The disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for determining an output value of a key according to detection of a finger possessing a particular area in an input apparatus.
As an input apparatus for a user interface, which is essentially used in various electronic apparatuses, becomes necessary even in a mobile environment, a user interface technology capable of inputting data using a small keypad or a small-sized touch screen is required.
In particular, in the mobile environment, users are required to support a body of an apparatus with one hand, and thus have to complete an input operation just with the other hand. Thus, if a conventional desktop keyboard is simply miniaturized and made into a product, the size of a button becomes extremely small in order to provide the keyboard with the same number of buttons having a small size, so that users feel more tired of carrying out an input operation by moving one hand between a large number of buttons provided on the keyboard. No matter how the device is miniaturized, the size of the button needs to be large enough for users to easily perform an input operation, thereby causing a problem in that an input apparatus may encroach an available screen.
On the other hand, if the device is simply miniaturized, a chance of a typing error becomes high when entering each button or key and usability is also decreased. Thus, the keyboard has been used in such a manner that a small number of buttons having a certain size or larger are set to have a plurality of values, not a single value, and an input is made along with a button for performing a certain function such as Shift button or Function key, after which an inputted value is subjected to transformation. A typical example of the above keyboard is a coded keyboard.
On the other hand, referring to Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0929306 (Title of the invention: Input apparatus and input method), disclosed is a technology for inputting a specific symbol as desired by a user based on a small size, a small number of buttons, the minimum number of inputs (1 symbol 1 click) and the like by using an input apparatus including a key to which a plurality of symbols are assigned and a sensor for detecting a finger, without a need for using a separate conversion key.
However, the above method is performed by detecting a user's all fingers to use the results as a criterion for selecting a symbol. Accordingly, there is a problem in that an amount of computation is increased according to sensing and the number of sensors to be provided is also increased, thereby causing a burden of costs.
An object of the disclosure is to provide a method and an apparatus for determining an output value of a key, in which a plurality of symbols are set according to detection of possession of a finger.
In order to achieve the technical object, according to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an input method using detection of possession of a finger, the method comprising: detecting a user's finger possessing a particular area of a partial area, in which a sensor is disposed in an interface area, by an input apparatus; detecting an input of a particular key among a plurality of keys provided in the interface area in a state of detecting the finger, by the input apparatus; and determining an output value for the input based on a position of the particular area, by the input apparatus.
In order to achieve the technical object, according to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an input apparatus using detection of possession of a finger, the apparatus comprising: an input part which includes an interface area, in which a plurality of keys are disposed, and detects an input of a particular key among the plurality of keys; a sensor which is disposed in a partial area of the interface area and detects a state of possession of a user's finger; and a control part which determines an output value of the particular key based on a sensing value transmitted from the sensor and a unique identifier of the particular key.
The embodiments of the disclosure may have effects including the following advantages. However, since the embodiments of the disclosure are not meant to include all the effects, it should not be understood that the scope of rights of the disclosure is limited thereto.
According to one embodiment of the disclosure, an input method and an input apparatus using detection of possession of a finger have an effect of inputting different output values with one button without interfering with a hand position and movement.
In addition, there is an advantage of providing an input apparatus at a relatively low cost by using a sensor only in a part of the input apparatus.
Furthermore, there is an advantage of efficiently determining an output value by processing a small amount of sensor computation.
The present invention may be applied with various modifications and have various embodiments, but specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiment forms, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Terms such as first, second, A, B, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the above terms, and used only for distinguishing one component from other components. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component without departing from the scope of the present invention, and similarly, the second component may be referred to as the first component. The term “and/or” includes a combination of a plurality of related described items or any one of a plurality of related described items.
In the present specification, the terms of a singular form should be understood to include plural forms unless clearly interpreted otherwise. And the terms “comprise,” etc., mean that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, a component, a part, or a combination thereof described, and should be understood not to exclude the existence or the possibility of addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof.
Prior to the detailed description of the drawings, it is intended to clarify that the constituent parts in the present specification are simply classified based on the main functions thereof. In other words, two or more constituent parts to be described below may be combined into one constituent part, or one constituent part may be divided into two or more for each subdivided function.
In addition, each of the constituent parts to be described below may further perform a part or all of the functions performed by other constituent parts in addition to the main functions performed by each of the constituent parts, and it is also natural that a part of the main functions performed by each of the constituent parts may be exclusively carried out by other constituents parts. Accordingly, the existence of respective constituent parts described through the present specification should be functionally interpreted.
In step 110, the input apparatus 200 may detect a state of a user's finger possessing a particular area of a partial area, in which a sensor 210 is disposed in an interface area. The input apparatus 200 may decide whether or not the user's finger possesses a particular area of an area in which an input key is disposed. For example, the input apparatus 200 may decide a state of possession of a particular area which is at a left side or at a right side of an area in which an input key is disposed. If the user uses the input apparatus 200 with a right hand, the sensor 210 at the left side may be used to detect that an index finger is in a state of possession, or the sensor 210 at the right side may be used to detect that a little finger is possessing.
In this case, the state of possession refers to a state in which a finger stays on a key in a particular area, rather than inputting the key with the finger. Depending on a method of inputting a key of the input apparatus 200, a finger may possess a key in a particular area without coming into contact with the key, or a finger may possess a key while coming into contact with a surface of the key. In other words, if the input apparatus 200 is to input a key by a touch method, the sensor 210 may detect a state of a finger floating on a particular area, in which a particular key is positioned, so as to decide if the finger is in the state of possession. If the input apparatus 200 uses a method of performing an input by pressing a key, the sensor 210 may detect a finger coming into contact with a key as a state of possession.
Meanwhile, a plurality of keys may have a unique identifier, respectively. In one embodiment, apart from at least one to at most three symbols set to each key, an ID of a corresponding key is set as an identifier, so that the control part 230 included in the input apparatus 200 may obtain information about which key position a finger is in a state of possession, or may confirm which key is inputted.
The input apparatus 200 may detect at least one of a plurality of fingers of a user by using a sensor 210 disposed in a partial area. The input apparatus 200 may include a plurality of input columns, and the sensor 210 may be disposed only at a part of the plurality of columns of the input apparatus. In one embodiment, as shown in
Meanwhile, referring to
In a conventional keyboard, Shift key and a button, to which a plurality of symbols are set, may be inputted together, so that a symbol desired by a user may be changed into an output value. In this case, however, only two symbols may be set to each button. And to input each symbol, it was necessary to carry out a button operation or a key input twice. On the other hand, according to the disclosure, up to three symbols may be set to one key in the input apparatus 200, so that keys can be inputted with a smaller number of typing compared to the related art, thereby reducing a user's fatigue when using the input apparatus 200.
Meanwhile, the type of the sensor 210 disposed in a partial area may be a capacitance-type sensor or an optical sensor. For example, a capacitance value may be detected, or a finger may be detected based on whether the irradiated light is reflected or not, in order to detect the contact of a finger or a position of the finger approaching at a certain distance or more.
In addition, the sensor 210 may detect a position of the finger in a state of contact or non-contact. For example, the finger may be floating in the air while maintaining a predetermined distance above a partial area, or may be in a state of coming into contact with a particular key in the area.
Thus, in case of the sensor 210, various types of sensors may be used to detect all of the above states.
Referring to
Meanwhile, referring to
In addition, referring to
In step 120, the input apparatus 200 may detect that a particular key is inputted among a plurality of keys provided in the interface area 301 in a state of detecting the finger. In one embodiment, the input apparatus 200 may detect that the user's another finger taps or presses a particular key in a state of detecting one finger possessing the key. In case of inputting a key, an electrical input signal may be conventionally generated accordingly. The input part 220 included in the input apparatus 200 may detect the signal to decide which particular key is inputted. In this case, the input part 200 may recognize a moment of starting a key input as a time point of an event occurrence, and may recognize a moment of completing the input as a time point of the event occurrence. In other words, if the finger presses a key to make an input, the input part may be set to recognize a moment of the finger pressing the key or releasing the key as a time point of event occurrence.
Meanwhile, the input apparatus 200 may perform steps 110 and 120 in parallel. For example, the input apparatus may detect a position of the finger in a state of possession and a key input at the same time to determine a symbol based on both data, or the input apparatus may detect the key input and confirm the position of the finger possessing. Of course, as shown in
In step 130, the input apparatus 200 may determine one of a plurality of symbols set to a particular key as an output value for the particular key based on a state of the finger in a state of possession. The input apparatus 200 may include a control part 230. The control part 230 may determine an output value by using a sensing value for a position of a finger as well as a symbol value set to a particular key.
In one embodiment, referring to
Meanwhile, referring to
Meanwhile, referring to
The input method and the input apparatus using the sensing position of the finger according to one embodiment of the disclosure have been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings for better understanding of the disclosure, but they are set forth to illustrate only and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will appreciate that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are possible. Thus, the true technical protection scope of the disclosure should be determined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2018-0020449 | Feb 2018 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/KR2018/016069 | 12/18/2018 | WO | 00 |