JP2004272465A - Character input device and its character input method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the labor of a user required for a character input operation. <P>SOLUTION: When no input character candidate is present in the moving direction of a cursor designated by a user, a controller part judges whether two input character candidates which are the closest to a designated direction and which are present at equidistant positions exist (a step S5). Then, when it is judged that such two input character candidates exist, the controller part discriminates the input character candidate which has a greater number of candidates to be narrowed down among the two input character candidates (a step S7), and moves and displays a cursor to the input character candidate which a greater number of candidates to be narrowed down (a step S8). Thus, probability that the cursor is moved to the input character candidate desired by the user is increased, so that the number of operations of the user required for moving the cursor to the position of the user's desired input character candidate is reduced, and the labor of the user required for the character input operation is sharply reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a character input device and a character input method for inputting a character by moving an indicator such as a cursor or an arrow to select a desired input character candidate, and particularly to an operation until the input character candidate is selected. The present invention relates to a technique for reducing a user's labor required for a character input operation by reducing the number.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a navigation device capable of searching for a name of a destination, a passing point, or the like is known. In such a navigation device, a user operates an input device such as a joystick and operates a cursor or an arrow. By moving the indicator over a desired input character candidate in the character input screen, a character corresponding to the reading of the name to be searched can be input (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-111141 (page 8, FIG. 7)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional navigation device, when there are a plurality of input character candidates in the moving direction of the indicator designated by the user, the indicator may be moved to the input character candidate which is not the one that the user tried to select. . Therefore, according to the conventional navigation device, the number of operations until a desired input character candidate is selected increases, and the user sometimes spends much labor on the character input operation.
[0005]
SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a character input device and a character input method capable of reducing a user's labor required for a character input operation. .
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The character input device and the character input method according to the present invention are characterized in that characters following the selected character string are displayed as input character candidates, and the indicator displayed on the display unit is moved to select a desired input character candidate. A character input device and a character input method for inputting characters by selecting a specified moving direction, detecting whether there is an input character candidate in the specified moving direction, and performing a specified moving operation. When there is no input character candidate in the direction, after narrowing down by a selection operation, an input character candidate in which the number of input character candidates increases is detected, and an indicator is moved to the detected input character candidate and displayed.
[0007]
【The invention's effect】
According to such a configuration of the present invention, since the probability that the indicator moves to the input character candidate desired by the user increases, the number of user operations required to move the indicator to the position of the desired input character candidate is reduced. This reduces the user's labor required for the character input operation.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The character input device according to the present invention can be applied to, for example, a name search device as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of a name search device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0009]
[Configuration of name search device]
As shown in FIG. 1, a name search device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a database unit 2 that stores names of regions, persons, facilities, and the like in association with reading information, and a database unit 2 that stores the names. , A display unit 4 for displaying and outputting various information related to the name search process under the control of the controller unit 3, and a joystick 5 operated by a user when executing the name search process. , A decision switch 6, and a search switch 7.
[0010]
The database unit 2 stores data files in which names and their readings are recorded, for example, as shown in FIG. The database unit 2 is arranged outside the name search device 1 and the controller unit 3 connects to the database unit 2 via a telecommunication line in response to a user's instruction to execute a name search process, which will be described later. A name search process may be executed.
[0011]
Although not shown, the controller unit 3 is a general computer device including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a computer recorded in the ROM. By controlling the components in the device according to the program, a name search process described later is realized.
[0012]
The display unit 4 includes a general display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or a liquid crystal display device, and displays and outputs a character input screen and a cursor, which will be described later, according to an instruction from the controller unit 3.
[0013]
The joystick 5 is composed of an operator that can be tilted in eight directions of up, down, left, right, upper left, lower left, upper right, and lower right, and outputs a signal indicating the tilt direction according to a tilt operation of the operator by the controller unit 3. Output to As will be described in detail later, the controller unit 3 determines whether or not there is an input character candidate in the tilting direction in response to a signal input from the joystick 5, and based on the determination result, the display unit. 4 to move and display the cursor.
[0014]
The decision switch 6 outputs a signal to the controller unit 3 instructing to select an input character candidate where the cursor is located, in accordance with a designation by the user with the joystick 5 or a finger. On the other hand, the search switch 7 sends a signal instructing to search the database unit 2 using the character selected from the character input screen as a keyword in response to the user's designation with the joystick 5 or a finger. Output to
[0015]
[Operation of name search device]
Next, the internal operation of the name search device when the user performs the name search process will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
[0016]
The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is used when the user instructs to start execution of the name search process by operating the joystick 5 and selecting a name search menu from a menu screen displayed on the display unit 4, for example. The name search process proceeds to step S1.
[0017]
In the process of step S1, the controller unit 3 displays a character input screen in a form as shown in FIG. Here, the character input screen shown in FIG. 4 is composed of a character candidate display section 11 composed of a plurality of frames each displaying the Japanese syllabary characters "A" to "N" and a frame unit of the character candidate display section 11. The controller unit 3 includes a cursor 12 that can be moved by a user, and the controller unit 3 can recognize information of a character on which the cursor 12 is located by referring to position information of the cursor 12. In addition, in response to the user selecting a character from the character input screen, the controller unit 3 narrows down the next selectable input character candidates as shown in FIG. Has functions. Thereby, the process of step S1 is completed, and the name search process proceeds from the process of step S1 to the process of step S2.
[0018]
In the process of step S2, the controller unit 3 monitors the signal input from the joystick 5 to determine whether or not the user has operated the joystick 5 to tilt. Then, in response to the user operating the joystick 5 to tilt, the controller unit 3 advances the name search process from the process of step S2 to the process of step S3.
[0019]
In the process of step S3, the controller unit 3 recognizes the tilt direction of the joystick 5 with reference to the signal input from the joystick 5, and the user moves the joystick based on the current position of the cursor 12 and the recognized tilt direction. It is determined whether or not there is an input character candidate in the tilted direction (= moving direction of the cursor 12). Then, as a result of the determination, when there is an input character candidate in the direction in which the joystick 5 is tilted, the controller unit 3 controls the display unit 4 to move the cursor 12 to the input character candidate in the tilt direction as processing in step S4 Then, the name search process proceeds from the process in step S4 to the process in step S9.
[0020]
On the other hand, as a result of the determination processing in step S3, when there is no input character candidate in the direction in which the joystick 5 is tilted, the controller unit 3 performs processing in step S5 that is closest to the direction in which the user tilts the joystick 5, and It is determined whether there are two input character candidates at equidistant positions. Then, as a result of the determination, if there are no two input character candidates, that is, if there is one input character candidate as shown in FIG. 6A, for example, the controller unit 3 executes the display unit 4 as a process in step S6. Is controlled to move the cursor 12 to the input character candidate, and then the name search process proceeds from the process of step S6 to the process of step S9.
[0021]
On the other hand, as a result of the determination processing in step S5, if, for example, there are two input character candidates as shown in FIG. 6B, the controller unit 3 performs the processing in step S7 among the two input character candidates. After it is determined that the number of input character candidates narrowed down by selection (for example, the number of characters in the screen shown in FIG. 5) is large, the input characters narrowed down by controlling and selecting the display unit 4 as the process of step S8. The cursor 12 is moved and displayed on the candidate having a larger number of candidates. Thus, the process of step S8 is completed, and the name search process proceeds from the process of step S8 to the process of step S9.
[0022]
In the process of step S9, the controller unit 3 monitors a signal input from any of the joystick 5, the determination switch 6, and the search switch 7. When detecting a signal input from the joystick 5, the controller unit 3 determines that the user has moved the cursor 12, and returns the name search process from the process of step S9 to the process of step S2. On the other hand, when detecting the signal input from the decision switch 6, the controller unit 3 determines that the user has selected the input character candidate at the position of the cursor 12, and determines the input character candidates narrowed down by the selected input character candidate. The name search process is returned from the process of step S9 to the process of step S1 so as to display the displayed character input screen (see FIG. 5).
[0023]
On the other hand, as a result of the determination processing in step S9, when a signal input from the search switch 7 is detected, the controller unit 3 advances the name search processing from the processing in step S9 to the processing in step S10. Then, the controller unit 3 searches the database unit 2 for a name including the input character candidates selected up to the present time, and controls the display unit 4 to display the search result as a name list as the process of step S10. Output. Thus, the process of step 10 is completed, and a series of name search processes ends.
[0024]
As is apparent from the above description, the name search device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured such that when there is no input character candidate in the moving direction of the cursor 12 specified by the user, the controller unit 3 It is determined whether or not there are two input character candidates that are close and equidistant. If the result of the determination indicates that there are two, the controller unit 3 determines which of the two input character candidates is the one with the largest number of input character candidates to be narrowed down by selection, and The cursor 12 is moved and displayed in the direction with the larger number of.
[0025]
That is, the name search device according to an embodiment of the present invention moves the cursor 12 in consideration of the number of input character candidates narrowed down by selection. According to such a configuration, since the probability that the cursor 12 moves to the input character candidate desired by the user increases, the number of user operations required to move the cursor 12 to the position of the desired input character candidate is reduced. Thus, the user's labor required for the character input operation can be greatly reduced (the effects of claims 1 and 3).
[0026]
Further, the name search device according to an embodiment of the present invention can greatly reduce the user's labor required for the character input operation as described above, and therefore the labor required for the name search process can be significantly reduced. (Effects of claims 2 and 4).
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a name search device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a data format of information stored in a database shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a name search method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a character input screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a character input screen in which input character candidates have been narrowed down.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process of determining a moving direction of a cursor.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Name search device 2 ... Database part 3 ... Controller part 4 ... Display part 5 ... Joystick 6 ... Decide switch 7 ... Search switch

Claims (4)

A character input device for displaying a character following a selected character string as an input character candidate, and inputting a character by moving a designator displayed on a display unit and selecting a desired input character candidate,
Detects the specified moving direction and determines whether there is an input character candidate in the specified moving direction. If there is no input character candidate in the specified moving direction, the input A character input device comprising: a controller that detects an input character candidate having a large number of candidates and moves and displays the indicator on the detected input character candidate. The character input device according to claim 1, further comprising a search function for performing a search process using the input character. A character input method of displaying a character following a selected character string as an input candidate character, and inputting a character by moving a designator displayed on a display unit and selecting a desired input character candidate,
Detecting a specified movement direction;
Determining whether there is an input character candidate in the specified movement direction;
Detecting an input character candidate in which the number of input character candidates increases after being narrowed down by a selection operation when there is no input character candidate in the designated moving direction;
Moving the indicator to a detected input character candidate. 4. The character input method according to claim 3, further comprising a step of performing a search process using the input character.

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