Patent Publication Number: US-6988247-B2

Title: Graphic user interface having touch detectability

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The subject invention relates to control panels having a flat panel graphic user interface (GUI). The invention further relates to a remote control having such a control panel. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Consumer electronics devices are often provided with remote control units for controlling the device from the comfort of one&#39;s easy chair. These remote control units typically are rectangular in shape and carry a plurality of buttons for operating the various control functions of the electronic devices. 
   However, as the user acquires more and more devices, these remote control units start to accumulate leaving an array of remote control units on the user&#39;s coffee table with the problem of selecting the appropriate remote control unit for controlling the desired device. 
   This problem has been addressed with universal remote control units which either include or may be programmed with the codes for controlling a plurality of different devices in a plurality of different device categories. As such, a user of such a universal remote control unit may control his/her stereo system, television receiver, video cassette recorder, DVD player, CD player, cable box, satellite receiver, etc., using the one universal remote control unit. 
   Quite naturally, it has now become a feat to design such a universal remote control unit which can be intuitively used to control all of these devices. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,025 discloses a remote control unit with 3D organized graphic user interface (GUI) for a home entertainment system which includes a GUI in the form of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) with touch sensitivity in which various icons are displayed on the GUI and represent various control functions which the user selects in order to operate the various control functions of the various devices. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  show an example of a remote control unit having such a GUI in the form of a touch sensitive LCD, which is marketed by Philips Electronics. As shown in  FIG. 1 , this remote control unit  10  includes an infrared transmitter for transmitting infrared control signals to the devices to be controlled. The remote control unit  10  includes a plurality of hard switches including a “MUTE” button  14 , channel “UP” ( 16 ) and “DOWN” ( 18 ) buttons, volume “UP” ( 20 ) and volume “DOWN” ( 22 ) buttons, “RIGHT” ( 24 ) and “LEFT” ( 26 ) buttons for moving a cursor, and a “BACKLIGHT” button ( 28 ). The remote control unit  10  further includes a GUI in the form of a liquid crystal display  30  which displays various control icons for the device to be controlled. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the controlled device is a television receiver and the control icons include, e.g., “ON” ( 32 ) and the number “1” ( 34 ). 
     FIG. 2  shows the remote control unit  10  of  FIG. 1 , now set to control a DVD player, and has various control icons, e.g., “ON” ( 32 ), “REWIND” ( 36 ), and “PLAY” ( 38 ). 
   However, one problem with these types of remote control units is that it is necessary for the user to look at the remote control unit in order to operate it. While this may not be a problem when using the remote control unit to operate an audio device, such as, a CD player, when the user is watching television, in many cases, the illumination in the room is dimmed to enhance the picture. As such, it is then difficult to discern the markings on the display of the remote control unit. While, for example, the remote control unit  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  includes the button  28  for activating a back light for the display, the user still must take his/her eyes off of the television in order to reliably operate the remote control unit. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the invention to provide a control panel for an electrical/electronic device which allows a user to use the control panel without looking at the control panel. 
   This object is achieved in a control panel for an electrical/electronic device, said control panel comprising a graphic user interface (GUI) having a display for displaying various control icons representing various control functions for controlling the electrical/electronic device; means for rendering touch sensitivity to said display enabling a user of the control panel to select the desired control function by touching the respective control icon; and means for rendering touch detectability to the control icons on the display enabling a user to differentiate the various control icons by feel. 
   With such a control panel, after learning the layout of the control icons, the user is able to select the appropriate simply by detecting the icon by feel. 
   In a particular embodiment of the invention, the means for rendering touch detectability comprises changing a surface quality of the display at the control icons such that the control icons may be distinguished, by touch, from surrounding areas of the display, wherein the surface quality is an increased height of the display in the areas of the control icons. 
   As such, each control icon is distinguished by a raised portion of the display, similar to the buttons on a standard remote control unit. These raised portions may be formed into the upper surface of the display. However, this would not allow for changing the configuration, or placement, of the control icons on the display. 
   In response thereto, in a further particular embodiment of the invention, the display is flexible, and the means for rendering touch detectability comprises an array of actuators positioned beneath said flexible display, and control means for activating select ones of said actuators to locally deform the flexible display in the areas of the control icons. 
   As such, depending on the location of the control icons on the display, selected ones of the actuators are actuated to press against the underside of the display in the areas of the control icons causing the upper surface of the display to be raised wherever the control icons are arranged. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With the above and additional objects and advantages in mind as will hereinafter appear, the subject invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a plan view of a known remote control unit having a graphic user interface (GUI) showing control icons for a television receiver; 
       FIG. 2  shows a plan view of the remote control unit of  FIG. 1  in which the GUI shows the control icons for a DVD player; 
       FIG. 3  shows a plan view of a remote control unit having a GUI which incorporates the subject invention; 
       FIG. 4  shows an edge view of the GUI of the remote control unit of  FIG. 3  incorporating a first embodiment of the subject invention; 
       FIG. 5  shows an edge view of the GUI of the remote control unit of  FIG. 3  incorporating a second embodiment of the subject invention; and 
       FIG. 6  show an array of actuators and a block diagram for controlling the actuators. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 3  shows the GUI  50  of a remote control unit incorporating the subject invention. The GUI includes three regions, an information section  52  which includes information for the selected device, a device selection section  54  for displaying control icons for selecting the desired device, e.g., TV  58  and LD (laser disc)  60 , and a control function section  56  for displaying control icons for controlling the desired device, in this case, numbers 1–0 icons  61 – 70 . 
     FIG. 4  shows an edge view of the GUI  50  where it will be apparent that surface of the GUI in the vicinity of the icons  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  and  70  is raised. It should be understood that while  FIG. 4  only shows some of the icons being raised, the surface of the GUI in the vicinity of other icons, including  58 ,  60 ,  61 ,  63 ,  65 ,  67  and  69 , may also be raised. 
   Once a user of the remote control unit  50  is familiar with the layout of the control icons, the user is then able to select the appropriate icon by merely sliding his/her finger across the surface of the GUI thereby detecting the raised areas and then selecting the desired control icon represented by the appropriate raised area. 
   While this embodiment of the invention allows for a user to discern the various control function by touch, when the raised areas are formed in the surface of the GUI, the layout of the control icons on the display may not be changed. 
     FIG. 5  shows a second embodiment of the invention in which the touch sensitive display is a flexible display. U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,730 discloses an electroluminescent device which is flexible and may be used for the display in the GUI  50 ′. The raised portions  62 ′,  64 ′,  66 ′,  68 ′ and  70  are formed by actuators  72 . 0 – 72 . 9  arranged beneath the flexible display  50 ′. Each of the actuators  72 . 0 – 72 . 9  includes a pusher rod  74 . 1 – 74 . 9  which, upon activation of the respective actuator, presses on the under-surface of the flexible display  50 ′. Hence, in order to accommodate the icons forming the numbers “2”, “4”, “6”, “8” and “0”, as shown in the GUI  50  of  FIG. 3 , the actuators  72 . 1 ,  72 . 3 ,  72 . 5 ,  72 . 7  and  72 . 9  are activated, while the actuators  72 . 2 ,  72 . 4 ,  72 . 6  and  72 . 8  are deactivated. 
   In order to accommodate various layouts of control icons on the flexible display  50 ′, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the actuators may be arranged in an actuator array  80  forming a matrix having a plurality of rows of actuators and columns of actuators. The rows of actuators in the actuator array  80  are addressed by a row interface  82 , while the columns of actuators in the actuator array  80  are addressed by a column interface  84 . An actuator controller  86  is then connected to the interfaces  82  and  84  for activating selected ones of the actuators corresponding to the location of the control icons as controlled by a display controller  88 . With such an arrangement, small control icons may be raised using a single actuator, while larger control icons may be raised using multiple adjacent actuators. In fact, if the actuators are sufficiently small, a plural number of actuators may be used to form a raised distinguishable shape for the icon (e.g., an arrow), or may be used to form a type of rocker switch. 
   While the invention so far has been described in the sense of forming raised areas on the surface of the display, it should be understood that, instead, depressions in the surface of the display by alternatively be formed. To this end, the pusher rods  74 . 1 – 74 . 9  of the actuators  72 . 1 – 72 . 9  are attached to the under-surface of the display  50 ′. Depending on the control signal applied to each actuator  72 . 1 – 72 . 9 , the respective pusher rod  74 . 1 – 74 . 9  may press upwardly on the display (e.g.,  74 . 1 ), remain in a neutral position (e.g.,  74 . 2 ), or may pull down on the display. 
   While the invention contemplates touch sensitivity on the part of the display, it should be noted that this feature has not been disclosed for the electroluminescent device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,730. Hence, in order to provide for such, the actuator controller  86  may also detect pressure on, for example, the activated actuators, this pressure resulting from a user pressing the desired icon (note the two-way arrows connecting the interfaces  82  and  84  to the actuator array  80 , and the two-way arrows connecting the interfaces  82  and  84  to the actuator controller  86 ). 
   It should be noted that while the above description relates to the GUI layout as shown in  FIG. 3 , and in particular, to the bottom row of the GUI therein, the subject invention is applicable to other layouts. For example, the subject invention may be used to impart touch detectability to the display of the remote control unit shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In particular, the small icons, e.g.,  32 ,  34  and  36 , may be accommodated by activating single actuators in the actuator array, while larger icons, e.g.,  38 , may be accommodated by activating two or more actuators. 
   Numerous alterations and modifications of the structure herein disclosed will present themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the above described embodiment is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.