JP2004112432A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of facilitating a user's key operation by selectively displaying an input item assigned to an input key for each function on the input key.
A mobile terminal that performs operations corresponding to a plurality of functions (numbers, alphabets, and kana) using the same input keys (6A to 6C). The input items (1, 2, 3, ABC, DEF, etc.) assigned to the keys are displayed on the display unit.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 4

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, mobile phones having various functions such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) function as well as a call function have been developed. By the way, a numeric keypad is usually used as an input key of a mobile phone. In addition, there are also keys provided with a key (also called a cross key or the like) for moving the cursor up, down, left, and right.
[0003]
As for the above-mentioned input keys, input items (in the case of a numeric keypad, numeral “1”, alphabetic input candidate “ABC”, etc.) are usually printed on the key surface. In addition, a technique has been disclosed in which these input items are displayed by changing the direction by 90 degrees according to the orientation (vertical and horizontal) at the time of using the mobile phone (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-296958 A (FIG. 4)
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional input keys described above have the following disadvantages. In other words, there is a problem that a plurality of input items must be assigned to the input keys because a large number of keys cannot be installed due to space restrictions of the mobile phone.
[0006]
For example, when the keys for scrolling the map on the screen up, down, left, and right using the GPS function of the mobile phone are assigned to ten keys “2”, “4”, “6”, and “8”, the key operation is performed by the user. For understanding, it is necessary to display an instruction such as “2 scrolls left” on the screen. In this case, the user needs to confirm on the screen what input item is assigned to each key.
[0007]
In addition, when trying to print all the input items for each function on the input keys, a large number of characters and numbers must be written in small characters, and there is a problem that the visibility is deteriorated (for example, "1" on the numeric keypad). ") Also indicates" 1 "and" A ").
[0008]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and in a case where a plurality of functions are operated using the same input key, an input item assigned to the input key for each function is selected as the input key. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal capable of facilitating a user's key operation by displaying the information in a portable manner.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the portable terminal according to claim 1 is a portable terminal that performs an operation corresponding to each of a plurality of functions with the same input key, wherein the input key has a display unit, A control unit for displaying, on the display unit, an input item assigned to the input key for each function.
By doing so, the input items assigned to the input keys for each function are selectively displayed on the input keys, so that the user only needs to operate the keys according to the input items displayed on the input keys, and the key operation is easy. become.
[0010]
The mobile terminal according to claim 2, further comprising a selection key for selecting any of the plurality of functions, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display the input item in response to an operation of the selection key. It is characterized by the following.
In this way, the user can easily select a function by using the selection key.
[0011]
4. The portable terminal according to claim 3, wherein the input key has a light-transmissive touch panel on an upper surface of a display unit, and a light-transmissive touch panel in which an area corresponding to each input key swells on the upper surface of the touch panel. Characterized in that the key top portion is provided.
With this configuration, the input keys have a key top portion on the upper surface of the touch panel, in which a region corresponding to each input key bulges. Can be felt, and the operational feeling of the user is improved.
[0012]
The portable terminal according to claim 4, wherein the input key is a ten key.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
The mobile terminal of the present embodiment is a straight type mobile terminal that is not a foldable type.
[0014]
The mobile terminal according to the present embodiment has a housing 12 forming the outer shell. The housing 12 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a small thickness, and a surface on one side in the thickness direction is a main operation surface (operation surface) 14 on which a main operation input is performed. The main operation surface 14 is provided with a speaker unit 15 for generating sound at an upper end thereof, and a display screen 16 made of a liquid crystal element or the like is provided below the speaker unit 15. A center key 17 that can be tilted in a direction along the main operation surface 14 is provided.
[0015]
The center key 17 has a shape that is long in the left-right direction, and has a shape in which the center in the up-down direction and the center in the left-right direction along the main operation surface 14 are bulged in a mountain shape. It can be tilted up, down, left and right, and can also be moved in a direction perpendicular to the main operation surface 14. An operation input is performed by these tilting and vertical movement. The center key 17 has a projection 18 formed at the center thereof to enhance the operability of tilting up and down. The center key 17 is provided at a substantially central position in the vertical direction of the housing 12 and at a central position in the horizontal direction.
[0016]
Input keys 20 and 21 are provided on both sides of the center key 17 on the main operation surface 14, and a call input key 22 for executing a call with the input telephone number and the like are provided below the center key 17; A clear input key 23 for canceling a call and a call disconnection input key 24 for disconnecting a call and the like are arranged in this order from left to right. In this embodiment, when the input key 21 is pressed, the mode is switched to the GPS mode (function).
[0017]
Furthermore, below these, a numeric input key 25 for switching the input mode to numeric input, an alphabetic input key 26 for switching the input mode to alphabetical input, and a kana input key 27 for switching the input mode to kana input are in this order from left to right. It is provided side by side in the direction. In the following, each of the input keys 21, 25 to 27 is referred to as a “selection key” in the sense of a key for selecting a function (GPS, numeric / alphabetic / kana input function). Further, in the present embodiment, the selection keys corresponding to the respective input functions of “number”, “alphabet”, and “kana” are separately provided. Since the function can be selected by one key press operation as compared with the case of selecting one of the two functions, the operation burden on the user is reduced.
[0018]
Below these, a total of 12 input keys 31 to 42 of three rows on the right and left and four rows on the top and bottom are provided, and a microphone 43 for detecting voice is provided below them.
[0019]
The display of the twelve input keys 31 to 42 can be changed by, for example, a method described later, and when the number input key 25 is pressed, as shown in FIG. ) Etc. are displayed, and when the alphabet input key 26 is pressed as described later, the display is for alphabet input, and when the kana input key 27 is pressed, the display is for kana input.
[0020]
Next, the configuration of the input keys 31 to 42 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The input keys (here, for example, the input keys 31) have a display unit 31e, and light-transmissive touch panels 31b to 31d are provided on the upper surface of the display unit 31e, and the upper surfaces of the touch panels correspond to the individual input keys. A light transmissive key top portion 31a is provided in which the swelled region protrudes (FIG. 2A). Note that the upper surface side of this figure is the main operation surface 14 side.
[0021]
The display unit 31e is made of, for example, a liquid crystal element or an organic EL element, and emits light by itself or by a predetermined front light or backlight. Then, by transmitting light to the surface through the touch panels 31b to 31d and the key top portion 31a, input items to be described later are displayed on the input key surface.
[0022]
In the touch panels 31b to 31d, an upper transparent electrode (film) 31b and a lower transparent electrode (film) 31d are arranged at predetermined intervals via a granular dot spacer 31c. Then, when a predetermined key top portion located on the upper surface of the touch panel is pressed, the touch panel is bent and the resistance and capacitance between the transparent electrodes change, so that the pressing is detected.
[0023]
Each of the bulging portions of the key top portion 31a functions as an input key, but the whole is in the form of a continuous sheet, and the sheet edge is connected to the case (housing) 12 (FIG. 2). (B)). By expanding the portion corresponding to the input key, the user can feel the pressing of the key and can feel that the key has been pressed reliably. The operation feeling of the user is improved. In this embodiment, the number and positions of the input keys are unchanged regardless of the function. In this case, the position of the input key does not change even if the function changes, so that the user can always operate the input key with the same operational feeling.
[0024]
Next, a configuration block diagram showing an embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The mobile terminal includes a wireless unit 1 for wirelessly transmitting and receiving signals through a wireless (RF) antenna and performing signal processing; a control unit 2 for controlling the mobile terminal; a storage unit (memory) 3 for storing various data; A screen 4, a selection key 5, an input key 6, a codec 7, a speaker 8 for inputting / outputting an audio signal, and a microphone 9 are provided.
[0025]
Here, the control unit 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU performs arithmetic processing according to a predetermined control program. The ROM stores the control program and control data, and the RAM temporarily reads and writes various data necessary for the arithmetic processing. Further, the storage unit 3 stores input items assigned to input keys for each function in association with functions of the mobile terminal (GPS function, numeric input function, etc.).
[0026]
With the portable terminal having the above-described configuration, the input items assigned to the input keys are selectively displayed for each function as shown in FIGS.
For example, when the selection key 5A (corresponding to the numeric key 25 in FIG. 1) is selected in FIG. 4, the control unit 2 of the portable terminal detects that the numeric input function is selected. Then, the control unit 2 acquires input items (display patterns of input keys) corresponding to the numeric input function from the storage unit 3 and performs display control of the display units (liquid crystal elements) of the input keys (see FIG. 3 above). ). Thereby, input items (numbers “1” to “0”) corresponding to the number input function are displayed on input key 6A (corresponding to keys 31 to 42 in FIG. 1) (FIG. 4A). .
[0027]
Similarly, when the selection key 5B (corresponding to the alphabet key 25 in FIG. 1) is selected, the control unit 2 acquires an input item corresponding to the alphabet input function from the storage unit 3 and displays the input item on the display unit of the input key. Perform display control. As a result, input items (alphabetic characters "ABC", "DEF", etc.) corresponding to the English character input function are displayed on the input key 6B (FIG. 4B). When the user presses this key again while the selection key 5B is being pressed, the control unit 2 detects that the selection key 5B has been pressed twice, and enters the second function of alphabet input from the storage unit 3. The corresponding input item is acquired, and display control of the display section of the input key is performed. Thus, input items (A “.”, “,”, “:”, Etc.) corresponding to the second function of alphabet input are displayed on input key 6C (FIG. 4 (c)).
[0028]
Next, a case where the GPS function is selected as a selection key will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the selection key 5D (corresponding to the GPS key 21 in FIG. 1) of the mobile terminal is selected, the control unit 2 acquires an input item corresponding to the GPS function from the storage unit 3, and displays the input key on the display unit of the input key. Perform display control. As a result, input items corresponding to the GPS function (arrow keys for scrolling the screen (FIG. 5) are displayed on the input keys 6D. In this embodiment, up, down, left, and right arrow keys (four in total)) In this case, nothing is displayed for the other keys (a total of eight), and in this case, there is no useless display for keys that are not used in the selected function (in this example, the GPS function). Instead, the user can easily recognize which key is needed.
[0029]
The mobile terminal of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the numeric keypad is exemplified as the input key having the display unit. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and another key may be an input key having the display unit. In the above embodiment, the control unit of the mobile terminal detects which function is selected by selecting the selection key. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the function may be selected on a menu screen. Good.
[0030]
Further, in the above description, a non-foldable portable terminal has been described as an example, but the present invention is of course applicable to a foldable portable terminal.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As described in detail above, according to the present invention, when a plurality of functions are operated by the same input key, the input items assigned to the input keys for each function are selectively displayed on the input keys. The user only needs to operate the keys according to the input items displayed on the input keys, and the key operations are facilitated. Also, since only one input item needs to be displayed on the input key at the same time, the display size of the input item can be increased, and the visibility is improved.
[0032]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the input key has the key top portion on the upper surface of the touch panel, the area corresponding to each input key swells, so that the user can feel the key press feeling. As a result, it is possible to reliably feel that the button is pressed, and the operational feeling of the user is improved. Further, since the number and position of the input keys are invariable regardless of the function, the user can always operate the input keys with the same operational feeling.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, and (c) is a side view.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show the configuration of input keys of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional perspective view and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line connecting input keys 31 and 37;
FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a mode in which an input item corresponding to a function selected by a selection key is displayed on the input key;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another mode in which an input item corresponding to a function selected by a selection key is displayed on the input key.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 control unit 3 storage unit 5, 5A to 5D, 21, 25 to 27 selection key 6, 6A to 6D, 31 to 42 input key 12 housing 31a key top unit 31b to 31d touch panel 31e display unit

Claims (4)

A mobile terminal that performs operations corresponding to a plurality of functions using the same input key,
The input key has a display unit,
A portable terminal, comprising: a control unit configured to display, on the display unit, input items assigned to the input keys for each of the plurality of functions. Further comprising a selection key for selecting any of the plurality of functions,
The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display the input item in response to an operation of the selection key. The input keys have a light transmissive touch panel on an upper surface of a display unit, and have a light transmissive key top portion on the upper surface of the touch panel, in which a region corresponding to each input key swells. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the input key is a numeric keypad.

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