An active keyboard system includes a processor, a memory, and a display communicatively connected to one another. The system includes input means for inputting data and commands into the system. The input means include at least one selector, and a plurality of keys. Active keyboard system software is stored on the memory and is configured to dynamically present available choices on the display grouped to effect unambiguous selection of the available choices through use of the input means. The active keyboard system software includes presentation code and filter code. The presentation code includes step or scroll resolution code to enable scrolling, and grid presentation code to organize available choices on a visual grid and provide the visual grid to the display. The grid presentation code configures the visual grid with one or more panes each configured as a matrix with a plurality of columns and plurality of rows.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/320,529, filed Dec. 17, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,947,028 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/342,382, filed Dec. 27, 2001, each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
An input device includes a flat first input unit for a first input operation, a second input unit for a second input operation, a display unit having a display portion displaying data, and a control unit controlling each unit. The control unit gives an operator feedback by provisionally displaying input data obtained from the first input operation, and then confirms the input by the second input operation.
A method (500) and apparatus (601) generate an input signal based on the orientation of a device. A sensor (302) such as a camera, a gyro, or an accelerometer detects a change in device orientation and generates a position input signal that is provided to an application program (612) such as a game program, a text messaging program, or a user interface program to affect an operation thereof. The input signal can, for example, affects a navigation position associated with the application program.
An improved handheld electronic device includes an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a processor apparatus. The input apparatus includes a reduced keyboard and a roller ball input. The roller ball input includes a movable portion that is substantially continuously rotatable with respect to a housing of the device and is rotatable about more than one axis to provide input. The processor apparatus includes a disambiguation routine that can output various proposed interpretations of inputs from the reduced keyboard. The roller ball input advantageously provides various inputs to the handheld electronic device without requiring significant user attention, which enables a user to direct a greater amount of attention to the output from the disambiguation routine and to other aspects of the device. The roller ball input potentially can be configured to additionally be translatable to provide an input, and additionally and/or alternatively the roller ball input can provide a tactile or other feedback to a user.
An apparatus is described comprising: a data processing device having a memory for storing program code and data and a processor for processing the program code and data, and a display for displaying graphical images and text; a control wheel rotatably and communicatively engaged with the data processing device, the control wheel causing a graphic element on the display to move in a first direction by a first predefined amount when rotated in a first direction and causing the graphic element to move in a second direction by the first predefined amount when rotated in a second direction; a first input button communicatively coupled to the data processing device and positioned directly adjacent to the control wheel in first direction; and a second input button communicatively coupled to the data processing device and positioned directly adjacent to the control wheel in the second direction, wherein the first input button, when selected, causes the graphic element to move in the first direction by a second predefined amount and wherein the second input button, when selected, causes the graphic element to move in the second direction by a second predefined amount.
An LCD TV includes a housing, an LCD screen panel disposed on the front side of the housing, a first mirror disposed on the back side of the housing and a projection-based backlight system disposed in a lower cabinet of the housing, wherein the projection-based backlight system provides polarized light for the LCD screen panel through the first mirror. The projection-based backlight system can provide uniformly polarized light and increase polarization efficiency as well as be easily achieved by using low-cost optical components.
