Abstract:
The aim of the present disclosure is to develop a digit input functionality. For this purpose, a navigation input element designed for other purpose is used from now on.

Description:
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY  
       [0001]     The present disclosure relates to an input device and a communication unit, in particular a mobile telephone, a cordless telephone or a portable computer, having a navigation-input element.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Rapid technological developments in the field of mobile communication have in recent years led to progressive miniaturization of the terminals employed therein.  
         [0003]     This miniaturization is attended and not just in the field of mobile communication by problems of operating convenience, since the small housing surfaces of the miniaturized terminals hinder the incorporation of additional numbers of buttons commensurate with the devices&#39; range of functions.  
         [0004]     Known solutions to this problem provide either for ever-increasing multiple assignment of buttons, for a voice control means, or, as a button supplement, for an input wheel enabling different information to be entered by scrolling selectable characters across a display area.  
         [0005]     It is further known from European patent application EP 1071006 A2 how to use a navigation-input element and what is termed a softkey for entering information into an electronic device. For entering information via a softkey, a mechanical input element, for example a button, is as a rule assigned a display area located in the vicinity of said button. Depending on the operating status, various display-control elements assigned control functions are displayed in this defined display area. The control function assigned to the momentarily shown display-control element will then be triggered when the input element is actuated.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY  
       [0006]     In light of the above, a configuration is disclosed for using a navigation-input element, while allowing a further reduction in the relevant device&#39;s housing surface required for an input device.  
         [0007]     According to the present disclosure, a digit-input functionality is realized by the navigation input element, where it will consequently be possible to economize on the housing area otherwise provided for the key field for realizing the digit-input functionality. However, both the hardware expenditure for said key field and that entailed in its production will no longer apply.  
         [0008]     An input device can herein in particular also be a man-machine interface, referred to also as a control device.  
         [0009]     The input device disclosed herein includes a processor device or may be controlled by a processor device.  
         [0010]     The navigation-input element can be a mechanical toggle element, in particular a key element embodied in a planar fashion or a control lever, either of which can be toggled in several toggle directions and is elastically borne in such a way that after a toggle action it will automatically be moved back into a rest position. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The various objects, advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will be more readily apprehended from the following Detailed Description when read in conjunction with the enclosed drawings, in which:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a mobile station having a control device according to an exemplary embodiment;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic of a digit input under the disclosed embodiment; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic of a character input under the disclosed embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates a mobile station MS, preferably a mobile telephone, containing a control device MMI, a high-frequency device HF, and a processor device PE. Control device MMI includes a display unit DPL such as, for instance, a graphic display, and a navigation-input element NAV.  
         [0016]     A program-controlled processor device PE, such as a microcontroller, which can also include a processor CPU and a storage device SPE, is provided for controlling the mobile station MS and particularly the control device MMI. The program data such as the control instructions or control procedures used for controlling the mobile station and the control device MMI, as well as information for assigning between control-display elements, control functions, and toggle directions, is also stored in the storage device SPE.  
         [0017]     The various components of the processor device can exchange data with each other or with further components of the mobile station via a bus system BUS or via input/output interfaces and, where applicable, via suitable controllers. A person skilled in the relevant art is adequately aware of how in programming terms to appropriately set up these and further components of a processor device, and hence the processor device itself, for controlling a mobile station or, as the case may be, a control device and for realizing specific functions and applications of the mobile station.  
         [0018]     The processor device can herein be realized, for example, also by means of a chip set, which can have a plurality of processors, that has been specially produced for controlling a control device or mobile station.  
         [0019]     Control functions or, as the case may be, a character in a character set are selected or digits or, as the case may be, character sets are selected by means of the navigation-input element NAV that can be preferably toggled in four toggle directions.  
         [0020]     The round navigation-input element preferably has a flat profile and can be toggled from its rest position in particular in two digit-selection directions (in the digit-input mode) pointing in opposite directions or, as the case may be, character-set-selection directions (in the character-input mode) pointing in opposite directions scri 1 , scri 2  and in two control directions pointing in opposite directions stri 1 , stri 2 . The axis defined by the digit-selection directions or, as the case may be, character-set-selection directions is therein perpendicular to that defined by the control directions.  
         [0021]     It is noted that the above description does not preclude the navigation-input element&#39;s being togglable in any direction pointing from the center of the navigation-input element toward the edge of the navigation-input element.  
         [0022]     Toggling of the navigation-input element in a digit-selection direction or, as the case may be, character-set-selection direction, or in a control direction herein also includes toggling of the navigation-input element in a direction within a delimited angular range win around the respective direction (shown by way of example for scri 2 ).  
         [0023]     Through toggling of the navigation-input element in a first control direction stri 1 , a control function will be triggered that is assigned to the first control-display element ANZE 1 . Through toggling of the navigation-input element in a second control direction stri 2 , a control function will be triggered that is assigned to the second control-display element ANZE 2 .  
         [0024]     The control-display elements shown can change depending on the current operating status of the mobile station or on the current menu level. This means that different control functions can be triggered through toggling of the navigation-input element in a control direction depending on the current operating status of the mobile station or on the current menu level.  
         [0025]     An example for entering digits is described below by way of example with the aid of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0026]     The digit-input control function will be triggered when the navigation-input element has been toggled in a first control direction as the result of which the mobile station will be switched to a digit-input operating mode in which the directory number requiring to be called is entered.  
         [0027]     Through toggling of the navigation-input element in one of the two digit-selection directions scri 1 , scri 2  the elements of the digit sequence 0 to 9 that can be entered will be shifted or, as the case may be, scrolled by the marker M in accordance with the selected digit-selection direction.  
         [0028]     The digit momentarily marked by the marker M will be deemed entered when the navigation-input element remains in its rest position for longer than a predefined period of time. The part of the directory number “059” already entered up to that point will be shifted one digit position to the left or the marker M will be shifted one position to the right.  
         [0029]     Through toggling of the navigation-input element in the first control direction stri 1 , the digit last entered or that to the left of the marker will be deleted. This deletion-control function corresponds to the first control-display element ANZEL shown by the letter “C” in the bottom left quadrant of the display DPL.  
         [0030]     Through toggling of the navigation-input element in the second control direction stri 2 , the option-activating control function will be triggered and the option “Dial” or, as the case may be, “Save” shown, through selecting which the dial-control function or, as the case may be, storage-control function will be triggered. Said option-activating control function corresponds to the second control-display element ANZE 2  shown by the word “Options” in the bottom right quadrant of the display DPL.  
         [0031]     It is possible to select between the two options by a scrolling action triggered by toggling in one of the two digit-selection directions. Once chosen, an option can be selected by toggling the navigation-input element in the second control direction stri 2 . This selecting corresponds to the second control-display element ANZE 2  “Select” then shown in the bottom right quadrant of the display DPL.  
         [0032]     Through toggling of the navigation-input element in the first control direction stri 1 , a swift return (“Back”) to the digit-input mode will be triggered.  
         [0033]     An example for entering characters is described below by way of example with the aid of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0034]     The character-input control function will be triggered when the navigation-input element has been toggled in a first control direction as the result of which the mobile station will be switched to a character-input operating mode in which character sequences are entered.  
         [0035]     Through toggling of the navigation-input element in one of the two character-set-selection directions scri 1 , scri 2 , character sets bs will be shifted or, as the case may be, scrolled by the first marker M 1  in particular in accordance with the selected character-set-selection direction.  
         [0036]     The character set “8üùt” momentarily marked by the first marker M 1  will be deemed selected when the navigation-input element remains in its rest position for longer than a predefined period of time.  
         [0037]     Through ensuing toggling of the navigation-input element in the second control direction stri 2 , the character-selection control function will be triggered which is assigned to the arrow symbol sym 1 .  
         [0038]     Through ensuing toggling of the navigation-input element in the second control direction stri 2  a second marker M 2  will be shifted across characters in the selected character set.  
         [0039]     The character “8” momentarily marked by the second marker M 2  will be deemed selected when the navigation-input element remains in its rest position for longer than a predefined period of time and will be inserted at the marked position pos in the previously entered text.  
         [0040]     Through toggling of the navigation-input element in the first control direction stri 1 , the character last entered or that to the left of the marked position pos will be deleted. This deletion-control function corresponds to the first control-display element ANZE 1  shown by the letter “C” in the bottom left quadrant of the display DPL.  
         [0041]     It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.