with an operation of manipulation bodies, a step to establish selection according to a third manipulation associated with an operation of manipulation bodies, and a step to execute an input according to a fourth manipulation associated with an operation of manipulation bodies. In the function input mode, the first, second, third, and fourth manipulations are performed in succession while a plurality of manipulation bodies are kept in contact with or close to the manipulation surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An input method by which information about a manipulation body that has been brought into contact with or close to a manipulation surface is detected and an input manipulation intended for a target unit to which to supply an input is performed according to the detected information, the method comprising: selecting a mode selection from one of a coordinate input mode in which a coordinate corresponding to a position of the manipulation body is input and a function input mode in which an operation of the manipulation body is used to perform an input manipulation related to a predetermined function according to the number of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface; selecting a desired function from a plurality of functions according to a first manipulation associated with the number of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface; selecting a desired item is selected from a plurality of items related to the selected function according to a second manipulation associated with an operation of the manipulation body; establishing a selection of a function and an item to be manipulated according to a third manipulation associated with an operation of the manipulation body; and executing an input for the selected item according to a fourth manipulation associated with an operation of the manipulation body; wherein in the function input mode, the first manipulation, the second manipulation, the third manipulation, and the fourth manipulation are performed in succession in a state in which a plurality of manipulation bodies are kept in contact with or close to the manipulation surface.

2 . The input method according to claim 1 , wherein, in selecting a mode: if only one manipulation body has been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface, the coordinate input mode is selected, and if a plurality of manipulation bodies have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface, the function input mode is selected.

3 . The input method according to claim 2 , wherein: the second manipulation is associated with a slide operation to move a plurality of manipulation bodies together that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface in a predetermined direction or with a rotational operation to move the plurality of manipulation bodies together along a circumference, the third manipulation is associated with a contraction operation to move a plurality of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface toward a center of the plurality of manipulation bodies; and the fourth manipulation is associated with a slide operation to move a plurality of manipulation bodies together that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface in a predetermined direction or with a rotational operation to move the plurality of manipulation bodies together along a circumference.

4 . The input method according to claim 2 , wherein:
the second manipulation is associated with a slide operation to move any one of a plurality of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface in a predetermined direction or with a rotational operation to move the one of the plurality of manipulation bodies along a circumference; the third manipulation is associated with a contraction operation to move all of a plurality of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface toward a center of the plurality of manipulation bodies; and the fourth manipulation is associated with a slide operation to move any one of a plurality of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface in a predetermined direction or with a rotational operation to move the one of the plurality of manipulation bodies along a circumference.

5 . The input method according to claim 3 , further comprising deselecting a selection of a function and an item to be manipulated according to a fifth manipulation associated with an operation of the manipulation body, wherein:
the fifth manipulation is associated with an enlargement operation to move a plurality of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface in a direction away from a center of the plurality of manipulation bodies, and if the fifth manipulation is performed after the third manipulation or the fourth manipulation has been performed, a shift to deselecting.

6 . An input device comprising:
a manipulation surface that a manipulation body is brought into contact with or close to; a detector that detects the number of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface, a position of a manipulation body, and an movement of the manipulation body; and a controller that transmits input information to a target unit to which to supply an input, according to information detected by the detecting unit; wherein the controller transmits the input information is input by: selecting a mode selection from one of a coordinate input mode in which a coordinate corresponding to a position of the manipulation body is input and a function input mode in which an operation of the manipulation body is used to perform an input manipulation related to a predetermined function according to the number of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface; selecting a desired function from a plurality of functions according to a first manipulation associated with the number of manipulation bodies that have been brought into contact with or close to the manipulation surface; selecting a desired item is selected from a plurality of items related to the selected function according to a second manipulation associated with an operation of the manipulation body; establishing a selection of a function and an item to be manipulated according to a third manipulation associated with an operation of the manipulation body; and executing an input for the selected item according to a fourth manipulation associated with an operation of the manipulation body; wherein in the function input mode, the first manipulation, the second manipulation, the third manipulation, and the fourth manipulation are performed in succession in a state in which a plurality of manipulation bodies are kept in contact with or close to the manipulation surface.

7 . The input device according to claim 6 , wherein the input device is connected to a display on which contents of an input manipulation in the function input mode are displayed.

Assignees

• Alps Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Abe Shinya
• Watanabe Yu

Classifications

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F2203/04808

  Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title