WO2006080601A1

WO2006080601A1 - Tactile input system and device for very small information device

Info

Publication number: WO2006080601A1
Application number: PCT/KR2005/000435
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gee Hyuk Lee; Sun Yu Hwang; Jae Won Shim
Original assignee: Information And Communication University Research And Industrial Cooperation Group
Priority date: 2005-01-25
Filing date: 2005-02-16
Publication date: 2006-08-03
Also published as: KR20050018882A; KR100615554B1

Abstract

Disclosed is a tactile input system and device for very small information devices for controlling a user's finger to function as a touch pad and controlling a tactile input device to function as a pen for inputting information. The tactile input device includes: a small protrusion for easy access to a fingertip of the user finger; a plate for recognizing the user's information input feedback through the finger's touch; a lens for focusing an image recognized by the plate, the lens being formed below the plate; an image detection device for generating a current image of the finger through the lens and motion vector information, the image detection device being formed below the lens; and a switch button for transmitting information by pressing the switch button to process information. Information is input by the operation of pressing a protrusion formed on the plate by the user finger or removing the finger therefrom.

Description

[DESCRIPTION]

[Invention Title]

TACTILE INPUT SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR VERY SMALL INFORMATION DEVICE

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a tactile input system and device for very small information devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tactile input system and device for very small information devices for controlling the user's finger to function as a touch pad and controlling a

tactile input device to function as a pen for inputting information.

[Background Art]

In general, an input device is a device for inputting information including text, sound, pictures, and images to a computer. In particular, a computer input device uses digital signals or converts analog signals into digital signals.

Computer input devices include 1 ) a keyboard which is a general input device, 2) a mouse for selecting or instructing, 3) a scanner for inputting information in an image format, 4) an optical mark reader for optically reading marks by using a special pencil and then inputting the read information, 5) a barcode reader for reading barcodes and inputting them to a computer, 6) a joystick for inputting information by manipulating a stick vertically or horizontally, 7) a digitizer for inputting information, the digitizer being provided on a substrate, and 8) a touch screen for inputting information by pressing a touch screen with a user's finger.

As to conventional input devices, an optical mouse and a touch screen will be described. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a conventional optical mouse device.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the conventional optical mouse device includes a

2-dimension optical sensor array 11 having a CMOS image sensor, and an optical device 12 such as a lens added to the 2-dimension optical sensor array 11 so that the optical mouse device may acquire images of a bottom surface 18 through the movement of the optical mouse device with respect to the bottom surface 18. That is, the acquired image is not changed when the user does not move the optical mouse device, and it is changed when the device is moved.

The optical mouse device uses variation of the acquired image to calculate motion of the optical mouse device through a position calculation means 15. In this instance, a motion estimator 14 is used to detect the degree of motion provided from the image. The optical mouse device emits light to the bottom surface 18 on which the optical mouse device is provided through a hole 17 formed on the bottom of a case 16 for covering the device. In this instance, a light emitting diode 13 is generally used as a light source for light emission. The optical mouse device uses a structure for minimizing errors caused by the light reflected on the mirror from the bottom surface 18.

As to prior art, Korean Application No. 2003-22936, filed on April 11 , 2003, discloses "Small pointing device using finger skin" for realizing a

pointing device in a narrow space by minimizing the size of an image side for acquiring the image, compared to the prior art which requires a large plane for moving the mouse device. The configuration of Korean Application No. 2003-22936 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram for describing a conventional pointing device.

Referring to FIG. 2, the conventional pointing device acquires an image generated by light emitted from a light emission means 22 to a contact object 21 for controlling a pointer to be moved, analyzes the image, and thus calculates the distance and the direction to be moved, which generates results that are similar to the case in which the optical mouse moves on a fixed desk surface or a plane surface. In this instance, the pointer represents an indicator that is moved by a pointing device such as a mouse on the screen of a display device.

The structure shown in FIG. 2 is given to be fixed in a portable terminal, and it acquires various images for example. In detail, the structure allows the user to control the pointer by using a finger for ease of use when moving the pointer displayed on the screen of a portable terminal device. The motion of the finger generates changes of images on the surface for acquiring the images. Therefore, the direction and the distance in which the pointer will move can be found by analyzing the movement of the image generated by the motion of the finger. Referring to FIG. 2, the conventional pointing device includes the light emitting means 22, a light condensing means 23, a light receiving means 24, a motion detecting means 25, and a position calculating means 26, and reference numeral 27 indicates a case of the pointing device or a case of a portable terminal in which the pointing device is installed and reference numeral 28 indicates a hole formed in the case. The light emitted by the light emitting means 22 through the hole is reflected by the skin of the finger.

FIG. 3 shows a portable terminal with the conventional pointing device shown in FIG. 2 installed therein. In the portable terminal 31 with the conventional pointing device, a pointing device 32 is not exposed, but a cross indicator 33 which is printed on the surface of the portable terminal 31 can be displayed so that the position of the pointing device 32 or another position on which a user puts his finger to display the position for controlling the pointer may be displayed. Also, it is desirable for the portable terminal 31 to further include at least one selection button 34 combined with the pointing device 32. The selection button 34 is used to select an object or input execution instructions by using the pointer moved by the pointing device. As shown by reference numeral A in FIG. 2 and reference numeral B in FIG. 3, it is assumed in Korean Application No. 2003-22936 that the device touched by the finger has a flat surface and uses a touch sensor for sensing removal of the finger. The touch screen is a screen installed with a special input device for receiving a corresponding position when the user touches the screen, and detecting the position and controlling a stored software program to execute a predetermined task when the user's finger or a material touches the

characters or specific positions displayed on the screen without the user using a keyboard, thereby directly receiving input data on the screen.

The touch screen performs its function by attaching a touch panel to the screen of a general monitor. The touch screen is configured to apply invisible infrared in the top, bottom, right, and left directions and generate a large number of lattices on the screen so that the position may be detected when the user touches the lattices with his finger or a material. Therefore, when the user touches character or picture information displayed in advance on the screen with a touch panel, the touch screen detects what item the user has selected depending on the position of the screen touched by the finger of the user, and controls the computer to process the corresponding command so that the user may very easily acquire desired information.

However, as the sizes of recent information terminals such as a portable information terminal have been reduced, input devices for supporting the size reduction have been required but no such device has been developed.

Further, manipulating devices including small keyboards, keypads, or a mouse developed according to the personal computer have been widely applied, but they have many problems when general users accept them. For example, the conventional touch pad requires a large area since it is used on the plane in the case of using it as an input device.

In addition, Korean Application No. 2003-22936 assumes that the device contacted by the finger has a plane shape and it requires a touch sensor for sensing the removal of the finger.

[Disclosure]

[Technical Problem]

It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a tactile input system and method for very small information devices for more precisely manipulating information input by using the user's finger tip as a pad and feeding information back to the user through the finger touch.

It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a tactile input system and method for very small information devices for sensing the finger's normal motion without viewing the operation through the eyes or the

screen by accurately sensing the finger's motion through the touch by the user while moving the finger.

It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a tactile input system and method for very small information devices that can be installed on a curve or corner rather than a plane by using a small protrusion as an input device.

[Technical Solution] In one aspect of the present invention, a tactile input device includes: a small protrusion for easy access to a fingertip of the user finger; a plate for recognizing the user's information input feedback through the finger's touch; a lens for focusing an image recognized by the plate, the lens being formed below the plate; an image detection device for generating a current image of the finger through the lens and motion vector information, the image detection device being formed below the lens; and a switch button for transmitting information by pressing the switch button to process information. Information is input by the operation of pressing a protrusion formed on the plate by the user finger or removing the finger therefrom.

The plate is made of a transparent material so that the image detection device may receive the finger's image.

The size of the protrusion formed on the plate is variable.

The operation of pressing and removing the finger by the user is detected by sensing formation of the focus of the user finger on the lens by the image detection device.

The image detection device comprises a CMOS image sensor for receiving motion displacement information caused by the motion of the user finger. The motion vector information represents motion information for recognizing a relative position of the finger motion.

A cursor on a predetermined screen can be moved and indicated according to the finger's current image and motion vector information. Characters can be input according to the finger's current image and

motion vector information.

The image detection device includes a fingerprint recognition heat sensor for identifying the user according to the fingerprint of the user finger and receiving the motion displacement information caused by the finger motion.

The fingerprint recognition heat sensor includes: a fingerprint scanner for scanning the fingerprint of the user finger and extracting characteristics of the user fingerprint so that a computer may process information; a grayscale image converter for converting the fingerprint of the scanned finger into a grayscale image; a binary image converter for converting the grayscale image into a binary image; a biometric template for previously storing registered fingerprint information of the user finger; a comparator for comparing the binary image with the registered fingerprint information; and a determiner for determining identification of the user according to the compared images.

The fingerprint recognition heat sensor further comprises an audit trail unit for tracking whether a security violation item has been generated legally and without permission according to the determination of identification by the determiner.

In another aspect of the present invention, in an input system for an information device, a tactile input system includes: a tactile input device for recognizing a user's information input caused by the user's finger touch through a transparent plate including a small protrusion, using an image detection device to acquire the user finger's current image and motion vector information, and inputting corresponding information; and a controller for processing a predetermined instruction corresponding to the information transmitted from the tactile input device, wherein the user finger functions as a pad and the tactile input device functions as a pen for inputting information.

The tactile input device is spatially installed on a curve or a corner.

The tactile input device includes: a transparent plate for recognizing the user's information input feedback through the finger's touch; a lens for

focusing an image recognized by the transparent plate, the lens being formed below the transparent plate; an image detection device for generating a current image of the finger through the lens and motion vector information and transmitting them to the controller, the image detection device being formed below the lens; and a switch button for transmitting information by pressing of the switch button by the user so as to process information.

The image detection device includes a CMOS image sensor for receiving motion displacement information caused by the user finger's

motion. The image detection device includes a fingerprint recognition heat sensor for determining identification of the user according to the user finger's fingerprint and receiving motion displacement information caused by the finger motion.

[Advantageous Effects] According to the present invention, more precise information inputting is allowed since the fingertip functions as a pad to accurately feed information back to the user through the finger's sense of touch so the user

can sense the finger's motion without viewing the motion directly or on the

screen, and in addition, space utility is increased since the small protrusion functions as an input device and it can be installed at a curve or corner rather than on a plane.

[Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a conventional optical mouse device.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram for describing a conventional pointing device.

FIG. 3 shows a portable terminal with a conventional pointing device shown in FIG. 2 installed therein. FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram for a tactile input system for very small information devices according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an inner configuration diagram for a tactile input system for very small information devices using a CMOS image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an application case of the tactile input system for very small information devices using a CMOS image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 respectively show a CMOS image sensor and a corresponding internal circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 respectively show a fingerprint recognition method and a detailed configuration of a fingerprint recognition heat sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows an internal configuration for a tactile input device for very small information devices using a fingerprint recognition heat sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 shows a case of applying a tactile input device for very small information devices using a fingerprint recognition heat sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[BEST MODE]

In the following detailed description, only the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by the inventor(s) of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive. To clarify the present invention, parts that are not described in the specification are omitted, and parts for which similar descriptions are provided have the same reference numerals. With reference to drawings, a configuration and an operation of a tactile input system and device for very small information devices according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a tactile input system and device for very small information devices for satisfying the size reduction of small information terminals, using a minimum amount of space, inputting text, and receiving input information including a curser location is disclosed.

Touch pads were mainly used as input devices, but they occupy a large space. However, the tactile input system and device for very small information devices according to the embodiment of the present invention changes the concept of the relation between the touch pad and a pen to minimize the space by controlling the finger to function as a pad and a small input device to function as a pen.

That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, information on the displacement is fed back through the touch of the user's finger. When the relation given between the pen and the pad is changed as described above, only a very small protrusion is required for the small information terminal part. Also, since the embodiment allows the size to be substantially reduced, the embodiment is applicable to an end part of a ball point pen or a curve rather than a plane.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram for a tactile input system for very small information devices according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the tactile input system 110 for very small information devices according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a CMOS image sensor 111a or a fingerprint recognition heat sensor

111 b, a switch button 112, and a controller 113. The CMOS image sensor 111a or the fingerprint recognition heat sensor 111 b recognizes information inputs caused by a touch of the user finger, and the switch button 112 processes user instructions. Also, the controller 113 processes the input information and transmits processed information to a PC 130, or turns on an

LED illuminator 120. In this instance, it is desirable to apply a tactile switch used as a push button for the switch button 112.

For example, when the controller 113 receives an image of a user finger from the CMOS image sensor 111a or the fingerprint recognition heat sensor 111 b used by the portable terminal, or receives an image from the switch button 112 when the user presses the switch button 112, the controller turns on the LED illuminator 120 and transmits the information to the computer 130.

In detail, in the tactile input device for very small information devices, a very small tip part such as a ball point pen is an external recognition device for performing recognition through a person's finger. Also, internally, a finger image and information on a motion vector are acquired by using the CMOS image sensor 111a or the fingerprint recognition heat sensor 111 b, and is used as an input device through relative positions during the motion.

The tactile input device for very small information devices according to the embodiment of the present invention can perform a function of inputting characters and a function for moving a curser.

For example, in the case of inputting characters, when a button character input map such as a cell phone button pad representation is presented, it is possible to input the characters when the user clicks a corresponding area portion of the finger according to the user finger's

relative position motion.

In addition, since the CMOS image sensor 111a generates vector information on the image and the motion, it can be used as a pointer through the finger's relative motion.

Further, since the switch button 112 is installed in the tactile input device 110, it can perform a click function or a drag function in a like manner of a mouse, and it also allows a scroll function.

The tactile input device for very small information devices according to the embodiment of the present invention allows very detailed manipulation since it receives information via a small protrusion through the touch of the finger.

FIG. 5 shows an inner configuration diagram of a tactile input device

210 for very small information devices using a CMOS image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a transparent plate 211 having a small protrusion, a lens 213, a CMOS image sensor 214, and a switch button 215.

Referring to FIG. 5, the tactile input device 210 for very small information devices using a CMOS image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention has the transparent plate 211 for controlling the touch of a finger to be sensed as a person's input feedback.

The transparent plate 211 includes a small protrusion that is well-sensed by the fingertip. The transparent plate 211 is transparent in order for the CMOS image sensor 214 to receive the image of the finger.

The lens 213 is formed below the transparent plate 211 , and it focuses the image sensed by the transparent plate 211. The CMOS image sensor 214 can accurately sense the image since the lens 213 focuses the image received through the transparent plate 211.

The CMOS image sensor 214 is formed below the lens 213, and it generates and transmits the current image of the finger received through the lens 213 and motion vector information, and receives and transmits the information to the computer. The switch button 215 for receiving clicks is formed on the bottom thereof. The user presses the switch button 215 with his finger to transmit information in order to process instructions.

FIG. 6 shows an application case of the tactile input system for very small information devices using a CMOS image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the tactile input device for very small information devices according to an embodiment of the present invention will be referred to as a "FeelTip." Since the transparent plate 211 of the FeelTip of the tactile input device has a very small protrusion 212 at an exposed part thereof, the user can sense the protrusion 212 of the FeelTip 210 with his finger and can receive corresponding information as he moves the finger 300. In detail, since a contact part of the FeelTip device is not a flat surface but rather is a small protrusion, it can provide feedback on the position of the finger. For example, a selective input is performed by an operation of pressing the FeelTip and an operation for removing the finger from the FeelTip, and in this instance, the FeelTip can sense the operation of removing the finger by sensing the sensor being out of focus.

Therefore, as described above, it is possible to move the cursor on the screen in a like manner of the scroll function or the mouse, and issue instructions or input characters by using the fed-back information. Also, the size of the FeelTip is variable, and its usage is also variable by modifying the size thereof.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 respectively show a CMOS image sensor and a corresponding internal circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In detail, referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, a pixel structure and an operational principle of the CMOS image sensor will now be described.

Referring to FIG. 7, the CMOS image sensor includes chips having pixels, each of which has an amplifier, an analog/digital (A/D) converter, an internal voltage generator, a timing generator, and a digital logic circuit, and each of which advantageously saves space, power, and cost.

In general, charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are expensive since they are manufactured through specialized processes, but the CMOS image sensor is mass-produced through a wafer process that is cheaper than that of the CCD, and it brings about economies of scale.

Therefore, the CMOS image sensor is widely applied to digital cameras, smart phones, PDAs, notebook computers, surveillance cameras, barcode readers, HDTV-resolution cameras, and toys.

Advantages of the CMOS image sensor are 1 ) low power functions, independent voltage and current, and low power consumption; 2) compatibility with the unified CMOS circuit; 3) random access of image data; and 4) cost reduction by use of standardized CMOS technology.

In detail, the CMOS image sensor is manufactured by wafer processing companies or semiconductor companies by printing circuits and devices on a silicon chip, and many semiconductor companies use methods of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) differing from the charge coupled device (CCD) in order to manufacture millions of computer processors and memory chips.

For example, referring to FIG. 8, in the case of a 1 -transistor type of CMOS image sensor, one pixel includes a MOSFET and a photodiode.

As to the operation of the 1 -transistor type of CMOS image sensor, when the light is applied to the light receiver an electron-hole pair (EHP) is generated, and the generated signal charges are transmitted to the output terminal according to the transistor's gate bias.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 respectively show a fingerprint recognition method and a detailed configuration of a fingerprint recognition heat sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sensor used in the fingerprint recognition unit is applicable to the above-described FeelTip.

In detail, referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, an operational principle of the fingerprint recognition method and a configuration of the fingerprint recognition heat sensor will now be described.

In general, biometrics is a field in which unique personal characteristics of bodies are used as factors for identification, and the human biometric characteristics can be identified by using an automated device.

The parts of the body that can be applied to biometrics include fingerprints, retinas, irises, faces, hands, veins, voice, handwriting, body scent, and DNA, and the most accurate and easiest to use on the basis of the current technology development level is fingerprint-based biometrics. In this instance, fingerprints can be recognized because sweat glands rise to form predetermined ridges which have their own characteristics that never change throughout the life of the individual, and hence fingerprints are used as an efficient identification means with higher stability than that of the means for recognizing retinas, irises, veins, and face shapes.

In detail, the fingerprint recognition method captures fingerprints in many ways. Existing fingerprint recognition methods include the optical method (frustrated total internal reflection method) and the silicon chip sensing or semiconductor method. Recent technological trends include the optical method and the ultrasonic wave or semiconductor chip based method, and the optical method includes CCD and CMOS based methods which are more basic and are generally used. First, the most generally and widely used method of using an optical device applies a strong light to the platen to control the fingerprints of the fingertip provided on the platen to be reflected, and controls the reflected fingerprint image to be input to a CCD through a high-refraction lens. Another method controls the image reflected on the fingerprints of the fingertip provided on the platen to be reflected through a hologram film to thus acquire an image. The fingerprint image that is input as described above is converted into digital signals by a predetermined algorithm. Further, in the case of modifying the fingerprint forms more precisely, no special method is used, but the moisture or oil components of the fingerprints are controlled to change the refractive index and thus form a precise fingerprint image on the CCD.

Also, referring to FIG. 9, the silicon chip (semiconductor) method uses electrical conductivity characteristics of the skin and reads patterns of the fingerprint that is in contact with the chip surface as electrical signals when the user directly touches the silicon chip surface with his finger. The method acquires fingerprint information by reading variations of the charges of a sensor array according to the pressure and temperature of the finger provided on the chip surface, and acquires the fingerprints by using electric fields or ultrasonic waves to convert the fingerprint image into electrical signals.

In other words, the method uses biometrics. The semiconductor chip method is the most stable method since its basic structure is simple even though its algorithm may be varied according to manufacturers.

Referring to FIG. 10, the fingerprint recognition heat sensor includes a fingerprint scanner 510, a grayscale image converter 520, a binary image converter 530, a biometric template 540, a comparator 550, a determiner 560, and an audit trail unit 570. The fingerprint scanner 510 scans the fingerprint of the user's finger and extracts features of the fingerprint so that the computer may process corresponding information.

The grayscale image converter 520 converts the scanned fingerprint of the finger into a grayscale image, and the binary image converter 530 converts the grayscale image into a binary image.

The biometric template 540 stores information on previously registered user's fingerprints.

The comparator 550 compares the binary image with the previously registered fingerprint information, and the determiner 560 determines the user's identity by using the compared images.

The audit trail unit 570 tracks whether a security violation item has been generated legally and without permission according to the determination of identification by the determiner 560. In this instance, the audit trail represents a recorded usage history of system resources in a computer security system according to temporal order. The record includes user log-in, file access, history of various other activities, and states about whether a substantial or attempted security violation item has been generated legally and without permission. Therefore, since the audit trail is data for determining whether security cases relate to a specific person's

activity by tracking the user's activity, it is a basic requirement of a responsibility track needed for a safe system.

Therefore, the fingerprint recognition method according to the embodiment of the present invention extracts characteristics of the fingerprint, compares them with registered fingerprint information, and thus identifies the user so as to acquire fingerprint information from the fingerprint input unit of the above-described FeelTip and control the computer to process information. FIG. 11 shows an internal configuration of a tactile input device for very small information devices using a fingerprint recognition heat sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 shows a case of applying a tactile input device for very small information devices using a fingerprint recognition heat sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, in the tactile input device 600 for very small information devices using a fingerprint recognition heat sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor used for fingerprint recognition requires no lens or diode, while the CMOS image sensor shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 needs an internal lens part. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11 , a push button switch 610 and a fingerprint recognition heat sensor 620 are needed. Also, the CMOS image sensor shown in FIG. 5 needs an LED illuminator, but no LED illuminator is required when the semiconductor is used for fingerprint recognition. Further, the fingerprint recognition heat sensor 620 of the FeelTip tactile input device functions as a small protrusion, so the user can sense the protrusion of the FeelTip 600 with his finger 300 and receive feedback information that is generated when he moves his finger 300.

Therefore, the concept of the FeelTip according to the embodiment of the present invention exchanges the functions of the touch pad and the hand so that the finger functions as a pad and a small device functions as a pen. In order to realize this concept, the motion of the finger side contacting the device is sensed by using a small CCD image sensor, and the FeelTip has a small protrusion form so that the displacement information generated by the motion of the finger is fed back through the user's finger touch and he

can more accurately sense the motion and position while moving the finger. In addition, the tactile input device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be realized as a very small input device (3mm x 3mm) and the functions of the pen and pad of the conventional touch pad are exchanged, and hence a very small input device can be manufactured when a part for functioning as a pen is installed in the tactile input device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY]

According to the present invention, the fingertip is controlled to function as a pad and information is fed back to the user through the finger's touch so that more precise information input is allowed.

Also, according to the present invention, the user can recognize his finger's normal motion without seeing the motion directly or through a screen since the user can accurately recognize his finger's motion through the sense of touch while moving the finger.

Further, according to the present invention, the small protrusion is controlled to function as an input device, and accordingly space utility is increased by installing it at a curve or a corner rather than at a plane.

Claims

[CLAIMS]

1. In an input device for an information device, a tactile input device comprising: a small protrusion for easy access to a fingertip of a user finger; a plate for recognizing the user's information input feedback through

the finger's touch;

a lens for focusing an image recognized by the plate, the lens being formed below the plate; an image detection device for generating a current image of the finger through the lens and motion vector information, the image detection device being formed below the lens; and a switch button for transmitting information by pressing the switch button by the user so as to process information, wherein information is input by the operation of pressing a protrusion formed on the plate by the user finger or by removing the finger therefrom.

2. The tactile input device of claim 1 , wherein the plate is made of a transparent material so that the image detection device may receive the finger's image.

3. The tactile input device of claim 1 , wherein the size of the protrusion formed on the plate is variable.

4. The tactile input device of claim 1 , wherein the operation of pressing and removing the finger by the user is detected by sensing formation of the focus of the user finger on the lens by the image detection device.

5. The tactile input device of claim 1 , wherein the image detection device comprises a CMOS image sensor for receiving motion displacement information caused by the motion of the user's finger.

6. The tactile input device of claim 1 , wherein the motion vector information represents motion information for recognizing a relative position of the finger motion.

7. The tactile input device of claim 1 , wherein a cursor on a predetermined screen can be moved and indicated according to the finger's current image and motion vector information.

8. The tactile input device of claim 1 , wherein characters can be input according to the finger's current image and motion vector information.

9. The tactile input device of claim 1 , wherein the image detection device includes a fingerprint recognition heat sensor for identifying the user according to the fingerprint of the user finger and receiving the motion displacement information caused by the finger motion.

10. The tactile input device of claim 9, wherein the fingerprint recognition heat sensor comprises: a fingerprint scanner for scanning the fingerprint of the user finger and extracting characteristics of the user fingerprint so that a computer may process information; a grayscale image converter for converting the fingerprint of the scanned finger into a grayscale image; a binary image converter for converting the grayscale image into a binary image; a biometric template for previously storing registered fingerprint information of the user finger; a comparator for comparing the binary image with the registered fingerprint information; and a determiner for determining identification of the user according to the compared images.

11. The tactile input device of claim 10, wherein the fingerprint recognition heat sensor further comprises an audit trail unit for tracking whether a security violation item has been generated legally and without permission according to the determination of identification by the determiner.

12. In an input system for an information device, a tactile input system comprising: a tactile input device for recognizing a user's information input

caused by the user's finger touch through a transparent plate including a

small protrusion, using an image detection device to acquire the user finger's

current image and motion vector information, and inputting corresponding information; and a controller for processing a predetermined instruction corresponding to the information transmitted from the tactile input device, wherein the user finger functions as a pad and the tactile input device functions as a pen for inputting information.

13. The tactile input system of claim 12, wherein the tactile input device is spatially installed on a curve or a corner.

14. The tactile input system of claim 12, wherein the tactile input device comprises: a transparent plate for recognizing the user's information input

feedback through the finger's touch;

a lens for focusing an image recognized by the transparent plate, the lens being formed below the transparent plate; an image detection device for generating a current image of the finger through the lens and motion vector information and transmitting them to the controller, the image detection device being formed below the lens; and a switch button for transmitting information by pressing the switch button by the user so as to process information.

15. The tactile input system of claim 14, wherein the image detection device includes a CMOS image sensor for receiving motion displacement information caused by the user finger's motion.

16. The tactile input system of claim 14, wherein the image detection device includes a fingerprint recognition heat sensor for determining identification of the user according to the user finger's fingerprint and receiving motion displacement information caused by the finger motion.

17. The tactile input system of claim 12, wherein a cursor on a predetermined screen can be moved and indicated according to the finger's current image and motion vector information.

18. The tactile input system of claim 12, wherein characters can be input according to the finger's current image and motion vector information.