Abstract: An input device for adaptively providing various input modes according to an aspect of the present application and providing a clicking feeling to a user by controlling the stiffness of a button pressed by the user is provided. The input device includes a contact surface (physically) contacting a user, an actuator providing a displacement or a force to the contact surface, and an electric circuit controlling the operation of the actuator.

Abstract: A user interface system and method for providing a vibration signal are provided. The user interface system includes a storage module to store a plurality of graphic objects and attribute information of each of the graphic objects, a control module to receive motion information of an interface object moved a user among the plurality of graphic objects from an interface device and to provide frequency information and amplitude information based on the motion information and the attribute information, and a drive module to generate a vibration signal based on the frequency information and the amplitude information and to transmit the vibration signal to the interface device.

Abstract: A haptic button providing various stimulations to a user according to a current application and a haptic device using the same are provided. The haptic button includes an electro-active polymer having a flat shape, a pair of electrodes contacting two sides of the electro-active polymer, an electric circuit applying a predetermined voltage to the pair of electrodes, and a sensor sensing a button input from a user, wherein stimulation provided from the electro-active polymer to the user is changed by changing a waveform of the voltage according to a current application status.

Abstract: A mobile apparatus for providing a user interface and method and medium for executing functions using the user interface are provided. The mobile apparatus includes a user interface module sensing a user's touch and providing information regarding the user's touch, and a control module determining a type of mode and function selected by a user based on the provided information regarding the user's touch, wherein the user interface module provides a user interface pad by which mode items and function items corresponding to the mode items are simultaneously formed, and the user interface module includes a first area for selecting mode items corresponding to the type of mode and function determined by the control module, a second area for selecting the function items, and a common area of the first and second areas, and the control module executes a function positioned at the common area.

Abstract: A function input method for providing in advance to a user information on a function to be executed when the user presses a button to execute a specific function in a portable terminal, such as a cellular phone, and a button input apparatus using the same. The method includes: receiving a button input when the user presses one of a plurality of buttons; determining whether a mode of the button input is a touch mode or a click mode; and displaying a preview image of a function corresponding to the pressed button if the button input mode is the touch mode and executing the function corresponding to the pressed button if the button input mode is the click mode.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for providing information during a call by delivering the current state and changes of state of a mobile device by tactile information, and which does not interfere with the phone conversation. The apparatus for providing information during a call comprises an information-sensing unit sensing at least one among information about the state of a mobile device and the state of a phone conversation, an information-analysis unit analyzing the sensed state information, a tactile information-generating unit generating tactile information corresponding to the sensed information, which was analyzed by the information-analysis unit, a tactile information-outputting unit delivering the tactile information to a user, and a driving unit generating a driving signal which drives the tactile information-outputting unit by converting the tactile information.

Abstract: An input device and method for protecting input information from exposure, in which the time of input of information is determined using a tactile output to protect the input information from being exposed. The input device for protecting input information from exposure includes a user-input module for receiving predetermined input information from a user, a control module for setting the information inputted in association with a tactile signal among the input information as user-input information, and a tactile-output-generation module for generating and providing the tactile signal to the user-input module under the control of the control module.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently providing tactile information. The method includes receiving a position indicated by input means, determining whether the input means is in contact with an object using the position indicated by the input means and the position of the object, generating tactile information about movement of a tactile device from information about a texture of the object, when it is determined that the input means is in contact with the object, transforming the generated tactile information tactile information in a perception region that can be perceived by a user, transforming the tactile information in the perception region into a driving signal capable of driving the tactile device, and driving the tactile device according to the driving signal.

Abstract: Provided are a method for configuring a three-dimensional (3D) input device, a method for reconfiguring the 3D input device, a method for recognizing wearing of the 3D input device, and an apparatus for the same. The method of configuring a three-dimensional (3D) input device, which performs information input operations using a finger device that is worn by a user and senses the user's finger movement, includes recognizing whether the user is wearing the finger device and recognizing the finger positions of the device, and adaptively configuring the 3D input device based on the recognition results. Thus, it is possible to implement a user-friendly 3D input device by automatically or manually configuring the 3D input device.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of providing haptics of an image displayed through an image unit. The apparatus includes: a touch unit checking whether a user has touched a portion of the displayed image, and searching for a position of the portion when the user touches the portion; and a magnetic force changing unit changing magnetic forces in response to haptic information corresponding to the position and expressing the changed magnetic forces through the image unit. The haptics of the portion are provided through the change of the expressed magnetic forces.

Abstract: A method of operating a key input apparatus having one or more pressable keys, and a key input apparatus to perform the method, the method including selectively controlling an electromagnetic force to support at least one of the one or more pressable keys, wherein a height of the at least one pressable key is controlled by selectively supplying electric current to an electromagnet to control the electromagnetic force.

Abstract: A line-of-sight-based authentication apparatus and method are provided. In the method, a first image is generated by photographing the eyes of a person using first lighting generated on the same axis as a photographing axis of a camera and a second image is generated by photographing the eyes of the person using second lighting generated on a different axis from the photographing axis. Eye movements are tracked based on the first image and the second image and a track of the eye movements is identified. Then, it is determined if the identified track is the same as a track previously stored for authentication purposes.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a pointing position on a display during click operation is performed by using a 3D input device including a first unit for detecting movement of a hand and a second unit for detecting movement of a finger, the method including detecting and outputting a hand movement signal by using the first unit, and locating the pointing position on the display based on the hand movement signal; waiting for a click signal generated from the second unit during a second time period if the hand movement signal is not detected during a first time period; and outputting the click signal and preventing the hand movement signal generated from the first unit during the second time period from being output if the click signal is generated during the second time period.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for detecting finger-motion in a wireless manner through a small finger-motion detecting apparatus without an additional battery, which is inexpensive and convenient to use. The apparatus includes a finger-motion signal receiving unit, which outputs a wireless power signal and receives and reads a wireless finger-motion signal to determine the corresponding finger-motion, a finger-motion signal transmitting unit, which generates a predetermined amount of power using the wireless power signal, receives a finger-motion signal corresponding to finger-motion using the predetermined amount of power, modulates the finger-motion signal into a finger-motion signal having a predetermined frequency, and outputs the modulated finger-motion signal in a wireless manner, and a finger-motion detecting unit, which detects whether or not finger-motion exists and generates a finger-motion signal corresponding to the finger-motion.

Abstract: A method of inputting a character using a pointing device and an apparatus for inputting the character are provided. The method includes recognizing information on a movement direction of the pointing device and a click information of a button of the pointing device, and selecting a character by using the recognized information on a movement direction of the pointing device and the click information of the button of the pointing device. The character can be inputted via a mouse movement direction and the mouse button click information. In addition, since only one hand is used to input the character, a user can perform other tasks while inputting a character.