KR20030051432A - Control unit with variable visual indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

Control units 13, 23, adapted to transmit control signals to the devices 11, 21, 31 according to the control data, and having data input means 14, 24, 34, 44 for inputting the control data. Control the devices, including; The apparatus comprises translation means suitable for transmitting a control signal to the operation portion; Said data input means comprising a presentation means (45) in which said data input means is variable in a system in which an image indicator for displaying an operation performed by the apparatus when the input means is operated is arranged; The control unit comprises first storage means suitable for storing appearance data 53 which can be presented by the presentation means. Preferably, the control unit comprises a plurality of separate data input means, each of which is arranged in a presentation means, each presentation means comprising separate displays configured to present an image according to the image data.

Description

CONTROL UNIT WITH VARIABLE VISUAL INDICATOR}

Many electronic devices are used every day, and these devices often require control signals. Control units that are particularly suitable for this purpose are often used. Examples of such control units are keyboards for computers, TV sets or stereo recorders or remote controls for other electronic devices, and keypads for mobile phones or calculators. Thus, a control unit is a term that includes not only an integrated device suitable for transmitting control signals but also a communication connection to another device for transmitting control signals.

More specifically, the type of control unit includes a pressure key, a rotary controller, a switch, and the like in the form of data input means. In most cases, these data input means are provided with image indicators configured to display a control signal output when the input means are operated. In general, image indicators consist of a pre-printed convex marking. In the keyboard, symbols are used which directly represent the characters to which the control signal is to be translated by an existing program in the computer suitable for keyboard control. For example, when the "A" button is activated in a text editing program, the letter a or A appears on the computer screen. In addition, certain buttons on the keyboard are configured to have indicators that indicate the function or action the control unit commands when the button is activated. This relates to the function keys but also to the return and arrow keys, for example. There are also many keys on the keyboard that, when combined together, trigger different actions or characters when pressed together. These keys include the Shift, Alt, Ctrl, and Alt Gr keys. In some cases, these other characters appear with separate markers on the keys, for example, those that work when you press the top row of numeric keys and the Alt-Gr key on a standard PC keyboard at the same time.

If two characters are displayed on one key, it may be difficult for the user to find the characters even though they are visible. If three or more letters are displayed on a key, the general appearance of the keyboard may not be obvious. Keys with multiple characters are hard, with the exception of additional characters on the keyboard. Other characters or functions that are not used much may not be displayed accordingly.

In the case of mobile phones, which are getting smaller, three to four letters are displayed on each key, which is very small, about 0.5 cm. As a result, the characters displayed on the keys become very small, and it is difficult and time consuming to write a message on the keypad of the mobile telephone. Similar problems exist for most mobile control units. One problem is that the purpose of miniaturizing and flexibly using the control unit clearly contradicts the purpose of designing the control unit to output a number of different control signals in some cases, so manufacturers often compromise these two purposes.

The solution to this problem is to adopt a menu system in the display of the device controlled by the control unit. This relates to computers and mobile phones as well as TV sets. This makes it possible to use an unlimited number of functions or characters for each key, but there is a problem that it is displayed somewhere other than the key which control signal is activated.

Another problem with data input means having an image indicator is that the indicator for each key is predetermined during the manufacturing process. For example, when using only some of the existing keys on the keyboard, the user must acknowledge that these keys are distributed throughout the keyboard. Of course, it would be desirable to arrange these keys appropriately, for example, in a grouped or position that fits a finger. When using computer programs designed to translate certain keys into special instructions, it would be desirable to be able to display them as accurately and clearly as possible. This also relates to computer games and TV games. It would also be nice to be able to rearrange these special commands into option keys. Due to the growing problem of work-related damage associated with working with the mouse pointer, it is desirable to transfer more functions and characters to the keys.

Computer software, often operating systems, have decryption systems designed to determine how the pressed buttons on the keyboard should be translated. These decryption systems are adjustable so that different keyboard configurations can be enabled. Therefore, for example, the Roman alphabet or the alphabet can be converted into Cyrillic or Japanese characters. However, even the reconfigured keyboard is difficult to master because the display of the keys has not changed.

A computer without a conventional keyboard is described in WO97 / 45794, which uses two screens instead. One screen is to enter data by writing letters directly on the screen using a suitable pen. The screen is designed to display images and functions of the keyboard that can even use other alphabets. However, one disadvantage of the proposed solution is that there is no feeling of working with a separate key and it must be very precise so that the finger does not leave the desired picture. Another disadvantage is that the input screen is a touch screen type, which is not very robust compared to conventional keys.

The present invention relates to a control unit having data input means and configured to transmit control signals in accordance with the operation of the input means, and more particularly, to a control unit designed to have variable image indicators.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of a computer having a keyboard according to the present invention;

2 is a schematic diagram of a TV set and a remote controller according to the present invention;

3 is a schematic diagram of a mobile telephone incorporating a keypad according to the present invention;

4 is a schematic illustration of several keys with variable presentation means in accordance with the present invention;

5 is a circuit diagram for a control unit according to the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a control unit with data input means which overcomes the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art.

The present invention is characterized by providing a control unit that can be simply reconfigured to suit other users or purposes.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a control unit which is configured to output a number of different control signals without limiting the connectivity to the corresponding text and function and the number of data input means is limited.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a system for controlling a device, which system comprises a control unit suitable for transmitting control signals to the device according to the control data. The control unit includes data input means for input of control data, and the apparatus includes translation means suitable for translating the control signals into operation. An image indicator is provided to the data input means for the purpose of displaying to the control unit user an action to be taken by the device when the data input means is activated. The present invention is characterized in that the data input means comprises variable presentation means, the presentation means being configured to realize the image indicator, so that the control unit is suitable for storing the appearance data presented by the presentation means. 1 storage means. The control unit has a plurality of separate data input means, each input means having a presentation means, each presentation means comprising separate displays configured to present an image according to the appearance data.

In a preferred embodiment, since the display is an LCD having a plurality of pixels, the appearance data includes pixel data. The control unit may be a wired or wireless remote controller. Examples include remote controls for TV sets, video recorders, or other electronic devices. Another example is a computer keyboard. The control unit may be integrated into the device, for example the keypad of a mobile telephone.

1-3 schematically illustrate devices utilizing the present invention. A computer 11 is schematically shown in FIG. 1, which has a presentation unit 12 in the form of a screen. The keyboard 13 is a user interface device and functions as a computer control device. Also, as known in the keyboard, a plurality of data input means are arranged in the form of keys 14. When the user uses the keys to provide control data to the keyboard, the control signals are transmitted from the keyboard on the drawing to the computer. This communication connection is available for both wired and wireless. The computer has translation means including a computer program designed to decode the control signals, thereby translating the actions or actions the user has commanded.

2 shows a TV set 21 with a presentation unit 22 in the form of a CRT, plasma screen. The control unit 23 is a remote controller, in which control data input keys 24 are arranged. Therefore, the control signals are transmitted to the TV set by remote control by IR, Bluetooth, cable or the like. The TV set is equipped with a receiver that is intended to function as a translation device for the purpose of translating the actions that the user wants to perform on the TV set.

3 schematically shows a mobile phone 31 with a display 32. The control unit of the mobile telephone is the keypad 33, which is integrated into the mobile telephone 31. The keypad has a button / key 34, which in some cases may be in the form of a rotation controller. When the control unit and the device are integrated, the control signal is transmitted by a physical connection such as a cable or a wire formed on the printed circuit board.

Common to all embodiments of the invention is that there is a presentation means 45 in the data input means of the control unit which allows for immediate reconfiguration of the data input means. In a preferred embodiment of the invention schematically shown in Fig. 4, each data input means comprises an LCD. 4 shows seven keys 44 of a computer keyboard, the arrangement in which the display 45 is provided on the keys is valid even when the control unit has more than one key 44 or is rotatable. Likewise, the number of keys in the control unit can be arbitrary. Therefore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example for convenience of description of the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment according to Fig. 4, each key comprises a 16x16 pixel LCD. Each display 45 is encapsulated so that it does not collapse when a key is pressed. Thus, the arrangement with variable presentation means 45 in the key 44 does not have a mechanical arrangement for the function of the keys, and these keys are arranged in a conventional manner with a matrix decoder or in a completely separate contactor. Can be.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5, wherein the control unit is a computer keyboard. 5 shows a preferred circuit diagram of a keyboard which is a control unit according to the invention. The control unit has a processor 51, which is arranged to operate a display of a key, which is a presentation means of a data input device. Through a programmable logic unit (PLD) 52, the processor 51 is connected to a memory 53 in the form of a flash ROM. Data showing other image indicators that will appear on the display is stored in memory 53. Thus, several different pixel data for characters are stored in the memory. A second memory 54 such as an SRAM is connected to the PLD 52 and the memory 53. In the second memory, the configuration of the characters of the different keys of the keyboard is stored. In the second memory 54, information indicating that the i and j keys show R and the i and j + 1 keys show T should be stored. There is a pointer in the second memory 54, which points to the data stored in the first memory 53 for characters of the configuration defined in the second memory 54.

The keyboard operates in two modes, download mode and operation mode. In the download mode, a processor having an internal program and its own data memory receives data from the computer. The received data includes configuration data having appearance data of one or several keys or information when mapping different characters of different keys. The appearance data describes the appearance of one or several distinct keys, and thus includes pixel data for characters or symbols. Configuration data describes the assignment of each data or symbol to a key on the keyboard. Once the download mode is started, the PLD controls the data and addresses for the memory bank. The received configuration data is stored in the memory 54 which can quickly reconstruct the characters, but the appearance data of the characters are stored in the memory 53 in preparation for non-volatile storage when the power is turned off. At the end of the download mode, the PLD exit is set to high impedance mode so that it does not disturb the bus during the operation mode.

During the operation mode, the binary counter 55 controls the address lines for the configuration memory 54 by the clock pulse generator. The output data from the configuration memory 54 which cycles through the characters for the current configuration is used to address the upper 8 bits in the character memory 53. At the same time, the counter 55 addresses the display matrix 56. For ease of understanding, only nine displays 57 are shown in matrix 56 in FIG. 5, but one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the number of displays in display matrix 56 is arbitrary. These displays 57 correspond to the display 45 of FIG. 4. Each display 57 corresponds to one key. The displays 57 of the matrix are addressed by a counter in a multiplexed manner, where the row displays and column displays are each addressed in turn through a series of decoders and buffers. Decoder 58 traverses the display row, and the row displays are addressed by three-phase buffer 59. In addition, the decoder 60 is configured to traverse the display columns, and the decoder 61 is configured to address the pixel columns of each display column.

It is desirable that the pixel columns of one display row at a time be addressed to prevent the display from flashing at low frequencies. This is a solution compared to the method used for TV interlacing, where the odd and even rows are displayed alternately. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the decoder 60 first addresses the first display column. The decoder 58 then traverses the three-phase buffers 59 from the first row to the last row of the display, where the pixel data of each pixel column is addressed by the first of the decoders 61. Decoder 60 then addresses the second display column, and the output of pixel data for each display is processed while iterating through the display rows in the same manner.

Because of the difference between the character banks in the memory 54 and the data banks for the appearance of the characters in the memory 53, the characters can be quickly rearranged to the new configuration without having to download new characters for the keyboard. Thanks to the nonvolatile nature of the flash ROM memory 53, there is no need to download a character each time before using the keyboard. If a download is required, it can be downloaded via an appropriate link 62 to the computer.

The keyboard does not need to be connected to the computer during the operation mode, allowing remote control of the device. However, the keyboard must be connected to a power source such as a battery. In a preferred embodiment, the second memory 54 has a number of predetermined configuration data, but only one configuration can be activated at a time. This allows you to quickly and easily rearrange the keyboard configuration for other purposes or users.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above, nothing related to the function of the key is mentioned. Regardless of the letter or symbol shown to appear on the key, activating the key sends the same control signal from the keyboard to the computer. If the keyboard with the matrix decoder is in a normal state, scan codes are transmitted from the keyboard to the computer when the keys are activated. In the keyboard according to the invention, control signals such as scancodes may be transmitted via a communication link 62 such as used to download data to the keyboard or via another communication link. The computer has a decoder, which is a scan code translation means in the form of a computer program, which is configured to translate an operation that a user wants to perform on the basis of a control signal. In the present invention, the code decoder is closely related to the character composition of the keyboard arranged to control the computer.

For browsing, and for the selection of configurations and specific keys, the present invention comprises a computer program, which is preferably executed on a device suitable for the control unit to control, i. According to a first aspect, the computer program for selection is configured to display and select a number of different character configurations. This is preferably done by showing the keys 14 of the keyboard 13 on the computer 11 screen 12, where each key is shown in the position and shape defined by the corresponding configuration. Computer programs can be arranged to show one character at a time, browsed, or can show several different characters at the same time. According to this first feature, the computer program may comprise means for selecting a particular character scheme and means for transferring a predetermined amount of data to the control unit showing the selected character scheme. If the selected character configuration includes only characters previously stored in the memory 53 of the keyboard, transferring the new character configuration to the keyboard causes a change in the configuration memory 54. If new characters are included, memory 53 is updated. According to a second feature, the computer program is configured to show keys on the keyboard and a series of characters for selection on the computer screen. The characters to choose are presented on the screen in matrix or table form, and can be stored in alphabetical order, numerical order, or character form. Character form means letters, numbers, arrows, etc. With the help of the mouse pointer, one can select the shape of the key by click-and-drag from the table with the keys on the visualized keyboard that the user wants to present the shape.

It is desirable to be able to select the action to be taken with each key. It is a good idea to have multiple standard keys whose actions are predefined with letters or numbers. In a preferred embodiment, the action associated with the selected character is output as the actual character when operating the selected key. However, if a function is selected from the list by a method such as using a mouse or other menus, the operation may be changed through software.

While reconstructing the character composition according to the second feature, in a very simple example, while the A and B keys can be naturally arranged in the Shift position, the control unit keyboard is influenced with respect to the character to be presented. At this time, the data is changed in the memory 54 so that the current configuration indicates the corrective character in the memory 53 in relation to the letters A and B. FIG. The change in the action selected to be taken when operating the A and B keys is registered with the computer's scancode decoder but does not affect the keyboard. In a preferred embodiment of the computer program according to the second aspect, there is an imaging means for showing the return position of the character on the computer screen, so that the character can be dragged from the key on the imaged keyboard to the mouse pointer and placed in the return position. Thus, the computer program is automatically arranged, preferably visually arranged and to return the returned character to its place in the character table.

According to a third aspect, the computer program includes means for imaging a character, and thus can edit the character. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, each character is represented by 16x16 pixels, and the pixel map is preferably visible on the computer 11 screen 11. Therefore, the desired pixel can be marked with a mouse pointer or the like using software. When you have finished editing, click the OK button presented by the computer program and the new text will appear. This character is then placed in the character table described above, where it is selected by the user or automatically selected by a computer program. In one embodiment, the appearance data is automatically downloaded to the keyboard for memory 53 storage. While constructing or editing characters, a selection operation is given as described above.

According to a fourth aspect, the computer program transmits any image data in a file format suitable for presentation on a key. Thus, the computer program is arranged to divide the given image information into 16x16 pixels and present the image transmitted for the user as an image on the computer screen. The transmitted picture can be edited according to the third feature described above.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the computer may be connected to a database via a communication network such as the Internet. The computer also has means for transmitting and receiving data to and from the database. Data includes both configuration data for the entire keyboard and separate appearance data for the keys. The apparatus further comprises means for downloading configuration data and appearance data from the database for the purpose of transmitting download data to a keyboard where data is stored in the memory 53 and 54 respectively.

According to the present invention, letters such as letters and numbers can be selected with reference to the appearance and location. This may also be valid for keys with other functions, such as Shift, Alt, and Return. It is also possible to reconfigure standard functions or actions that are accessed only by key commands combined on the keyboard on a particular key, and to activate an actual function or action just by tapping the key once. For example, you can arrange save buttons and give them the appropriate symbols.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the keys on the keyboard are arranged to browse between character configurations. Enabling this browsing key first browses the appearance changes of the image indicators, ie keys on the keyboard, between the different configurations, and then changes the decoders of the computer according to the changed appearance data, thus making the scancodes the correct operation. Is translated. Thus, the activation of this browsing key includes a communication link 62 between the keyboard and the computer. The function of the browsing keys makes it particularly easy to reconfigure the keyboard's key settings. In particular, it is advantageous if the number of keys is limited and there are fewer keys than the desired number of key functions. Thus, the browsing key can be configured for use with the Shift key or Alt-Gr key. For example, in one embodiment, numeric keys can typically be arranged on top of the keyboard, but only numbers are displayed in one mode on the display of the keys. Pressing the browse key once replaces the numbers with the alternate characters in combination with the Shift,!, ", And # character keys. By activating the browsing key, these alternate characters can then be replaced by the settings of the other keys. Is based on a combination of Alt-Gr keys and numeric keys such as @, ￡, etc. As a result, each key on the keyboard displays fewer characters, making it easier to translate, and obviously all keys on the keyboard are clearly browsed by the browsing keys. It can be arranged together with one or more other keys shown .. A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention with a browsing key can be realized in a device such as a mobile phone 31. In a typical mobile phone a key 34 can There are 15, including numeric keys (0-9), which is difficult and time-consuming because you have to press four keys for each character to enter sentences such as SMS messages. The mobile phone according to the present invention has a display on some or all of the keys or buttons, and during normal operation, when the numeric keys are frequently used, these keys only show the numbers. In one embodiment, the sentence input proceeds normally, as each key may take the appearance of several different letters. Once the browsing keys are activated, they are reconfigured to show AJ instead of the numbers 0 through 9. When the browsing keys are activated once more, these keys show KT, as described in the embodiment using a computer. By operating, the action taken by the operation of the corresponding key can be changed when its appearance changes. In, browsing keys are realized two keys arranged in the same manner as described in the general mobile telephone for browsing the menu system to browse up and down.

In another embodiment of the invention, the control unit is arranged to control several different devices. The control unit may be a portable central controller for controlling the devices of the so-called intelligent home. Thus, the control unit may be configured to communicate with a TV, video recorder, refrigerator, answering machine, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the reconfiguration of the control unit to a key set suitable for the device the user wants to control is made quickly and easily using the browsing key. The control unit of this embodiment is preferably equipped with the apparatus as described above in the embodiments related to the computer and the keyboard, that is, the parts included in the computer itself. Accordingly, embodiments having a control unit configured to control several different devices include a decoder and a translator, such as a scancode that occurs when a key is knocked. The control unit is designed to output a control signal according to the character configuration, and can be communicated with other devices by browsing between different character configurations with the browsing button. In this configuration, once the browsing button is pressed, the control unit can show the keys suitable for communication with the TV set. Browsing once more with the browse button can take the form of, for example, a cart or other basic consumer goods, the symbol of which is suitable for communication with the refrigerator of the intelligent home.

Another advantage of the browsing feature is that when using a computer, you can browse between mathematical symbols, physical symbols, special writing or drawing characters, or present a character scheme in which different keys can clearly image a symbol for a computer program. And that this computer program can be operated by each key. Thus, without this function, it is very simple to perform functions that require combining multiple keys or using a mouse before tapping as many times as necessary. The present invention can also be applied to a control unit in a game field such as a computer game or a TV game. In this case, each of the keys may have a different appearance reflecting different events, accessories, and the like. Using the present invention, it is also easy to reconstruct other games or player game machines.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims.

Claims (28)

Control units 13, 23, adapted to transmit control signals to the devices 11, 21, 31 according to the control data, and having data input means 14, 24, 34, 44 for inputting the control data. Control the devices, including; The apparatus comprises translation means suitable for transmitting a control signal to the operation portion; In a system in which the data input means is arranged with an image indicator for displaying the operation performed by the device when the input means is operated: The data input means comprises variable presentation means (45); The control unit is characterized in that it comprises first storage means suitable for storing appearance data (53) which can be presented by the presentation means. 2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit comprises a processor (51) suitable for transmitting appearance data to the presentation means for tracking and displaying the appearance data as an image indicator. 3. The control unit according to claim 2, wherein said control unit comprises a plurality of data input means configured to have a presentation means, said first storage means being configured to store data objects relating to a preliminary configuration of appearance data for different presentation means, respectively. System. 4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit comprises second storage means (54) configured to store a plurality of optional data objects, each data object having a plurality of appearance data for presentation means. 5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that each presentation means has displays (45,57) configured to present an image according to the appearance data. 6. The system of claim 5 wherein each data input means comprises contact means configured to detect the operation of the corresponding data input means. 7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said contact means of each data input means operates independently of the presentation means. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the display is an LCD having a plurality of pixels, and the appearance data includes pixel data. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus comprises a presentation unit (12, 22, 32) and first means configured to present the first selection data for the control unit to the presentation unit as an image; And complete selection of characters corresponding to the data object for presentation means of the data input means. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first means is configured to transmit information regarding the selected text composition to the control unit. 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises second means configured to present the second selection data for the control unit to the presentation unit as an image, wherein the second selection data is for presentation means of the data input means and data input. And an optional character set for imaging of the means. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises a pointer means, and the image appearance of the data input means is variable by transferring option characters from the set to the optional image data input means to the pointer means, thereby making it desired for the desired data input means. A system characterized by being capable of assigning an image appearance. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second selection data includes a predetermined amount of operations that can be selected to be assigned to option data input means, and the apparatus executes a given operation when the data input means to which the operation is assigned is operated. And the system is configured to. 14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the second means is configured to present a return position capable of moving a character by the pointer means, as well as to return the characters from this return position to a predetermined position in the set. system. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein said second means is configured to transmit selected text information of data input means to said control unit. 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to present the third selection data for the control unit to the presentation means as an image, wherein the third selection data includes means for imaging the character and means for editing the appearance of the character. System characterized. 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the apparatus comprises means for transmitting image data of any image in a file format suitable for providing an image to the presentation means. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is communicatively coupled to a database and includes means for tracking data from and sending data to the database. 19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus comprises means for downloading appearance data of data input means and means for transmitting the image data to a control unit for storage in the first storage means. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus comprises means for downloading configuration data re-presenting the complete character composition for data input means and means for transmitting the configuration data to the control unit for storage of the second storage means. System characterized in that. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the control unit comprises browsing data input means configured to cause a change from the first character configuration to the second character configuration when operated for the data input means of the control unit. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the browsing data input means is adapted to change the translation unit of the device to translate control signals into operation when actuated, and to change the visual appearance of the presentation means of the data input means according to the change of the translation unit. The system, characterized in that configured to. 23. The system according to claim 22, wherein said browsing data input means is configured to browse between components of a character stored in said second storage means when activated. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (13,23) is a remote control means of the device (11,21). 25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said apparatus (11,21) and control unit (13,23) comprise wireless communication means. 24. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (33) is integrated into the device (31). 27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the device is a mobile telephone (31) and the control unit comprises a series of keys (33) integrated in the device. 27. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the device is a computer (11) and the control unit comprises a keyboard (13).