This application claims the priority benefit of China application serial no. 201110134103.3, filed on May 13, 2011. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a gravity sensing input system and a gravity sensing input method thereof, and, particularly, the invention is related to a gravity sensing input system, a gravity sensing input method and an electronic device thereof, which sets angle ranges corresponding to letters, then uses a XYZ-axes gravity detection technology of a three-axes gravity sensor to calculate an inclined angle between each of the axes and a reference plane, and further determines the letter to be used according to the inclined angles and an input signal from a user, so as to achieve fast inputting letters.
2. Description of Related Art
Gravity sensors (abbreviated as G-sensor thereinafter) can detect a variation in gravitational accelerations. The gravitational acceleration is the force applied to an object during the object is being accelerated. The force can be any variations such as oscillation, falling, ascending and descending, and can be converted to electrical or electronic signals by the G-sensor. Then, through calculation and analysis through a microcontroller, functionality corresponding to the variations in a predetermined program can be achieved. For example, a MP3 player can change to play the next or the last song according to swing directions of the user. Also, the MP3 player can calculate movement steps of the user when the MP3 player is placed into a pocket. For example, IBM™ series computers are also embedded with G-sensors, where each G-sensor can assist in immediately protecting hard disk drive for preventing the hard disk drive from any damage in a computer when the G-sensor detects a violation acceleration (for example, the computer stars to fall). To put it simply, the G-sensor can be an intelligent gravity detection system, and the G-sensor can detect a current status of the hard disk drive when the G-sensor is applied on the hard disk drive. When an accident falling occurs, a corresponding acceleration is generated, and thus the hard disk drive can detect the acceleration to make a magnetic reader thereof to automatically restore to the predetermined position, thereby making a disk body and the magnetic reader thereof separated. Accordingly, the hard disk drive is effectively protected from any accident shock during a reading operation or a writing operation.
A mobile phone with a G-sensor can be used to perform corresponding software applications according to movements of the user. For example, in a mobile phone game, when the user waves the mobile phone, the game can have corresponding reactions such as a micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) in a home entertainment game console Wii™.
However, though the G-sensor is widely applied in every kind of electronic devices, there is currently no electronic device implemented with the G-sensor to achieve quickly inputting letters. Therefore, a gravity sensing input system is developed as disclosed in the invention, which is expected to achieve quickly inputting letters.
The invention is directed to a gravity sensing input system, a gravity sensing input method and an electronic device thereof. According to an objective of the invention, the gravity sensing input system uses the G-sensor to achieve quickly inputting letters.
According to another objective of the invention, the gravity sensing input system and the method thereof are provided, which is suitable for an electronic device, and includes a gravity sensor, an input module, a processing module and an output module. The gravity sensor detects a gravitational acceleration of the electronic device tilted towards a direction. The input module includes a plurality of input interfaces, where each one of the input interfaces corresponds to a plurality of letters, and the input module receives an input signal through one of the input interfaces. The processing module is connected to the gravity sensor and the input module, and calculates an inclined angle between the electronic device and a reference plane according to the gravitational acceleration, and the processing module further determines which one of the letters is selected according to the inclined angle and the input interface corresponding to the received input signal. The output module is connected to the processing module, and outputs the letter selected by the processing module.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the proposed gravity sensing input system in the invention also includes a storage module, which is connected to the processing module, for storing the letters.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the proposed gravity sensing input system in the invention also includes a setting module, which is connected to the processing module, for setting an angle range corresponding to each one of the letters.
According to an embodiment of the invention, in the letters corresponding to each one of the input interfaces, different letters corresponding to one of the input interface are corresponding to different angle ranges.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the setting module is connected to the processing module, and the processing module determines which one of the letters is selected by determining the inclined angle corresponding to which one of the angle ranges, and then by determining which input interface corresponding to the input signal is received.
According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the input interfaces is a button or a keypad.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the electronic device also includes a display screen, and the reference plane can be a plane in parallel with the display screen.
According to another objective of the invention, there is proposed a gravity sensing input method, which is suitable for an electronic device, and the gravity sensing input method includes following steps: detecting a gravitational acceleration of the electronic device tilted towards a direction through a gravity sensor; receiving an input signal through one of multiple input interfaces, wherein each one of the input interfaces corresponds to a plurality of letters; calculating an inclined angle between the electronic device and a reference plane according to the gravitational acceleration; and determining, by a processing module, which one of the letters is selected according to the inclined angle and the input interface corresponding to the received input signal.
According to another objective of the invention, there is proposed an electronic device, which includes a main body and a gravity sensing input system. The gravity sensing input system includes a gravity sensor, an input module, a processing module and an output module. The gravity sensor detects a gravitational acceleration of the main body tilted towards a direction. The input module includes a plurality of input interfaces, where each one of the input interfaces corresponds to a plurality of letters, and the input module is receives an input signal through one of the input interfaces. The processing module is connected to the gravity sensor and the input module, and calculates an inclined angle between the main body and a reference plane according to the gravitational acceleration, and the processing module further determines which one of the letters is selected according to the inclined angle and the input interface corresponding to the received input signal. The output module is connected to the processing module, and outputs the letter selected by the processing module.
Based upon the aforementioned descriptions, the gravity sensing input system, the gravity sensing input method, and the electronic device thereof can enable the user to press only one button to quickly input the desired letter, after the G-sensor detects gravitational acceleration and the processor calculates the angle, without selecting the letter by the user after the user presses down the button. Accordingly, e required for inputting letters by the user can be saved, thereby enhancing speed of input letters.
In order to make the aforementioned and other features and advantages of the invention comprehensible, several exemplary embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
a is a first schematic diagram of a gravity sensing input method of the gravity sensing input system according to a third embodiment of the invention.
b is a second schematic diagram of a gravity sensing input method of the gravity sensing input system according to the third embodiment of the invention.
c is a third schematic diagram of a gravity sensing input method of the gravity sensing input system according to the third embodiment of the invention.
d is a fourth schematic diagram of a gravity sensing input method of the gravity sensing input system according to the third embodiment of the invention.
e is a fifth schematic diagram of a gravity sensing input method of the gravity sensing input system according to the third embodiment of the invention.
f is a sixth schematic diagram of a gravity sensing input method of the gravity sensing input system according to the third embodiment of the invention.
Before operating the gravity sensing input system 100, the setting module 105 firstly sets an angle range corresponding to each one of letters in the storage module 106. The input module 102 includes a plurality of input interfaces, where each one of the input interfaces corresponds to a plurality of letters, and different letters corresponding to one of the input interfaces are corresponding to different angle ranges. When the user of the electronic device 200 turns the electronic device 200 tilted towards to a direction, the gravity sensor 101 can detect a gravitational acceleration of the electronic device 200. Then, the processing module 103 can calculate an inclined angle between the electronic device 200 and a reference plane according to the gravitational acceleration, and further determine which one of the letters is selected according to the inclined angle and the input interface corresponding to the received input signal. Further, the input module 102 provides an input signal of the user through one of the input interfaces, and the processing module 103 can determine to select the corresponding letter according to the calculated inclined angle and the input signal received through the input interface. Finally, the output interface 104 outputs and displays the letter.
In the present embodiment, the gravity sensor 101 is a G-sensor. The gravity sensing input system 100 mainly uses the gravity sensor 101 to detect gravity accelerations respectively in a X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis, and further calculates the gravity accelerations according to included angles respectively between the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis and a horizontal plane (i.e., a reference plane in the present embodiment), so as to achieve quickly inputting letters. The calculation method of included angles respectively between the three axes and the horizontal plane firstly requires definitions of the included angles Pitch/Roll/Theta respectively between the three axes and the horizontal plane:
Pitch(ρ): an included angle between the X-axis and the horizontal plane;
Roll(φ): an included angle between the Y-axis and the horizontal plane; and
Theta(θ): an included angle between the Z-axis and the horizontal plane.
The calculation method of the Pitch/Roll/Theta angles are described below:
Pitch(ρ)=a tan(Ax/sqrt(pow(Ay,2)+pow(Az,2)));
Roll(φ)=a tan(Ax/sqrt(pow(Ax,2)+pow(Az,2))); and
Theta(θ)=a tan(sqrt(pow(Ax,2)+pow(Az,2))),
where, definitions of atan(·), sqrt(·) and pow(·) can be referred to American National Standard Institute (ANSI) standard function library, and Ax, Ay and Az are respectively gravitational accelerations in X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis. The values of Ax, Ay and Az are output by the G-sensor. To be illustrated more clearly, the definition of atan(A) returns a principal value of an arc tangent of A, the definition of pow(A, 2) returns a value of A to the power of 2, and the definition of sqrt(A) returns a squared root value of A.
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The gravity sensing input system 510 includes a gravity sensor 511, an input module 512, a processing module 513, an output module 514, a setting module 515 and a storage module 516. The gravity sensor 511 detects a gravitational acceleration of the main body 520 tilted towards a direction. The input module 512 includes a plurality of input interfaces similar as to the buttons shown in
The storage module 515 is connected to the processing module 513 and stores the letters. The setting module 515 is connected to the storage module 516 and sets an angle range corresponding to each one of the letters. In the present embodiment, different letters corresponding to one of the input interface are corresponding to the different angle ranges. Further, the processing module 513 determines which one of the letters is selected by determining the inclined angle corresponding to which one of the angle ranges, and then by determining which input interface corresponding to the input signal is received. In the present embodiment, each of the input interfaces is a button or a keypad.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201110134103.3 | May 2011 | CN | national |