JP2005339028A - Information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing device which is extremely convenient to users, and also provide an information processing method. <P>SOLUTION: The information processing device having a plurality of functions (105, 106) is provided with; a key input part (101) for inputting information; a function changing part (104) which changes functions of the information processing device when it receives instructions for changing the functions from the key input part (101); and a keytop display changing part (103) which changes the display of the key input part (101) based on the change of the functions by the function changing part (104). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method having functions such as a telephone, a calculator, and a clock. In particular, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method related to the relationship between the top display and function of a numeric keypad in a mobile phone or a stationary phone.

  Conventionally, the top display of a numeric keypad in a mobile phone or a stationary phone having various functions is generally fixedly determined in accordance with the telephone function.

  However, in conventional mobile phones and stationary phones having various functions, the top display of the numeric keypad is fixedly determined according to the telephone function. For example, when using the calculator function, the numeric keypad is arranged. Unlike the telephone function and the calculator function, there was a problem that it was very unusable for the user.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method that are very convenient for a user.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an information processing method used in an information processing apparatus having a plurality of functions, an input process for inputting information from an input means, and a function switching instruction in the input process And a changing step of changing the display of the input means in accordance with the instructed function.

  According to the present invention, in an information processing apparatus having various functions and a processing method therefor, when a user instructs switching of an arbitrary function, the display of the input unit (top display of the numeric keypad) is performed according to the specified function. ) Is changed, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus and a processing method thereof that are very user-friendly for the user.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a functional configuration diagram of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a key input unit for an operator to input various information in the information processing apparatus. Reference numeral 102 denotes a key top display unit for displaying any character or number on the key top of each key in the key input unit 101. Reference numeral 103 denotes a key top switching unit that switches the display of the key top display unit 102 in accordance with various functions of the information processing apparatus. Reference numeral 104 denotes a function switching unit that switches various functions of the information processing apparatus when the operator instructs the function switching of the information processing apparatus from the key input unit 101. Reference numerals 105 and 106 denote various functions in the information processing apparatus. Here, each of the components 101 to 106 operates in conjunction with the operation of the operator.

  For example, when the operator instructs function switching from the key input unit 101, the information processing apparatus notifies the function switching unit 104 of the instructed function switching information. Here, the function switching unit 104 selects the first function 105 or the second function 106 so that the function operates correctly based on the received function switching information. In addition, the function switching unit 104 notifies the key top switching unit 103 of the information on the currently selected function at the same time. Based on the information notified from the function switching unit 104, the key top switching unit 103 changes the key top display of the key input unit 101 to match the function selected using the key top display unit 102. To do.

  Next, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, a mobile phone is used as an example.

  First, in FIG. 2, 201 is an information processing apparatus in the present embodiment, and 202 is a display apparatus in the information processing apparatus 201. Reference numeral 203 denotes a function switching button in the information processing apparatus 201, and reference numeral 204 denotes an information input button. Here, 203 and 204 correspond to the key input unit 101 in FIG. 1, and when the operator presses the function switching button 203, the function switching unit 104 in FIG. At the same time as the function of the device is switched, the key top display of the information input button 204 is changed in accordance with the selected function.

FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 301 denotes an information processing apparatus, which corresponds to 201 in FIG. Reference numeral 302 denotes a central processing unit (CPU) that controls the entire information processing apparatus 301. Reference numeral 303 denotes a memory (ROM) that stores a control program executed by the CPU 302. Reference numeral 304 denotes a rewritable memory (RAM) that stores necessary information for executing the control program stored in the ROM 303.

In the control program of the CPU 302, a program for executing various functions of the information processing apparatus 301 (corresponding to 105 and 106 in FIG. 1), a key top switching unit in the key top display units 102 and 103 in FIG. A program corresponding to the function switching unit 104 or the like is stored.
Reference numeral 305 denotes a key I / F for connecting the actual various buttons (corresponding to 203 and 204 in FIG. 2) to the CPU 302. To the CPU 302.

Reference numeral 306 denotes a button group (corresponding to 204 in FIG. 2) for changing the display of the key top in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 302, and reference numeral 307 denotes a function switching key (corresponding to 203 in FIG. 2).
Reference numeral 308 denotes a display device I / F for connecting the display device and the CPU 302 in the information processing device, and reference numeral 309 denotes an actual display device (corresponding to 202 in FIG. 2). Reference numeral 310 denotes an internal bus that connects various components.

  Next, FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a key top display in the button group of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Here, FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are the same buttons, but FIG. 4A shows the key top when the telephone function is selected as the function of the information processing apparatus. FIG. 4B shows a key top when the calculator function is selected as the function of the information processing apparatus.

  Next, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a key top of one button 502 in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, 501 is constituted by, for example, a small LED or the like.

  In FIG. 5, by controlling the blinking of the individual LEDs 502 on the key top, it becomes possible to display arbitrary characters and numbers on the key top. By using this function, the key top display of each button can be changed as shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B).

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a key top of one button 502 in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows an example in which one button is configured as a simpler configuration than that in FIG. 5, and shows an example using a 7-segment LED. In the 7-segment LED, * and # cannot be expressed, but the example shown in FIG. 6 can be applied if the key top is changed only by a numerical value.

Next, the concept of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing of the information processing method in the embodiment of the present invention. This flowchart is a process in a program operating on the information processing apparatus 301 in FIG. 3 and represents a key input process.

  First, the information processing apparatus 301 waits for an operator to press any button (step S701).

  Subsequently, when any button is pressed by the operator, it is determined what key is input (step S702).

  As a result of the determination in step S702, if it is determined that the function switching key (307 in FIG. 3) has been input, a process for switching to the function corresponding to pressing of the function switching key is performed (step S703). Subsequently, the display of the key top is changed according to the function switched in step S703 (step S704). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S707.

  As a result of the determination in step S702, if it is determined that a numeric keypad as shown in FIG. 4A or 4B has been input, processing is performed according to the input numeric keypad information for the currently selected function. Is performed (step S705). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S707. Details of the processing in step S705 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  As a result of the determination in step S702, if it is determined that another key has been input, processing corresponding to the information of the input key is performed (step S706). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S707.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not to end the process of this flowchart (step S707). As a result of this determination, if it is determined not to end the processing of this flowchart, the process returns to step S701. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S707, if it is determined that the process of this flowchart is to be ended, the end process is performed.

Next, the process of step S705 in FIG. 7 will be described.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process of step S705 of FIG.

  First, it is determined what function is currently selected (step S801). As a result of this determination, if it is determined that the first function 105 shown in FIG. 1 is selected, the process proceeds to step S802, and key information for the function is obtained from the input position of the numeric keypad (step S802). .

  Here, for example, in the numeric keys of FIGS. 4A and 4B, even when the upper left button is pressed, the display of the key top corresponding to each function is the case of FIG. 4A and FIG. In the case of (B), the key information is different. At this time, when the key top display of the function is FIG. 4A, the key information is “1”, and when the key top display of the function is FIG. 4B, the key information is “7”. It becomes.

  Subsequently, the processing of the function is performed based on the key information obtained in step S801, and the processing of this flowchart is terminated (step S803).

  Further, as a result of the determination in step S801, even when it is determined that the second function 106 shown in FIG. 1 is selected, the processing in the case where the first function 105 is selected (step S802, 803) is performed (step S804 and step S805 in FIG. 8), and the process in FIG. 8 is terminated.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, a mobile phone has been exemplified as the information processing apparatus. However, the information processing apparatus according to the present invention can be applied not only to a mobile phone but also to a general telephone. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to any multifunction device having a numeric keypad, such as a calculator, a copier, a facsimile machine, a printer, and a portable terminal.

It is a functional lineblock diagram of an information processor in an embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed an example of the external appearance of the information processing apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a block block diagram of the information processing apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed an example of the key top display in the button group of the information processing apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the key top of one button in the information processing apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing the key top of one button in the information processing apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention. It is the flowchart which showed the process of the information processing method in embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed the process of step S705 of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

101 Key Input Unit 102 Key Top Display Unit 103 Key Top Switching Unit 104 Function Switching Unit 105 First Function (Part)
106 Second function (part)

Claims (4)

In an information processing method used in an information processing apparatus having a plurality of functions,
An input process for inputting information from an input means;
And a changing step of changing the display of the input means in accordance with the instructed function when an instruction to switch the function is given in the input step.   The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein each of the functions operates according to an input from the input unit. A function switching step of switching the function in the information processing apparatus when a function switching instruction is given in the input step;
3. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the changing step, the display of the input unit is changed based on switching of the function in the function switching step. In an information processing apparatus having a plurality of functions,
An input means for inputting information;
An information processing apparatus comprising: a changing unit configured to change a display of the input unit according to the instructed function when a function switching instruction is issued from the input unit.

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