System and method for multi-mode command input

Abstract

A controlling device has a moveable touch sensitive panel positioned above a plurality of switches. When the controlling device senses an activation of at least one of the plurality of switches when caused by a movement of the touch sensitive panel resulting from an input at an input location upon the touch sensitive surface, the controlling device responds by transmitting a signal to an appliance wherein the signal is reflective of the input location upon the touch sensitive surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for remotely controlling one or more devices and/or a user interface, the method comprising:
 in response to a discrete user input event being detected at a user input element of a remote control: 
 determining a location on a surface of the user input element of the remote control at which the discrete user input event was detected; 
 determining whether the discrete user input event is a click event or a touch event; 
 selecting from a library of control commands stored in a memory of the remote control a control command based on whether the discrete user input event is a click event or a touch event and based only on the location on the surface of the user input element at which the discrete user input event was detected; and 
 causing the control command to be executed; 
 wherein a threshold associated with a depression of the user input element is used to determine whether the discrete user input event is a click event or a touch event. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein determining the location on the surface of the user input element of the remote control at which the discrete user input event was detected comprises determining an X/Y location of a touch upon the touch sensing device. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the threshold associated with the depression comprises a threshold associated with a depression of a metallic dome underlying the user input element. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control command comprises a graphical user interface navigational control command when the discrete user input event is determined to be a touch event. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , comprising causing indicia to be displayed on a display device for indicating to a user a plurality of control commands transmittable from the remote control via user interaction with the input element. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising enabling a user to selectively map different control commands from the library of control commands to different user input events receivable via the user input element. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising enabling a user to selectively map different control commands from the library of control commands to different locations on the surface of the user input element. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein control commands transmitted from the remote control are executable through interaction with the graphical user interface when displayed on a display screen. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the control command is a command for remotely controlling a controlled device and the method further comprising executing the control command at the controlled device. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a unique control command is mapped to each of plural locations on the surface of the user input element for each of at least a click input event and a touch input event. 
     
     
         11 . A remote control system for remotely controlling one or more devices and/or a user interface, the remote control system comprising:
 a plurality of user input elements, each of the user input elements configured to receive a user input event;   a plurality of sensors associated with a one of the plurality of user input elements, the sensors being configured to generate sensor data in response to a discrete user input event being received at the one of the plurality of user input elements;   user input event detection logic configured to receive the sensor data and identify whether the discrete user input event received at the one of the plurality of user input elements was a click event or a touch event, or another user input event and to identify a location on a surface of the one of the plurality of user input elements at which the click event or the touch event was received; and   command selection logic configured to use only the location on the surface of the one of the plurality of user input elements at which the click event or the touch event was received to select a first control command from a library of control commands stored in a memory of the remote control to be executed in response to determining that the user input event received at the one of the plurality of user input elements was a click event and to select from the library of control commands a second control command to be executed in response to determining that the user input event received at the one of the plurality of user input elements was a touch event;   wherein a threshold associated with a depression of the user input element is used to determine whether the discrete user input event is a click event or a touch event.   
     
     
         12 . The remote control system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the one of the plurality of user input elements comprises a touch sensing device and wherein the user input event detection logic identifies the location on the surface of the one of the plurality of user input elements at which the click event or the touch event was received by determining an X/Y location of a touch upon the touch sensing device. 
     
     
         13 . The remote control system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the threshold associated with the depression comprises a threshold associated with a depression of a metallic dome underlying the one of the plurality of user input elements. 
     
     
         14 . The remote control system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the second control command comprises a graphical user interface navigational control command. 
     
     
         15 . The remote control system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein control commands transmitted from the remote control system are executable through interaction with the graphical user interface when displayed on a display screen. 
     
     
         16 . The remote control system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the first and/or second control command is a command for remotely controlling a controlled device and the first and/or second control command is executed at the controlled device. 
     
     
         17 . The remote control system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein a unique control command is mapped to each of a plurality of locations on the surface of the one of the plurality of user input elements for each of at least a click input event and a touch input event. 
     
     
         18 . The remote control system as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising remote control user customization logic, the remote control user customization logic being configured to enable a user to selectively map different control commands from the library of control commands to different locations on the surface of the one of the plurality of user input elements. 
     
     
         19 . A remote control system for remotely controlling one or more devices and/or a user interface, the remote control system comprising:
 a remote control comprising: 
 a plurality of user input buttons, at least one of the user input buttons configured to receive a user input event and comprising at least one metal dome and a printed circuit board; 
 a plurality of sensors being coupled to the at least one of the user input buttons of the plurality of user input buttons, the plurality of sensors configured to generate sensor data in response to a user input event being received at the at least one of the user input buttons of the plurality of user input buttons; 
 a memory storing a plurality of command values; and 
 user input event detection logic configured to receive the sensor data and to immediately identify whether the user input event received at the at least one of the user input buttons of the plurality of user input buttons was a click event or a touch event, wherein the user input event detection logic identifies that the user input event is the click event based on receiving sensor data indicating that the at least one metal dome is depressed such that it forms an electrical connection on the printed circuit board; and 
 command selection logic configured to include a first one of the plurality of command values in a first control command transmission in immediate response to the user input event detection logic determining that the user input event received at the at least one of the user input buttons of the plurality of user input buttons was the click event and to include a second one of the plurality of command values in a second control command transmission in immediate response to the user input event detection logic determining that the user input event received at the at least one of the user input buttons of the plurality of user input buttons was the touch event. 
   
     
     
         20 . The remote control system of  claim 19 , wherein the command selection logic comprises part of the remote control. 
     
     
         21 . The remote control system of  claim 19 , further comprising device control command execution logic, wherein the first and/or second control command transmission is a command for remotely controlling a controlled device, and wherein the device control command execution logic causes the first and/or second control command to be executed at the controlled device. 
     
     
         22 . The remote control system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one of the user input buttons of the plurality of user input buttons of the plurality of user input buttons is a click pad having a plurality of sensors coupled thereto at corresponding sensor positions of the click pad, the click pad configured to receive a user input event at each of the sensor positions. 
     
     
         23 . The remote control system of  claim 22 , wherein a different one of the plurality of command values is mapped to each of the sensor positions of the click pad for each of at least a click input event and a touch input event. 
     
     
         24 . The remote control system of  claim 19 , further comprising remote control user customization logic, the remote control user customization logic being configured to enable the user to selectively map different ones of the plurality of command values to different user input events. 
     
     
         25 . The remote control system of  claim 19 , wherein the first one of the plurality of command values included in the first control command transmission is further based on a type for a controllable appliance that is intended to receive the first control command transmission. 
     
     
         26 . The remote control system of  claim 19 , wherein the first one of the plurality of command values included in the first control command transmission is further based on a brand of a controllable appliance that is intended to receive the first control command transmission. 
     
     
         27 . The remote control system of  claim 19 , wherein the second one of the plurality of command values included in the second control command transmission is further based on a type for a controllable appliance that is intended to receive the second control command transmission. 
     
     
         28 . The remote control system of  claim 19 , wherein the second one of the plurality of command values included in the second control command transmission is further based on a brand of a controllable appliance that is intended to receive the second control command transmission.