WO2010076443A1

WO2010076443A1 - Ergonomic remote control device with a simplified structure

Info

Publication number: WO2010076443A1
Application number: PCT/FR2009/052347
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dominique Feral; Sylvain Chaillou; Paul Luciani; Guillaume NICOLAÏ
Original assignee: Wyplay
Priority date: 2008-12-30
Filing date: 2009-11-30
Publication date: 2010-07-08
Also published as: FR2940707A1; FR2940707B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a remote control device for an interactive display system, said device including a housing (1) and a set of onboard components including a touch pad (CPT_1). The housing (1) includes an upper shell (11) and a lower shell (12) which can be brought together by applying a pinching force, and said device includes a sensor designed for changing the state thereof when the gap between the shells reaches a minimum value. Due to this arrangement, the user of the device can validate a choice made by moving a finger on the touch pad without making any other movement relative to said touch pad.

Description

ERGONOMIC REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE WITH SIMPLIFIED STRUCTURE.

The invention relates, in general, to the techniques used in the design and production of human-machine interfaces.

More specifically, the invention relates to a remote control device for interactive display system, this device comprising at least one housing and a set of components embedded on or in the housing, this set of components including itself a logic unit, a transmitter, and at least one sensor including a touchpad, each sensor adopting a state varying according to a request from a user of the device, and the logic unit being designed to periodically record the state of each sensor and delivering to the transmitter a transmission signal representative of this state. A device of this type is for example known from US Pat. No. 6,396,523, US Pat. No. 6,538,643, US Pat. No. 6,765,557 and US Pat. No. 7,174,518.

In general, and as these examples show, an interactive display system includes both a remote control device and a remote controlled device with a display.

The remote-controlled device comprises a control unit responsive to the signals received from the remote control device and designed to control, at least in part, the operation of the remote-controlled device, and in particular its display, as a function of the signals it receives from the remote control device. remote control device. One of the difficulties in designing remote control devices is the existence of many compromises that arise, albeit only implicitly, between the ease of realization of these devices and their ease of use, and must therefore both be highlighted and resolved.

In this context, the invention aims to provide a remote control device with a touchpad with a structure that optimizes both the ergonomics of use and ease of realization of this device.

To this end, the remote control device of the invention, which moreover conforms to the generic definition given in the preamble above, is essentially characterized in that the housing comprises at least one separate upper shell and a lower shell. from each other, at two corresponding points on their surface, by a distance varying between a maximum value and a minimum value such as a decreasing function of a clamping force selectively exerted between the shells against a force resilient return, this restoring force reaching a maximum value for the minimum distance between the shells, in that this device further comprises, as a sensor, an actuation sensor adopting a first or a second state depending on the distance between the hulls is not greater than its minimum value, and in that the touchpad is sensitive to a stress exerted on it with a support force of intensity less than the maximum value of the restoring force.

Thanks to this arrangement, not only the user can validate, without any other gesture than a simple pressure on the housing, a choice he made by moving his thumb on the touchpad, but it also becomes unnecessary to provide, on the upper shell of the housing, the validation button that usually performs this function in known devices .

The upper and lower shells may for example be connected to each other by a pivot connection, and the elastic return force may be exerted by deformation of a spring blade disposed between the upper and lower shells at a distance from the link pivot.

In another embodiment of the invention, the elastic return force is exerted by elastic deformation of at least one of the upper and lower shells under the effect of the clamping force, this embodiment making it possible to dispense with the presence of the insert that is the blade spring.

The actuation sensor comprises for example an electrical contact disposed between the shells of the housing, under the touch pad, and actuated by relative movement of these shells.

The ergonomics of the device of the invention can be further improved by providing that the shells are superimposed in a minimum dimension or thickness of the housing, the lower shell has a median section lined, in a maximum direction or length of the housing, by two end sections, and that the housing has, in at least one of its end sections, and preferably in each of the end sections, a thickness greater than the thickness that this housing has in its middle section.

In particular, the touchpad can in this case be arranged on a median section of the hull upper, which is at least partially superimposed on the middle section of the lower shell.

Furthermore, it may be wise to provide that the touchpad comprises at least first and second zones separated from each other by a border at least detectable to the user, each zone forming a surface itself touchpad bounded by a border at least detectable to the touch by the user. It is thus possible, using a single component consisting of the touchpad, both to perform several different functions, and to indicate intuitively to the user the presence of these different functions. The first zone may for example be disposed in the center of the touchpad, the second zone then surrounding the first zone.

In addition, the first zone may be composed of a plurality of cells separated by at least user-detectable boundaries and arranged in a generally rectangular matrix, each cell itself forming a bounded touchpad surface. by a border at least detectable to the touch by the user. With this arrangement, the unique component that is the touchpad can fulfill, in addition to its traditional touchpad function, the functions that are usually filled by separate buttons, and this without any disruption of habits of the user. Preferably, the touchpad comprises a touch sensitive printed circuit and an adhesive protective layer directly bonded to the printed circuit board and each border is formed as an embossing or an extra thickness.

To make the most of the particular layout of the touchpad, it is advisable to provide the device of the invention with additional memory associated with the logical unit, and to store in this memory the coordinates that delimit each surface. bounded touchpad.

It is then possible to provide on the one hand that the device of the invention comprises a clock associated with the logic unit and designed to selectively deliver to the logic unit, as a signal clocking a touchpad status scan. by this logic unit, a signal selected from at least one minimum frequency scan signal and a maximum frequency scan signal, and further to provide that the logic unit is programmed to select the minimum frequency scan signal or the maximum frequency scan signal depending on whether the state of the touchpad detected by the logic unit translates into a solicitation of the first zone or the second zone of the touchpad, this measurement making it possible to reduce the power consumption of the device of the invention and thus to increase its autonomy.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, this clock may be constituted by a set of frequency dividers associated with the clock which is traditionally provided with a logical unit to dispose of the time base setting its own operation, or be constituted by a subroutine built into this logical unit. Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge clearly from the description which is given below, by way of indication and in no way limiting, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a remote control device according to the invention, this device being observed on the side of the upper shell of its housing; - Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 1, this device being observed on the side of the lower shell of its housing;

- Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2, observed in the absence of pinch force;

- Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Figures 1 to 3, observed in the configuration it adopts under the effect of a clamping force reducing to its minimum value the distance between the shells of the housing;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, observed in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view from above of a possible embodiment of the device for

The invention; Figure 7 is a diagram showing the main components of the device of the invention and their interactions; and FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a possible mode of operation of the device of the invention, making it possible to increase its autonomy. As previously announced, the invention relates to a remote control device for interactive display system, of a type known to those skilled in the art and in particular by the aforementioned patents. Such a device (FIGS. 1, 2 and 7) comprises in particular a housing 1 and a set of components embedded in the housing 1 or on the latter, such as a logic unit UL, an emitter EMT, for example of the infrared type, and one or more sensors CPT_1, CPT_2, and CPT_3, the sensor CPT_1 being in this case constituted by a touchpad, that is to say by a two-dimensional position sensor.

One or more batteries BAT BATTERY are also provided in the housing to ensure the power supply of the other components.

Each of the sensors adopts a state that varies according to a request that it receives from a user of the device, this state being able, according to the type of sensor considered, to be represented by a vector or a matrix of any dimension , or by a single numerical quantity capable of taking different number values at least equal to two.

The logic unit UL is designed to periodically record the status of each sensor such as CPT_1 to CPT_3, and to deliver to the transmitter EMT a transmission signal representative of this state.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the housing 1 comprises in particular an upper shell 11 and a lower shell 12. These shells are separated from one another, at two corresponding points of their surface, by a variable distance D. More specifically, the distance D varies from a maximum value to a minimum value when a clamping force P of increasing intensity is exerted between the shells 11 and 12 against an elastic restoring force which tends to reduce the distance D at its maximum value.

In other words, the distance D evolves as a decreasing function of the clamping force P, so that the restoring force which opposes the pinching force P reaches a maximum value when the distance between the shells 11 and 12 reaches its minimum value.

Furthermore, the device of the invention comprises, among its sensors, an actuation sensor CPT_2 which, in the most advantageous embodiment, can be designed to adopt a state represented by a single bit, that is to say say one or the other of two values.

More precisely, this CPT actuation sensor 2 adopts a state of value SO as long as the distance D between the shells 11 and 12 remains greater than its minimum value, that is to say as long as the pinching force P did not overcome the maximum value recall force, this sensor CPT_2 adopting however a state of value Sl in the opposite case, that is to say as soon as the distance D between the shells 11 and 12 reaches its value minimal.

For satisfactory operation of the device, it should nevertheless be provided that the touchpad CPT_1 is sensitive to a stress exerted on it with a support force of intensity less than the maximum value of the restoring force. The user of the device can therefore use the touchpad CPT_1 by exerting on the latter, for example with his thumb, a sufficient pressing force so that the position of the thumb is taken into account by the touchpad, then confirm the choice that he has made by the position of his thumb by applying on the casing 1 a pinching force P which brings the shells 11 and 12 closer together until the distance D reaches its minimum value and therefore that the sensor CPT_2 changes its state (Figure 4). The elastic return force can be exerted by deformation of a spring blade 14 disposed between the upper and lower shells 11 and 12 (FIG. 4), these shells being moreover linked to each other by a pivot connection (no visible), disposed at a distance from the spring blade 14, at the other end of the housing.

In an advantageous variant, the elastic return force can nevertheless be exerted by elastic deformation, under the effect of the pinching force P, of one of the upper and lower shells 11 and 12, or of the other of these two hulls, or both if their respective stiffness are similar.

In all cases, the actuation sensor CPT_2 may consist of an electrical contact disposed between the shells 11 and 12 of the housing 1, under the touchpad CPY_1, and which is therefore actuated by relative displacement of these shells 11 and 12.

From a strictly material point of view, the sensor CPT_2 can however take various forms, and in particular be reduced to a simple galvanic contact or include a motion transducer such as a Hall effect sensor, a capacitive sensor, or an optical sensor . As shown in particular in Figures 1 to 4, the shells 11 and 12 are superimposed according to the thickness E of the housing 1, that is to say, in the smallest dimension of this housing, and each of these shells extends advantageously over the entire length L of the housing, that is to say according to its largest dimension.

These shells may nevertheless have respective guide webs such as 131 and 132 (FIG. 5), and the lower shell 12 may have a battery compartment BAT closed by a cover 133 (FIGS. 2 to 4).

As further shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the lower shell 12 has a median section 120 arranged, in the longitudinal direction L of the housing 1, between two end sections 121 and 122, the middle section 120 being different from these end sections. 121 and 122 in that the housing 1 has, in this middle section 120, a thickness E120 less than the thickness E121 that this housing has in its end section 121 and the thickness E122 that it has in its terminal section 122.

In fact, although the thickness of the housing in each of these sections is not necessarily constant, and although the thicknesses E121 and E122 may be identical or different, the middle section 120 is preferably distinguished from each of the end sections 121 and 122 by a reduction in thickness of the housing 1 in this middle section, which promotes the centering of the remote control device on several fingers of the hand other than the thumb. Furthermore, it is desirable to have the touchpad CPT_1 on the upper shell 11 opposite the middle section 120, that is to say on a middle section of the upper shell 11 which is superimposed at least partially on the middle section 120 of the lower shell 12.

The touch pad CPT 1 preferably comprises several zones and for example at least two zones Z1 and

Z2 separated from each other by a NOZ border at least detectable to the user (Figure 6).

Each zone is itself separated from the outside of the touchpad CPT_1 by a NOZ border at least detectable to the touch by the user, so that each of these areas forms a bounded surface so at least detectable to the touch.

The zone Z1 is for example disposed in the center of the touchpad CPT_1, and completely surrounded by the zone Z2.

FIG. 6 illustrates a preferred configuration in which zone Z1 is composed of a plurality of cells such as ZI1, Z13, Z41, and Z43, which are separated from each other by NOZ boundaries at least detectable to the touch for user, and which are arranged in a matrix of generally rectangular shape.

Each of the cells such as ZI1, Z13, Z41, and Z43 thus itself forms a surface of the touch pad CPT 1 bounded at least in a manner that is detectable by the user.

This arrangement naturally leads to Z2 zone form a frame of which each side can be associated with a different functionality. Thus, although the remote control device of the invention may comprise other control members such as separate buttons BO, B1, B2 and B3, the wealth of instructions that allows the touchpad configured as described above makes it possible to dispense with these buttons or at least to significantly reduce the number. The touchpad is preferably constituted by a printed circuit sensitive to the touch and by an adhesive protective layer directly bonded to this printed circuit.

The adhesive layer is for example constituted by a polycarbonate sheet, such as the polycarbonate marketed by SABIC Innovative Plastics under the brand name "Lexan ®", each NOZ border can then take the form of an embossing or a thickening of this leaf. In addition to the fact that this solution provides a pleasant feel and has excellent durability, it allows, due to the tightness that ensures the polycarbonate sheet, avoid damage that the touchpad could suffer accidental spraying a liquid.

The operation of the remote control device of the invention can be further optimized by recording, in the memory MEM associated with the logical unit UL, the coordinates which, on the touchpad CPT_1, delimit each of the bounded surfaces of this block, and in particular zones Z1 and Z2 as well as cells of zone Z1, such as ZI1, Z13, Z41, and Z43.

An advantageous example of exploitation of this memory storage is given with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8 for a remote control device comprising a clock CLK associated with the logic unit UL and designed to deliver to this logical unit a scanning signal Fscrut adjustable frequency.

By "scan signal Fscrut" is meant here a signal that allows to clock the scanning, periodically performed by the UL logic unit, the state of the touchpad CPT_1 to identify if this touchpad is the subject of a solicitation by a user and, if so, to obtain instantaneous samples representative of the position or displacement of the supporting force that constitutes this solicitation.

In this example, the scan signal Fscrut can be chosen between a minimal frequency scan signal Fmin and a maximum frequency scan signal Fmax.

The program flow to which the UL logical unit responds is as follows.

By scanning the touchpad CPT_1, the logical unit UL detects whether or not this pad is subject to a request from a user.

If not, the logical unit UL returns to the polling state.

If so, the logical unit UL has an instantaneous sample providing the coordinates, denoted X and Y, of the position "POSITION (X, Y)" occupied by the touching finger on the touchpad CPT_1. this pavement.

In the next step, the logical unit UL compares the abscissa X of this position with the lower abscissa X _MIN corresponding to the left edge of the zone Z1, and the upper abscissa X _MAX corresponding to the right edge of this zone. Zl. In the case where X is not in the interval between X _M IN and XMAX, the solicitation of the touchpad CPT_1 is not in the zone Zl.

The logic unit UL then chooses as polling signal Fscrut the scanning signal Fmax having the maximum frequency to obtain an optimal definition of the following position "POSITION (X, Y)" and returns to scanning mode at the frequency defined by the Fmax signal.

In the case where X is in the interval between XMIN and XMAX, it is not excluded that the solicitation of the touchpad CPT_1 is in the zone Zl.

In the next step, the logical unit UL then compares the ordinate Y of the position "POSITION (X, Y)" to the lower ordinate Y _MIN corresponding to the lower edge of the zone Z1, and to the upper ordinate Y _MAX corresponding to the upper edge of this zone Z1.

In the case where Y is not in the range between Y _M IN and YMAX, the solicitation of the touchpad CPT_1 is not in the zone Zl.

In the case where, on the contrary, Y is in the interval between Y _M IN and YMAX, it is then certain that the solicitation of the touchpad CPT_1 is in the zone Zl. In the latter case, the logic unit UL chooses as polling signal Fscrut the scanning signal Fmin having the minimum frequency so as to reduce the consumption of electrical energy by agreeing to know the following position "POSITION (X, Y) "with a non-optimal definition but nevertheless sufficient to determine in which cell of Zl, such as ZIl, Z13, Z41 or Z43, takes place the solicitation of the touchpad CPT_1. The logic unit UL then returns to polling mode at the frequency defined by the signal Fmin.

As this example shows, the logic unit UL can therefore be programmed to select, as polling signal Fscrut, the minimum frequency scanning signal Fmin or the maximum frequency scanning signal Fmax according to the state of the pad. Touch CPT_1 raised by this logical unit UL translates a solicitation of the first zone Zl or the second zone Z2 of the touchpad CPT 1.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. Remote control device for interactive display system, this device comprising at least one housing (1) and a set of components embedded on or in the housing (1), this set of components itself comprising a logic unit (UL ) , an emitter

(EMT), and at least one sensor (CPT_1 to CPT_3) including a touchpad (CPT_1), each sensor adopting a state varying according to a request from a user of the device, and the logical unit ( UL) being designed to periodically record the state of each sensor (CPT_1 to CPT_3) and to deliver to the transmitter (EMT) a transmission signal representative of this state, characterized in that the housing (1) comprises at least one hull upper (11) and a lower shell (12) separated from each other, at two corresponding points on their surface, by a distance (D) varying between a maximum value and a minimum value such as a decreasing function of a pinch force (P) selectively exerted between the shells (11, 12) against an elastic restoring force, said restoring force reaching a maximum value for the minimum distance between the shells (11, 12), in what this device further comprises, as a sensor, u an actuation sensor (CPT 2) adopting a first or a second state (SO, Sl) according to whether or not the distance (D) between the shells (11, 12) is greater than its minimum value, in that the block (CPT_1) is sensitive to a stress exerted on him with a support force of intensity less than the maximum value of the force of return, in that the elastic return force is exerted by elastic deformation of at least one of the upper and lower shells (11, 12) under the effect of the clamping force (P), in that the shells (11, 12) are superposed in a minimum dimension or thickness (E) of the housing (1), in that the lower shell (12) has a median section (120) bordered in a maximum direction or length (L) of the housing (1), by two end sections (121, 122), and in that the housing has, in at least one of its end sections, a thickness (E121, E122) greater than the thickness (E120) than present this case

(1) in its middle section (120).

2. Remote control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper and lower shells (11, 12) are connected to each other by a pivot connection, and in that the elastic return force is exerted by deformation of a leaf spring (14) disposed between the upper and lower shells (11, 12) away from the pivot connection.

3. Remote control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said actuation sensor (CPT 2) comprises an electrical contact (CPT_2) disposed between the shells (11, 12) of the housing (1), under the touchpad (CPY_1), and actuated by relative displacement of these shells (11, 12).

4. Remote control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the touchpad (CPT 1) is arranged on a middle section of the upper shell (11), at least partially superimposed on the middle section (120) of the lower shell (12).

5. Remote control device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the touchpad (CPT_1) comprises at least first and second zones (Zl, Z2) separated from one another by a border (NOZ ) at least detectable to the touch for the user, each zone (Zl, Z2) itself forming a surface of the touchpad (CPT_1) bounded by a border (NOZ) at least detectable to the touch by the user.

6. Remote control device according to claim 5, characterized in that the first zone (Zl) is disposed in the center of the touchpad (CPT_1), and in that the second zone (Z2) surrounds the first zone (Zl).

7. A remote control device according to claim 6, characterized in that the first zone (Zl) is composed of a plurality of cells (ZIl, Z13, Z41, Z43) separated by boundaries (NOZ) at least detectable to the touch. the user and arranged in a matrix of generally rectangular shape, each cell (ZIl, Z13, Z41, Z43) itself forming a surface of the touchpad (CPT_1) bounded by a border

(NOZ) at least detectable to the touch by the user.

8. Remote control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized the touchpad comprises a touch sensitive printed circuit and an adhesive protective layer, directly bonded to the printed circuit and on which each border (NOZ) is formed as an embossing or an extra thickness.

9. Remote control device according to any one of the preceding claims combined with claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises a memory (MEM) associated with the logical unit (UL), and in that each bounded surface The touchpad (CPT_1) is delimited by coordinates that are stored in the associated memory (MEM).

Remote control device according to claims 7 and 9, characterized in that it further comprises a clock (CLK) associated with the logic unit (UL) and designed to selectively deliver to the logical unit (UL), in as a signal controlling a touch pad state scan (CPT_1) by this logical unit (UL), a signal (Fscrut) selected from at least one minimum frequency scan signal (Fmin) and a scan signal (Fmax) maximum frequency, and in that the logic unit (UL) is programmed to select the minimum frequency scan signal (Fmin) or the maximum frequency scan signal (Fmax) depending on the state of the touchpad (CPT_1 ) raised by the logical unit (UL) translates a solicitation of the first zone (Zl) or the second zone (Z2) of the touchpad (CPT 1).