JP2006146797A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize the number of operation buttons in an electronic apparatus while allowing easy operation without any reduction in the number of operable functions. <P>SOLUTION: This electronic apparatus having at least one or more operation buttons is provided with a function allocation means allocating one or more functions from a plurality of functions to at least one operation button, a display part displaying one or more functions allocated to the operation button, a function selection means allowing selection of the function allocated to the operation button displayed in the display part, and a function execution means executing the function selected by the function selection means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device such as a home appliance, office device, business device, or portable device, and more particularly to a technique for reducing the number of operation buttons of the electronic device as much as possible and making the operation method easy to understand.

In a device having a plurality of functions, all functions of the device are displayed on the display unit, the user selects a target function, and determines an operation button to set the function, thereby assigning the selected function to the operation button. There is known a technique that can perform the above (Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-197162 A

  However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the advantage that the user can assign a desired function to the operation button designated by the user, but one operation button has one Only functions can be assigned. In recent electronic devices, the number of operation buttons tends to increase as functions increase. On the other hand, there is a problem that the downsizing of devices has progressed and it has become difficult to arrange operation buttons.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to reduce the number of operation buttons of an electronic device as much as possible and to operate even if the number of operation buttons is reduced. The purpose is to make the operation easy to understand without impairing the number of functions that can be performed.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, in one representative invention according to the present application, in an electronic apparatus having at least one operation button, at least one operation button is selected from among a plurality of functions. Function assigning means for assigning the functions, a display section for displaying one or more functions assigned to the operation buttons, and a function selection means for selecting the functions assigned to the operation buttons displayed on the display section And function execution means for executing the function selected by the function selection means.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of functions can be assigned to one operation button, and a large number of functions can be assigned to an operation button even with a small number of operation buttons. Thereby, the portable device can be further downsized, and the operation button can be enlarged to facilitate the operation. In addition, by pressing an operation button, a plurality of functions assigned to the pressed operation button are displayed on the display unit, and the displayed functions are selected on, for example, a touch panel. Is easy and reliable, easy to understand for anyone, and provides a user-friendly operating environment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 relate to an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment), and FIGS. 1 and 2 are examples of display contents of operation buttons and a display unit in the electronic apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electronic apparatus of this embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a display unit (display panel) such as an LCD panel provided in an electronic device, and a transparent touch panel 2 is disposed thereon. Reference numerals 3 and 4 denote operation buttons “A” and “B” provided in the vicinity of the display unit 1, and LEDs 5 and 6 are provided at the centers of the operation buttons “A” 3 and “B” 4, respectively. It has been. Note that the LED 5 and 6 may be arranged in the vicinity of the operation buttons “A” 3 and “B” 4.

  In FIG. 3, 7 is a CPU that controls the overall electronic device, 8 is a coordinate position detection unit that detects the touch position (touched coordinate position) of the touch panel 2, 9 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory, 10 Is a button input receiving unit that receives inputs of the operation buttons “A” 3 and “B” 4, and 11 is an LED driving unit that controls turning on / off of the LEDs 5 and 6.

  The CPU 7 has a function of assigning a plurality of functions selected by the user from all the functions of the electronic device to each of the operation buttons “A” 3 and “B” 4, and each of the operation buttons “A” 3 The functions assigned to “B” 4 are stored in the nonvolatile memory 9 in association with the IDs of the operation buttons “A” 3 and “B” 4. Further, the CPU 7 has a function of generating a display image (here, a text image, a frame image, etc.) to be displayed on the display unit 1 and displaying it on the display unit 1 via an image buffer and a display driver (not shown). . Further, the CPU 7 recognizes the coordinate position detected by the coordinate position detection unit 8 when the user touches the touch panel 2, thereby interpreting the operation content on the touch panel 2 (here, the function selected and determined by the user). In addition, the CPU 7 itself has a function of executing the operation content on the touch panel 2 or causing each part of the electronic device to execute. Further, the CPU 7 has the function of receiving the operation (push operation) by the operation buttons “A” 3 and “B” through the button input receiving unit 10 and the LED 5 through the LED driving unit 11 according to the button operation. , 6 is turned on / off.

  In FIG. 1, the character display 21 (for example, the function “1” to the function “14”) of all functions of the electronic device that can be controlled by the operation buttons is displayed on the upper part 3 of the display unit 1. In addition, a character display 22 of “all function display” is also displayed so that the displayed contents are all functions of the electronic device. Invoking the display contents of the display unit 3 shown in FIG. 1 uses, for example, the “assign function to button” item in the selection item when the initial menu is displayed on the display unit 1 using the touch panel 2. It is done by selecting.

  Next, in the present embodiment, a process of assigning a plurality of functions from among all the functions described above to the operation button “A” 3 will be described. At this time, the contents shown in FIG. 1 are displayed on the display unit 1. When no function is assigned to the operation button “A” 3, when the operation button “A” 3 is pressed, the LED 5 arranged on the operation button “A” 3 is lit, and the CPU 7 The function assignment acceptance mode for “A” 3 is set. In this state, the user uses the touch panel 2 to select a function to be assigned to the operation button “A” 3 from all functions (function “1” to function “14”) displayed on the display unit 1. At this time, the function selected on the display unit 3 and the function not selected are understood. For example, a background color is added to the character area of the selected function. When the work of the function to be assigned is completed, the user presses the operation button “A” 3 again. Accordingly, the CPU 7 stores the function assigned to the operation button “A” 3 in the nonvolatile memory 9 in association with the ID of the operation button “A” 3. Further, the CPU 7 turns off the LED 5 in order to notify the user that the allocation process has been completed. The function assignment to the operation button “B” 4 is the same as that of the operation button “A” 3. In order to delete the function assigned to the operation button, the CPU 7 deletes the data in the nonvolatile memory 9 by continuously pressing the operation button for a certain time in the display state of the display unit 3 shown in FIG. .

  Next, the case where the assignment of the function to the operation button is completed and the electronic device is operated will be described with reference to FIG. When the operation button to which the function has been assigned (in this case, the operation button “A” 3) is pressed, the CPU 7 recognizes that the operation button “A” 3 has been pressed, and moves to the operation button “A” 3. The arranged LED 5 is turned on, and the function assigned to the operation button “A” 3 is read from the nonvolatile memory 9 and a list of functions assigned to the operation button “A” 3 is displayed on the display unit 1. . Here, the function “2”, the function “3”, the function “9”, and the function “13” are assigned to the operation button “A” 3, and the operation button “A” 3 is displayed on the display unit 1. A character display 23 (functions “2”, “3”, “9”, “13”) of the assigned function is displayed. The display unit 1 also displays a character display 24 of “button A function” so that the displayed function is the function of the operation button “A” 3.

  When the user selects a character display area of a function for which the function is desired (execution) using the touch panel 2 while the contents shown in FIG. 2 are displayed on the display unit 1, the CPU 7 selects the function by the user. The designated function is recognized, and the instructed function is executed by the CPU 7 itself or executed by each unit of the electronic device. The function being executed (selected) is made known to the user. For example, the background color of the character area of the function being executed is changed.

  If the operation button “A” 3 does not have a function to be selected, the user presses the operation button “B” 4 to turn off the LED 5 of the operation button “A” 3 and the LED 6 of the operation button “B” 4. Is displayed, and the function assigned to the operation button “B” 4 is displayed on the display unit 1.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the operation button and the example of the display content of a display part in the electronic device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the operation button and the example of the display content of a display part in the electronic device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the electronic device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Display (display panel)
2 Touch panel 3 Operation button “A”
4 Operation button “B”
5, 6 LED
7 CPU
8 Coordinate position detection unit 9 Non-volatile memory 10 Button input reception unit 11 LED drive unit

Claims (3)

An electronic device having at least one operation button,
A function assigning means for assigning one or more functions among a plurality of functions to at least one operation button;
A display unit that displays one or more functions assigned to the operation buttons;
A function selecting means capable of selecting a function assigned to the operation button displayed on the display unit;
Function execution means for executing the function selected by the function selection means;
An electronic device comprising: The electronic device according to claim 1,
One or more functions assigned to the operation buttons are stored in a rewritable non-volatile memory. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein information indicating the pressed operation button and a function assigned to the pressed operation button are displayed on the display unit by pressing one of the operation buttons. An electronic device characterized by being displayed together.

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