US 2009/0289923 A1Published application

Input device and input method

OwnerShigeyuki Inoue, Hiroshi Yamamoto +1inventors

InventorsShigeyuki Inoue, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Shinichi Takasaki

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Abstract

The present invention provides an input device which enables a user to input desired information by simple operations even though a user has pressed a wrong button, as well as to make an information inputting position stationary. The input device in the present invention includes: a rotor; a section specifying unit specifying a section; a rotation amount detecting unit detecting a rotation amount from the specified section; a section corresponding information holding unit which holds correspondence relationship between each of the sections and a unit of information corresponding to each of the sections; an information group holding unit which holds, as a first information group, each of units of information associated with the corresponding section; an information specifying unit specifying a unit of information corresponding to the specified section based on the held correspondence relationship between the section and the unit of information; and an information selecting unit selecting, out of the held first information group, a predetermined unit of information according to the rotation amount with respect to the specified unit of information as a reference point.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An input device comprising:

a device body;
a rotor provided on said device body;
a section specifying unit configured to specify a section out of sections into which an annular area on said device body is divided in a rotation direction, the annular area being provided along said rotor;
a rotation amount detecting unit configured to detect a rotation amount of said rotor from the section specified by said section specifying unit;
a section corresponding information holding unit which holds correspondence relationship between each of the sections on said device body and a unit of information corresponding to each of the sections;
an information group holding unit which holds, as a first information group, each of units of information associated with the corresponding section on said device body;
an information specifying unit configured to specify a unit of information corresponding to the section specified by said section specifying unit based on the correspondence relationship between the section and the unit of information, the relationship being held in said section corresponding information holding unit;
and
an information selecting unit configured to select, out of the first information group held in said information group holding unit, a predetermined unit of information with respect to the unit of information as a reference point according to the rotation amount, the unit of information being specified by said information specifying unit, and the rotation amount being detected by said amount detecting unit.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/302,088Filed 31 May 2007
Priority: JP 2006-1552772 Jun 2006
Published: 26 Nov 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04M 1/23
Constructional features of telephone sets: construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof
G06F 3/0362
Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor: with detection of…
H04M 1/233
Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof: including a pointing device, e.g. roller key,…
H04M 1/72469
User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones: for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed…