JP2008234474A - Mobile terminal, its operation method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To determine an input character or the like with one pressing even if a plurality of characters and symbols are assigned to one key. <P>SOLUTION: The plurality of symbols are assigned to the key of a mobile terminal. The display color of the key changes successively at predetermined timing, and the symbol is selected based on the operation timing of the key. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable terminal capable of automatically switching key input characters in time series.

  Since a portable terminal such as a cellular phone has a limited number of keys, it is common to use a plurality of characters and symbols assigned to one key. For example, three alphabetic characters “A”, “B”, and “C” are assigned to the “2” key.

Here, the character data switching management unit constituting the control unit detects an operation performed by the user on the key constituting the operation unit, and if a plurality of symbols are assigned to the key that has detected the operation, the operation is performed. The symbol input by the operation is displayed on the display unit while switching automatically and sequentially according to the duration of time, and the symbol display color is changed before the switching. By notifying the user in advance that the switching will be performed, when selecting a symbol to be input from a plurality of symbols depending on the time during which the operation element such as a key is operated, the symbol is selected by the user. Has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-062731 A

  However, in a conventional portable terminal, when characters are input using a key, the key has to be pressed a plurality of times in order to select one character from a plurality of characters.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and even if a plurality of characters and symbols are assigned to one key, an input character can be determined with a single press. Objective.

  The invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a plurality of symbols are assigned to the key, the display color of the key sequentially changes at a predetermined timing, and the symbol is selected based on the operation timing of the key. It is a mobile terminal.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the portable terminal according to the first aspect, the lighting pattern of the key backlight is periodically changed, and the input is determined by the key pressing timing.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the portable terminal according to the first aspect, the lighting pattern of the key backlight is periodically changed, and the input is determined at the timing when the key press is finished.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the mobile terminal according to any one of the first to third aspects, irradiation is performed so that different symbols are raised on each key surface.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the mobile terminal according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the light is lit to draw a pattern as a whole using a plurality of keys.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of symbols are assigned to the key, the display color of the key is sequentially changed at a predetermined timing, and the symbol is selected based on the operation timing of the key. This is a terminal operation method.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the method for operating the portable terminal according to the sixth aspect, the lighting pattern of the key backlight is periodically changed, and the input is determined by the key pressing timing.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the method for operating the portable terminal according to the sixth aspect, the lighting pattern of the key backlight is periodically changed, and the input is determined at the timing when the key press is finished.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the method of operating a portable terminal according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, the irradiation is performed so that different symbols are raised on each key surface.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the method of operating a portable terminal according to any one of the sixth to ninth aspects, the light is lit to draw a pattern as a whole using a plurality of keys.

  The invention according to an eleventh aspect is a program that causes a computer system to realize the function according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

  According to the present invention, even if a plurality of characters and symbols are assigned to one key, an input character or the like can be determined with a single press.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a mobile terminal according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 1, the portable terminal of the present embodiment includes a key for inputting characters and a key backlight that irradiates each key surface from the inside.

  When inputting characters, the key backlight lights up while changing the color in a certain cycle according to the input mode.

  A key backlight color is associated with a plurality of characters and symbols assigned to one key. For example, three colors [Red], [Green], and [Blue] are prepared. The “2” key “A” is set to [Red], “B” is set to [Green], and “C” is set to [Blue]. ].

  If a key is pressed while a certain color is lit, a character / symbol associated with that color can be input.

  The user can freely set the key backlight color, the period of change thereof, and the correspondence with characters and symbols.

  In FIG. 1, a foldable mobile phone is shown as an example, but the shape is not limited thereto.

  Next, an operation example of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 2, the key backlight color represents the color of the key backlight that is lit, and changes in a constant cycle.

  In the example of FIG. 2, [red], [green], and [blue] are repeated at a constant cycle.

  The key press represents the timing when the key is pressed.

  The input character represents which character is input, and the example of FIG. 2 represents the example of the key “2” described above. That is, it is assumed that “A” is input when the key backlight color is pressed at the timing of [red].

  When the key backlight color is pressed while changing to [green] or [blue], it is assumed that “B” is input because it is [green] at the pressing start timing.

  According to the above-described embodiment, even if a plurality of characters and symbols are assigned to one key, an input character or the like can be determined with a single press.

Next, another embodiment of the invention will be described.
In the above-described embodiment, the color of the key backlight is changed. However, the lighting pattern only needs to be changed.For example, irradiation may be performed so that different characters and symbols appear on each key surface. It may be lit to draw a pattern as a whole.

  In addition to changing the key backlight, the display unit can also be used to inform the user.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the determination is made based on the key backlight color at the timing of starting to press the key. However, the determination may be made at the timing of finishing pressing, that is, the timing of releasing the key.

  In this case, a character / symbol to be input may be displayed on the display unit. For example, it is assumed that when the key “2” is pressed, “A”, “B”, “C” are displayed on the display unit at a constant cycle, and the characters / symbols displayed when the key is released are input. .

  Each of the above-described embodiments is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, a process for realizing the function of the apparatus may be performed by causing the apparatus to read and execute a program for realizing the function of the mobile terminal. Further, the program is transmitted to another computer system by a transmission wave via a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a magneto-optical disk, or via a transmission medium such as the Internet or a telephone line. Also good.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the mobile telephone which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement of embodiment of this invention.

Claims (11)

There are multiple symbols assigned to the key,
The display color of the key changes sequentially at a predetermined timing,
A portable terminal, wherein a symbol is selected based on an operation timing of the key. Change the key backlight lighting pattern periodically,
2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the input is determined by a key pressing timing. Change the key backlight lighting pattern periodically,
2. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the input is determined at a timing when the key press is finished.   The portable terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein irradiation is performed so that different symbols are raised on each key surface.   5. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is lit so as to draw a pattern as a whole using a plurality of keys. The key is assigned multiple symbols,
The display color of the key changes sequentially at a predetermined timing,
A method of operating a mobile terminal, wherein a symbol is selected based on an operation timing of the key. Change the key backlight lighting pattern periodically,
The method of operating a mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein the input is determined by a key press timing. Change the key backlight lighting pattern periodically,
7. The method of operating a portable terminal according to claim 6, wherein the input is determined at a timing when the key press is finished.   The method of operating a mobile terminal according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein irradiation is performed so that different symbols are raised on each key surface.   The method of operating a mobile terminal according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the lighting is performed so as to draw a pattern as a whole using a plurality of keys.   A program for causing a computer system to realize the function according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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