Abstract:
A multi-dimensional input apparatus sends out an instruction to operate an image capture process or an application program after receiving a single touch, slide or circling, or receiving several touches, slides or circlings. The multi-dimensional input apparatus communicates with the control interface of an image capture program or an application program in a wired or wireless way and provides an alternative instrument for operating the image capture process or the application program.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an integrated input apparatus, particularly to a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Whether an electronic device is equipped with an advanced input apparatus is an important factor determining whether a consumer purchases the electronic device. For example, in addition to a keyboard, a desktop computer is usually equipped with a mouse as the input apparatus. For a laptop computer, the keyboard, mouse, and touchpad are usually the fundamental input apparatuses. However, it is uneasy for a user to collect or carry about the abovementioned input apparatuses. Therefore, it is a trend to fabricate simpler and more friendly input device for the customer. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is directed to an integrated input apparatus for a user to instinctively operate an image capture device and shifts among different menus. 
         [0006]    The present invention is directed to a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus for a user to input instructions with a plurality of input elements. 
         [0007]    To achieve the abovementioned objectives, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a touchscreen, a button, a pressure sensor, and a knob. The button is arranged in the center of the touchscreen. The pressure sensor is arranged on the side wall of the apparatus and surrounds the touchscreen. The knob is also arranged on the side wall of the apparatus and surrounds the touchscreen. The knob can rotate around the touchscreen and move linearly in the pressure sensor. 
         [0008]    Below, the embodiments are described in detail in cooperation with the attached drawings to make easily understood the objectives, technical contents, characteristics and accomplishments of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus according to the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing the connection of a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus and a hardware according to the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram showing the control interface presented on a display according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3B  is a schematic diagram showing a display element of a multi-dimensional input apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3C  is a schematic diagram showing a menu of a control interface presented on a display according to one embodiment of the present invention: 
           [0014]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic diagram showing a control interface cooperating with a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4B  is a schematic diagram showing an interface of an audio/video play program cooperating with a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4C  is a schematic diagram showing an interface of a webpage browser program cooperating with a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0017]      FIGS. 5A-5D  are schematic diagrams showing operation modes of a touchscreen of a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Refer to  FIG. 1  a schematic diagram showing a multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus according to the present invention. The exemplary multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  in a cylinder shape comprises a button  101 , a touchscreen  102 , a knob  103  and a pressure sensor  104 . When cooperating with application software, the input elements of the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  respectively control different control items or jointly control an identical control item. The input elements can respectively detect/accept different actions or jointly detect/accept an identical action. The button  101  is arranged in the center of a base surface of the cylinder, and the touchscreen  102  surrounds the button  101 . The knob  103  and the pressure sensor  104  are arranged on the side wall of the cylinder and surrounded by the touchscreen  102 . The touchscreen  102  may execute both detection and display. 
         [0019]    Below are described the actions the input elements perform or receive. However, it is only to exemplify the present invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the button  101  may be automatically rebounded to its original position after released from the applied force. The actions applied to the button  101  include a rapid single-clicking, a rapid double-clicking, and a longer-time pressing. The touchscreen  102  is not moved by any action. The actions applied on the touchscreen  102  include a single-clicking on a single contact point, a double-clicking on a single contact point, a single or several continuous slides of a single finger (the slide path is inside the touchscreen  102 ), a single or several discrete slides of a single finger (the slide path crosses the button  101 ), and a single or several continuous slides of double fingers. The touchscreen  102  may be divided into several regions respectively receiving different actions at the same time. The knob  103  with scales may be freely rotated without rebound after released from the applied force. The knob  103  may rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. In cooperation with software, firmware or hardware, the travel amount in response to the rotated knob  103  may be tuned by cooperating the knob  103  with the displacement of the pressure sensor  104 . For example, when the knob  103  is operated alone, the rotation of the knob  103  generates a travel amount in a fine-tuning mode. When the knob  103  is operated in cooperation with the pressure senor  104 , the rotation of the knob  103  generates the travel amount in a coarse-adjustment mode. The travel amount generated in the coarse-adjustment mode is greater than that in the fine-tuning mode. In the coarse-adjustment mode, the relationship between the downward displacement of the pressure sensor  104  and the magnification ratio of the travel amount and the rotation of the knob  103  may be linear or nonlinear. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a schematical diagram illustrating the connection of the multi-dimensional integrated input apparatus and a hardware according to the present invention. In  FIG. 2 , a host  30  is electrically coupled to an image capture device  20 , an input device  50 , a display  40 , and a multi-dimensional input apparatus  10 . In one embodiment, the host  30  is an electronic device with a processor, such as a desktop computer, or a laptop computer, and the electronic device is electrically coupled to the image capture device  20 , the input device  50 , the display  40 , and the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  in a wired or wireless way. The image capture device  20  is an image scanner or a device having a scanning function, such as a multi-function printer or a facsimile machine. Alternatively, the image capture device  20  has a built-in processor to integrate with the host  30  to form an image capture system  25 . The display  40  is LCD (liquid crystal display), PDP (Plasma Display Panel), or a device having a display function. The input device  50  is a wired or wireless keyboard. However, the present invention is not limited by the abovementioned embodiment. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the host  30  is configured for processing the image capture device  20 , the display  40  and the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10 . In the case of a desktop computer that has an operating system to control the input device  50  and the display  40 , the host  30  further has a control interface interacting with the image capture device  20 , and the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10 , etc. The control interface may be implemented by suitable application software and presented on the display  40 . The control interface provides a device function menu  321 , a device setting menu  322 , an image setting menu  323 , and a preview menu  324  to interact with the image capture device  20  and the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10 . 
         [0023]    The exemplary multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  is electrically coupled to the host  30  in a wired or wireless way. The multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  further comprises several detectors  12  and a display element  14 . The display element  14  and one detector  12  are corresponding to the touchscreen  102  in  FIG. 1 . The other detectors  12  are respectively corresponding to the other input elements. The display-related detector  12  detects the touches that a limb of a creature or an appropriate tool directly or indirectly makes on the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10 . The display element  14  has at least one section corresponding to all or a portion of the menus of the control interface of the host  30 , whereby the user may learn the current menus provided by the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10 . The icons in the menus displayed by the display element  14  include characters, numerals, symbols, patterns, or a combination thereof. The display element  14  may present icons in a static mode or a flashing mode. However, the present invention is not limited to the abovementioned icons or modes. In the present invention, the display-related detector  12  may be a capacitive-type, IR-type, resistive-type, or ultrasonic-type detector, but the present invention is not limited to the abovementioned types of detectors. The exemplary display element  14  may be LCD, PDP a LED display, or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, but the present invention is not limited to the abovementioned types of displays. The multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  has a communication element (not showing in the drawings) to transmit the control instructions corresponding to touches in a wired or wireless way. When electrically coupled to the host  30  in a wireless way, the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  has a power supply (not showing in the drawings), powering the detectors  12  and the display element  14 . When electrically coupled to the host  30  or the image capture device  20  in a wired way, such as via USB, the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  can acquire power from USB pins. Alternatively, the multi-dimensional input apparatus  10  may be directly integrated with the image capture device  20 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram showing the control interface presented on the display according to one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3B  is a schematic diagram schematically showing the display element of the multi-dimensional input apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 3A , the host is normally electrically coupled to the image capture device, the input device, the display  40  and the multi-dimensional input apparatus and executes the functions of the control interface. The user may use a keyboard or mouse to select the items he intends to execute. In one embodiment, the control interface presents the image capture device related menus on the current frame of the display  40 , including a function menu  36 , a setting menu  34  and a preview menu  38 , which are independent without an execution priority. The block of the function menu  36  contains the capturing-relevant function of items corresponding to the hardware operations of the image capture device, such as prescan and overview. The function menu  36  may contain execution buttons  361  and a submenu  362 . Refer to  FIG. 3B , when the function menu  36  is enabled, the execution buttons  321  and  361  and the submenu  362  are correspondingly presented on the display element  14  of the multi-dimensional input apparatus and respectively corresponding to different input elements of the multi-dimensional input apparatus. The block of the setting menu  34  contains items for setting the parameters of scanned objects, including the sources and sizes of the scanned objects. The setting menu  34  may contain execution buttons  322 , a numeral selection box  341 , and input boxes  342 . When the setting menu  34  is enabled, the execution buttons  322 , numeral selection box  341  and input boxes  342  are correspondingly presented on the display element  14  of the multi-dimensional input apparatus and respectively corresponding to different input elements of the multi-dimensional input apparatus. Refer to  FIG. 3C . The block of the preview menu  38  contains the image  381  of a scanned object and preview selection items  382 . When the preview menu  38  is enabled, the preview selection items  382  are correspondingly presented on the display element  14  of the multi-dimensional input apparatus and respectively linked to different input elements of the multi-dimensional input apparatus. 
         [0025]    Herein, it should be noted: the items correspondingly presented on the multi-dimensional input apparatus is not limited to buttons but may also be other items, such as numerals. Different actions are detected by the multi-dimensional input apparatus and related to different items of the control interface. The multi-dimensional input apparatus of the present invention also applies to controlling non-image capture devices. Refer to  FIG. 4A . Suppose that some application programs are installed in a system, such as a computer, and that the control interface provides a menu of the application programs for the user. When the exemplary multi-dimensional input apparatus is coupled to to the control interface, the user can use the multi-dimensional input apparatus to select and execute a program. For example, the user presses the button to demand that the control interface execute the instruction of popping out a menu  401 ; then the user uses the touchscreen and the knob to select and execute desired programs. 
         [0026]    Below, several embodiments are used to exemplify the applications of the multi-dimensional input apparatus of the present invention to different application programs.  FIG. 4B  is a schematic diagram the interface of an audio/video play program. When the multi-dimensional input apparatus of the present invention cooperates with an audio/video play program interface  402 , the user can use the button to input an instruction to execute a play/pause function  403  and use the touchscreen to input an instruction to execute a position slider function  404 . The user can also rotate two fingers on the touchscreen to input an instruction to execute a fast forward/backward function. The user can use the knob to input an instruction to execute a volume slider function  405 .  FIG. 4C  is a schematic diagram showing an interface of a webpage browser program. When the multi-dimensional input apparatus of the present invention cooperates with a webpage browser program interface  412 , the user can input an instruction with the touchscreen to operate a vertical scrollbar  414  and input an instruction with the knob to operate a horizontal scrollbar function  416 . The user can also rotate two fingers on the touchscreen to input an instruction to execute a zoom-in/zoom-out function. 
         [0027]    Refer to  FIGS. 5A-5D  for the augmented description of  FIG. 4C . As shown in  FIG. 5A , the user applies a vertical movement (indicated by the arrows) on the touchscreen  102 ; although the movement crosses the button  101 , the touchscreen can still recognize the vertical movement and sends out an instruction to operate the vertical scrollbar  414  of the webpage browser program interface  412 . As shown in  FIG. 5B , the user applies a horizontal movement on the touchscreen  102  to operate the horizontal scrollbar  416  of the webpage browser program interface  412 . As shown in  FIG. 5C , the user applies a diagonal movement on the touchscreen  102  to simultaneously operate the vertical scrollbar  414  and the horizontal scrollbar  416  of the webpage browser program interface  412 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 5D  schematically shows another operation mode of the touchscreen  102 , wherein the touchscreen  102  is divided into four quadrant zones of an orthogonal coordinate system. In one embodiment, when the user slides his finger from Quadrant 2 to Quadrant 1, the system presumes that the user intends to operate the horizontal scrollbar  416  of the webpage browser program interface  412 . If the user does not lift his finger from the touchscreen  102  but slides his finger on the touchscreen  102  clockwise, the system moves the horizontal scrollbar  416  in the original direction. If the user does not lift his finger from the touchscreen  102  but slides his finger on the touchscreen  102  counterclockwise, the system moves the horizontal scrollbar  416  in a direction opposite to the original direction. The enable state of the horizontal scroll function will not stop until the user lifts his finger from the touchscreen  102 . When the user slides his finger from Quadrant 1 to Quadrant 2, Quadrant 3 to Quadrant 4, or Quadrant 4 to Quadrant 3, the cases are similar. 
         [0029]    When the user slides his finger from Quadrant 1 to Quadrant 4, the system presumes that the user intends to operate the vertical scroll bar  414  of the webpage browser program interface  412 . If the user does not lift his finger from the touchscreen  102  but slides his finger on the touchscreen  102  clockwise, the system moves the vertical scrollbar  414  in the original direction. If the user does not lift his finger from the touchscreen  102  but slides his finger on the touchscreen  102  counterclockwise, the system moves the vertical scroll bar  414  in a direction opposite to the original direction. The enable state of the vertical scroll function will not stop until the user lifts his finger from the touchscreen  102 . When the user slides his finger from Quadrant 4 to Quadrant 1, Quadrant 2 to Quadrant 3, or Quadrant 3 to Quadrant 2, the cases are similar. 
         [0030]    The embodiments described above are to demonstrate the technical contents and characteristics of the present invention to enable the persons skilled in the art to understand, make, and use the present invention. However, it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent modification or variation according to the spirit of the present invention is to be also included within the scope of the present invention.