JP2002141996A - Portable telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a telephone set with which characters to be inputted by a user can be inputted by a simple operation. SOLUTION: This portable telephone set 1 is provided with an input part 20 having an operation key capable of a 2-stage operation for character input, a conversion dictionary part 40 storing prediction data including a plurality of character strings and a control part 50 for reading predicted input characters from the character strings of the conversion dictionary part 40 and displaying and outputting them to a display part 30 corresponding to the operation of the operation key.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable telephone, and more particularly to a technique for inputting characters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, portable telephones have been provided with many useful functions in addition to the basic call function.
The character input function is one of them. This character input function,
This function is for inputting Hiragana, Kanji, Katakana, English characters, etc. when creating an e-mail text.

When a user attempts to input a character string used in a mail text using this character input function, the conventional telephone must depress an operation key as follows. In the character input mode (mode for realizing the character input function), for example, "A line" or "KA line" for hiragana or "AB
C, "DEF",..., And a predetermined character is specified by the number of times the telephone key is pressed.

[0004] For example, when a user attempts to input a "mobile phone", in a character input mode, the "mobile phone"
Reading characters "ke", "i", "ta", "i", "de",
After specifying the characters "n" and "wa", the user presses the kana-kanji conversion key to display "mobile phone". More specifically, the user presses the telephone key “ka” assigned to the “ka” line four times to specify the character “ke”, and then the “a” line is assigned. Phone key "A" 2
Press the key once to specify the character "I", press the telephone key "TA" to which the "TA" line is assigned once to specify the character "TA", and press the telephone key "A" twice. To specify the character "i" and press the telephone key "ta" four times, then the telephone key "*"
(The cloud point is assigned to the telephone key “*”.)
Press the key once to specify the character "de", press the telephone key "0" three times to specify the character "n", press the move key once and then press the telephone key "0" once Identify the character "Wa", and finally press the "Kana-Kanji conversion" key to "Mobile phone"
Is displayed.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional mobile telephone, each "telephone key" is required until characters to be input by the user, for example, "mobile telephone" are displayed.
Also, after inputting all the read character strings "Keitai Denwa" by pressing the "Move key" 19 times, the "Kana-Kanji conversion key" must be further pressed. Therefore, it is necessary to depress each operation key a total of 20 times, and the key operation by the user is extremely complicated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable telephone capable of inputting characters to be input by a user by a simple operation.

[0007]

A portable telephone according to the present invention comprises:
Input means having an operation key capable of two-stage operation for character input, prediction data storage means storing character string prediction data, and prediction predicted from the input character based on the operation of the operation key The apparatus includes a prediction data extraction unit for extracting data from the prediction data storage unit, and a display unit for displaying the extracted prediction data.

According to the present invention, the predicted data of the character string predicted from the input character is extracted and displayed based on the operation of the operation key which can be operated in two stages, so that the simple key can be used without increasing the number of operation keys. A character string can be predicted and input by an operation, and a complicated operation as in the related art can be avoided.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the two-step operation is divided into two steps according to the degree of pressing of an operation key, and the prediction data extracting means responds to the operation in one step to generate the prediction data. This is to extract the prediction data from the storage means.

According to the present invention, a character string can be predicted and input by performing one of the two-step operations classified according to the degree of pressing. Can be switched according to the degree of pressing of the operation key.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the two-step operation is a weak pressing operation and a strong pressing operation,
When the same operation key corresponding to the first character in each row of the Japanese syllabary is successively and strongly pressed, the prediction data extracting means converts the input character corresponding to the operation into the first character. At least one of a first recognition for recognizing the same character as a continuous character string and a second recognition for recognizing a character of a line switched in accordance with the number of times the line is strongly pressed. Is used to recognize input characters and extract prediction data.

According to the present invention, a predictive input can be performed by a strong pressing operation of strongly pressing an operation key.
When the same operation key corresponding to the first row of characters in each line, for example, the "A" operation key is continuously pressed strongly, the input character corresponding to the operation is continuously displayed as the first row of characters. It is recognized as the character string "Oh ..." that has been made, or as the character "I → U → E → O" of the row that has been switched according to the number of times the row has been pressed strongly. Predictive input can be performed by recognizing two types of input characters by the same operation of continuously and strongly pressing the same operation key corresponding to a single-stage character.

In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, a character string whose input has been confirmed is added to the predicted data storage means as predicted data.

According to the present invention, the character string whose input has been determined is learned and added to the prediction data storage means as prediction data, so that the accuracy of input prediction is improved.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the mobile phone according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a mobile phone according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The portable telephone 1 has a radio section, a modem section,
TDMA processing unit, D / A / A / D conversion unit, audio processing unit,
A known transmitting / receiving unit 10 including a speaker, a microphone, and the like;
An input unit 20 and a display unit 30 arranged on the surface of the fuselage;
Conversion dictionary unit 40 having a function as a prediction data storage unit
And a control unit 5 having a function as prediction data extracting means
0.

The conversion dictionary unit 40 is composed of a memory, and in addition to one character such as hiragana, katakana, alphanumeric characters, symbols, kanji, etc., a character string corresponding to the first reading character as prediction data is arranged in the order of the Japanese syllabary. It is registered in advance in a state, and in this embodiment, a character string input by the user in the past is additionally registered.

FIG. 2 shows an external view of the portable telephone 1.

On the outer surface of the mobile phone 1, a display unit 30 is provided.
An input unit 20 is provided.

The display unit 30 is composed of a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays characters and the like as operation results under the control of the control unit 50.

The input unit 20 includes operation keys 21, 22, 2
3, 24, 25, etc., received key operation by the user,
Notify the control unit 50. The repeat key 21 is a multifunctional operation key used for setting an input mode of hiragana, katakana, alphanumeric characters, etc., converting kana-kanji characters, moving a cursor position, and the like. The operation key 22 is a two-stage operation type telephone key, and "1", "2",...
Line, “ka” line,…, “wa” line characters, “ABC”,
Alphanumeric symbols such as “DEF” are assigned. The “↓” key 23 is a scroll key for sequential forwarding,
The “↑” key 24 is a backward scroll key. The operation key 25 is a confirmation key.

Next, each configuration of the operation key 22 and the operation when the operation key 22 is pressed will be described with reference to the sectional view of FIG.

Each of the operation keys 22 is, for example,
A two-stage switch having the same configuration as a known switch disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-232962, comprising a cover 201 and a movable contact 203 having a disk portion 203A.
And peripheral fixed contacts 205A and 205B and a central fixed contact 206.

Opening 2 of cover 201 with fingertip 200
When the disc portion 203A of the movable contact 203 is pressed from 01A via the sheet 202, the disc portion 203A remains spherical and the connecting portion 204 first bends as shown in FIG. , The disk portion 203A faces in the horizontal direction, and its outer periphery has two peripheral fixed contacts 205A, 205A.
5B and the two peripheral fixed contacts 205A.
And 205B are short-circuited and turned on as a first switch.

When the disk 203A is further pressed down by the fingertip 200 from this state, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the disk 203A is inverted to a downwardly swelling state with moderation. Center part 203 of disk part 203A
Aa contacts the central fixed contact 206 to electrically short-circuit between the peripheral fixed contacts 205A and 205B, which are short-circuited as the first switches, and the central fixed contact 206,
The second switch is turned on.

Thereafter, the disk portion 203A by the fingertip 200
When the pressing force is released, first, the disk portion 203A is restored to an upwardly projecting spherical state by its elastic restoring force, so that the center portion 203Aa is separated from the center fixed contact 206 and the second switch is turned off ( Returning to the state shown in FIG. 3A), the connecting portion 204 returns to the original upwardly inclined state, so that the outer periphery of the disk portion 203A separates from at least one of the two peripheral fixed contacts 205A and 205B. The first switch also returns to the off state.

The control unit 50 includes a ROM storing a control program, a working RAM, various counters,
It has a PU and the like, and integrally controls the transmission / reception unit 10, the input unit 20, the display unit 30, and the conversion dictionary unit 40 of the mobile phone 1. Note that, of the control of the control unit 50, only control of character input specific to the present embodiment will be described, and description of transmission / reception control and the like of the mobile phone 1 will be omitted.

The control unit 50 operates the operation key 2 from the input unit 20.
When receiving the press notification of No. 1, the operation mode is set to the Kana-Kanji input mode.

When the control unit 50 receives notification of the depression of each telephone key of the operation keys 22, it counts how many times the key has been pressed and determines whether the key has been pressed lightly or strongly. The determination as to whether the switch is weakly pressed or strongly pressed is made based on whether only the first switch is conductive or whether the first and second switches are conductive. When it is determined that the pressing of the telephone key is a weak pressing, a normal kana character input process similar to the conventional one is performed.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the character is strongly pressed, a character string corresponding to the input character is predicted based on the control program. In this prediction processing, the control unit 50 recognizes a character corresponding to the pressed telephone key, and sets a plurality of frequently used character strings including a read of the recognized character as a predicted character string (prediction data). The predicted character string is extracted from the conversion dictionary unit 40 and displayed on the display screen of the display unit 30.

Now, in the open input mode, for example, when the telephone key "1a" is pressed strongly by the user,
The display screen of the display unit 30 displays “A” corresponding to the input character.
Are displayed in the descending order of the frequency of use.

When the control unit 50 determines that the same telephone key is pressed again by the user after the telephone key is released, the control unit 50 recognizes the character corresponding to the telephone key pressed last time and this time, and A plurality of frequently used character strings that include the recognized character reading at the beginning are extracted from the dictionary unit 40 as predicted character strings, and the predicted character strings are displayed on the display screen of the display unit 30.

Now, in the open input mode, when the user presses the telephone key "1a" twice strongly, the display screen of the display unit 30 displays "ah" corresponding to the input character at the top. The predicted character strings that include the reading of “i”, which is the character in the second row of the “a” line, are displayed in the descending order of the frequency of use.

When the control unit 50 receives from the input unit 20 a notification that one of the scroll keys 23 and 24 has been pressed instead of pressing the telephone key, the control unit 50 continues to display the predicted character string on the display unit 30 by scrolling. Further, when the notification of the pressing of the determination key 206 is notified from the input unit 20, the predicted character string at the cursor position is determined and written to the work RAM.

The following describes some specific examples of input prediction. (A) For example, when the user strongly presses the “1A” key from the input unit 20, the control unit 50 recognizes that the input is “A” and, at the same time, a character string including the reading of “A” at the beginning, for example,
"Love", "Thank you", "Tomorrow", ... are read from the conversion dictionary unit 40 as predicted character strings and displayed on the display unit 30. (B) When the “1a” key is pressed twice strongly, the control unit 50 recognizes the input of “i”, which is the second character of the “a” line, and reads the “i”. A character string included at the beginning, for example, “How do you like”, “Go”, “More”,... Is read from the conversion dictionary unit 40 as a predicted character string and displayed.
Further, in this embodiment, the control unit 50 sets “1A”
The two strong presses of the key are recognized as the input of “Oh”, and a character string including the reading of “Oh” at the beginning, for example, “Oh”, “Oh, if you say”,. It is read from the conversion dictionary unit 40 and displayed. (C) Further, if the "1a" key is pressed once after being weakly pressed, the input is recognized as "a + a line", and a character string starting from this "a + a line", for example, "a"","Love",
.. Are read from the conversion dictionary unit 40 and displayed as predicted character strings. (D) Also, if the user presses the "1a" key once and then presses the key twice, it is predicted that "ai" will be input, and the character string "love", "compatibility",. Is read from the conversion dictionary unit 40 as a predicted character string and displayed. (E) Further, the prediction can be made even if the cursor is moved during the input of the character string.

For example, when inputting "mobile phone",
After weakly pressing the "2" key four times, pressing the "4" key lightly, inputting "KE", moving the cursor to "TA" using the operation key 21, and then "1A" When the key is pressed once, it is predicted that "ke + a line + ta" is input, and a character string starting with "ke + a line + ta", for example, "mobile", "form", "mobile phone" ,... Are read from the conversion dictionary unit 40 as predicted character strings.

When the number of input characters increases in this manner, predicted character string candidates can be accurately displayed in a considerably narrowed form. In addition, if prediction data is targeted only for a character string that has been input in the past, candidates can be displayed in a more narrowed down form.

Here, when the user positions the cursor on a desired character string of the displayed plurality of predicted character strings, for example, "mobile phone" and presses the enter key 25, the control unit 50
Determines the input characters as "mobile phone"
Write the character string “mobile phone” in M. This allows the user to include the character string “mobile phone” in the mail text.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, the control unit 50 determines whether or not a character has been input (step S101). If a character has been input, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the key was pressed strongly (step S102). If it is lightly pressed, the process shifts to a normal character input process similar to the conventional one in FIG. That is, in FIG. 6, since there is no need for the prediction process, the count value of the number of times of strong press counter is cleared (step S301), and it is determined whether or not the key is the same as the previous key (step S30).
2). If the keys are the same, the character at the cursor position displayed on the display unit 30 is changed to the character on the next line of the line (step S303), and the process returns to step S101 in FIG. On the other hand, if the key is different from the previous key, the cursor position is moved to the right by one, a character corresponding to the operation is inserted and displayed at the moved position (step S304), and the process returns to step S101 in FIG.

If it is determined in step S102 of FIG. 4 that the key has been pressed strongly, it is further determined whether or not the previous key press was a strong press (step S103). If the previous time was also a strong press, it is determined whether or not the key is the same as the previous time (step S104). If they are the same key, the count value of the strong press counter is incremented by "1" (step S105), and the process proceeds to a character string prediction process described later. The strong press counter counts the number of times the same key is continuously strongly pressed, and changes the number of rows in each row according to the count value.

If it is determined in step S104 that the key is different from the previous key, the control unit 50
The character at the cursor position displayed at 0 is changed to the character of the number of strong presses (step S106), the cursor position is moved right by one, and the character is inserted and displayed at the moved position (step S107). Then, the process proceeds to a character string prediction process. If it is determined in step S103 that the previous key press was a weak press, the process proceeds to the character string prediction process after the process in step S107.

Next, in the prediction processing, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 50 executes a prediction of a character string including the reading at the beginning based on the input character notified (step S201), It is determined whether or not the step needs to be changed (step S202). To determine the necessity of this stage change,
As will be described later, the determination is made based on the count value of the strong press counter or the control program.

If it is determined in step S202 that a step change is necessary, the step is changed (step S203), and steps S201 to S203 are repeated until the step change becomes unnecessary. When there is no need to change the step (step S20)
(No in 2), the character strings with the highest frequency of use are narrowed down from the character strings predicted in step S201 (step S204), and the narrowed down character strings are output to the display unit 30 as prediction results (step S205). ), And returns to step S101 in FIG.

Next, in step S101 of FIG.
When it is determined that the input is not a character input, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 50 clears the count value of the strong press counter (step S401) and cancels the notified previous key information (step S402). Then, it is determined whether or not the character is determined by the determination key 25 or the like (step S40).
3). If the character is not confirmed (step S404
No), it is determined whether or not the cursor position has been moved by the operation key 21 (step S404). If the cursor position has been moved, the information indicating the cursor position is changed (step S405), and the process returns to step S101 in FIG. On the other hand, if the cursor position has not been moved, it is determined whether or not the input character has been deleted by the operation key 21 (step S40).
6). If it is not character deletion, step S1 in FIG.
On the other hand, if the character is to be deleted, the information indicating the cursor position is changed (step S407). After the character is deleted (step S408), the process returns to step S101 in FIG.

If the character is determined in step S403, all internal information such as information indicating the cursor position is cleared, and the character input processing ends.

The above processing is performed in the above specific examples (a) to (d).
A description will be given by applying to (e). (A) For example, when the "1a" key is pressed strongly, the process proceeds to steps S101, S102, and S103 in FIG. 4, and in step S107, the character "a" is displayed,
The cursor is moved by one, and in step S201 in FIG. 5, a prediction of a character string including the reading of "A" is executed,
In step S202, it is determined that the column change is unnecessary, and the process proceeds to steps S204 and S205. For example, "love", "thank you", "tomorrow",.
It is displayed and output at 0. (B) When the "1A" key is pressed twice strongly, steps S101, S102, S103, S104, S105 in FIG.
Then, the count value of the number of times of strong press counter is incremented by "1", and in step S201 in FIG. 5, the prediction of the character string including the reading of "Oh" is executed, and in step S202, it is necessary to change the column. to decide. In this case, since the count value of the number of times of strong press counter has been incremented to "1", it is determined that one step change is necessary, and the step is changed (step S203). Is recognized, and a prediction of a character string including the reading of "i" at the beginning is executed (step S201), and the process proceeds to steps S202, S204, and S205, and a character string including the reading of "ah" at the beginning, for example, .. Are displayed on the display unit 30 as predicted character strings, and at the same time, character strings that include the reading of “i” at the beginning, for example, “How are you”, “Go”, “ Are displayed on the display unit 30 as predicted character strings. (C) If the "1A" key is pressed once after being weakly pressed, the process proceeds to steps S101, S102, S103 and S107 in FIG. 4, and in step S201 in FIG. In step S202, it is determined that it is necessary to change the column of the strongly pressed “A” line.
As a column (step S203), in step S201, a prediction of a character string including the reading of "ai" is executed, and in step S202, a column change is necessary because the column change of the "a" line has not been completed. Is determined, and a further change is made to the “U” stage (step S203). In step S201, a character string including the head of “Au” is predicted. Of the character string including the reading of "Ao" at the beginning by changing the stage to the "O" stage, which is the final stage of "A", and steps S204 and S20.
5 and a character string starting with "A + A line", for example,
"Oh", "Love", "Meet", ... are displayed on the display unit 30 as predicted character strings. (D) If the "1A" key is pressed twice strongly after being pressed once, steps S101, S102, S103 in FIG.
Proceeding to S104 and S105, the count value of the number of times of strong press counter is incremented by "1", and step S2 of FIG.
01, proceeding to S202, it is determined whether a stage change is necessary. In this case, since the count value of the number-of-strong-presses counter has been incremented to "1", it is determined that one step change is necessary and the step is changed (step S203). Recognizing "oh" as "i", and predicting a character string that includes "ai" at the beginning (step S201), steps S202, S204, and S205.
And a character string that includes the beginning of "Ai", for example,
.. Are output on the display unit 30 as predicted character strings. (E) After pressing the "2?" Key four times, press the "4" key lightly, move the cursor to "" using the operation keys 21, and then press the "1A" key once. When pressed, that is,
“2”, “2”, “2”, “2”, “4”,
By operating "←" and pressing "1a" strongly, in step S101 of FIG. 4, the cursor movement key "←"
It is determined that the input is not a character input by the operation shown in FIG.
Move to the processing of. In FIG. 7, step S40
1, proceed to S402, S403, S404, S405,
The cursor position information is changed, and the process proceeds to step S101 in FIG.

After the cursor position information is changed, the process proceeds to steps S101, S102, S103, and S107 in FIG. 4 in response to the strong pressing of the "1A" key in FIG. In step S201, the prediction of the character string including the reading of "Keata" at the beginning is executed. In step S202, it is determined that the column of the strongly pressed "A" line needs to be changed, and the column is changed. Then, the prediction of the character string including the reading of "Keita" at the beginning is executed, and similarly, the column is changed to the "O" column which is the last column of the "A" line, and "Keuta", "Keeta", The prediction of the character string including the reading of "Keota" at the head is executed (steps S201 and S20).
2, S203), and further steps S204, S205
For example, "mobile", "form", "mobile phone",
.. Are displayed on the display unit 30 as predicted character strings.

As described above, the input prediction can be accurately performed by the strong pressing operation of the operation key.

(Other Embodiments) As another embodiment of the present invention, when the user wants to make an input prediction, a strong press operation is performed once so that the input is performed based on the input characters. Input prediction may be performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the input prediction is performed by the strong pressing operation. However, as another embodiment of the present invention, the input prediction is performed by the weak pressing operation. Processing may be performed.

[0053]

As described above, according to the portable telephone according to the present invention, the prediction data of the character string predicted from the input character is extracted and displayed based on the operation of the operation key capable of performing the two-step operation. Therefore, a character string can be predicted and input by a simple key operation without increasing the number of operation keys, and a complicated operation as in the related art can be avoided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a mobile phone according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the mobile phone of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration and operation of an operation key 22 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart (1) for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart (2) for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart (3) for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart (part 4) for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 mobile phone 20 input unit 30 display unit 40 conversion dictionary unit 50 control unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 1/02 H04M 1/02 H 1/725 1/725 F term (Reference) 5B020 CC12 DD02 GG25 5K023 AA07 BB11 DD06 EE02 GG04 HH01 HH07 LL06 5K027 AA11 BB01 BB02 CC08 EE01 FF01 FF22 HH00 MM04 MM17

Claims (4)

[Claims] An input unit having an operation key capable of performing a two-step operation for inputting a character, a prediction data storage unit in which prediction data of a character string is stored, and an input character based on an operation of the operation key A mobile phone, comprising: prediction data extraction means for extracting prediction data predicted from the prediction data storage means from the prediction data storage means; and display means for displaying the extracted prediction data. 2. The two-step operation is divided into two steps according to the degree of pressing of an operation key, and the predicted data extracting means extracts predicted data from the predicted data storage means in response to one of the operations. The mobile phone according to claim 1. 3. The two-stage operation is a weak pressing operation and a strong pressing operation, and the predictive data extracting means is configured such that the same operation key corresponding to the first-stage character of each row of the Japanese syllabary is continuous. A first recognition for recognizing an input character corresponding to the operation as a character string in which the same characters in the first row are continued when the user is strongly pressed, 3. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the input character is recognized by at least one of the second recognition which recognizes the character as a character switched in accordance with the number of times performed, and predictive data is extracted. 4. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein a character string whose input has been confirmed is added to said prediction data storage means as prediction data.