JP2013045303A - Portable electronic device, portable electronic device control method, control program, and computer-readable recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent wrong operation of a portable electronic device without impairing the operability of the device.SOLUTION: A portable electronic device 100 having a touch panel attached to a main body includes: a portable electronic device orientation detection unit 95 for detecting an attitude of the main body; an optical touch checking unit 94 for detecting a touch state of the main body; and a control unit 90 for performing switch between operation and non-operation of a wrong operation prevention filter for preventing wrong operation of the portable electronic device 100, on the basis of the attitude of the main body detected by the portable electronic device orientation detection unit 95 and the touch state of the main body detected by the optical touch checking unit 94.

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable electronic device that can prevent malfunction.

  In recent years, the operation of electronic devices is not a hardware operation via buttons, but is a software operation via a touch panel provided on a liquid crystal display screen. In an electronic device having such an interface, it is important to prevent malfunction.

  For example, it is conceivable that a malfunction occurs when an operation key comes into contact with an inner wall of a pocket or the like with an electronic device placed in a pocket or bag. Alternatively, it is conceivable that malfunctions may also occur when the electronic device is placed face down so that the input surface of the touch panel is in contact, or when the input surface is covered with a palm and carried or replaced with a battery. In the above-described electronic device, such malfunctions are likely to occur frequently in daily usage, and therefore various techniques for preventing malfunctions are employed.

  As a method of preventing malfunction by a software approach, a method of adding filter control is widely applied. For example, by observing the position touching the touch panel in time series, it is possible to determine whether the touch is due to a user's input operation or contact due to other objects only colliding with the touch panel (time series observation filter) Can be considered. Or the area which is contacting the touch panel is measured, and when this is more than a predetermined amount, it can be considered not to accept input operation (surface detection filter). Alternatively, the following Patent Document 1 describes a configuration that prohibits input at the position of a display unit where a predetermined detection block is provided.

  On the other hand, as a method of preventing malfunction by a hardware approach, a method of switching to a mode (malfunction prevention mode) in which an input to an electronic device is not accepted when a predetermined key is input is implemented. For example, Patent Document 2 below describes a configuration in which a digital audio player includes a hardware key that suppresses a response to an operation input. Note that the key relating to the switching can also be realized as a software interface. For example, when a state in which no input from the user is detected continues for a certain period of time, a method of automatically switching to the malfunction prevention mode and performing a release operation with a predetermined software key when returning from this mode is widely implemented. .

JP 2010-213169 A (published September 24, 2010) JP 2009-116396 A (published May 28, 2009)

  However, the approach of preventing malfunctions by applying filter processing in software may deteriorate the operability of the electronic device. For example, when the above time series observation filter is applied, it is necessary to wait for the time series data of the contact position to be accumulated, so that the response of the device to the user's input operation tends to deteriorate. In addition, when the above-described surface detection filter is applied, the filter operates even when the touch panel is touched with a thumb having a relatively large contact area, which may cause a problem that the user's operation is not accepted. In other words, a trade-off that the user's intended operation may not be properly received due to the filtering process being constantly performed occurs as a new problem.

  Furthermore, with the configuration described in Patent Document 1 above, input to a specific portion of the input surface is ignored, and operability may be impaired. For example, when the user intends to operate and touches the part unexpectedly, the intention to operate may not be appropriately reflected on the device, which may give an uncomfortable feeling of operation. Further, since the input to the part other than the detection block is effective, it cannot be said that the malfunction can be completely prevented.

  On the other hand, the configuration described in Patent Document 2 is complicated because it is necessary for the user to actively perform the switching operation every time it is predicted that the device is not operated for a long time. For example, if you are listening to music with an audio player in your pocket, even if you just skip the song you are playing, It is necessary to perform a desired operation. This greatly impairs the easy and responsive operability that electronic equipment should have. The same applies to the configuration in which the mode is automatically switched over a certain time.

  In view of the problems existing in the prior art described above, by estimating the usage state of the electronic device by the user, the malfunction is prevented after appropriately separating the situation where malfunction should be prevented and the situation where it is not. The ideal approach is to activate a function to prevent malfunctions only in a power situation.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to suppress a part of the function according to the use state of the device, thereby malfunctioning without reducing the operability of the device. It is providing the portable electronic device which can prevent.

In order to solve the above problems, the portable electronic device of the present invention
(1) A portable electronic device having a touch panel attached to the main body,
(2) detecting means for detecting the posture and contact state of the main body;
(3) Provided with control means for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter for preventing malfunction of the portable electronic device based on the posture and contact state of the main body detected by the detection means. It is characterized by.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a method for controlling a portable electronic device according to the present invention includes:
(1) A method for controlling a portable electronic device having a touch panel attached to a main body,
(2) a detecting step for detecting the posture and contact state of the main body;
(3) including a control step of switching between operation and non-operation of a malfunction prevention filter for preventing malfunction of the portable electronic device based on the posture and contact state of the main body detected by the detection step. Features.

  According to said structure, the portable electronic device can estimate the use condition of the said apparatus of a user based on the attitude | position and contact state of an own apparatus. And according to the estimated use condition, the operation | movement of a malfunction prevention filter of the said portable electronic device can be switched. That is, when it can be determined from the detected posture and contact state that the user himself is operating the device (not a malfunction), the operation of the malfunction prevention filter is suppressed.

  Thereby, since the operation | movement of the malfunction prevention filter which was always operate | moving conventionally can be suppressed suitably according to a user's use condition, it can be compatible with prevention of malfunction and operativity of an apparatus.

In the portable electronic device,
(1) The touch panel is a capacitive touch panel,
(2) The contact state of the main body is preferably a contact state of the operation surface of the touch panel.

  According to said structure, generation | occurrence | production of the malfunction concerning the contact state of an operation surface which appears notably in a capacitive touch panel can be avoided effectively.

In the portable electronic device,
(1) The detection means further detects acceleration of the main body,
(2) It is desirable that the control means uses the acceleration detected by the detection means as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter.

  According to said structure, the said portable electronic device can detect a movement state from an acceleration sensor, and can utilize these as basic information for estimating a user's use state. Therefore, since the portable electronic device can estimate the usage state of the user with higher accuracy, the operation / non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter can be switched more appropriately.

In the portable electronic device,
(1) The detection means includes a contact area detection means for detecting a contact area of the touch panel,
(2) It is desirable that the control means use the contact area detected by the contact area detection means as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter.

  According to said structure, the said portable electronic device can detect the magnitude | size of the part which contacts the said touch panel with which the housing | casing was equipped, and can utilize this as basic information for estimating a user's use condition. Therefore, since the portable electronic device can estimate the usage state of the user with higher accuracy, the operation / non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter can be switched more appropriately.

In the portable electronic device,
(1) The detection means includes posture detection means for detecting a posture in which a touch panel surface to which the touch panel of the main body is attached is directed downward,
(2) It is desirable that the control means uses the downward attitude detected by the attitude detection means as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter.

  According to said structure, the said portable electronic device can detect the attitude | position in which the said touch panel surface faces downward, and can utilize this as basic information for estimating a user's use condition. Therefore, since the portable electronic device can estimate the usage state of the user with higher accuracy, the operation / non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter can be switched more appropriately.

In the portable electronic device,
(1) The detection means includes illuminance detection means for detecting illuminance around the main body,
(2) It is desirable that the control means uses the illuminance detected by the illuminance detection means as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter.

  According to said structure, the said portable electronic device can detect the illumination intensity around a main body from an illumination intensity sensor, and can utilize these as basic information for estimating a user's use condition. Therefore, since the portable electronic device can estimate the usage state of the user with higher accuracy, the operation / non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter can be switched more appropriately.

In the portable electronic device,
(1) The detection means includes walking motion detection means for detecting the number of steps of the user,
(2) It is desirable that the control unit uses the number of steps of the user detected by the walking motion detection unit as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter.

  According to said structure, the said portable electronic device can detect a user's walking motion, and can utilize these as basic information for estimating a user's use condition. Therefore, since the portable electronic device can estimate the usage state of the user with higher accuracy, the operation / non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter can be switched more appropriately.

In the portable electronic device,
(1) The detection means includes a contact confirmation means for detecting presence or absence of contact on a surface opposite to the touch panel surface,
(2) Preferably, the control means uses the presence / absence of contact detected by the contact confirmation means as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter.

  According to said structure, the said portable electronic device can detect the information which concerns on the presence or absence of the contact of the said measuring device from the measuring device attached to the surface on the opposite side to the said touch panel surface of the housing | casing, and these It can be used as basic information for estimating the usage state of the user. Therefore, since the portable electronic device can estimate the usage state of the user with higher accuracy, the operation / non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter can be switched more appropriately.

  The malfunction prevention device may be realized by a computer. In this case, the malfunction control device is realized by the computer by operating the computer as each unit of the malfunction prevention device. A program and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded also fall within the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the portable electronic device of the present invention is a portable electronic device having a touch panel attached to the main body, the detection means for detecting the posture and the contact state of the main body, and detected by the detection means It is a structure provided with the control means which switches operation | movement and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter which prevents the malfunctioning of the said portable electronic device based on the attitude | position and contact state of a main body.

  The portable electronic device control method of the present invention is a portable electronic device control method in which a touch panel is attached to a main body, and includes a detection step of detecting the posture and a contact state of the main body, and the detection step. The configuration includes a control step for switching between operation and non-operation of a malfunction prevention filter that prevents malfunction of the portable electronic device based on the detected posture and contact state of the main body.

  Therefore, the operation / non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter of the portable electronic device can be switched according to the estimated use state. That is, since the operation of the malfunction prevention filter that has always been operating in the past can be appropriately suppressed according to the use state of the user, it is possible to achieve both prevention of malfunction and operability of the device.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the portable electronic device which incorporated the malfunction prevention apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. The usage state by the user of the portable electronic device and an outline of an operation example of the malfunction prevention device are schematically shown, and (a) is arranged such that the liquid crystal display screen provided with a touch panel faces down. A state in which the portable electronic device is folded and placed on a desk, (b) is a state in which the user is holding the display screen so as to cover it with a palm, and (c) is a case in which the user places the portable electronic device in a pocket. (D) represents a state in which the user is performing an input operation on the portable electronic device in a normal state, and (e) is a diagram for explaining the function of the malfunction prevention device. . 2A and 2B show two appearance examples of the portable electronic device, where FIG. 2A shows an input / output unit and a control switch, and FIG. 2B shows an operation switch and a pointing device. It is a block diagram which shows the more concrete structure of the portable electronic device which incorporates the malfunction prevention apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process which the said malfunction prevention apparatus performs. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process which the suppression function determination part performs and judges the use condition put on the face down. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process which judges the use condition which the input / output part is hold | gripped so that it may cover with the palm which the suppression function determination part performs. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process which judges the use condition which is moved in the pocket etc. which the suppression function determination part performs.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, portable electronic device 100 is assumed as an electronic device incorporating a malfunction prevention device. In addition, in order to describe the description simply, with respect to a configuration in which two or more are clearly indicated by adding a and b to one symbol, these are omitted and the configuration is collectively referred to. There is.

〔Overview〕
Based on FIG. 2, the outline | summary of the malfunction prevention apparatus (control means) 10 is demonstrated. FIG. 2 schematically shows a usage state of the portable electronic device 100 by the user and an outline of an operation example of the malfunction prevention device 10. Here, FIG. 6A shows a state in which the portable electronic device 100 is placed on a desk so that a liquid crystal display screen (an input / output unit 4 to be described later) provided with a touch panel faces down. ) Is a state in which the user is holding the display screen so as to cover the display screen with a palm (a state in which the portable electronic device 100 is held, for example, a state in which a battery is replaced), FIG. ) Shows a state in which the user moves the portable electronic device 100 in a pocket, and FIG. 4D shows a state in which the user performs an input operation on the portable electronic device 100 in a normal state. .

  The malfunction prevention device 10 first acquires measurement values of various sensors included in the portable electronic device 100. Next, based on the value of this sensor, the usage state of the portable electronic device 100 illustrated in FIGS. And based on the estimated use condition, the suppression function information 1 showing the function which should be suppressed to the portable electronic device 100 is output.

  The suppression function information 1 is information indicating the function of the portable electronic device 100 to be suppressed. Specifically, it indicates that the operation of the filter function for preventing malfunctions associated with the use state is suppressed.

  In this way, the malfunction prevention device 10 suppresses the malfunction prevention filter of the portable electronic device 100 according to the estimated state. Thereby, the malfunction of the said apparatus can be prevented, without reducing the operativity of the portable electronic device 100. FIG.

[Appearance of portable electronic device 100]
Based on FIG. 3, the external appearance of the portable electronic device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 shows two appearance examples of the portable electronic device 100 according to the present embodiment. The portable electronic device 100 a includes an input / output unit 4 and a control switch 81. The portable electronic device 100 b further includes an operation switch 82 and a pointing device 83. The user can switch the power of the device on and off by long pressing the control switch 81. Further, the device can be put into a hibernation state or returned from the hibernation state by a short press. Alternatively, a function of switching the malfunction prevention mode on and off may be assigned to short-pressing the control switch 81.

  In the portable electronic device 100a, the input / output unit 4 is provided with a touch panel, and the user can operate the device by touching an object such as a software key displayed on the input / output unit 4. A hardware key such as the device 83 may not be provided.

  On the other hand, hardware keys such as the operation switch 82 and the pointing device 83 can be provided as in the portable electronic device 100b. That is, by moving the pointing device 83, the user can move the display area of the screen, for example. Alternatively, it is possible to switch to the previously displayed screen by pressing the operation switch 82a, or to switch to the top screen displaying the main menu by pressing the operation switch 82b. The type, shape, arrangement, number, etc. of hardware keys are not particularly limited.

[Configuration of Portable Electronic Device 100]
Based on FIG. 1, the example of a structure of the portable electronic device 100 which concerns on this Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the portable electronic device 100. As illustrated, the portable electronic device 100 includes a malfunction prevention device 10, a sensor unit 2, an input / output control unit 3, an input / output unit (input surface, display screen, touch panel) 4, and a button unit 8. Note that portions not directly related to the present embodiment (for example, a portion that realizes image shooting, volume adjustment, and the like that are often included in general electronic devices) are omitted from the description of the configuration and the block diagram.

  The malfunction prevention device 10 includes a sensor information acquisition unit 5, a contact state acquisition unit (contact state acquisition unit) 6, and a suppression function determination unit (control unit, suppression function determination unit) 7. The sensor information acquisition unit 5 includes an acceleration acquisition unit (orientation acquisition unit) 51, a movement state acquisition unit (movement state acquisition unit) 52, and an illuminance acquisition unit (illuminance acquisition unit) 53, and includes a contact state acquisition unit (contact state acquisition). Means) 6 includes a contact area acquisition unit 61 and a contact presence / absence acquisition unit 62. The sensor unit 2 includes an acceleration detection unit 21, a movement state detection unit 22, an illuminance detection unit 23, a contact area detection unit 24, and a contact presence / absence detection unit 25.

  Hereinafter, malfunction prevention device 10 (sensor information acquisition unit 5, contact state acquisition unit 6, suppression function determination unit 7), sensor unit 2 (acceleration detection unit 21, movement state detection unit 22, illuminance detection unit 23, illuminance detection unit) 23, the contact area detection unit 24, the contact presence / absence detection unit 25), the input / output control unit 3, the input / output unit 4, and the button unit 8 will be described.

(Malfunction prevention device 10)
The malfunction prevention device 10 is a device that acquires measurement values of various sensors included in the portable electronic device 100 and outputs suppression function information 1 representing a function to be suppressed to the portable electronic device 100. In this embodiment, the malfunction prevention device 10 is included in the portable electronic device 100. However, the malfunction prevention device 10 and the portable electronic device 100 can communicate with each other to prevent malfunction. 10 may be installed outside the portable electronic device 100.

  That is, the portable electronic device 100 outputs a sensor signal acquired by the sensor unit 2 to the malfunction prevention device 10, and the malfunction prevention device 10 even outputs the suppression function information 1 to the portable electronic device 100. In this case, the portable electronic device 100 does not need to incorporate the malfunction prevention device 10. Further, in this embodiment, the malfunction prevention device 10 is an independent device built in the portable electronic device 100 as shown in FIG. 1, but each part of the malfunction prevention device 10 is portable, as will be described later. It may be incorporated in the electronic device 100 and realized as a partial function of the portable electronic device 100.

  The sensor information acquisition unit 5 acquires the measurement value of each sensor from the sensor unit 2 and outputs it to the suppression function determination unit 7. In the present embodiment, the acceleration acquisition unit 51 determines the acceleration of the portable electronic device 100 from the acceleration detection unit 21, the movement state acquisition unit 52 determines the movement state of the portable electronic device 100 from the movement state detection unit 22, and the illuminance acquisition unit. 53 obtains the illuminance of the portable electronic device 100 from the illuminance detector 23.

  The contact state acquisition unit 6 acquires the contact state of the object with respect to the portable electronic device 100 from the sensor unit 2 and outputs the acquired contact state to the suppression function determination unit 7. In the present embodiment, the contact area acquisition unit 61 acquires the contact area for the input / output unit 4 from the contact area detection unit 24, and the contact presence / absence acquisition unit 62 acquires the presence / absence of contact in the contact presence / absence detection unit 25.

  The suppression function determination unit 7 specifies a function to be suppressed of the portable electronic device 100 based on the acquired various sensor information. More specifically, the usage state by the user of the portable electronic device 100 is estimated from the sensor information, and at least a part of the functions of the portable electronic device 100 associated therewith is determined as a function to be suppressed, The suppression function information 1 representing the determined function is output to the input / output control unit 3.

  As will be described later, the correspondence between the estimated usage state and the function to be suppressed may be stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown in FIG. 1). Thereby, the function which should be suppressed can be specified easily. Details of the estimated usage state, estimation method, and functions to be suppressed will be described later.

(Sensor part 2)
The sensor unit 2 outputs the measurement value of the measurement device included therein to the sensor signal acquisition unit 5 or the contact state acquisition unit 6. The acceleration detection unit 21 is a device that measures the acceleration of the portable electronic device 100, and may be, for example, a three-axis or six-axis acceleration sensor provided in a general portable electronic device. The movement state detection unit 22 is a device that measures the attitude of the portable electronic device 100, and may be a general orientation sensor that can measure the direction of geomagnetism, for example. Alternatively, the position information of the portable electronic device 100 may be measured at a predetermined time interval with a GPS sensor, and the posture may be measured from the change over time. The illuminance detection unit 23 is a device that measures the brightness around the portable electronic device 100, and may be installed in the upper part of the input / output unit 4, for example.

  The contact area detection unit 24 detects an area in contact with the input / output unit 4 including a touch panel as input means. Further, the contact presence / absence detection unit 25 is installed below the same surface as the surface on which the input / output unit 4 is disposed in the casing of the portable electronic device 100 or at the center of the surface opposite to the surface. Detect the presence or absence of contact. In addition, the contact area detected by the contact area detection part 24 should just be quantified according to a certain reference | standard, The unit and scale are not limited.

(Input / output control unit 3)
The input / output control unit 3 is a device that controls input / output information for the portable electronic device 100. As for the function of controlling the output, the information instructed to be output from the portable electronic device 100 is converted into an output signal, which is output to the input / output unit 4. Any data that can be converted into a signal that can be output from the input / output unit 4 can be used, for example, a general display adapter. As for the function of controlling the input, the suppression function information 1 is input from the suppression function determination unit 7 and a part of the functions of the portable electronic device 100 is suppressed. In addition, input information from the input / output unit 4 is output to the malfunction prevention device 10.

(I / O unit 4)
The input / output unit 4 is a device that outputs characters, images, and the like and receives input from the user. With respect to the function to be output, the type of the apparatus is not limited as long as it has a function of processing and outputting an output signal received from the input / output control unit 3, and for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display can be used. As for the function to be input, the type of the apparatus is not limited as long as it has a function of detecting the position designated by the pointing tool such as the finger of the user who performs the operation or the stylus. For example, a general touch panel can be adopted. In particular, a touch panel (capacitance type touch panel) according to a capacitance method may be used.

(Button part 8)
The button unit 8 is an interface for the user to give an input to the portable electronic device 100. Specifically, the button unit 8 is, for example, the control switch 81, the operation switch 82, or the pointing device 83 described above (see FIG. 3). ). Alternatively, it may be a software interface displayed on the input / output unit 4 provided with a touch panel.

[More Specific Configuration of Portable Electronic Device 100]
Based on FIG. 4, an example of a more specific configuration of portable electronic device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a more specific configuration of the portable electronic device 100. In the configuration described above with reference to FIG. 1, the malfunction prevention device 10 is an independent device built in the portable electronic device 100, but each unit of the malfunction prevention device 10 is portable electronic device as shown in FIG. 4. 100 may be implemented as a partial function of the portable electronic device 100. Since the portable electronic device according to the configuration of FIG. 1 and the portable electronic device according to the configuration of FIG. 4 are essentially the same, 100 is used as the reference numeral of the portable electronic device in the following description. .

  The portable electronic device 100 includes a control unit 90 (suppression function determination unit 7, control unit), an acceleration detection unit 91 (acceleration detection unit 21, acceleration acquisition unit 51, detection unit, stationary state detection unit, walking motion detection unit), Ambient brightness detection unit 92 (illuminance detection unit 23, illuminance acquisition unit 53, illuminance detection means), capacitive touch input unit 93 (input / output control unit 3, contact area detection means), optical contact confirmation unit 94 ( Contact state acquisition unit 6, contact confirmation unit), portable electronic device orientation detection unit 95 (movement state detection unit 22, movement state acquisition unit 52, posture detection unit), nonvolatile memory control unit 96, nonvolatile memory 97, and filter information 98 is included.

  The control unit 90 controls the entire portable electronic device 100, and can be specifically configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The function of the suppression function determination unit 7 described above can be installed in the control unit 90 included in the portable electronic device 100. The acceleration detection unit 91 corresponds to the acceleration detection unit 21 and the acceleration acquisition unit 51 described above. The ambient brightness detection unit 92 corresponds to the illuminance detection unit 23 and the illuminance acquisition unit 53 described above. The capacitive touch input unit 93 corresponds to the input / output control unit 3 described above. The optical contact confirmation unit 94 corresponds to the contact presence / absence detection unit 25 and the contact presence / absence acquisition unit 62 described above. The portable electronic device orientation detection unit 95 corresponds to the movement state detection unit 22 and the movement state acquisition unit 52 described above. These detailed descriptions will not be repeated. The non-volatile memory control unit 96 controls the non-volatile memory 97 that holds a program for operating the portable electronic device 100, various data, and filter information 98.

  The filter information 98 is information representing a correspondence relationship between the usage state of the portable electronic device 100 estimated from the sensor information by the user and the function to be suppressed. Thus, by storing the correspondence between the two in advance, it is possible to easily specify the function to be suppressed.

[Estimated use status and its estimation method]
The suppression function determination unit 7 included in the malfunction prevention device 10 can estimate which of the use states of the portable electronic device 100 illustrated with reference to FIGS. That is, the usage state of the user's portable electronic device 100 is (a) the portable electronic device 100 is placed face down so that the input / output unit 4 is down (the touch panel surface with the touch panel attached faces downward). Posture), (b) a state in which the user is holding the display screen so as to cover the display screen with a palm, (c) a state in which the user is moving the portable electronic device 100 in a pocket, and (d) a user. Of the state in which the portable electronic device 100 is input in a normal state is estimated.

  And when it estimates as a state of (a) or (c), the suppression function determination part 7 outputs the suppression function information 1 which shows suppressing a touch event notification. Alternatively, when it is estimated as the state of (b) and the input / output unit 4 is configured with a touch panel according to the capacitance method, suppression function information 1 indicating that the baseline correction function is suppressed. Is output. Or when it estimates as a state of (d), the suppression function information 1 which shows suppressing the filter process for the malfunction prevention which concerns on touch operation is output.

(Estimation of use state in which portable electronic device 100 is placed face down)
The suppression function determination unit 7 determines the acceleration of the portable electronic device 100 by the acceleration acquisition unit 51, the movement state of the portable electronic device 100 by the movement state acquisition unit 52, and the illuminance of the portable electronic device 100 by the illuminance acquisition unit 53. obtain. This
(1) Whether the portable electronic device 100 is in a stationary state based on acceleration,
(2) Whether the portable electronic device 100 is in a horizontal state with the input / output unit 4 down from the moving state,
(3) Whether the input / output unit 4 of the portable electronic device 100 is covered by the illuminance,
Can be judged. That is, a threshold value is set for the illuminance, and when the measured illuminance falls below this, it can be determined that the input / output surface of the input / output unit 4 is placed face down (as described above, the illuminance is When the detection unit 23 is installed in the upper part of the input / output unit 4).

  And when satisfy | filling all the judgment conditions of said (1)-(3), the suppression function determination part 7 estimates that the portable electronic device 100 is placed face down. However, for example, when the user operates the portable electronic device 100 while lying in the dark, all the above conditions are satisfied.

Therefore, the suppression function determination unit 7 acquires the presence / absence of contact from the contact presence / absence acquisition unit 62, thereby
(4) Whether the user has made an input to the portable electronic device 100 based on the presence or absence of contact,
Can be judged.

  In addition to the determination conditions (1) to (3) described above, when this additional condition (4) is also satisfied, the suppression function determination unit 7 estimates that the portable electronic device 100 is placed on its back. By introducing the additional determination condition in this way, the usage state of the portable electronic device 100 can be estimated more accurately.

(Estimation of usage state in which the user holds the input / output unit 4 so as to cover it with the palm of the hand)
The suppression function determination unit 7 acquires the posture of the portable electronic device 100 by the movement state acquisition unit 52 and the area where the user is in contact with the input surface by the contact area acquisition unit 61. As a result, in addition to the determination condition of (2) above,
(5) Whether the user covers the input / output unit 4 with his / her hand from the contact area,
Can be judged. That is, a threshold is set for the area, and when the acquired area exceeds this value, it is estimated that the area is covered with a hand.

  When both the determination conditions (2) and (5) are satisfied, the suppression function determination unit 7 estimates that the user holds the input / output unit 4 so as to cover the palm.

(Estimation of usage state where the user is moving the portable electronic device 100 in a pocket)
The suppression function determination unit 7 determines the acceleration of the portable electronic device 100 by the acceleration acquisition unit 51, the posture of the portable electronic device 100 by the movement state acquisition unit 52, and the illuminance around the portable electronic device 100 by the illuminance acquisition unit 53. Get. Thereby, in addition to the above judgment condition (3),
(6) Whether the portable electronic device 100 is in a moving state based on acceleration,
(7) From the posture, whether the portable electronic device 100 is in a substantially vertical state,
Can be judged.

  When all the determination conditions (3), (6), and (7) are satisfied, the suppression function determination unit 7 estimates that the user is moving with the portable electronic device 100 in a pocket or the like. To do. However, for example, when the user is operating the portable electronic device 100 while walking in the darkness, all the above conditions are satisfied.

Therefore, similarly to the above, the suppression function determination unit 7 acquires the presence / absence of contact from the contact presence / absence acquisition unit 62, thereby
(8) Whether the portable electronic device 100 is covered with an obstacle (for example, an inner wall of a pocket or other articles placed in a bag) from the presence or absence of contact,
Can be judged.

  When the additional condition (8) is satisfied in addition to the determination conditions (3), (6), and (7), the suppression function determination unit 7 allows the user to put the portable electronic device 100 in a pocket or the like. It is estimated that it is moving. By introducing the additional determination condition in this way, the usage state of the portable electronic device 100 can be estimated more accurately.

  As described above, when the use state is estimated, the suppression function determination unit 7 outputs information indicating that the function of the input operation on the touch panel is suppressed. However, when the suppression is released, the contact area detection is performed. Since the electrostatic capacity accumulates in the unit 24 and the contact presence / absence detection unit 25 and may affect subsequent user operations, the contact area detection unit 24 and the contact presence / absence detection unit 25 are reset and automatically adjusted. The accumulated electrostatic capacity is cleared and malfunctions in user operations are suppressed.

(Condition judgment every predetermined time)
The suppression function determination unit 7 can estimate the use state in real time by determining whether or not the above determination condition is satisfied at every predetermined time.

[Processing performed by the malfunction prevention device 10]
Based on FIG. 5, the flow of processing executed by the malfunction prevention device 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the malfunction prevention device 10. As shown in the figure, whether or not the malfunction prevention device 10 is in a use state in which the portable electronic device 100 is placed face down (step 1: hereinafter abbreviated as S1), the user covers the input / output unit 4 with a palm. It is determined in turn whether the use state is gripping (S2) and whether the user is using the portable electronic device 100 in a pocket or the like (S3).

  When it is determined that none of the usage states is applicable (that is, when it is determined that the user is performing an input operation on the portable electronic device 100 in a normal state), the suppression function determination unit 7 The malfunction prevention filter which prevents malfunction of the apparatus 100 is turned off (S21). That is, the suppression function determination unit 7 outputs the suppression function information 1 to the input / output control unit 3. The suppression function information 1 output here indicates that the filter processing for preventing malfunction is suppressed. The detailed processing flow in each step will be described below.

  Based on FIG. 6, the flow of the process performed by the suppression function determination unit 7 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the suppression function determination unit 7 to determine the usage state placed on the face.

  First, the acceleration acquisition part 51 acquires the acceleration which the acceleration detection part 21 detected, and outputs this to the suppression function determination part 7 (S4). Upon receiving the acceleration input, the suppression function determination unit 7 determines whether or not the portable electronic device 100 is in a stationary state (S5). If it is determined that it is not in a stationary state (NO in S5), the process proceeds to S2. On the other hand, when it is determined that it is in a stationary state (YES in S5), the movement state acquisition unit 52 acquires the posture state of the electronic device 100 from the movement state detection unit 22, and outputs this to the suppression function determination unit 7 ( S6).

  Upon receipt of the posture state input, the suppression function determination unit 7 determines whether or not the portable electronic device 100 is in the horizontal state with the input / output unit 4 facing down (S7). If it is determined that input / output unit 4 is not down or not in a horizontal state (NO in S7), the process proceeds to S2. On the other hand, when it is determined that the input / output unit 4 is in the horizontal state (YES in S7), the illuminance acquisition unit 53 acquires the illuminance from the illuminance detection unit 23, and outputs this to the suppression function determination unit 7. (S8). Upon receiving the input of illuminance, the suppression function determination unit 7 compares the input illuminance value (lx) with the threshold value (lx) to determine whether the input / output unit 4 of the portable electronic device 100 is covered. Determine (S9). If it is determined that input / output unit 4 is not covered (NO in S9), the process proceeds to S2.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the input / output unit 4 is covered (YES in S9), the contact presence / absence acquisition unit 62 acquires the detection result of the presence / absence of contact by the contact presence / absence detection unit 25, and this is determined as the suppression function determination unit. 7 (S10). The suppression function determination unit 7 that has received the detection result of the presence / absence of contact determines whether the user is holding the portable electronic device 100 (whether the terminal is not held by hand), that is, inputs to the portable electronic device 100. It is determined whether it is not performed (S11). If it is determined that an input is being made (NO in S11), the process proceeds to S2. When it is determined that no input is made (YES in S11), the suppression function determination unit 7 turns on a malfunction prevention filter that prevents malfunction of the portable electronic device 100 (S12). That is, the suppression function determination unit 7 outputs the suppression function information 1 to the input / output control unit 3. Note that the suppression function information 1 output here indicates that the touch event notification is suppressed.

  Based on FIG. 7, the flow of the process which the suppression function determination part 7 performs is demonstrated. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the suppression function determination unit 7 to determine a use state in which the input / output unit is gripped so as to be covered with a palm. Here, since the process executed by the suppression function determination unit 7 is partially the same as the process described with reference to FIG. 6, the same process is denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant description is omitted. There is a case.

  First, the contact area acquisition unit 61 acquires the area in contact with the input / output unit 4 detected by the contact area detection unit 24, and outputs this to the suppression function determination unit 7 (S13). Upon receiving the input of the contact area, the suppression function determination unit 7 determines whether or not the user covers the input / output unit 4 with his / her hand depending on whether or not this exceeds a threshold value (S14). If it is determined that the cover is not covered (NO in S14), the process proceeds to S3. On the other hand, when it is determined that it is covered (YES in S14), the movement state acquisition unit 52 acquires the attitude of the electronic device 100 detected by the movement state detection unit 22, and outputs this to the suppression function determination unit 7. (S6). Upon receipt of the posture state input, the suppression function determination unit 7 determines whether or not the portable electronic device 100 is in the horizontal state with the input / output unit 4 facing down (S7). If it is determined that input / output unit 4 is not down or not in a horizontal state (NO in S7), the process proceeds to S3. On the other hand, when it is determined that the input / output unit 4 is in a horizontal state with the input / output unit 4 down (YES in S7), the suppression function determination unit 7 turns on a malfunction prevention filter that prevents malfunction of the portable electronic device 100. (S12). That is, the suppression function determination unit 7 outputs the suppression function information 1 to the input / output control unit 3. The suppression function information 1 output here indicates that the baseline correction function is suppressed.

  Based on FIG. 8, the flow of the process which the suppression function determination part 7 performs is demonstrated. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the suppression function determination unit 7 to determine the use state of moving in a pocket or the like.

  The suppression function determination unit 7 that has received the input of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit 21 (S4) determines whether or not the portable electronic device 100 is in a moving state operating as a pedometer (S15). . If it is determined not to be in the moving state (NO in S15), the process proceeds to S21. On the other hand, when it is determined that the mobile device 100 is in the moving state (YES in S15), the moving state acquisition unit 52 acquires the attitude of the portable electronic device 100 detected by the moving state detection unit 22 (S6), and the suppression function determination unit. 7 determines whether or not the portable electronic device 100 is in a substantially vertical state (S16). If it is determined that the state is not substantially vertical (NO in S16), the process proceeds to S21. On the other hand, when it is determined that the state is substantially vertical (YES in S16), the process proceeds to S8.

  The illuminance acquisition unit 53 acquires illuminance from the illuminance detection unit 23, and outputs this to the suppression function determination unit 7 (S8). Upon receiving the input of illuminance, the suppression function determination unit 7 compares the input illuminance value (lx) with the threshold value (lx) to determine whether the input / output unit 4 of the portable electronic device 100 is covered. Determine (S9). If it is determined that input / output unit 4 is not covered (NO in S9), the process proceeds to S21.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the input / output unit 4 is covered (YES in S9), the contact presence / absence acquisition unit 62 acquires the detection result of the presence / absence of contact by the contact presence / absence detection unit 25, and this is determined as the suppression function determination unit. 7 (S22).

  Receiving the presence / absence of contact, the suppression function determination unit 7 determines whether the portable electronic device 100 is covered with an obstacle (S23). The process actually performed here is the same as S11 described above. When it determines with being covered with the obstruction (in S23 YES), the suppression function determination part 7 turns ON the malfunction prevention filter which prevents the malfunction of the portable electronic device 100 (S12). That is, the suppression function determination unit 7 outputs the suppression function information 1 to the input / output control unit 3.

[Effect of portable electronic device 100]
According to the estimated usage state of the portable electronic device 100, the operation / non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter of the device can be switched. That is, since the operation of the malfunction prevention filter that has always been operating in the past can be appropriately suppressed according to the use state of the user, it is possible to achieve both prevention of malfunction and operability of the device.

[Other expressions of the present invention]
The present invention can also be expressed as follows. That is,
(1) A malfunction prevention device that suppresses at least a part of functions of the portable electronic device according to a use state of the portable electronic device by a user,
(2) orientation acquisition means for acquiring the orientation of the portable electronic device relative to the ground;
(3) movement state acquisition means for acquiring a movement state of the portable electronic device;
(4) Illuminance acquisition means for acquiring the illuminance in front of the display screen of the portable electronic device;
(5) A function for determining a function to suppress the orientation with respect to the ground acquired by the orientation acquisition unit, the movement state acquired by the movement state acquisition unit, and the illuminance acquired by the illuminance acquisition unit. A malfunction prevention device comprising: a suppression function determination unit used as a condition.

Or
(1) A malfunction prevention device that suppresses at least a part of functions of the portable electronic device according to a use state of the portable electronic device by a user,
(2) orientation acquisition means for acquiring the orientation of the portable electronic device relative to the ground;
(3) contact state acquisition means for acquiring a contact state of the user with the portable electronic device;
(4) A suppression function determination unit that uses the orientation with respect to the ground acquired by the orientation acquisition unit and the contact state acquired by the contact state acquisition unit as conditions for determining a function to be suppressed. The malfunction prevention apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.

[Example of software implementation]
Finally, each block of the malfunction prevention device 10 may be realized in hardware by a logic circuit formed on an integrated circuit (IC chip), or may be realized in software using a CPU. .

  In the latter case, the malfunction prevention apparatus 10 includes a CPU that executes instructions of a program that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program, and the program And a storage device (recording medium) such as a memory for storing various data. An object of the present invention is a recording medium in which a program code (execution format program, intermediate code program, source program) of a control program of the malfunction prevention apparatus 10 which is software for realizing the above-described functions is recorded so as to be readable by a computer. Is also supplied to the character input device 11, the character input device 12, and the character input device 13, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) reads and executes the program code recorded on the recording medium. Is possible.

  Examples of the recording medium include tapes such as magnetic tapes and cassette tapes, magnetic disks such as floppy (registered trademark) disks / hard disks, and disks including optical disks such as CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. IC cards (including memory cards) / optical cards, semiconductor memories such as mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM, PLD (Programmable logic device), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. Logic circuits can be used.

  Further, the malfunction prevention device 10 may be configured to be connectable to a communication network, and the program code may be supplied via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited as long as it can transmit the program code. For example, the Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, ISDN, VAN, CATV communication network, virtual private network, telephone line network, mobile communication network, satellite communication network, and the like can be used. The transmission medium constituting the communication network may be any medium that can transmit the program code, and is not limited to a specific configuration or type. For example, even with wired lines such as IEEE 1394, USB, power line carrier, cable TV line, telephone line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line, infrared rays such as IrDA and remote control, Bluetooth (registered trademark), IEEE 802.11 wireless, HDR ( It can also be used by radio such as High Data Rate (NFC), Near Field Communication (NFC), Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), mobile phone network, satellite line, and digital terrestrial network. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a computer data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program code is embodied by electronic transmission.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope shown in the claims. That is, embodiments obtained by combining technical means appropriately modified within the scope of the claims are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be applied to a portable electronic device.

1 Suppression function information 4 Input / output unit (touch panel, input surface, display screen)
6 Contact state acquisition unit (contact state acquisition means)
7 Suppression function determination unit (control means, suppression function determination means)
10 Malfunction prevention device (control means)
51 Acceleration acquisition unit (direction acquisition means)
52 Movement state acquisition unit (movement state acquisition means)
53 Illuminance acquisition unit (illuminance acquisition means)
61 Contact area acquisition unit 62 Contact presence / absence acquisition unit 90 Control unit (control means)
91 Acceleration detection unit (detection means, stationary state detection means, walking motion detection means)
92 Ambient brightness detector (illuminance detector)
93 Capacitive touch input unit (contact area detection means)
94 Optical contact confirmation unit (contact confirmation means)
95 Portable electronic device orientation detection unit (attitude detection means)
100 Portable electronic devices

Claims (11)

A portable electronic device with a touch panel attached to the main body,
Detecting means for detecting the posture and contact state of the main body;
Control means for switching between operation and non-operation of a malfunction prevention filter for preventing malfunction of the portable electronic device based on the posture and contact state of the main body detected by the detection means Portable electronic devices. The touch panel is a capacitive touch panel,
The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the contact state of the main body is a contact state of an operation surface of the touch panel. The detection means further detects acceleration of the main body,
The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit uses the acceleration detected by the detection unit as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter. The detection means includes a contact area detection means for detecting a contact area of the touch panel,
4. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit uses the contact area detected by the contact area detection unit as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter. 5. The portable electronic device described. The detection means includes posture detection means for detecting a posture in which a touch panel surface to which the touch panel of the main body is attached is directed downward,
5. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit uses the downward posture detected by the posture detection unit as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter. The portable electronic device described in 1. The detection means includes illuminance detection means for detecting the illuminance around the body,
6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit uses the illuminance detected by the illuminance detection unit as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter. Portable electronic device. The detection means includes walking motion detection means for detecting the number of steps of the user,
The said control means uses the number of steps of the user detected by the said walking movement detection means as an additional condition which switches operation | movement of the said malfunction prevention filter, and non-operation, The any one of Claim 1 to 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. The portable electronic device described in 1. The detection means includes contact confirmation means for detecting presence or absence of contact on the surface opposite to the touch panel surface,
The control unit uses the presence or absence of contact detected by the contact confirmation unit as an additional condition for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter. The portable electronic device described. A method for controlling a portable electronic device having a touch panel attached to a main body,
A detecting step for detecting the posture and contact state of the main body;
And a control step for switching between operation and non-operation of the malfunction prevention filter for preventing malfunction of the portable electronic device based on the posture and contact state of the main body detected by the detection step. Control method of portable electronic device.   The control program for operating the portable electronic device of any one of Claim 1 to 8, Comprising: The control program for functioning a computer as said each means. The computer-readable recording medium which recorded the control program of Claim 10.

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