Coded data generation or conversion – Bodily actuated code generator – Including keyboard or keypad
Patent
1997-02-14
1998-05-05
Hofsass, Jeffery
Coded data generation or conversion
Bodily actuated code generator
Including keyboard or keypad
341 20, 341 23, 340905, 340990, 455345, 700207, 700211, H03K 1794, H03M 1100
Patent
active
057481156
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
RELATED ART
The invention proceeds from a method according to the preamble of the main claim. A method in which city names are entered by means of a numerical keypad into a radio unit having a calculation unit and memory, is known from Unexamined Patent Application DE-OS 42 30 912.3-53. In this, multiple letters are allocated to each key of the numerical keypad, which is connected to the calculation unit with memory. A directional input is entered by entering a location and a destination with names. Since the input can be ambiguous, the calculation unit searches in the memory for the possible cities and outputs them for further selection.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The method according to the invention with the features of the main claim has, in contrast, the advantage that cardinal points are allocated to the keys of a numerical keypad, and that directional information can be entered by actuating the corresponding keys. Thus no additional input unit is required. The configuration of the numerical keypad offers the advantage that the cardinal points can be allocated to the keys of the numerical keypad in a manner corresponding to a map. This makes possible a simple input method which is easy to understand because of the analogy with the use of cardinal points on maps.
The features set forth in the subclaims make possible advantageous developments and improvements of the method indicated in the main claim. It is particularly advantageous to actuate a special key in order to cause the location of the vehicle to be determined. The use of a special key allows easy operation of the input method.
A particular embodiment of the method is achieved by the fact that the cardinal points--north, east, south, and west--are allocated to the second key (2) of the first row, the third key (6) of the second row, the second key (8) of the third row, and the first key (4) of the second row of the numerical keypad, adjoining the (5) key. This allocation of the cardinal points by analogy with maps allows the driver to utilize the numerical keypad intuitively in order to input directional information, without needing to use a complex code.
The input of multiple defined ranges by actuating the corresponding key once or several times makes it possible to input more precise directional information in a simple fashion.
An advantageous gain in the precision of the input method is achieved by the fact that the directional data northwest, northeast, southeast, and southwest are allocated to the first and third keys (1, 3) of the first row and to the third and first keys (9, 7) of the third row of the numerical keypad. As a result, directional input can be made even more precisely. The assignment of the keys of the numerical keypad that is used corresponds to the directional indication on maps, and can therefore be used intuitively by the user.
A further advantageous embodiment of the method consists in using the second key (5) of the second row of the numerical keypad, to which the number 5 is assigned, as a special key, for example to determine location.
The second key (5) of the second row is thus perceived as the central key when the user makes inputs, and the allocation of the adjacent keys to the cardinal points is intuitively understood by the user.
DRAWINGS
An exemplified embodiment of the invention is depicted in the drawings and explained in the description below. In the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a numerical keypad, FIG. 3 a sequence diagram of the method, FIG. 2 a receiving unit, FIG. 4 a directional fan, and FIG. 5 directional circles.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENT
Shown in FIG. 1 is a numerical keypad 32 as is commonly used in radio units, telephones, and navigational units. Numerical keypad 32 is divided into four rows and three columns. The first key 1 of the first row is assigned the digit 1, the second key 2 of the first row the digit 2, and the third key 3 the digit 3. The first key 4 of the second row is assigned the digit 4, the second key 5 of the second row the digit 5, and the third key 6 of t
REFERENCES:
patent: 4442432 (1984-04-01), Quigley
patent: 5438687 (1995-08-01), Suchowerskyj et al.
patent: 5546310 (1996-08-01), Ehdaie et al.
Edwards, Jr. Timothy
Hofsass Jeffery
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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