Abstract:
Disclosed herein is an interface which users can intuitively operate. A control signal input system includes a display device which displays a graphical user interface including plural control items for controlling a device, the control items being displayed in a predetermined layout; and an input device having an input unit operable to make a selection from control items displayed on the display device, the input unit having a shape, wherein the shape of the input unit corresponds to the layout of the control items.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2005-041163 filed on Feb. 17, 2005, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a control signal input system and a control signal input method for inputting control signals of electronic devices.  
         [0003]     Many of conventional home-use AV (audio visual) devices are equipped with remote controllers. Remote controllers transmit remote control signals to the bodies of the AV devices by means of infrared rays. Users can control switching of channels and increase/decrease of sound volume from remote places from the AV devices.  
         [0004]     A remote controller is ordinarily provided with plural buttons on the surface thereof. For example, a television remote controller is provided with buttons such as channel buttons, volume buttons, and video switches. The buttons one-to-one correspond to contents of operations. When a button of channel  1  is selected, the screen switches to the channel  1 . When a button to increase sound volume is selected, the volume increases. This kind of input/select scheme is called a push-type selection scheme. With push-type remote controllers, AV devices can be operated simply by selecting buttons. Therefore, even users who are weak in machines can easily operate AV devices (e.g., see Jpn. Pat. Appl.n Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-274298).  
         [0005]     In recent years, AV devices have become more multifunctional. A television disclosed in the publication No. 2003-274298 is added with a function to select automatically a genre of a broadcasting program. According to this publication, a button to operate the added function is added to a remote controller. A television also disclosed in this publication is added with buttons, e.g., buttons of genres  1  to  9 , a genre registration button, and a timer reservation button. If buttons are thus added, a huge number of buttons have to be provided.  
         [0006]     Some conventional remote controllers have a small display. For example, when a menu key of a remote controller is selected, a menu according to upper classification is displayed. Further, a menu according to middle classification, an aimed select item, or the like is selected from the displayed menu. By thus hierarchizing select items, a large number of functions can be set. However, a search for an aimed item on the small display may be a burden to users.  
         [0007]     The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is desirable to provide a control signal input system which can be intuitively operated by users, and a control signal input method thereof.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     According to the present invention, there is provided a control signal input system including a display device which displays a graphical user interface including plural control items for controlling a device, the control items being displayed in a predetermined layout; and an input device having an input unit operable to make a selection from control items displayed on the display device, the input unit having a shape, wherein the shape of the input unit corresponds to the layout of the control items.  
         [0009]     According to the present invention, there is provided a control signal input method for use in a control signal input system including a display device which displays a graphical user interface, and an input device having an input unit operable to make a selection from control items displayed on the display device, the input unit having a shape, the method including generating a graphical user interface on the display device, the graphical user interface including control items for controlling a device, the control items having a layout which corresponds to the shape of the input unit; transmitting input contents of the input unit to the display device; and generating a graphical user interface on the display device showing which control item has been selected based on the input contents.  
         [0010]     According to the control signal input system to which the present invention is applied, the layout of control items displayed on the display device and the shape of the input unit of the input device correspond to each other. Therefore, an intuitive selection from the control items displayed on the display device can be made sensing the shape of the input unit. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a structure of a control signal input system;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing an outer appearance of an input device;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the input device;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  shows a hierarchical structure of GUI screens;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  shows a channel select screen;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  shows a state where a channel is switched along a guide groove;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  shows a channel select screen which enables a selection from satellite broadcasting channels and terrestrial broadcasting channels on one single screen;  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  shows a GUI screen on which different kinds of select items can be selected on one single screen;  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  shows a state where a fingertip slides along the outermost circumferential groove;  
         [0020]      FIG. 10  shows a GUI screen when select items are arranged at free coordinates;  
         [0021]      FIG. 11  is a view showing a structure of a joy stick; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 12  shows a movable range of the joy stick. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]     Hereinafter, a control signal input system  1  to which the present invention is applied will now be described with reference to  FIG. 1 . The control signal input system  1  includes a television  2  which displays control items, and an input device  3  to select control items displayed on the television  2 .  
         [0024]     The television  2  is connected to a terrestrial antenna and/or a satellite television antenna. The television  2  converts video signals received by these antennae into video signals reproducible by a tuner  4 . The converted signals are displayed on a display section. Also, the television  2  is connected to a reproducing device  5  such as a DVD player, VTR (Video Tape Recorder), HDD (Hard Disc Drive) player, or the like. An input to the television  2  may be switched to display video signals reproduced by the reproducing device  5 .  
         [0025]     The input device  3  outputs an operation instruction input from a user to the television  2 . The television  2  displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) screen on which select items are arranged by the input device  3 . The shape of an interface section  31  of the input device  3  is similar to the layout of select items on the GUI screen. For example, if the interface section  31  of the input device  3  has a circular shape, the select items of the GUI screen are also arranged in a circular shape. Otherwise, if the interface section  31  of the input device  3  has a rectangular shape, the select items of the GUI screen are arranged in a rectangular shape.  
         [0026]     The user operates the input device  3 , checking the GUI screen. Basically, neither indication nor printing indicative of input contents is given on the interface section  31  of the input device  3 . Even if input contents are not indicated on the input device  3 , varieties of input contents can be widened by displaying input contents on the GUI screen. If software which generates the GUI screen is overwritten, items to be displayed on the GUI screen can be added or deleted easily, and the number of pages constituting the GUI screen to be used can be changed easily, too.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  shows an outer appearance of the input device  3 . The interface section  31  is provided at the top of the input device  3 . The interface section  31  is exposed to the outside of the input device  3  through an opening portion of a casing  34 . For example, a touch panel can be used as the interface section  31 . The interface section  31  can detect XY coordinates (two-dimensional position) of a contact point when a contact object such as a fingertip or a pen tip contacts the surface of this interface section. Simultaneously, the interface section  31  can also detect a contact pressure thereof.  
         [0028]     The interface section  31  transmits the sensed positional information and contact pressure of the fingertip to the television  2 . Circular grooves  35  are formed in the interface section  31 . There are total three circular grooves, e.g., large, intermediate, and small circular grooves. The outermost circumferential groove  35   a  surrounds the intermediate groove  35   b . The intermediate groove  35   b  surrounds the innermost circumferential groove  35   c . Inside the innermost circumferential groove  35   c , a recess  35   d  is provided. The user touches the grooves  35   a ,  35   b , and  35   c  by a fingertip, to input data, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Guide grooves  32  to guide the user&#39;s fingertip are provided bridging the recess  35   d  and the grooves  35   a ,  35   b , and  35   c . Twelve guide grooves  32  are provided extending radially from the recess  35   d . The user can sense which area of the circles each divided into twelve areas the fingertip currently touches. By moving the fingertip along the guide grooves  32 , the user can jump to a non-adjacent area, e.g., to an area existing on a diagonal line extending from the area currently selected.  
         [0029]     The interface section  31  outputs positional information of the user&#39;s fingertip to a communication section  34 . For example, a asynchronous scheme is adopted in communications with the television  2 . The asynchronous scheme is a kind of synchronous scheme adopted between a personal computer and a mouse. The communication section  34  sequentially transmits data in accordance with motion of the fingertip without synchronization with the communication section  21  of the television  2 .  
         [0030]     The television  2  includes a communication section  21 , a GUI screen generation section  22 , a video processing section  23 , a screen synthesis section  24 , a display section  25 , and a system controller  32 . The communication section  21  receives data from the input device  3 . The GUI screen generation section  22  generates GUI screens. The video processing section  23  performs noise reduction and image quality adjustment on video signals inputted from the tuner  4  and the reproducing device  5 . The screen synthesis section  24  synthesizes video signals inputted from the video processing section  23  with GUI screens. The display section  25  displays a video inputted from the screen synthesis section  24 . The system controller  32  controls the whole television  2 .  
         [0031]     The GUI screen generation section  22  generates a GUI screen in response to an input from the input device  3 . The GUI screen has a hierarchical structure.  FIG. 4  shows the hierarchical structure of the GUI screen. In  FIG. 4 , the front screen is a GUI screen as the first layer. The center screen is a GUI screen as the second layer. The rear screen is a GUI screen as the third layer. The screen as the first layer is a channel select screen. The screen as the second layer is an input switch screen. The screen as the third layer is a content select screen. The input switch screen is a screen to select an input source of a video signal to be displayed on the display section  25 . On the channel select screen, select items are arranged in twelve directions. In contrast, on the input switch screen, select items are arranged in six directions. The number of select items arranged in one circle can be arbitrarily changed. The input switch screen displays types of the tuner  4  and the reproducing device  5  connected to the television  2 , e.g., video, DVD, terrestrial TV broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and the like. A particular GUI screen is linked to another GUI screen. Transfer from a displayed GUI screen to a linked GUI screen is possible.  
         [0032]     The GUI screen generation section  22  outputs a generated GUI screen to the screen synthesis section  24 . The screen synthesis section  24  synthesizes the GUI screen with a video signal inputted from the tuner  4  or the reproducing device  5 , and outputs a synthesis result to the display section  25 . Suppose now that a channel select screen is displayed as a GUI screen.  FIG. 5  shows an example of the channel select screen  61 . On the GUI screen  61 , channels  62   a  to  621  of ch- 1  to ch- 12  are arranged on a circle. At the center of the circle, the number of the channel currently selected is displayed. The display area of the selected channel is inverted so that which channel is currently selected can be seen. The video on the selected channel is displayed as a backdrop of the GUI screen  61 . In this figure, the channel  3  is selected.  
         [0033]     The GUI screen  61  displays a cursor  63  indicating where on the interface section  31  the user&#39;s fingertip touches. The user moves the cursor  63  checking the position of the user&#39;s own fingertip. The position of the cursor  63  on the GUI screen  61  one-to-one corresponds to the position of the user&#39;s fingertip on the interface section  31 . When the user&#39;s finger tip contacts a groove in the interface section  31 , the backdrop of the GUI screen  61  switches to a channel corresponding to the position of the user&#39;s fingertip. As the user&#39;s fingertip slides along a circular groove, channels switch one after another in accordance with the position of the fingertip. If the user&#39;s fingertip is moved along a guide groove  32 , the cursor can be moved even to an opposite coordinate axis by one action, as shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0034]     Some conventional interfaces are called selective interfaces. A typical selective interface is mouse operation of personal computers. In mouse operation, a cursor is moved to an aimed icon, and execution is instructed by a click.  
         [0035]     Unlike the selective interface, the input device  3  switches channels when the user moves the fingertip, without an instruction of execution. This kind of interface will be hereinafter referred to as a seamless interface. More intuitive operation is available with the seamless interface than with the selective interface.  
         [0036]     Next, a modification of the GUI screen will be described. On the GUI screen  71  shown in  FIG. 7 , select items are arranged on double circles. Terrestrial broadcasting channels are arranged along the inner circle, as well as satellite broadcasting channels along the outer circle. Since triple grooves  35   a ,  35   b , and  35   c  are formed in the interface section  31 , satellite broadcasting channels can be selected by the innermost circumferential groove  35   c  among the three grooves  35   a ,  35   b , and  35   c . Terrestrial broadcasting channels can be selected by the intermediate two grooves  35   b . When the user operates the GUI screen, the user can make selection on one single screen by distinguishing the groove along which the satellite broadcasting channels are arranged from the other groove along which the terrestrial broadcasting channels are arranged, based on touch sense of the fingertip.  
         [0037]     On the GUI screen  81  shown in  FIG. 8 , select items of different categories are arranged along an innermost circumferential circle  82  and an intermediate circle  83 . On the GUI screen  81  shown in  FIG. 8 , setting items are arranged along the innermost circumferential circle  82 , and channel numbers are arranged along the intermediate circle  83 .  
         [0038]     Four items of “Setting”, “Hue”, “Switch”, and “Soundvolume” are arranged as select items along the innermost circumferential circle  82 . When the item “Switch” is selected, the GUI screen transfers to an input switch screen to select an input source. On the input switch screen, types of the tuner  4  and the reproducing device  5  connected to the television  2 , e.g., video, DVD, terrestrial TV broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and the like, can be selected. When the item “Hue” is selected, the GUI screen transfers to a screen to select a hue. When the item “Setting” is selected, the GUI screen transfers to a setting item select screen. On the setting item select screen, contrast or brightness can be selected. When the item “Sound volume” is selected, the GUI screen transfers to a volume display screen.  
         [0039]     Operations along the outermost circumferential groove  35   a  may be assigned to “Forward” and “Backward”. As shown in  FIG. 9 , an image being displayed can be fed forward or rewound backward by sliding a fingertip on the outermost circumferential groove  35   a . The contents of operations on the outermost circumferential groove  35   a  are not displayed on the GUI screen.  
         [0040]     Limitations are given to operations on the innermost circumferential circle  35   c  and the outermost circumferential groove  35   a . By thus setting limitations, execution is not started even when the user happens to touch the groove  35   a  or  35   c  by mistake. A limitation is, for example, a threshold value for pressure with which the interface section  31  is pressed or a waiting time until execution is started after having sensed a touch. More specifically, the following limitations are given. That is, execution is started upon elapse of two seconds after a touch by a fingertip on a select item along the innermost circumferential circle  82 . Alternatively, execution is not started before a display area of a select item along the inner most circumferential circle  82  is pressed with a predetermined pressure or more. Further, operations on the outermost circumferential groove may be given a limitation that the operation “Forward” or “Backward” is started when a user&#39;s fingertip slides 90 degrees or more per second on the groove  35   a.    
         [0041]     Switching of channels along the intermediate groove  35   b  may be the most frequently used operation among operations of the television  2 . The frequently used channel switching adopts a seamless interface, so that execution is started by simply touching the groove by a fingertip. A limitation for start of execution is given to each of contents of operations. Therefore, different contents of operations displayed on the same GUI screen  81  can be selected individually from each other.  
         [0042]     The interface section  31  can also be used like a cross key. When operating the interface section  31  like a cross key, the center recess  35   d  is taken as a neutral position. As a fingertip is moved in any direction from the neutral position, a cursor on the GUI screen moves in the moving direction of the fingertip.  
         [0043]     Further, a GUI screen whose shape is not similar to the grooves  35   a ,  35   b , and  35   c  may be mixed in the plural GUI screens may be included. For example, in case of the GUI screen shown in  FIG. 10 , select items are arranged at free coordinates, there is no relationship between the shapes of the grooves  35   a ,  35   b , and  35   c  and the layout of the select items. This kind of GUI screen can be more efficiently operated by dealing with the interface section  31  like a cross key than by moving a fingertip along grooves. The GUI screen generation section  22  also has a function to switch properly input modes in correspondence with the shapes of GUI screens.  
         [0044]     As has been described above, in the control signal input system  1  to which the present invention is applied, the input device  3  has circular grooves. The display section  25  of the television  2  displays GUI images which visually represent contents of inputs available by the input device  3 . The GUI images are arranged on circular shapes similar to the shapes of the grooves. As the user moves a fingertip along the grooves, a cursor on the GUI images also moves on circles in accordance with motion of the fingertip.  
         [0045]     Thus, according to the control signal input system  1 , the shape of the input section of the input device  3  and the layout of the GUI screen are arranged to correspond to each other. Therefore, the user can intuitively operate the input device  3 .  
         [0046]     Since guide grooves are provided bridging the circular grooves and a recess, the user can sense where on the grooves the user&#39;s own fingertip touches. Further, a jump to a distant area existing on a diagonal line of the circles is available by moving the fingertip along the guide grooves. The interface section  31  can be used like a cross key by utilizing the center recess and the guide grooves.  
         [0047]     In the control signal input system to which the present invention is applied, a joy stick  40  can be used as an input device. The joy stick  40  is constituted by a base section  41  and a stick member  42 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . The stick member  42  is supported by the base section  41 . The stick member  42  takes as a neutral position a position where the stick member  42  stands vertically in a Z-axis direction which is the vertical axis of the base section  41 . The stick member  42  can be freely pivoted about the Z-axis, kept tilted to a predetermined angle from the Z-axis. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the base section  41  has an operating position detection section  43  constituted by a direction detection section and an inclination detection section. The direction detection section detects the direction in which the stick member  42  is tilted on the xy coordinate system. The inclination detection section detects an inclination  6  of the stick member from the Z-axis. The xy coordinates and inclination detected by the operating position detection section  43  are outputted to the display device  2  via the communication section  34 .  
         [0048]     A GUI screen generated at this time by the display device  2  corresponds to the movable range of the stick member  42 . The movable range of the stick member  42  is the inside of a circle centering on a neutral position P. On the GUI screen operated by the stick member  42 , select items are arranged in a circular layout like on the GUI screens shown in FIGS.  5  to  9 .  
         [0049]     In a modification example of the control signal input system  1 , another electronic device than the television  2  may be operated. In this case, the television  2  is used as a display device to display contents of operations by the input device  3 . Electronic devices as targets to be operated by the input device  3  may be, for example, AV devices such as a DVD player and an audio player, home electronics such as an air conditioner and a washing machine.  
         [0050]     It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.