Input device and method for entering data employing a toggle input control
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the subject invention relate to systems, methods, and devices providing a reduced number of selectable inputs that enable efficient communication. One aspect of what is disclosed are embodiments of a systematic code, which systematic code enables efficient communication. Another aspect of the invention is the implementation of embodiments of a systematic code on interactive devices, thereby enabling efficient communication using such interactive devices.
1. An input device for entering data, said input device comprising:
a housing; and
an input control coupled to the housing to input data, wherein a first movement of the input control toggles through a first set of data inputs, wherein each individual data input of the first set of data inputs is associated with a set of secondary data inputs greater in number than the individual data input associated therewith, and wherein said first set of data inputs and each set of secondary data inputs is a subset of a larger set of data, and wherein the first movement of the input control selects an individual data input as a control input, and wherein a next movement of the input control performs one of:
selects the control input as a secondary input, if the next movement is to a middle position on the housing for entry of data; and
toggles through a set of secondary data inputs corresponding to the control input, wherein the next movement of the input control selects an individual data input from the set of secondary data inputs corresponding to the control input as a secondary input; and
wherein the control input provided by the first movement followed by the secondary input provided by the next movement produces a unique data input for the entry of data.
2. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of data input comprises vowels of an alphabet and the set of secondary data inputs corresponding to the control input comprises consonants of the alphabet.
3. The input device of claim 2 , wherein the next movement of the input control comprises moving the input control to the middle position to provide a secondary input that comprises an entering of the selected vowel.
4. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the first movement comprises moving the input control in one direction and the next movement comprises moving the input control in another direction.
5. The input device of claim 4 , wherein movement of the input control in one or more other directions provides one or more other inputs.
6. The input device of claim 4 , wherein depression of the input control associated with movement of the input control provides one or more additional inputs.
7. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the input control comprises a reduced-size control.
8. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the input control comprises one of a lever, a switch and a joy stick.
9. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a display for displaying one or more of the unique data input, the control input, the secondary input, and the set of secondary data inputs.
10. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a communications medium for communicating to the user at least one of input and output of the input device.
11. The input device of claim 10 , wherein the communications medium comprises at least one of a display, a voice chip and a mechanical component.
12. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the input control is controllable by a plurality of digits of one or more hands of a user.
13. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of data input comprises a first group of numbers and the set of secondary data inputs corresponding to the control input comprises a second group of numbers.
14. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the secondary input selected from the set of secondary data inputs is selected by moving the input control past the middle position to the desired individual data input in the set of secondary inputs corresponding to the control input and then returning the input control to the middle position.
15. The input device of claim 1 , wherein a control input of a vowel A has associated therewith a set of secondary data inputs comprising consonants B, C and D, a control input of a vowel E has associated therewith a set of secondary data inputs comprising consonants F, G and H, a control input of a vowel I has associated therewith a set of secondary data inputs comprising consonants J, K, L, M and N, a control input of a vowel O has associated therewith a set of secondary data inputs comprising consonants P, Q, R, S and T, and a control input of a vowel U has associated therewith a set of secondary data inputs comprising consonants V, W, X, Y and Z.
16. A method of entering data, said method comprising:
first moving an input control to toggle through a first set of data inputs, wherein each individual data input of the first set of data inputs is associated with a set of secondary data inputs greater in number than the individual data input associated therewith, and wherein said first set of data inputs and each set of secondary data inputs is a subset of a larger set of data, and wherein the first movement of the input control selects an individual data input as a control input; and
next moving the input control to perform one of:
select the control input as a secondary input, if the next movement is to a middle position on the housing for entry of data; and
toggle through a set of secondary data inputs corresponding to the control input, wherein the next movement of the input control selects an individual data input from the set of secondary data inputs corresponding to the control input as a secondary input; and
wherein the control input provided by the first movement followed by the secondary input provided by the next movement produces a unique data input for the entry of data.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the input control is moved using a single digit of a user's hand.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first set of data input comprises vowels of an alphabet and the set of secondary data inputs corresponding to the control input comprises consonants of the alphabet.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first set of data input comprises a first group of numbers and the set of secondary data inputs corresponding to the control input comprises a second group of numbers.