Patent Publication Number: US-6215417-B1

Title: Electronic equipment interface with command preselection indication

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to person/machine interfaces and, more particularly, to an operator input including a pre-execution confirmation mode of operation. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is often the case that users of electronic equipment enter incorrect commands because they cannot see an associated input device, or must look elsewhere during command entry. It is for this reason that typists must memorize the keyboard, since they are typically required to view a display instead. Fortunately, for typists, the display itself provides feedback as to incorrect entries, enabling the typist to backspace and make appropriate corrections. 
     There are other situations, however, wherein an operator is unable, or does not wish to memorize the input device, and must therefore refer to the input device to minimize incorrect entries. One example is the familiar hand-held remote-control unit supplied with audio/video equipment. Particularly during nighttime usage, the user of such a device is unable to see the keypad, leading to incorrect entries. This invention is directed toward alleviating such problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In an operator control arrangement including a display device, the present invention provides a user input having a first mode of operation wherein information relating to the entry of a command is indicated on the display device prior to the actual execution of the command, and a second mode of operation wherein the command is actually executed using the displayed information for confirmation purposes. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the user input device takes the form of a hand-held remote-control unit, and the display is a television monitor. The invention is operative to determine the position of a user&#39;s finger relative to one or more keys of the keypad on the remote-control unit, and display, on the TV monitor, information relating to the user&#39;s relative position. For example, the display might show textual information relating to the pushbutton in closest proximity to the user&#39;s finger or, alternatively, the display may show a graphical representation of at least a portion of the keypad, along with an icon that moves relative to the graphical display in relation to movements made by the user. 
     The invention therefore enables the operator of a user input device to view, on a display device, the command which will be executed should the user take further action, but before such action is actually taken, thereby essentially guaranteeing that the correct command will be entered. In one embodiment of the remote-control unit, as the user&#39;s finger hovers over the keypad, the display will change to indicate which key will be depressed, and therefore which command will be entered, should the operator perform a key depression at a particular time. 
     The equipment to be controlled with the user input need not be the same equipment incorporating the display used for visual confirmation, but instead, the user input for one piece of equipment may use the display of a different piece of equipment. For example, in an entertainment setting, a single video monitor may be used to indicate the status of input devices associated with various pieces of equipment such as tape or disk player, cable boxes, audio tuners, amplifiers, and so forth. 
     Various technical approaches may be used to sense the position of the user relative to the input device. For example, one or more pushbuttons may be provided with multiple leaf switches or electrically conductive membranes, such that an initial, slight depression of the key will bring about a first electrical contact, and, subsequent to a confirmation of the displayed command, a further depression of the same key will bring about a second, electrical contact, resulting in the execution of the command. 
     In an alternative configuration, the outer surface of particular pushbuttons may be provided with a capacitive touch sensor, enabling the position of the user relative to these keys to be sensed without the user having to actually perform an initial depression of a key. The implementation of the invention may be limited to the most commonly used commands. For example, in an entertainment control environment, only commonly used pushbuttons such as numeric keypads or volume control may be provided with dual-mode activation according to the invention, with the other controls being conventional. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates, from an oblique perspective, a hand-held remote-control input device including the capability of displaying the position of a user&#39;s finger relative to a keypad on an associated video monitor; 
     FIG. 2 is a drawing of an alternative screen display according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional drawing of a pushbutton including a capacitive touch sensor operative to support two modes of operation according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3B is an alternative embodiment of a dual-mode switch including double, electrically conductive membranes; 
     FIG. 3C represents yet a further, alternative dual-mode switch incorporating a plurality of electrically conductive leaf springs; and 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting electrical circuitry used in implementing the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In FIG. 1 there is shown generally at  100  an embodiment of the invention including a hand-held remote-control unit  104  in wireless communication with a video monitor  108 . In this case, the thumb  112  of an operator has initiated a first mode of operation with respect to the “2” key  116 , causing a “2” ( 118 ) to appear on the screen of the monitor  108 . The “6” ( 120 ) appearing on the screen is indicative of the fact that the operator had previously entered a “6” through a second, command-execution mode of operation with respect to that key. 
     In this embodiment, some type of visual indicator is preferably utilized to show that a particular entry is in the first or confirmatory mode of operation awaiting actual entry. For example, in FIG. 1, the display of the digit “2” ( 118 ) on the screen may be contained in a block of blinking reverse video or other appropriate graphical representation to indicate that the operator will enter a “2” through further depression of the “2” key, at which time the reverse video will terminate and the “2” numerical command will actually be entered. In this particular case, it will cause the execution of channel-change command channel  62 . 
     Although FIGS. 1 and 4 illustrate the use of a wireless link between a dual-mode user input and display device, a hardwared connection between the user input and the display may alternatively be utilized, and although pushbuttons are discussed herein, other input devices such as trackballs, slide switches, rotary knobs and other controls are well within the scope of the invention. In addition, although certain of the figures might imply that the user input and display form the same piece of equipment (a remote-controlled television, for instance), the user input may, in fact, be used to control a different piece of equipment, with the display of a television, for example, being conveniently used for temporary display purposes only. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates at  202  an alternative confirmatory display according to the invention, wherein a facsimile of the user-input device is generated along with an icon  204  representative of the user. Such graphical icons would be preferably generated automatically when the user comes within close physical proximity to the input device. In this case, the user&#39;s finger (or thumb) has come in close physical proximity to the “2” key of a remote unit, as shown in the lower portion of FIG. 1, causing the graphical representation  202  of the remote to appear along with the graphical representation of a user, including a finger hovering over the “2” key as shown, indicating that if the user continues to depress that key, a “2” will be entered. 
     FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate alternative approaches to the implementation of dual-mode pushbuttons according to the invention. In FIG. 3A, a pair of spaced-apart electrodes  322  and  324  are used to bring about the second, execution mode associated with the switch, and above these electrodes there is a membrane  326  having a capacitive touch sensor  328  in alignment with the electrodes  322  and  324 . When the user comes within sufficient physical close proximity to the touch sensor  328 , the first or confirmatory mode of operation will be initiated and with a further downward depression, the electrodes  322  and  324  will make electrical contact, effectuating the second, execution mode of operation for that switch. 
     FIG. 3B illustrates an alternative two-mode switch wherein a first pair of spaced-apart electrodes  312  and  314  make initiate contact through the downward action of an upwardly-biased pushbutton  310 . Preferably, the material onto which the upper electrode  312  is applied is sufficiently pliable that even a slight downward pressure will cause electrodes  312  and  314  to make electrical contact. With a further downward, somewhat more aggressive depression of the button  310 , however, electrode  314  will make contact with a lower electrode  316 , thus executing the second mode of operation. 
     As an alternative to membranes having electrically conductive areas, FIG. 3 illustrates how leaf switches may be used together, or instead of the other approaches just described. In this case, the initiate downward motion of an optional pushbutton  330  causes electrical contact to occur between leaf springs  332  and  334 , thus bringing about the first mode of operation, whereas a further downward depression causes contact between leaf spring  334  and  336 , executing the operation indicated through the first, confirmatory mode. 
     FIG. 4 depicts, in block-diagram form, major electrical functional units associated with implementing the invention in a remote-controlled television arrangement. For the sake of clarity, subsystems not germaine to the invention have been left out of this figure, with the understanding that such additional functionality is not precluded by the invention. In the embodiment shown, a hand-held remote-control unit  402  communicates with a display  404 , preferably through the use of an infrared signal  406  from a transmitter  408  in the remote  402  and a receiver  410  associated with the display. 
     A dual-mode user input is shown generally at  420  in the form of an upper switch  422  used to bring about the first, confirmatory mode of operation and a lower switch  424  used for the actual execution of the command associated with the user input  420 . The broken line  426  is used to indicate that the switches are in vertical, physical alignment with one another but not meant to imply that both switches need to have moving parts, as in the case of the capacitive touch sensor of FIG.  3 A. The switches, which cause a ground contact when activated, may be held to a logical, high state using pull-up resistors  428 , as is typical, and may be scanned by a controller  430 , which is preferably a microprocessor or single-chip microcomputer of conventional design. A memory  432  may optionally be used, as necessary, to store remote-control codes, for example, in the event that the controller  430  is not equipped for such purpose. 
     In the display unit  404 , a separate controller  412  is preferably used in conjunction with various other components to cause the display of textual and/or graphical information on display  412  in conjunction with the confirmatory mode of operation of the input  420 . A separate controller  414  may be used to coordinate operations, receiving information from the infrared receiver  410 , and causing the textual and/or graphical information to be routed from a display generator  416  to the display  412 . An auxiliary memory  418  may be used, for example, for control-code look up or other purposes. 
     In the event that the display unit  404  forms part of a television, appropriate tuner ( 430 ) and demodulator ( 440 ) circuits may be provided to cause the display of television programming on the display  412 . If the display unit  404  is a monitor only, or forms part of a non-television piece of equipment such as a computer, tuning and demodulation circuits would not be required.