KR20130051118A - Method and apparatus for controling button of electronic textile - Google Patents

Abstract

Unlike conventional mechanical buttons, fabric buttons do not provide a click feel, making it difficult to recognize whether the buttons are pressed. It may seem easy to attach additional LEDs, vibration elements, speakers, etc. next to the buttons to generate feedback whenever a button is detected, but in reality not only the additional driver hardware, but also the fabric circuits and control boards or control chips. The increased interconnection is not optimal for fabric circuits where high resolution electronic circuits are difficult to achieve. Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention is to propose a key input control technique of an electronic fabric that can be inserted into an input / output port control controller in an integrated circuit chip such as a micro control unit (Micro Control Unit, MCU). Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, by generating the feedback by using the port used to detect the button input of the electronic clothing, the number of input and output ports that are insufficient for the fabric circuit, and minimizes the feedback according to the button input without software involvement We propose a key input control technique for an electronic fabric that can provide an output.

Description

Electronic input key control device and method {METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLING BUTTON OF ELECTRONIC TEXTILE}

The present invention relates to an electronic textile (e-textile), in particular the key input of the electronic fabric suitable for including a feedback control function in the control device of the fabric button which is a user input device used in the electronic fabric A control apparatus and method are provided.

Electronic textiles (e-textiles), especially electronic clothing, have been widely studied as next-generation computers with improved portability and aesthetics. Electronic clothing refers to intelligent clothing or accessories that implement circuits using conductive inks and conductive threads on textiles or fabrics, or add various computing functions by inserting small electronic devices.

Since electronic user clothing cannot use a conventional user input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, various input methods suitable for the characteristics of the fabric have been studied. Post and Orth proposed basic fabric buttons using two layers of conductive fibers in 1997.In 2000, after embroidering conductive yarns to form electrodes, the change in capacitance of the electrodes was observed. It also suggested a method of detecting button touch by sensing it.

In addition, fabric-type buttons using various sensing techniques have been proposed. However, unlike conventional mechanical buttons, the fabric buttons are not easy to recognize whether the buttons are pressed because they do not provide a touch.

It may seem easy to attach additional LEDs, vibration elements, speakers, etc. next to the buttons to generate feedback whenever a button is detected, but in reality not only the additional driver hardware, but also the fabric circuits and control boards or control chips. The increased interconnection is not optimal for fabric circuits where high resolution electronic circuits are difficult to achieve.

US Patent Publication 20080105527, Switches and Devices for Integrated Soft Component Systems, published 2008.05.08

Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention is to propose a key input control technology of an electronic fabric that can be inserted into an input / output port control controller in an integrated circuit chip such as a microcontroller (Micro Controller, MCU).

Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, by generating the feedback by using the port used to detect the button input of the electronic clothing, the number of input and output ports that are insufficient for the fabric circuit, and minimizes the feedback according to the button input without software involvement We propose a key input control technique for an electronic fabric that can provide an output.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for controlling a key input of an electronic fabric, comprising: an input sensing unit configured to sense a key input of a user by using an input sensing method of a resistive method, a capacitive method, or a current method; Port input and output control according to whether the sensing unit detects the key input, the port input and output control unit for providing a feedback function according to the input and output of the port, and set the feedback output time or input detection period, the port input and output control unit It may include a feedback timer that is driven by to generate a timer end event.

According to the present invention, in implementing an electronic fabric such as electronic clothing, a small number of input / output ports can sense button presses and provide hardware feedback. As a result, it is possible to easily provide a feedback function lacking in the conventional fabric button controller to the user, and minimize the number of input / output ports which are often a problem in the fabric circuit system.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a key input control device of an electronic fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2A and 2B illustrate an embodiment of the input sensing unit 102 of FIG.
3A and 3B illustrate another embodiment of the input sensing unit 102 of FIG. 1, illustrating a capacitive input sensing means;
4A and 4B illustrate another embodiment of the input sensing unit 102 of FIG. 1, illustrating a current type input sensing means.
5A and 5B illustrate various embodiments of the port input / output control unit 104 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 illustrates an actual implementation of an electronic fabric with 16 fabric buttons having a feedback function according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
7 is a circuit diagram for sensing a two-electrode current button input according to an embodiment of the present invention;
8 is a perspective view of a fabric circuit layer having a feedback LED (feed-back light emitting diode) mounted on the bottom surface of the electronic fabric of FIG. 6 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
9 is a state diagram for explaining a key input control method of an electronic fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. The following terms are defined in consideration of the functions in the embodiments of the present invention, which may vary depending on the intention of the user, the intention or the custom of the operator. Therefore, the definition should be based on the contents throughout this specification.

Each block of the accompanying block diagrams and combinations of steps of the flowchart may be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded into a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus so that the instructions, which may be executed by a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, And means for performing the functions described in each step are created. These computer program instructions may be stored in a computer usable or computer readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement functionality in a particular manner, and thus the computer usable or computer readable memory. It is also possible for the instructions stored in to produce an article of manufacture containing instruction means for performing the functions described in each block or flowchart of each step of the block diagram. Computer program instructions may also be mounted on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, such that a series of operating steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a computer-implemented process to create a computer or other programmable data. Instructions that perform processing equipment may also provide steps for performing the functions described in each block of the block diagram and in each step of the flowchart.

Also, each block or each step may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for executing the specified logical function (s). It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions mentioned in the blocks or steps may occur out of order. For example, two blocks or steps shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially concurrently, or the blocks or steps may sometimes be performed in reverse order according to the corresponding function.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail an embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a key input control device 100 of an electronic fabric according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which includes an input sensing unit 102, a port input / output control unit 104, a feedback timer unit 106, and the like. can do.

The key input control device 100 of the electronic fabric according to the embodiment of the present invention may be mounted in a microcontrol unit (MCU).

MCUs or processors can be called General Purpose Input / Output (GPIO) blocks, Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART) blocks, timer blocks, analog-to-digital conversions. A variety of peripheral control hardware, such as a converter (hereinafter referred to as an ADC) block, can be embedded.

Even in the design of electronic fabrics, such MCUs can be used for computational functions, and the fabric buttons appearing in many prior arts can be seen to detect the pressing of fabric buttons using the built-in GPIO block or ADC blocks. The key input control apparatus of the electronic fabric according to the embodiment of the present invention may also be implemented as one of the functional blocks inside the MCU.

As shown in FIG. 1, the input sensing unit 102 may serve to detect a key input, for example, a button input pressed by a user.

The port input / output controller 104 may perform a function of adjusting the function of the input / output port between an input and an output according to whether a key input is detected by the input detector 102.

The feedback timer unit 106 may perform a function of adjusting a feedback providing time.

In addition, the key input control device 100 may be connected to the operation unit 12 and the UART 14.

Here, the input detector 102 may be implemented in various forms according to the input detection method.

For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the case of a resistance type textile button implemented by separating two conductive fibers into a perforated lace, one buffer gate and a pull-up resistor are shown. The input sensing unit 102 may be implemented as such.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in the case of a capacitive textile button for detecting a change in capacitance of an electrode according to a finger contact, the input detector 102 may be implemented as a capacitance meter.

In addition, as shown in Figures 4a and 4b, in the case of the fabric button that detects the micro-current flowing through the finger when two adjacent electrodes and fingers in contact with both electrodes at the same time, using a current amplifier and a current-voltage converter The input sensing unit 102 can be implemented.

However, the input sensing method of the input sensing unit 102 is merely an example, and need not be limited to a specific input sensing method.

Meanwhile, the port input / output controller 104 may serve to control the input / output function of the port according to the input sensing function, the feedback function, and the current state.

The simplest form of feedback technique is to mount an LED driven by a digital output (FIG. 5A) or externally mount a vibration motor or the like (FIG. 5B).

In addition, it is also possible to use a feedback method such as a buzzer, electric shock, sound, or the like. The most important factor in choosing a feedback method is whether it is possible to share the port with the selected input sensing method. Since the button and the feedback circuit are not physically separated during use, the button input should normally be sensed according to the input / output status and voltage level of the port even when the feedback circuit is connected. Conversely, at the moment of being set to the feedback output state, feedback generation should be normally performed according to the input / output state and the voltage level of the port even when the input sensing circuit is connected.

In addition, the port input / output control unit 104 may also play a role of transferring a button input event to the operation unit 12 through an interrupt or a status register by determining whether each button is pressed.

The feedback timer unit 106 may provide a function of setting a feedback output time or an input sensing period to the user, and may be driven by the port input / output controller 104 to transmit a timer end event.

The MCU including the key input control device 100 of the feedback-embedded electronic fabric configured as described above is capable of controlling the feedback device connected to the same port as the fabric button implemented in the fabric to a single port, thereby configuring the electronic clothing system with only minimal connection. It is possible to do

As an embodiment of the electronic garment system including the key input control device 100 of the electronic fabric with embedded feedback, the following system can be considered.

First, the key input sensing method of the electronic fabric is less affected by the wearer's body when mounted on clothing, and a current method using two electrodes can be selected to facilitate feedback.

Since the usefulness of the fabric button proposed by the present invention increases in a system requiring a large number of fabric buttons, a remote control cushion having 16 fabric buttons and capable of controlling TV functions through each button can be selected as a target electronic clothing system. have.

The fabric circuit constituting the outer shell of the remote control cushion has 16 buttons or 32 electrodes, 2 for each button, and can be embroidered as shown in FIG. 6 using a conductive thread.

Since the current flowing between both electrodes through the skin with relatively high resistance is very small in microamperes (uA), two bipolar transistors with high current gain are used to detect this. Darlington) can be connected to design the input detector block shown in FIG.

When the port input / output controller 104 outputs a 3V voltage to the COM terminal and sets the IO [i] terminal as an input, the collector terminal of the Darlington connected transistors changes from 3V to 0V according to the user's button input. Can be seen.

In the current sensing circuit of FIG. 7, in the input sensing state, the voltage V _COM of the COM terminal and the voltage V _{{ IO , i}} of the IO [i] terminal may maintain a relationship of V _COM > V _{{ IO , i}} > GND.

 If a feedback circuit of the type as shown in FIG. 5A is used, the feedback circuit is not affected since the LED is reverse biased in the input sensing state.

Conversely, if the port input / output control unit 104 outputs 3V to the IO [i] terminal and the COM terminal outputs GND to activate the feedback of FIG. 5B, the current sensor circuit of FIG. 7 is used to generate feedback to the LED. It has no effect on the current flow.

Therefore, the optical feedback method of FIG. 5A is selected as the feedback method of the remote control cushion.

The fabric used in Figure 6 is thin and has the property of shining light. Accordingly, the inner fabric circuit layer having the optical feedback circuit embedded under the fabric circuit can be implemented as shown in FIG. 8 to sew the two layers so that the two layers of electrodes, for example, 32 electrodes, are aligned to be in contact with each other.

The port input / output controller 104 should perform feedback generation and input sensing without the involvement of the calculator 12, and can be designed using digital logic.

When the state of the port input / output control unit 104 is defined as S0: input standby, S1: feedback generation, and S2: feedback termination, the state definition of each port may be illustrated as shown in [Table 1]. The state diagram can be implemented as shown in FIG.

condition Justice Print input Next state S0 Waiting for input Feedback inactive.
Timer inactive.
Button not pressed. No button pressed S0 Button pressed S1 S1 Generate feedback for a defined short time Feedback active.
Timer active.
Button pressed state. Timer never expires S1 Timer expired S2 S2 Input check status immediately after feedback timer ends Feedback inactive.
Timer inactive.
Button pressed state. No button pressed S0 Button pressed S1

The port input / output controller 104 is normally in an input standby state, and when a button input is detected, the port input / output controller 104 may start generating feedback. Feedback is generated for a predetermined amount of time, and you can set this time as short if you want a sensitive response.

When the feedback timer 106 is terminated, it stops generating feedback for one clock cycle, changes the port to an input state, and detects the input of the button. If the button is in the pressed state, the feedback timer returns to the feedback generating state again, and the button If it is not pressed, it can return to the input standby state.

When the period of the feedback timer unit 106 is shorter than the human perception range, for example, a time shorter than 100 ms, the pressing of the button and the process of generating the feedback may be felt to occur almost simultaneously (quasi-simultaneous).

The function of the feedback timer unit 106 can be easily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

According to an embodiment of the present invention as described above, a key input control technique of an electronic fabric that can be inserted into an integrated circuit chip such as an MCU as an input / output port control controller has been proposed, and a port used for detecting a button input of electronic clothing is provided. By generating the feedback by using the fabric circuit, it is possible to implement the key input control technology of the electronic fabric which can minimize the number of input / output ports that are insufficient for the fabric circuit and provide the feedback output according to the button input without software involvement. Therefore, according to the present invention, in implementing electronic fabrics such as electronic clothing, it is possible to detect button presses with a small number of input / output ports and provide hardware feedback, and easily provide a feedback function lacking in the conventional fabric button controller to the user. It can be provided and implemented to minimize the number of input and output ports that are often problematic in fabric circuit systems.

102: input detection unit
104: port input / output control unit
106: feedback timer unit

Claims (1)

An input detection unit detecting a user's key input by using an input detection method;
A port input / output controller for controlling input and output of the port according to whether the input sensing unit detects a key input or providing a feedback function according to the input and output of the port;
A feedback timer configured to set a feedback output time or an input sensing period and to be driven by the port input / output controller to generate a timer end event;
Key input control device of electronic fabric.

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