User input method for use in portable device using virtual input area

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9727131-B2
Application number	US-201514692887-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 23, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A portable device and user input method of the portable device using a virtual input area is provided. The portable device may include a sensor configured to sense a user input to an input area, the input area being at least a portion of an area adjacent to the portable device, a determiner configured to determine a target object corresponding to the user input among at least one input object displayed on the portable device, based on an arrangement of the at least one input object, and a controller configured to generate a control command to control the target object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable device, comprising:
a sensor configured to sense a user input to an input area, the input area being at least a portion of an area adjacent to the portable device;
a determiner configured to determine a target object corresponding to the user input among at least one input object displayed on the portable device, based on an arrangement of the at least one input object; and
a controller configured to generate a control command to control the target object,
wherein the determiner is further configured to divide the input area into a plurality of cells, based on a number of the at least one input object, and to determine the target object, based on a cell in which the user input is sensed among the plurality of cells.

2. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the determiner is further configured to map a position of the user input to the input area and a position of the target object in the arrangement of the at least one input object, and to determine the target object.

3. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the determiner is further configured to divide the input area into cells with A rows and B columns, in response to the at least one input object being arranged in the A rows and the B columns, and to determine the target object, based on a cell in which the user input is sensed among the cells, A and B being natural numbers.

4. The portable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display configured to display the at least one input object,
wherein the controller is further configured to display a cursor corresponding to a position of an input tool for the user input on the display.

5. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to change the arrangement of the at least one input object, based on a width of an input tool for the user input.

6. The portable device of claim 5 , wherein the determiner is further configured to divide the input area into a plurality of cells, based on the changed arrangement, and to determine the target object, based on a cell in which the user input is sensed among the plurality of cells.

7. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a drag command to drag the target object, in response to the user input being a drag input for dragging the input area from one point to another point.

8. The portable device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control command to control an operation mapped in advance to the target object, in response to the drag input.

9. A portable device, comprising:
an output unit configured to output at least one input object to an input area, the input area being at least a portion of an area adjacent to the portable device;
a sensor configured to sense a user input to the input area;
a determiner configured to determine a target object corresponding to the user input among the at least one input object; and
a controller configured to generate a control command to control the target object,
wherein the determiner is further configured to divide the input area into a plurality of cells, based on a number of the at least one input object, and to determine the target object, based on a cell in which the user input is sensed among the plurality of cells.

10. The portable device of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to change an arrangement of the at least one input object, based on an angular factor representing an angle of a user's wrist.

11. The portable device of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to change a number of the at least one input object, based on the angular factor.

12. The portable device of claim 10 , wherein the angular factor is determined based on a degree of proximity of a back of a user's hand to the sensor.

13. The portable device of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a drag command to drag the target object, in response to the user input being a drag input for dragging the input area from one point to another point.

14. The portable device of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control command to control an operation mapped in advance to the target object, in response to the drag input.

15. A portable device, comprising:
a sensor configured to sense a user input to an input area, the input area being at least a portion of an area adjacent to the portable device;
a determiner configured to determine a target object corresponding to the user input among at least one input object displayed on an external device, based on an arrangement of the at least one input object, the external device being distinguished from the portable device;
a controller configured to generate a control command to control the target object; and
a communicator configured to transmit the control command to the external device,
wherein the determiner is further configured to divide the input area into a plurality of cells, based on a number of the at least one input object, and to determine the target object, based on a cell in which the user input is sensed among the plurality of cells.

16. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the determiner is further configured to map a position of the user input to the input area and a position of the target object in the arrangement of the at least one input object, and to determine the target object.

17. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the determiner is further configured to divide the input area into cells with A rows and B columns, in response to the at least one input object being arranged in the A rows and the B columns, and to determine the target object, based on the cells, A and B being natural numbers.

18. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the external device comprises a display configured to display the at least one input object, and
wherein the controller is further configured to display a cursor corresponding to a position of an input tool for the user input on the display.

19. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a drag command to drag the target object, in response to the user input being a drag input for dragging the input area from one point to another point.

20. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of distance and proximity sensors configured to determine a position of the user input on the input area.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Soochul
• Park Joonah
• Kim Namjoon
• Park Du-Sik
• Shin Jungsoon

Classifications

• G06F1/1639

  the display being based on projection · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F1/1647

  including at least an additional display (G06F1/1692 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/014 Primary

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title