A computer keyboard includes position sensors such as capacitive sensors on each of the keys for monitoring positions of fingertips on the keys. A processor receives an indication of contact of a finger on a surface of a key, including an identity of the key and an indication of a position of the contact on the surface. The processor also receives an indication of a motion gesture comprising displacement of the position of the contact on the surface of the key. Using the identity of the key and the indication of the motion gesture, an input from a human operator is determined.

A display device includes a display; a communication device which communicates with a remote controller that includes a first button group having at least one button, and a second button group having at least one other button. A processor highlights and displays at least two key objects on the keypad from among a plurality of key objects arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, upon receiving a first control signal according to manipulation of the at least one button of the first button group from the remote controller, and recognizes, as an input key, one key object, which corresponds to a second control signal according to manipulation of the at least one other button of the second button group, among the at least two key objects, upon receiving the second control signal from the remote controller.

Method for the conversion of elementary finger movements and/or movement combinations of a user into respective characters and/or functions presented as electrical signals by using a hand held smart electronic including the steps of:associating a group of the movements and movement combinations with respective ones of characters and/or functions prior to the beginning of the conversion step so that the movements take place in a region defined by a closed boundary line;in the associating step defining a predetermined number of special positions along the boundary line of the permitted region of movement;entering the required characters and/or functions in a consecutive sequence further including the steps of:holding the device in a hand so that a free finger touches an upper surface thereof;moving the finger according to the movements or movement combinations associated with the character or function to be entered;providing haptic feedback to the user when the boundary line and any of the special positions has been reached;following the termination of the entry of a character or function slightly raising the finger,detecting the finger raising step and carrying out the conversion of the previously entered movement combination into the associated character or function,repeating the entering steps as long as all required characters or functions have been entered and converte.

An apparatus includes a keyboard engine that operates a keyboard that accepts shape-writing input and radial entry input. A keyboard input module obtains input data from at least one input sensor of the keyboard. An intention disambiguation engine enables simultaneous use of the shape-writing input and the radial entry input acceptance for a user of the keyboard.

The securing of a data input device of a computer system including a screen, the device including a touch-sensitive surface allowing an object displayed on the screen to be designated, and a switch operable by pressing the touch-sensitive surface, the operation of the switch allowing a designated object to be selected. The device furthermore includes means for measuring a force applied to the touch-sensitive surface and intended to operate the switch. The measurement means are independent from the switch.

Systems and method are provided for entering alphanumeric input into an electronic device. The systems include two devices with a viscoelastic casing in the size of a user's hand, and a plurality of sensors are arranged such that when the user grasps the holding section, the user's fingers substantially overlay the keys. The device may also include a pointer control device such as accelerometer to control the pointer in a computer without the need for the user from switching between another pointer control device such as a mouse and the handheld keyboard. When the user applies a pressure to a sensor, the viscoelastic casing deforms until the internal strain equals to the pressure.

A controller includes a position detecting unit, switching unit, vibration controlling unit, and vibration detecting unit. The position detecting unit detecting a contact position with an operation surface. The switching unit switches between vibration and detection modes of at least one vibration element in accordance with temporal change in contact position detected by position detecting unit, the vibration mode being a mode wherein at least one vibration element vibrates, and detection mode being a mode wherein at least one vibration element detects vibration. The vibration controlling unit causes one or more first vibration elements to vibrate so as to vibrate the operation surface, at least one vibration element including one or more first vibration elements. The vibration detecting unit detects an operation surface's vibration based on vibration's detection results detected by one or more second vibration elements, at least one vibration element including the one or more second vibration elements.

A display device is provided, which includes a jog switch which performs a moving operation in a plurality of directions and a push operation, a display unit which displays a first user interface (UI) for adjusting a channel or a volume of the display device or a second UI for adjusting other functions of the display device in accordance with a first operation of the jog switch, and a control unit which adjusts a selected function of the display device in accordance with a second operation of the jog switch in which is performed in a state where the first UI or the second UI is displayed. The jog switch is formed to project for a predetermine height from a surface of the display device, and thus a user can find the jog switch easily and promptly even is the jog switch is obstructed from view.

A computer keyboard includes position sensors such as capacitive sensors on each of the keys for monitoring positions of fingertips on the keys. A processor receives an indication of contact of a finger on a surface of a key, including an identity of the key and an indication of a position of the contact on the surface. The processor also receives an indication of a motion gesture comprising displacement of the position of the contact on the surface of the key. Using the identity of the key and the indication of the motion gesture, an input from a human operator is determined.

A computer keyboard includes position sensors such as capacitive sensors on each of the keys for monitoring positions of fingertips on the keys. A processor receives an indication of contact of a finger on a surface of a key, including an identity of the key and an indication of a position of the contact on the surface. The processor also receives an indication of a motion gesture comprising displacement of the position of the contact on the surface of the key. Using the identity of the key and the indication of the motion gesture, an input from a human operator is determined.