Input device

Abstract

An input device is disclosed. An input device comprises a display unit, an input unit, a load detection unit and a control unit. The display unit is configured to display an object of a folder with a hierarchical structure. The load detection unit is configured to detect a pressing load with respect to the input unit corresponding to the location of the object of the folder that is displayed on the display unit. The control unit opens and closes folders based on a change in the pressing load.

1 . An input device, comprising:
 a touch panel comprising a display configured to display plural objects, the touch panel configured to determine a position of a pressing input thereto;   a load detector configured to detect a pressing load with respect to pressing input to the touch panel;   a controller communicatively coupled to the touch panel and the load detector, and configured to:
 control the display to display a first screen including a first object; 
 control the display to display a second screen associated with the first object in response to detecting a load satisfying a first predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel at the position of the displayed first object; and 
 while displaying the second screen and maintaining a pressing load with respect to pressing input to the touch panel greater than a load satisfying a second predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel, control the display to display a third screen in response to detecting a load satisfying the first predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The input device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second screen displays at least a second object, and detecting the first predefined load standard to display the third screen is a load detected with pressing input at a position of the displayed second object. 
     
     
         3 . The display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein detecting a load satisfying the first predefined load standard is detecting a load changing from a state of being lower than the first predefined pressing load standard to a state of being higher than the first predefined load standard. 
     
     
         4 . The display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein an order of first to third screens define a hierarchy with each successive screen displaying increased detail associated with a preceding screen. 
     
     
         5 . The display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said second predefined load standard is a lower load value than the first predefined load standard. 
     
     
         6 . The display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said second predefined load standard is a higher load value than the first predefined load standard. 
     
     
         7 . The display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein detecting the load satisfying the first predefined load standard to display the second screen and detecting the load satisfying the first predefined load standard to display the third screen is a result of detection of continuous pressing input on the touch panel. 
     
     
         8 . The display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the load satisfying a second predefined load standard is a load at which a displayed screen is closed. 
     
     
         9 . An input device, comprising:
 a touch panel comprising a display configured to display plural objects, the touch panel configured to determine a position of a pressing input thereto;   a load detector configured to detect a pressing load with respect to pressing input to the touch panel;   a controller communicatively coupled to the touch panel and the load detector, and configured to:
 control the display to display a first screen including a first object; 
 control the display to display a second screen associated with the first object in response to detecting a load satisfying a first predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel at the position of the displayed first object; and 
 while displaying the second screen and maintaining a pressing load with respect to pressing input to the touch panel less than a load satisfying a second predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel, control the display to display a third screen in response to detecting a load satisfying the first predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel. 
   
     
     
         10 . The input device according to  claim 9 , wherein the second screen displays at least a second object, and detecting the first predefined load standard to display the third screen is a load detected with pressing input at a position of the displayed second object. 
     
     
         11 . The display unit according to  claim 9 , wherein detecting a load satisfying the first predefined load standard is detecting a load changing from a state of being lower than the first predefined pressing load standard to a state of being higher than the first predefined load standard. 
     
     
         12 . The display unit according to  claim 9 , wherein an order of first to third screens define a hierarchy with each successive screen displaying increased detail associated with a preceding screen. 
     
     
         13 . The display unit according to  claim 9 , wherein said second predefined load standard is a lower load value than the first predefined load standard. 
     
     
         14 . The display unit according to  claim 9 , wherein said second predefined load standard is a higher load value than the first predefined load standard. 
     
     
         15 . The display unit according to  claim 9 , wherein detecting the load satisfying the first predefined load standard to display the second screen and detecting the load satisfying the first predefined load standard to display the third screen is a result of detection of continuous pressing input on the touch panel. 
     
     
         16 . The display unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the load satisfying a second predefined load standard is a load at which a displayed screen is closed. 
     
     
         17 . An input device, comprising:
 a touch panel comprising a display and configured to determine a position of a pressing input thereto, and display on the display plural screens in a hierarchical sequence;   a load detector configured to detect a pressing load with respect to pressing input to the touch panel, wherein the hierarchical sequence is determined based on detecting a load satisfying a first predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel at the position of an object displayed on a first of the plural screens in the hierarchical sequence;   a controller communicatively coupled to the touch panel and the load detector and configured to:
 control the display of the plural screens in the hierarchical sequence; and 
 for each screen in the plural screens in the hierarchical sequence other than the first screen, control the display to display a screen previous in the hierarchical sequence in response to detecting a load satisfying a second predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel, said second predefined load standard being different from the first predefined load standard. 
   
     
     
         18 . The display unit according to  claim 17 , wherein detecting a load satisfying the second predefined load standard is detecting a load changing from a state of being lower than the second predefined pressing load standard to a state of being higher than the second predefined load standard. 
     
     
         19 . The display unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the screen previous in the hierarchical sequence is displayed in response to detecting a load satisfying a second predefined load standard with respect to pressing input on the touch panel regardless of a determined position corresponding to the pressing input. 
     
     
         20 . The display unit according to  claim 17 , wherein said second predefined load standard is a lower load value than the first predefined load standard. 
     
     
         21 . The display unit according to  claim 17 , wherein said second predefined load standard is a higher load value than the first predefined load standard. 
     
     
         22 . The display unit according to  claim 17 , wherein in displaying plural screens in a reverse order of the hierarchical sequence, detecting the load satisfying the second predefined load standard for display of each previous screen is a result of detection of continuous pressing input on the touch panel. 
     
     
         23 . The display unit according to  claim 17  wherein with display of each screen previous in the hierarchical sequence, the screen next after the previous screen in the hierarchical sequence is closed. 
     
     
         24 . An input device comprising:
 a touch panel comprising a display configured to display plural objects, the touch panel configured to determine a position of a pressing input thereto;   a load detector configured to detect a pressing load with respect to pressing input to the touch panel; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the touch panel and the load detector, and configured to:
 control the display to display a first screen including a first object while the pressing load detected by the load detector is in a range between a first predefined load standard and a second predefined load standard, the first predefined load standard being larger than zero, and the second predefined load standard being larger than the first predefined load standard; and 
 control the display to display a second screen associated with the first object in place of the first screen when the pressing load detected by the load detector exceeds the second predefined load standard.