Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Entertainment devices, such as televisions, television receivers (e.g., set-top boxes) and media servers have become very complicated, supporting a wide variety of feature sets. Simple remote controls with a number pad and a handful of assorted feature buttons (e.g., volume changes, channel changes, power and mute) are no longer adequate to support the enhanced feature sets available on many entertainment devices. To allow user navigation of newer feature sets on entertainment devices, advanced remote controls have been developed that provide various techniques for users to input information to the entertainment device. For example, some remote controls include touch pads or other positional input devices allowing a user to control a cursor presented on screen by an entertainment device. 
     Touch pads are not only very easy to master but, unlike standard keypads, touch pads may be used to dynamically assign functions to specific input means. By allowing multiple and dynamic assignment of input areas of the touchpad, navigation though nested menus is possible. Of course, the user must be aware of how parts of the touchpad are assigned. 
     Among touchpad remote controls, there are two schools currently extant. A first school includes remote controls having a touch pad that has no display. A user will interact with the touch pad but will receive position indicia on the screen of the television or television monitor. Thus, the user will typically see an interactive menu on the television screen that includes a cursor indicative of a position. Dragging a finger across the touchpad will move the cursor in a corresponding direction across the menu. An example of such first school remote with a touchpad is set forth in US Published Application 2006/0119585. Such systems do not include on-remote visual cues as to position and thus tend to allow a user to mistakenly activate sections of the touch screen. As a result, the user interface menus tend to be successful when fewer selections are included. 
     A second school includes remotes having a touchpad with elaborate displays behind them. The Sony Integrated Remote Commander Series (e.g. RM-AV3000, RM-NX7000) includes remote controls from the second school. Elaborate LCD displays behind the touchpad allow for control by positioning images immediately behind a segment of the touchpad corresponding thereto. Such a system is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,518. The shortfall of the LCD display based touchpad is that it tends to be fragile, expensive, and its full capabilities are generally not well exploited in performing many of the tasks typical of most remote controls. A user is, generally, not tolerant of elaborate menus that might fully exploit the capabilities of an LCD display; nor is the touchpad, itself, capable of such specific location of a cursor in elaborate menus. 
     What is needed in the art is a display behind a touch pad that can be economically manufactured to exploit the touch pad in a remote. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A remote control and a method for constructing a remote control exploit a multiply tasked touchpad. The remote control includes a planar transparent substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface in opposed relation. A transparent organic light emitting diode (TOLED) is formed on the transparent substrate lower surface. A translucent touchpad overlays the TOLED affixed to the upper surface. A character projecting base-layer is affixed to the lower surface, such that when activated, the character projecting base projects a character through the transparent light emitting diode onto the translucent touchpad. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an inventive remote control having a multiply tasked touchpad; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective drawing of a first embodiment of the multiply tasked touchpad having a first character projecting base; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section drawing of a second embodiment of the character projecting base; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart for the interaction between the multiply tasked touchpad and the remote control. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary remote control  10  includes a touch pad  11  having multiple sites thereon demarcated by visible characters  15 . The characters  15  are made visible by backlighting the translucent touchpad  11  with lighting configured in the shape of the characters. A tasking switch  12  will alternately light one of a number of light sources to depict at least one character as discussed below and will simultaneously select a corresponding tasking for the touchpad  11  according to the displayed character or characters. The translucent touchpad  11  includes a transparent insulating sheet  18  ( FIG. 2 ) upon one side of which are arrayed a first series of thin elongate conductors arrayed parallel one to another and upon the other side of the conductor a second series of thin elongate conductors arrayed parallel to each other and oriented at 90 degrees to the first series of thin elongate conductors forming capacitors or nodes at each point where a first series conductor is proximate to a second series conductor. A high frequency signal is applied sequentially between first series conductors and second series conductors in this two-dimensional grid array. The current that passes through the nodes is proportional to the capacitance. When a virtual ground, such as a finger, is placed over one of the intersections between the conductive layer some of the electrical field is shunted to this ground point, resulting in a change in the apparent capacitance at that location. This method received U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,017 awarded to George Gerpheide in April 1994 which is incorporated by this reference. 
     The translucent touchpad  11  itself is generally transparent and therefore well suited to exploiting backside illumination to form the characters  15  The characters  15  being formed by projected light, do not interfere with the operation of the translucent touchpad  11 . 
     While not shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the remote control  10  includes a processor that produces a control signal in accord with input from a user&#39;s interaction with the translucent touchpad  11 . For example, if the touchpad is showing a character  15  that is a number, touching the touchpad in the limited segment of the touchpad in proximity to the character  15  will result in the generation of a control signal in accord with that number. By way of nonlimiting example, selection of a channel for viewing is one embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the translucent touchpad  11  includes the insulating sheet  18  with the two-dimensional grid array described above with reference to  FIG. 1 . Configured to be generally transparent, the insulating sheet enables the translucent touchpad  11  to sense the presence and movement of a finger. 
     Beneath the insulating sheet  18 , a transparent organic light emitting diode (TOLED)  21  is configured on a transparent substrate  24  in the form of a character  15  ( FIG. 1 ), (shown here, for example, as an “8”) organic light emitting diode (OLED), also light emitting polymer (LEP) and organic electro luminescence (OEL), is any light emitting diode (LED) whose emissive electroluminescent layer is composed of a film of organic compounds. The layer usually contains a polymer substance that allows suitable organic compounds to be deposited. They are deposited in rows and columns onto a flat carrier by a simple “printing” process. The resulting matrix of pixels can emit light of different colors. Unlike traditional liquid crystal displays (LCDs), TOLEDs are self-luminous and do not require backlighting, diffusers, polarizers, or any of the other supporting structure present in LCDs. 
     Essentially, the OLED consists of two charged transparent electrodes forming a sandwich around thin layers of organic light emitting material. The organic layers comprise a hole-injection layer, a hole-transport layer, an emissive layer, and an electron-transport layer. When an appropriate voltage (typically between 2 and 10 volts) is applied to the cell, the injected positive and negative charges recombine in the emissive layer to produce light (electro luminescence). The structure of the organic layers and the choice of anode and cathode are designed to maximize the recombination process in the emissive layer, thus maximizing the light output from the OLED device. 
     TOLEDs  21  have only transparent components (substrate  24 , cathode and anode) and, when turned off, are up to 85 percent as transparent as their substrate  24 . When a transparent OLED display is turned on, it allows light to pass in both directions. A transparent OLED display can be either active- or passive-matrix. 
     The TOLED  21  has an optical density and color when turned off. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate  24  is further treated with a generally transparent coating configured to duplicate the optical density and color of the TOLED  21  such that when the TOLED  21  is turned off, the whole of the substrate is uniformly colored and has a uniform optical density. In that regard, the substrate  24  acts as a homogenous filter when the TOLED  21  is not in an activated state. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of TOLED  21  each situated on a transparent substrate  24  may be stacked over each other for projection of multiple characters through the translucent touchpad  11 , though for clarity only one of the TOLED  21  disposed on the transparent substrate  24  has been set forth in  FIG. 2 . The purpose of the several TOLED  21  on transparent substrate is to project a distinct character in a manner identical to that of the first but to do so to project a distinct character translucent touchpad  11  when suitably and discretely activated. Because the first TOLED  21  and substrate  24  are generally transparent, a second TOLED  21  can emit light to project the character through the translucent touchpad  11 , which emitted light being transmitted by the first TOLED  21  and substrate  24 . 
     Finally, in a first embodiment of a character projecting base B, a top emitting OLED  27  (in this nonlimiting example as a directional arrowhead) as is shown on a reflective substrate  30  has a relatively transparent top electrode so that light can emit from the side of the top electrode. The top-emitting OLED  27  has two typical configurations. When the OLED structure has a transparent anode on top of the organic layers, the structure is referred to as an inverted OLED. The top-emitting OLED can be made with a transparent cathode on top of the organic layers. An OLED with a transparent anode and a transparent cathode formed on a transparent substrate is referred to as a transparent OLED as described above. 
     Unlike the conventional OLED structure, top-emitting OLEDs can be made on both transparent and opaque substrates. One exemplary application of the top device structure is to achieve monolithic integration of a top emitting OLED on a polycrystalline or amorphous silicon thin film transistors (TFTs) used in active matrix displays. The top emitting OLED  27  structures therefore increase the flexibility of device integration and engineering. Thus, the top-emitting OLED  27  is desirable in order to achieve high-resolution display of characters thought the translucent touchpad  11  as driving transistors can be buried underneath the top-emitting OLED  27  out of the way of emitted light. 
     In operation, then, the TOLED  21  on the transparent substrate  24  is (or one of two if a second is used in the device as explained above) is selectively activated in order to project the character in the shape of the TOLED  21  through the translucent touchpad  11 . When suitably and discretely activated, the translucent touchpad  11  will suitably activate a first function in accord with the character the TOLED  21  depicts. Alternately, when the top emitting OLED  27  on its substrate  30  is activated, and the TOLED  21  is not activated, the translucent touchpad  11  will suitably activate a second function, in accord with the character the top-emitting OLED  27  depicts. 
     A second embodiment of the character projecting base B does not use the top-emitting OLED  27  ( FIG. 2 ) on its substrate, but, rather is based upon a window as shown in  FIG. 3 . Though situated below the TOLED  21  ( FIG. 2 ), a window  33  may either substitute for the top-emitting OLED  21  and its transparent substrate  30 , or may be incorporated as the substrate  24 , thereby obviating the need for the top-emitting OLED  21  and the substrate  30 . While shown as a Fresnel lens, the window  33  may be simply a planar window  33  with a single aspect mask  36 . In the more complex embodiment, the window  33  includes the Fresnel lens and multiple aspect masks  36   a ,  36   b  and, in its explanation, also completely describes the less complex variant with the planar window  33 . 
     Prisms C, P 1 , P 2 , S 1 , S 2  in the window  33  are defined by grooves  42   p ,  42   s ,  45   p ,  45   s  each having a coplanar first face formed by upper face of the window and second and third faces. The first face and the second faces shown as those toward the left and the third faces shown as those toward the right (to demonstrate, the center prism C is shown with its first surface f, its second surface p, and its third surface s). The purpose of the second and third optical surfaces is to receive the light rays from one of the first or second LEDs  39   p ,  39   s  and cause them to converge at first optical surface f, the upper surface of  33  into a confined bundle of rays which are directed substantially parallel to the central axis a of the window. The prisms C, P 1 , P 2 , S 1 , S 2  formed by the grooves  42   p ,  42   s ,  45   p ,  45   s  are dioptric prisms. Dioptric prisms are commonly employed in the central region of lenses where the degree of light bending is within the capability of the refractive index of the lens material. The higher the refractive index, the farther out from the central axis a this type of prism may be used. This type of prism relies on refraction at the surfaces formed by the grooves  42   p ,  42   s ,  45   p ,  45   s  to columnate the light rays at the first surface. 
     The first and second optical surfaces of the prisms C, P 1 , P 2 , S 1 , S 2  are selectively masked to allow light rays in a manner to form characters at the first optical surface f. Thus, for example, when the first LED  39   p  is illuminated, the mask  36   a  on the second surface of the prism P 2  generates a shadow character  36   i  on the first optical surface f. If, alternately, the second LED  39   s  had been lit, a distinct shadow image would be generated, for example, on the first surface of the prism S 1  based upon the presence of the mask  36   b . In such a manner, the use of the window  33  will allow the introduction of distinct characters to be projected through the translucent touchpad  11  ( FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 4  includes a flowchart  100  setting for the method of action in exploiting the inventive touchpad for interaction with a remote control  10 . 
     At a block  102 , the remote control  10  senses the content of a register to determine which of multiple modes the remote control  10  is in. In a preferred embodiment, the register is a switch with a multiply locatable contact having (as set forth in this nonlimiting example) three positions. In another embodiment of the remote control  10  ( FIG. 1 ), the switch is a two position switch. Relays and other forms of memory such as either of volatile or nonvolatile memory serve to store and to make available for retrieval a state of a register which, in a nonlimiting fashion, will be referred to herein as a switch position. Based upon the switch position, at the block  102 , the script is run to activate one of the scripts associated with the switch position. By way of non-limiting example, if the switch position is the first position, the method proceeds to execution of a first position script at a block  105 ; by way of further non-limiting example, if the switch position is the second position, the method proceeds to execution of a second position script at a block  108  by way of still further and optional non-limiting example, if the switch position is the third position, the method proceeds to execution of a third position script at a block  111 . 
     In a similar manner, while only three such switch positions are shown herein, the invention is not limited to those three positions but may also be advantageously practiced with a method encompassing two, four, five, six or more positions. As is demonstrated in the discussion with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3  above, the number of distinct loops available for the method in the practice of the invention is limited only by the number of alternate characters that can be produced as images on the touchpad. Because each of the distinct loops is very similar in execution, the method can readily be adapted to encompass additional switch positions and the additional loops corresponding to those switch positions. 
     In executing the position script corresponding to the position sensed at the block  102 , the remote control  10  will illuminate the corresponding LED to project a corresponding character thorough the touchpad  11  ( FIG. 1 ). For example, in executing the first position script at the block  105 , the remote control  10  will illuminate the transparent organic LED (TOLED) corresponding to the first position script. In a like manner, the second position corresponding with the character projecting base would include the illumination of the top-emitting organic LED projecting a corresponding character through the touchpad. Finally, for any other LED within the remote (in accord with the discussion of  FIGS. 2 and 3  above), execution of the third position script at the block  120 , will illuminate that LED and project the corresponding character through the touchpad. 
     In any of the positions sensed at the block  105 , the remote control  10  will remain in a state of waiting for the touching of the touchpad in the segment of the touchpad proximate to the projected character. It is of the nature of a touchpad that distinct segments have distinct tasking. In various embodiments, a projection of a character through the touchpad  11  may include the projection of several distinct characters through distinct segments of the touchpad, allowing, for example, the selection of channels as portrayed by the state of the remote controls  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . As such, the sensing a touch on the touchpad at any of blocks  123 ,  126 , and  129 , is sensing of the touch in the context of one of the of multiple characters associated with each switch position and upon projection of the multiple characters through the touch pad, the segments of the touchpad are defined as being proximate to the characters and may be distinctly defined with each switch position. Thus, there is no ambiguity as to what function is requested by a user touching the touch pad in a particular location based upon the switch position. 
     Once the touchpad is touched in a region proximate to a projected character at any of the blocks  123 ,  126 , and  129 , the remote control  10  will execute a script based upon the position of the touched segment of the touchpad (proximate to which of the projected characters) and the position of the switch as sensed at the block  105 . If in the first position, at a block  132 , the first position activation script is executed; if in the second position, the second position activation script is run at a block  135 , and in this nonlimiting example, if in the third position, the third position activation script is executed at a block  138 . 
     At a block  141 , the remote control  10  emits a control signal according to the particular activation script that has been executed at any of the blocks  132 ,  135 , and  138 , and in accord with the segment of the touchpad that was touched. After completing the emission of the control signal, the remote returns to the block  105  to check for any change in the position of the switch. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the switch may be capable of four or five positions. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.

Technology Category: 3