JP2007515691A - Direct data entry - Google Patents

Abstract

  In order to support direct data entry on touch screen devices with multiple input fields for data entry, the position of the physical contact and the physical contact are detected when one input field is activated for data display. Until the data input operation is started. Next, activation of the input field for data display is determined based on the relationship between the position of the physical contact and the elapsed time from when the physical contact is detected until the data input operation is started. Data is then displayed in the activated input field.

Description

  The present invention relates to data input on a touch screen device, and more particularly to direct data input with a smaller number of inputs.

  As data input using a keyboard and keypad becomes increasingly obsolete, handwriting recognition in touch screen devices such as PDA (personal digital assistance) and tablet PC (tablet personal computer) is becoming a promising technology in the future. With this handwriting recognition technology, the user can input a document by performing a direct operation using, for example, a stylus.

  However, in such a touch screen device, the sub area of the touch screen is often fixedly assigned exclusively for handwriting recognition.

  For this reason, in the conventional measures used for character input, most of the touch screen area is not available for data input, and the user first selects the position for displaying data in the input field and then moves the input device to the touch screen. There is a disadvantage that there are too many steps required for data input, such as data input on the touch screen is possible only after moving back and forth and from side to side.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to support direct data input of a touch screen device.

  According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by a method for direct data entry in a touch screen device having the features of claim 1 and a touch screen device having the features of claim 14.

  According to the present invention, the input field of the touch screen device may be defined on any sub-area of the touch screen, and the user of the touch screen device may select the input field to display the data-entered characters. It becomes possible to select. Next, it is necessary to detect the position of the physical contact, eg, the position of the physical contact of the pen, stylus, finger, or other element that can be positioned on the touch screen. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is also proposed to measure the time from when a physical contact is detected until the next data input operation is detected.

  Then, based on the relationship between the position of the physical contact and the elapsed time from the detection of the physical contact to the start of the data input operation, it is possible to make a determination regarding the activation of the data display input field. The activated input field is used to display data.

  An important and advantageous feature of the present invention is that different input fields for data display can be selected depending on the location of the physical contact and the appropriate timing at which the data input operation begins. That is, it is possible to input data after activating the input field without continuously moving the input device from front to back, right and left from the touch screen. On the other hand, when a data input operation is performed after a predetermined time has elapsed after touching the touch screen once, a desired input field is activated and data is displayed in the activated input field.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, according to the display rule, the input field is activated and a determination is made as to whether to display data.

  Applying this rule-based approach directly to data entry is particularly beneficial in considering and meeting the requirements of touch screen devices with various configurations. That is, if an appropriate rule is set, direct input is possible regardless of the type of input field and the configuration of other user interface elements of the touch screen device.

  According to a preferred aspect, as one of such rules, the input field that has already been activated before the physical contact detection matches the position of the physical contact, and the data input operation is within a predetermined time limit. If the physical contact is detected, data is displayed in the input field after detecting that the physical contact is released.

  Note that the user of the touch screen device can trigger the display of data in the already activated input field by starting the data input operation at an appropriate timing, that is, immediately after touching.

  According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, an input field that has been activated before a physical contact is detected matches the position of the physical contact, and a data input operation is performed within a predetermined time limit. If it is not detected, the activated state of the input field may be maintained.

  According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the input field that was not activated before the physical contact was detected matches the physical contact position, and the data input operation is within a predetermined time limit. If detected, after detecting that the physical contact is released, the data is displayed in the input field that has been activated before the physical contact is detected.

  According to the present invention, the user of the touch screen device performs data input within a predetermined time limit when an input field different from the input field that was initially activated matches the position of the physical contact. If the condition to do is satisfied, the activation state of the input field that was activated first is maintained.

  This preferred aspect of the present invention means that the user can enter data over a wider area of the touch screen, considering the proper timing.

  That is, even if data is entered in an input field that is not initially activated for data entry, the data is still displayed in the first input field. Thus, the user can enter data anywhere on the touch screen without being limited to the specific input field activated first.

  According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, an input field that has already been activated before a physical contact is detected is deactivated, and a physical contact is detected if no data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit. Preferably, the input field that corresponds to the position of is newly activated and the data is displayed in the newly activated input field after detecting that the data has been entered and the physical contact has been released.

  Thus, according to this preferred aspect of the present invention, the user of the touch screen device is designated in advance after the contact is detected without reciprocating movement of the input device back and forth and left and right from the touch screen. You only have to wait for the time and start data entry. Therefore, the user of the touch screen device can not only start data input by only performing this one operation at an appropriate timing, but also can change the input field of the data display.

  According to yet another preferred aspect of the present invention, when an operable user interface element matches the position of a physical contact and a data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit, the physical contact is Data is displayed after it is detected that the physical contact has been released in the input field that was initially activated before it was detected.

  According to the present invention, an operable user interface element may refer to a control mechanism other than an input field, such as a push button, wireless button, combo box, bevel button, slide control, tap control, etc. In short, it may be a graphic object that causes an instantaneous action or a visible result when operated by the user.

  According to this preferable aspect, since physical contact detection and input timing are considered together, it is possible to directly incorporate user interface elements in the data input process in addition to the input field.

  According to yet another preferred aspect of the present invention, when the operable user interface element matches the position of the physical contact and no data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit, The activated state of the input field that has been activated at the same time is maintained.

  Again, this preferred aspect of the invention also extends the direct data entry process to user interface elements even if no data entry operation is initiated after a physical contact is detected.

  According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the physical contact is released when an area to which no function is assigned on the touch screen matches the position of the physical contact and a data input operation is detected. After detecting, the data is displayed in the input field that was already activated before detecting the physical contact.

  In addition to the above, according to this preferred aspect, direct data entry is not limited to input fields and operable user interface elements, but any sub-region of the touch screen device is assigned a function to the sub-region. Applicable regardless of whether or not.

  According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, if an area to which no function is assigned on the touch screen matches the position of the physical contact and no data input operation is detected, it is activated first. The activated state of the input field is maintained.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, it is desirable to support data entry through data recognition.

  According to still another preferred aspect of the present invention, it is desirable to detect a physical contact using at least one of a pressure sensitive technique, a photosensitive technique, and a magnetic sensitive technique.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, various data input techniques can be used in any mixed form, so that flexible data input considering a plurality of input fields is achieved.

  According to still another preferred aspect of the present invention, it is desirable to increase the size of the input field after the input field is activated until the physical contact is released.

  An advantage of the preferred aspect of the invention is that it is convenient when the input fields are relatively small in size and are located adjacent to each other on the touch screen.

  According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product that can be loaded directly into the internal memory of a touch screen device, when the product is executed on a processor of the touch screen device. A computer program product comprising software code portions for performing data input processing is provided.

  Thus, the present invention allows the steps of the method of the present invention to be performed on a computer or processor system. In short, as a result of such execution, it is possible to provide a computer program product that can be used by a computer system or, specifically, a processor on a touch screen device, for example.

  The program defining the functions of the present invention is not limited to information permanently stored in a non-writable storage medium, for example, a read-only device such as a ROM or a CD-ROM disk, but can be written to a floppy disk or a hard drive. Computer / processor in various forms, such as information stored in a simple storage medium, or information transmitted to a computer / processor via a communication medium such as a network or telephone network via the modem or other interface device, or the Internet Can be distributed. It is to be understood that such storage media can include other aspects of the invention by storing instructions that are readable by a processor implementing the concepts of the invention.

  In general, the present invention allows a user of a touch screen device to input data directly from multiple input fields of the touch screen device. It is possible to efficiently use the screen of the touch screen and simplify many steps normally required for data input. As a result, since the data input step is reduced, the user can easily navigate through a plurality of types of services provided by the touch screen device.

  In the following, various aspects of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  Hereinafter, various aspects, best modes, and more preferable embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As long as the functions according to the present invention are described, such functions are executed in either software or hardware, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, as long as various aspects are described, such aspects can be easily combined to achieve additional implementation and realization of the inventive concept of direct data entry.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a touch screen device according to the present application.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the direct data input touch screen device 10 according to the present invention includes a detection unit 12, an input field control unit 14, and an input processing unit 16. Further, the detection unit includes a settable timer unit 18 and an input detection unit 20.

  The above-described units are executed by using the functions of the processor or microcomputer provided in the touch screen device in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Further, RAM, ROM, ERPROM, bus structure, and the like that can be used in the touch screen device are used in the implementation of the present invention as long as data exchange is necessary when each unit operates. Furthermore, the touch screen device within the meaning of the present invention includes any device capable of inputting data via the screen by physical contact, such as a PDA, a mobile phone, an organizer, a laptop computer, a tablet PC, or a terminal. Including.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the touch screen device shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the present invention relates to a method for direct data input in a touch screen device having a plurality of input fields for data input. In the first step S10, the position of the physical contact and the elapsed time from when the physical contact is detected until the data input operation is started are detected. The physical contact relates to the first contact on the touch screen, and the data input operation relates to the movement of the input device in the area of the touch screen in a state where the physical contact is maintained. The elapsed time is assumed to be the time between the physical contact and the start of the data input operation. This time is an important aspect regarding the display of data according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in more detail, the elapsed time from the detection of the physical contact until the start of the data input operation determines whether or not to activate 1 of the plurality of input fields in step S12. This is the basis for this. In addition, in step S14, it becomes a basis for displaying data in the input field determined and activated.

  In the present invention, the contact area may not be the same as the input field that has already been activated before the input data is displayed. As a result, the one-to-one relationship between data input and data display is eliminated, and flexibility during data input is improved.

  In operation, the function according to step S10 is realized by the detection unit 12 shown in FIG. Specifically, the measurement of the elapsed time from when the physical contact is detected until the data input operation is started is realized by the configurable timer unit 18, and the physical detector and the data input operation are detected by the input detection unit 20. Realized.

  The configuration according to the present invention is realized by an appropriate method, that is, user profile data, details of user timing, user group specifying information, an operation context of the touch screen device, and the like.

  Furthermore, the input detection unit 20 not only detects physical contacts, but also detects data input operations. Further, the input detection unit 20 may operate based on at least one of a pressure-sensitive technique, a photosensitive technique, and a magnetic-sensitive technique, or a composite technique thereof.

  Therefore, the configuration according to the present invention makes it possible to adapt to the operation style of the end user. Furthermore, the configuration is realized according to various services provided in the touch screen device in accordance with the operation context of the touch screen device, in addition to or instead of the user specific data such as the user profile and the user group information. May be.

  Further, the process according to step S12, that is, the process of determining the input field for data display from the relationship with the elapsed time from when the physical contact is detected until the data input operation is started is shown in FIG. This is realized by the field control unit 14. Further, the display of data in the activated input field according to step S14 is realized by the input processing unit 16. The input processing unit 16 realizes an additional task such as control of a display format and a display color as an auxiliary function to the data display function.

  FIG. 3 shows a more detailed flowchart of the operation of the touch screen device shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, according to step S <b> 16, a physical contact is first detected by the detection unit 12.

  In the first determination of step S18, it is determined whether the activated input field matches the position of the physical contact. If the result is affirmative, in step S20, it is determined whether or not the data input operation starts in a predetermined time, that is, whether or not it is in the range of 0 to 1 second. If not, in step S22, the activated state of the input field that was activated before the physical contact was detected is maintained. In the affirmative, when it is detected in step S24 that the physical contact has been released, data display is performed in the input field activated in step S26.

  Further, if the determination in step S18 is negative, it is determined in step S28 whether the area of the touch screen device to which no function is assigned matches the position of the physical contact. If affirmative, a further determination is made in step S30 to check the start of the data input operation. If such a data input operation does not start, in step S32, the activated state of the input field that was activated before the physical contact was detected is maintained, whereas if started, the physical contact is added in step S24. When it is detected that it has been released, in step S26, data is displayed in the first activated input field.

  Furthermore, if the determination in step S28 is negative, a determination is made in step S34 as to whether the operable interface element matches the physical contact position. If affirmative, in step S36, a determination is further made as to whether the data input operation starts within a predetermined time limit. If negative, in step S38, the activated state of the input field that was activated before the physical contact was detected is maintained, whereas if positive, the physical contact is released in step S24. When it is detected, data is displayed in the input field activated first in step S26.

  Further, if the determination in step S34 is negative, it is determined in step S40 that the deactivated input field matches the physical contact position, and in step S42, the data input operation is performed before the predetermined time limit. Determine whether to start. If yes, after detecting that the physical contact has been released in step S24, data is displayed in the activated input field in step S26.

  If the determination in step S42 is negative, the data display input field is changed. Thereafter, in step S44, the input field that was activated before the physical contact was detected is deactivated, and the input field that was previously deactivated is activated. Thereafter, in step S46, it is determined whether or not data input is started. In the negative case, the activated state of the last activated input field is maintained in step S48, whereas in the positive case, after detecting that the physical contact is released in step S50, step S52 is performed. The data will be displayed in the last activated input field.

  In addition, according to the function demonstrated in relation to FIG. 3, each determination step of step S18, S20, S24, S28, S30, S34, S36, S40, S42, S46, S50 is the detection part shown in FIG. 12 is realized. Each input field control step of steps S22, S32, S38, S44, and S48 is realized by the input field control unit 14 shown in FIG. The data display in steps S26 and S52 is realized by the input processing unit 16 shown in FIG.

  Furthermore, although the determination has been described in a specific order with reference to FIG. 3, the specific steps of the determination steps, specifically, steps S18, S28, S34, and S40, can be freely changed within the scope of the present invention. It is possible and should not be considered as binding on the present invention. Hereinafter, the concept of direct data input according to the present invention will be described with reference to the related rules for direct data input and FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the first direct input rule according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4, according to the first rule for direct data entry, the input field f1 (see the cursor in the left part of FIG. 4) that was already activated before the physical contact was detected is the physical contact. When the data input operation (in this case, the letter M) is detected within a predetermined time limit, the data is displayed in the input field f1 after it is detected that the physical contact has been released. Is done.

  FIG. 5 shows a second rule for direct data entry according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 5, according to the second rule of direct data entry, if the input field f1 activated first matches the position of the physical contact and no data entry operation is detected, this The activated state of the activated input field f1 is maintained even after detecting that the contact has been released.

  FIG. 6 shows a third rule for direct data entry according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 6, according to the third rule, the input field f2 that has not been activated before the physical contact is detected matches the position of the physical contact, and the data falls within a predetermined time limit. When an input operation is detected, after detecting that the physical contact is released, data is displayed in an input field that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected.

  FIG. 7 shows a fourth rule for direct data entry according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7, this fourth rule for direct data entry involves changing the input field for data display. Specifically, according to this rule, the input field f1 that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected is deactivated, and the input field f2 that matches the position of the physical contact is newly activated. After detecting that the physical contact is released, the data is displayed in the newly activated field f2. The condition for applying the fourth rule for direct data input is when the newly activated field f2 matches the position of the physical contact and no data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit.

  FIG. 8 shows the fifth rule of direct data entry of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the fifth rule for direct data entry involves incorporating operable user interface elements into the direct data entry process according to the present invention. According to the fifth rule, when the operable user interface element s1 (eg, soft key) matches the position of the physical contact and a data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit, the physical contact is It is desirable to display the data in the input field f1 that has been activated after detecting that it has been released and before detecting the physical contact.

  FIG. 9 shows a sixth rule for direct data entry according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 9, according to the fifth rule, the operable user interface element s1 (eg, soft key) matches the position of the physical contact, and no data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit. In this case, the activated state of the input field f1 that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected is maintained.

  The seventh and eighth rules shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are similar to the fifth and sixth rules. The difference is that instead of operable user interface elements, touchscreen sub-regions that are not associated with user interaction, i.e. regions of touchscreen devices to which no functions are assigned, are considered. Another difference is that the time limit is not considered.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present application is not limited to any particular type of touch screen device, and the PDA (personal digital agent), tablet PC, It can be applied to various mobile devices such as mobile phones and mobile organizers. Further, the present invention is suitable for any kind of specific operation system used for the operation of the touch screen device, and is not limited to a specific type of service that requires data input. The term “character input” used above includes any type of input such as alphabets, numbers, symbols, graphic elements, and the like.

  In view of the above, it will be apparent that the present invention may be practiced with modification and alteration that will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

  Accordingly, the claims appended hereto are not intended to be limited to the statements herein, but rather the claims will be treated as equivalent by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should be construed to include all possible features that can be novel features of the invention.

1 shows a conceptual diagram of a touch screen device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the touch screen device shown in FIG. 1. 4 is a more detailed flowchart illustrating the operation of the touch screen device shown in FIG. 1. It is a figure explaining the 1st rule of direct data input concerning the present invention. It is a figure explaining the 2nd rule of the direct data input which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the 3rd rule of the direct data input which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the 4th rule of the direct data input which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the 4th rule of the direct data input which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the 5th rule of the direct data input which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the 6th rule of the direct data input which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the 7th rule of the direct data input which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the 8th rule of the direct data input which concerns on this invention.

As data input using a keyboard and keypad becomes increasingly obsolete, handwriting recognition in touch screen devices such as PDA (personal digital assistance) and tablet PC (tablet personal computer) is becoming a promising technology in the future. With this handwriting recognition technology, the user can input a document by performing a direct operation using, for example, a stylus.
European Patent Application No. 0394614 US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0038788 US Pat. No. 6,049,329

  According to the invention, the above object is achieved by a method for direct data entry in a touch screen device having the features of claim 1 and a touch screen device having the features of claim 10.

As data entry using keyboards and keypads becomes increasingly obsolete, PDA (pe
Handwriting recognition in touch screen devices such as rsonal digital assistance and tablet personal computers (PCs) is becoming a promising technology. With this handwriting recognition technology, the user can input a document by performing a direct operation using, for example, a stylus.
European Patent Application No. 0394614 US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0038788 US Pat. No. 6,049,329

According to the invention, the above object is achieved by a method for direct data entry in a touch screen device having the features of claim 1 and a touch screen device having the features of claim 10.

Claims (28)

A direct data input method in a touch screen device having a plurality of input fields for data input, wherein one input field is activated for data display,
Detecting the position of the physical contact and the elapsed time from when the physical contact is detected until the data input operation starts;
Determining activation of an input field for displaying data based on a relationship between a position of the physical contact and an elapsed time from when the physical contact is detected to when a data input operation starts;
Displaying the data in the activated input field.   The method of claim 1, wherein the activation of the input field is determined according to a series of display rules.   If the input field that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected matches the position of the physical contact and a data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit, the physical contact is 3. The method of claim 2, wherein after detecting release, data is displayed in the input field that was already activated before the physical contact was detected. If an input field that was already activated before a physical contact is detected matches the position of the physical contact and no data entry operation is detected within a predetermined time limit, the input field has already been detected before the physical contact is detected. 3. The method of claim 2, comprising maintaining an activated state of the input field that has been activated. The physical contact is released when the input field that was not activated before the physical contact was detected matches the position of the physical contact and a data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein after detecting that the data has been detected, data is displayed in an input field that was already activated before the physical contact was detected. Deactivating input fields that were already activated before the physical contact was detected;
Activating a new input field that matches the position of the physical contact if no data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit; and
3. The method of claim 2, comprising displaying data in the newly activated input field after detecting that data has been entered and the physical contact has been released. If the operable user interface element coincides with the position of the physical contact and a data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit, after detecting that the physical contact has been released, the physical interface The method of claim 2, wherein the data is displayed in an input field that was already activated before the contact was detected. If the operable user interface element matches the position of the physical contact and the data entry operation was not detected within a predetermined time limit, the physical contact was already activated before it was detected 3. The method of claim 2, comprising maintaining an activated state of the input field. When an area to which no function is assigned on the touch screen matches the position of the physical contact and a data input operation is detected, the physical contact is detected after detecting that the physical contact is released. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data is displayed in an input field that has already been activated before being activated. If the area on the touch screen to which no function is assigned matches the position of the physical contact and no data entry activity is detected, the activation of the input field that was already activated before the physical contact was detected The method according to claim 2, wherein the activated state is maintained.   11. A method according to any preceding claim, comprising the step of recognizing data input.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the detection of the physical contact is realized by at least one of a pressure sensitive technique, a photosensitive technique, and a magnetic sensitive technique.   13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of enlarging the input field size until the physical contact is released after the input field is activated. A touch screen device for direct data entry via multiple input fields for data entry, where one input field is activated for data display,
A detection unit that detects a position of the physical contact and an elapsed time from when the physical contact is detected until the data input operation starts;
An input field control unit that determines activation of an input field for displaying data based on a relationship between a position of the physical contact and an elapsed time from when the physical contact is detected until the data input operation starts;
An input processing unit that displays data in the activated input field. The touch screen device according to claim 14, wherein the detection unit includes a settable timer unit for measuring the elapsed time from a physical contact to a data input operation. The touch screen device according to claim 14, wherein the detection unit includes an input detection unit for recognizing at least one of a physical contact and a data input operation. The touch screen device according to claim 16, wherein the input detection unit is capable of detecting a physical contact through at least one of a pressure-sensitive technology, a photosensitive technology, and a magnetic-sensitive technology.   The touch screen device according to claim 14, wherein the input field control unit can determine whether to activate the input field according to a series of display rules. The input field controller maintains an activated state of the input field that was activated before the physical contact was detected;
When the input processing unit detects a data input operation within a predetermined time limit when the input field already activated before detecting the physical contact matches the position of the physical contact The touch screen device according to claim 18, wherein the data can be displayed in the input field after detecting that the physical contact is released. The input field control unit detects a data input operation within a predetermined time limit because an input field that has been activated before the physical contact is detected matches the position of the physical contact. The touch screen device according to claim 18, wherein, if not, the activation state of the input field is maintained. The input field control unit can maintain an activated state of an input field that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected;
The input processing unit detects that a data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit because an input field that has not been activated before the physical contact is detected matches the position of the physical contact. In some cases, after detecting that the physical contact has been released, it is possible to display data in an input field that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected. The touch screen device according to claim 18. The input field control unit deactivates an input field that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected, and if no data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit, the physical contact It is possible to activate a new input field that matches
The input processing unit is capable of displaying data in a newly activated input field after detecting that the data is input and the physical contact is released. The method described. The input processing unit confirms that the physical contact is released when an operable user interface element matches the position of the physical contact and a data input operation is detected within a predetermined time limit. The touch screen device according to claim 18, wherein after the detection, the data can be displayed in an input field that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected. The input field controller detects the physical contact when an operable user interface element matches the position of the physical contact and a data input operation is not detected within a predetermined time limit. 19. A touch screen device according to claim 18, characterized in that it is possible to maintain the activated state of an input field that has been previously activated. After detecting that the physical contact is released when the area to which no function is assigned on the touch screen matches the position of the physical contact and the data input operation is detected, the input processing unit 19. The touch screen device according to claim 18, wherein data can be displayed in an input field that has already been activated before the physical contact is detected. The input field controller is already active before the physical contact is detected when an area to which no function is assigned on the touch screen matches the position of the physical contact and no data input operation is detected. 19. The touch screen device according to claim 18, wherein the activated input field can be maintained. 27. The input field control unit can increase the input field size until the physical contact is released after the input field is activated. The method described in 1. A computer program product that can be loaded directly into the internal memory of a touch screen device,
14. A computer program product comprising software code portions for executing the steps of any of claims 1 to 13 when the product is executed on a processor of the touch screen device.

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