Patent Publication Number: US-2004046748-A1

Title: Input panel device for an electronic device and method for using the same

Description:
[0001] This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from Korean Patent Application No. 2002-54539, filed on Sep. 10, 2002, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0003] The present invention relates to an input panel device for an electronic device, and more particularly, to an input panel device for an electronic device capable of selecting a menu promptly and easily by using light receiving and luminous elements.  
       [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0005] Various apparatuses employ an electronic device that inputs a control signal from an input panel for various operations. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an inner structure of a conventional input panel device for an electronic device. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional input panel device  100  includes a plurality of mode selection switches sw 11  to swnn arrayed in a matrix of a plurality of columns and rows. Each of the mode selection switches sw 11  to swnn is assigned to perform a specific function and operation.  
       [0006] A controller  102  is provided to check a physical contact of each of the mode selection switches to determine whether or not such contact is made. In one example, the mode selection switches are checked beginning with the first row to determine whether any switch in that row is closed. If none of them are closed, then each mode selection switch in the next row is checked. This may proceed to the last row until the controller  120  finds the selected mode selection switch that is closed.  
       [0007] Upon finding the selected mode selection switch, the controller  102  controls the electronic device (not shown) to perform a function assigned to the selected switch. As features of electronic devices become varied, the number of necessary keys for selection of the various operations increases, thus making it difficult to miniaturize the devices.  
       [0008] To resolve the above problem, input panel devices have been developed which include mode selection switches corresponding to menus, which have a plurality of submenus for each of them so that submenus can consequently be selected after the desired menu is selected by using a switch. However, the conventional input panel device may only perform the functions assigned to respective keys and not any non-assigned functions. This results in an increase in the number of keys for selection of the mode as the features of electronic devices become more complex.  
       [0009] The input panel device further has a problem in that users could not see what kind of submenus are associated with the upper menus. Therefore, a user will only be able to select the submenus via the upper menu if the user previously viewed and remembers those submenus. If the user selects the wrong upper menu, he or she has to return to another upper menu and start all over again.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010] An object of the present invention is to solve at least the above problems and disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below.  
       [0011] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the foregoing problems by providing an input panel device for an electronic device to enable a user to select functions of the electronic device promptly and easily.  
       [0012] The foregoing object and advantages are substantially realized by providing an input panel device for an electronic device for inputting and selecting a desired operation. The input panel device comprises a plurality of menu keys, a display which, upon selection of a menu key by a user, displays submenus pertaining to the selected menu, and a sensor array arrayed in a line inside of the display which, upon selection of a submenu displayed on the display by the user, outputs signals having levels corresponding to the selected submenu. The input panel device further comprises a controller for calculating a central position of the sensors having changed output levels among the sensor array, and for comparing the calculated central position with positions of the submenus displayed on the display to determine the selected submenu to inform the electric device of the selected submenu. The input panel device of the electronic device further comprises a storage for storing positions and ranges of the submenus displayed on the display.  
       [0013] The sensor array of the input panel device of the electronic device can include luminous elements disposed inside of the display to emit light, and light receiving elements disposed in positions corresponding to the luminous elements to receive the light from the luminous elements, such that the light from the luminous elements in the vicinity of the selected submenu is obstructed from being received by their respective light receiving elements upon selection of the submenu, resulting in the respective light receiving elements outputting signals having levels different from the levels of signals output by the respective light receiving elements when they receive light from their respective luminous elements.  
       [0014] The number of light receiving and luminous elements may depend on their features and a resolution of the display. However, the number of the luminous elements is preferably matched with the number of the submenus, and is typically smaller than that of the light receiving elements.  
       [0015] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the embodiments of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the embodiments of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0016] The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein:  
     [0017]FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an inner structure of a conventional input panel device for an electronic device;  
     [0018]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an input panel device for an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0019]FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the input panel device of FIG. 2; and  
     [0020]FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of the operation of the input panel device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0021] The following detailed description will present an input panel device for an electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention in reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     [0022]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an input panel device for an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the input panel device of FIG. 2.  
     [0023] Generally, the input panel device  200  is mounted on a surface of the electronic device (not shown), and has a plurality of buttons  204 , for example, menu keys, via which a user can select a desired function of the electronic device. An input menu is input via the input panel  200  to a main controller  300  of the electronic device. The main controller  300  controls an operator  400  to perform a function corresponding to a requested submenu.  
     [0024] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the input panel device  200  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention comprises a display  202 , a plurality of menu keys  204 , a luminous element  206 , a light receiving element  208 , a storage  210  and a controller  212 . The display  202  displays image or text information in the form of image in response to the menu selection of the user.  
     [0025] If the electronic device is, for example, a printer, the available functions for the electronic device can include, for example, discharging a sheet of paper, test printing, initiating printing and the like. These functions are classified into several categories, each of which has a hierarchy structure, such that the functions can be represented by a plurality of submenus corresponding to an upper menu. Preferably, the menu keys  204  are matched with the functions of the electronic device corresponding to the upper menus.  
     [0026] When a function is selected by the user via the menu keys  204 , the display  202  displays submenus  207  corresponding to the upper menu which is assigned to the selected menu key. This enables the user to see respective submenus  207  corresponding to the menu keys  204 .  
     [0027] The display  202  has a series of a plurality of luminous elements  206  disposed inside the display. The luminous elements  206  can include luminous sensors which emit infrared, visible or ultraviolet light at a specific level and angle. The number of luminous elements  206  may depend on their features and a resolution of the display  202 . However, it is preferable for the number of luminous elements to be matched with the number of the submenus  207 .  
     [0028] The light receiving elements  208  are placed in series to correspond to the luminous elements  206 , and thus can receive the light emitted from the luminous elements  206  (refer to FIG. 3). The light receiving elements  208  receive the infrared, visible or ultraviolet light to output a signal having a level corresponding to the amount of the received light. The number of light receiving elements  207  may depend on their features and the resolution of the display  202 . However, it is preferable that the number of light receiving elements  207  be larger than the number of luminous elements  206 .  
     [0029] The luminous elements  206  emit light normally. When the user selects one of the submenus  207  displayed on a screen of the display  202  by using, for example, his or her finger, the light from the luminous elements in the vicinity of the selected submenu  207  is partially obstructed. This causes one or more of the light receiving elements  208  to change their respective output levels because these light receiving elements  208  do not receive light having the same intensity as unobstructed light.  
     [0030] The storage  210  stores positions and ranges of the submenus displayed on the display. Conventionally, a register, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), Flash ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like can be used as the storage  210 .  
     [0031] The controller  212  controls overall operations of the electronic device. The controller  212  includes a submenu calculator  214 . The submenu calculator  214  determines the light receiving elements  208  having the changed levels, which are the light receiving elements  208  shadowed by the finger of the user. The submenu calculator  214  then calculates a central position in the determined elements. The submenu calculator  214  consequently compares the calculated value with positions of the submenus stored at the storage  210  to locate the submenu corresponding to the calculated value.  
     [0032] A detailed description of the operations described above will now be given with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the position of the submenu  207   b  is stored as “4” from a point A with range from “3” to “5”, while the positions of the light receiving elements  208   c,    208   d  and  208   e  are stored as “3”, “4” and “5”, respectively. Assuming the user selects the submenu  207   b  out of the submenus  207 , this causes the light receiving elements  208   c,    208   d  and  208   e  among the light receiving elements  208  to change their output levels. The submenu calculator  214  then calculates a central position “4” by averaging the positions “3”, “4” and “5” of the light receiving elements  208   c,    208   d  and  208   d.  As a result, the submenu calculator  214  may detect that the submenu  207   b,  which is within the range including “4”, has been selected by the user. The controller  212  informs the main controller  300  of the selected submenu  207   b,  and the controller  300  controls the operator  400  to perform the function corresponding to the submenu  207   b.    
     [0033] A further description of the operation of the input panel device according to an embodiment of the invention is set forth below.  
     [0034]FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of the operation of the input panel device according to an embodiment of the present invention. When one of the menu keys is selected out of the plurality of the menu keys  204  by the user in step S 402 , the display  202  displays submenus of an upper menu assigned to the selected menu key in step S 404 .  
     [0035] Using his or her finger, a user selects one of the submenus out of the displayed submenus in step S 406 . Although all of the luminous elements  206  normally emit light, if the user selects one of the submenus  207  displayed on the screen of the display  202  by using his or her finger, then the light from the luminous elements  206  corresponding to the selected submenu are partially obstructed by the user&#39;s finger. This causes the light receiving elements  208  which receive the emitted light from the luminous elements  208  to change their output levels.  
     [0036] The submenu calculator  214  determines the positions of the light receiving elements having the changed levels in step S 408 , and then calculates a central position of these positions in step S 410 . The submenu calculator  214  consequently compares the calculated value with the positions of the submenu stored in the storage  210  to thus locate the submenu corresponding to the calculated value in step S 412 .  
     [0037] After the submenu calculator  214  locates the submenu selected by the user, the controller  212  informs the main controller  300  of the selected submenu in step S 414 . The main controller  300  then controls the operator  400  to perform the function corresponding to the selected submenu.  
     [0038] Although the output levels of the light receiving elements are input to the submenu calculator  214  in the embodiment described above and shown in FIG. 2 to locate the positions of the light receiving elements having changed levels, another embodiment of the panel input device can include a light detector (not shown) for detecting the output levels of the light receiving elements.  
     [0039] According to the embodiments of the present invention described above, the menus can be selected promptly and easily by using the light receiving and luminance elements. While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention as described above can also be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.