JP2009217416A - Touch panel input device and method of specifying button thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch panel input device capable of more accurately specifying a button that has likely been pressed by a user, and a method of specifying buttons thereof. <P>SOLUTION: The touch panel input device includes a storage means 13 for storing candidates for the order of buttons to be pressed; a next candidate button search means for specifying one or more candidate buttons that are expected to be pressed the next time, by referring to a history of buttons pressed by the user and the candidates for the order of buttons; a positional relationship calculation means 15 for determining whether or not the pressed position detected is a position corresponding to the button displayed in a display means and, if the pressed position is not the position corresponding to the button, calculating the distance to the position of the next candidate button from the pressed position; and a button specification means 16 for specifying a predetermined button as being pressed if the pressed position is the position corresponding to the predetermined button and, if not, comparing results calculated by the positional relationship calculation means, and specifying either of the next candidate buttons as the button pressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel input device and a button specifying method in the touch panel input device, and in particular, a touch panel that can specify a button that the user would have pressed when the user pressed a place other than the button on the touch panel. The present invention relates to an input device and a button specifying method thereof.

  A car navigation system, a portable information terminal, an audio player device, a multifunction machine, a vending machine installed in a railway ticket office, and an automatic teller machine installed by a financial institution are equipped with a touch panel input device.

  The touch panel includes a display that displays various operation buttons and a transparent thin film electrode that covers the surface of the display. When the user presses a button displayed on the display with a finger, the position coordinates where the thin film-like electrode provided on the screen is pressed are detected, and which button is pressed is determined.

  In these touch panel input devices, the smaller the display, the smaller the button displayed on the display, and it is difficult for the user to press the button. The problem of taking time arises. In particular, in the case of a car navigation system, if it takes a long time to operate, it may interfere with the driving of the car and may be very dangerous. In addition, a predetermined button may be pressed by pressing the button using a tip of a nail or a thin stick. However, there is a risk that the touch panel may be damaged and the operation becomes impossible.

  In order to solve these problems, when the user tries to press the button displayed on the touch panel but the button is not actually pressed, Techniques have been developed to identify buttons that would have been pressed.

  For example, in the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-067135), when a touch panel at a position deviated from any of a plurality of objects displayed on a display screen is touched, the coordinates closest thereto Is recognized as the selected target, or the object with the highest probability of being selected from past trends is selected based on the past contact position and the data selected at that time. A touch panel input method and a touch panel input device for recognizing a target are disclosed.

  As a result, even when an ambiguous position is touched on the touch panel, it is possible to identify the closest position or the button with the highest position as judged from the past tendency as touched. Can be increased.

In order to increase the efficiency of the input operation in the touch panel input device, the following Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 3726907) discloses an input means for inputting a target name on a character input screen and a storage means for storing registration point data. And a navigation device provided with a search means for searching for a target name of registration point data including input data each time a character is input at the input means. By displaying a list of names, displaying characters to be input next in a recognizable manner, and selecting them from among them, usability can be greatly improved.
JP 2003-067135 (Claims 1 and 3, paragraphs [0011] and [0013]) Japanese Patent No. 3726907 (Claim 1, paragraph [0006])

  However, in the touch panel input method and touch panel input device disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the button closest to the position pressed by the user is specified, the button intended by the user is not necessarily specified, In some cases, no input operation is performed.

  Further, in the navigation device of Patent Document 2, a registration point or target name including input data is searched based on input characters, a list is displayed, and the user can easily select an input operation by selecting from the list. However, this does not specify the button that the user would have pressed if the user could not press the button correctly.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel input device that can more accurately identify a button that the user would have pressed when the user could not press the button displayed on the display of the touch panel input device correctly. And a method for identifying the button.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the touch panel input device of the present invention includes:
Display means for displaying a plurality of buttons on the screen, a touch panel attached to the front face of the display means, a control means, a pressing position detecting means for detecting the pressing and pressing position of the touch panel, and the detected pressing In a touch panel input device including a button specifying unit that determines that a specific button has been pressed based on a position,
The touch panel input device further includes:
Storage means for storing the order of buttons to be pressed;
Next candidate button search means for searching one or more next candidate buttons predicted to be pressed next by referring to the history of pressed buttons and the button order candidates stored in the storage means;
It is determined whether or not the pressed position detected by the pressed position detecting means is a position corresponding to the button displayed on the display means, and if the pressed position is not a position corresponding to the button, the pressed position A positional relationship calculating means for calculating the distance from each of the next candidate buttons to the position of each next candidate button,
The button specifying means specifies that the button is pressed when the pressed position is a position corresponding to a predetermined button, and if not, determines the result calculated by the positional relationship calculating means. In comparison, any one of the next candidate buttons is specified as a pressed button.

  Further, in the invention of the touch panel input device, the button specifying unit compares the distance from the pressed position calculated by the positional relationship calculating unit to the position of each next candidate button, and selects the one with the shortest distance. It is specified as a pressed button.

  In the invention of the touch panel input device, a plurality of character input buttons are displayed on the display means, and the button order candidates stored in the storage means are names or place names.

  In the invention of the touch panel input device, an audio player operation button is displayed on the display means.

  In the invention of the touch panel input device, the touch panel input device is installed in a navigation device.

Furthermore, the button specifying method in the touch panel input device of the present invention is:
Buttons in a touch panel input device comprising: display means for displaying a plurality of buttons on the screen; a touch panel attached to the front face of the display means; a control means; and storage means for storing order candidates of buttons to be pressed. A specific method,
(1) Identify one or more next candidate buttons that are predicted to be pressed next by referring to the history of pressed buttons and the button order candidates stored in the storage unit;
(2) The touch panel is pressed and the pressed position is detected,
(3) Determine whether the pressed position corresponds to the button displayed on the display means,
(4) If the pressing position in (3) is a position corresponding to the button, specify that the button is pressed,
(5) If the pressed position is not the position corresponding to the button in (3), the distance from the pressed position to the position of each next candidate button is calculated,
(6) The results calculated in (5) above are compared, and any one of the next candidate buttons is specified as a pressed button.

  In the invention of the button specifying method in the touch panel input device, in (6), the distance from the pressed position to the position of each next candidate button is compared, and the button with the shortest distance is determined as the pressed button. It is characterized by specifying.

  According to the touch panel input device of the present invention, the following excellent effects can be obtained. That is, when the user presses a button displayed on the touch panel, one or more next candidate buttons that are predicted to be pressed next are searched with reference to the history of pressed buttons and the order candidates of the pressed buttons. Even if the user presses a position off the button displayed on the touch panel, the button that the user would have pressed by calculating the distance from the pressed position to the next candidate button is compared. Can be identified. Thus, the user can perform appropriate button operations without wasting time trying to press the button many times.

  Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, when there are a plurality of next candidate buttons, the next candidate button that is closest to the position on the touch panel pressed by the user is identified as the button that the user tried to press. Can do. This makes it possible to specify a button that reflects the user's intention.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of character input buttons are displayed on the touch panel. For example, buttons arranged in the order of Japanese syllabary are displayed. When the user presses the character button, even if the position off the button is pressed, the button that the user would have tried to press Can be identified from the name or place name stored in the storage means. Thereby, the user can input a name or a place name more easily and accurately.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, an audio player operation button is displayed on the touch panel. As a result, the user can easily and accurately operate the operation buttons for the audio player.

  Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the user operates the touch panel, even when the user depresses a position off the displayed button, the button that the user is likely to press can be specified. Thereby, the user can provide a navigation device capable of performing an appropriate button operation without wasting time trying to press the button many times.

  Further, according to the button specifying method of the present invention, the touch panel searches for one or more next candidate buttons predicted to be pressed next with reference to the history of pressed buttons and the button order candidates to be pressed, and the touch panel is pressed. When the pressed position is detected and the pressed position is off the button, the distance from the pressed position to the position of the next candidate button is calculated and compared. A wax button can be specified. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a button specifying method that allows a user to perform an appropriate button operation without wasting time trying to press the button many times.

  Further, according to one aspect of the button specifying method, the next candidate button closest to the position pressed by the user is specified as the button pressed by the user. Thereby, it is possible to provide a button specifying method that more reflects the user's intention.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are examples of touch panel input devices for embodying the technical idea of the present invention and button specifying methods thereof, and are not intended to limit the present invention thereto. In addition, the present invention can be equally applied to the touch panel input device and the button specifying method of other embodiments included in the claims.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic internal configuration diagram of a touch panel input device 1 when the touch panel input device of the present invention is applied to a car navigation system.

  The touch panel input device 1 includes a control unit 10, an input unit 11, a display unit 12, a storage unit 13, a pressed position detection unit 14, a next candidate button search unit 15, a positional relationship calculation unit 16, and a button specification unit 17. .

  The control means 10 includes a ROM that stores various programs for operating the car navigation system, a CPU that controls the operation of each unit by executing the programs stored in the ROM, and temporarily stores various data. It is comprised with the microprocessor which consists of RAM memorize | stored in.

  The input unit 11 and the display unit 12 constitute a touch panel device. The display unit 12 is a liquid crystal display that displays various images and buttons for selection input on a screen, for example, and is transparent on the surface of the display unit 12. An input means 11 composed of a matrix switch or an electrode is attached and fixed. The user can select and input a predetermined button from the input unit 11 by pressing the input unit 11 on the button image displayed on the display unit 12. The button information input from the input unit 11 is temporarily stored in the RAM in the control unit 10 as a history.

  The storage means 13 stores the order of buttons that are highly likely to be pressed. Specifically, in the case of a car navigation system, the character strings that make up the names of destinations and facilities are stored in the order of reading. is doing.

  Further, the storage means 13 stores a button indicating each character on the touch panel and position coordinates in association with each other.

  The pressing position detection unit 14 detects that the user has pressed the input unit 11 and detects the coordinates of the pressing position.

  The positional relationship calculation means 15 is a position corresponding to a specific button displayed on the display means 12 when the pressed position detection means 14 detects that the input means 11 is pressed. It is determined whether or not the coordinates correspond to a predetermined range from the position coordinates corresponding to a specific button.

  When the positional relationship calculating means 15 determines that the pressed position coordinates correspond to a specific button, the button specifying means 16 specifies that the button is pressed by the user. Here, the position corresponding to a specific button is within the area of the button displayed on the display means 12, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a position within a predetermined distance range from the button is selected. It may be included, or a certain area in a predetermined direction from the button may be included in the range in consideration of the user's pressing tendency.

  The next candidate button search means 17 refers to the storage means 13 using the history of the button input from the input means 11 and specified by the button specifying means 16 as a search key, and the candidate of the button that the user will select next (hereinafter described) Search for one or more next candidate buttons). The retrieved next candidate button is temporarily stored in the RAM in the control means 10.

  When the pressed position coordinates do not correspond to a predetermined range from the position coordinates corresponding to the specific button or the position coordinates corresponding to the specific button, the positional relationship calculating means 15 controls the control means from the position coordinates pressed by the user. The distance to the position coordinate of the next candidate button stored in the RAM in 10 is calculated.

  The button specifying unit 16 compares the distance from the pressed position to each next candidate button when the positional relationship calculating unit 15 determines that the pressed position coordinates do not correspond to the specific button. It is specified that the user tried to press. The button specified by the button specifying unit 16 is temporarily stored in the RAM in the control unit 10 as a history of input buttons.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a destination setting screen in the car navigation system including the touch panel input device 1.

  The destination setting screen 200 is displayed when the user selects the destination setting menu on the menu screen or the route guidance screen of the car navigation system. The destination setting screen 200 includes a destination setting button 201 and a destination input field 202 displayed at the top, a character input button 203 that occupies most of the screen, and various function buttons displayed at the right end of the screen. 204-207. The destination setting button 201 is selected when setting the name input in the destination input field 202 as the destination. In FIG. 2, the character input button 203 is displayed as a button for each character in Japanese. In addition, various function buttons are used to correct the characters input in the “return” button 204 for returning to the menu screen or the route guidance screen before the destination setting screen 200 is displayed and the destination input field 202. A “correction” button 205, a “lowercase” button 206 used when inputting a lowercase letter, a “search” button 207 for searching for a destination name or name based on a word input in the destination input field 202, etc. .

  When the user sets the destination on the destination setting screen 200, the user inputs the name of the destination in the character input field 202 by pressing a predetermined character on the character input button 203. If the destination setting is to be stopped, the “return” button 204 can be pressed to return to the previous screen. If an incorrect character has been entered, the “correction” button 205 is pressed to cancel the entered character. When all the characters representing the destination are entered in the character input field 202, the destination setting button 201 is pressed to set the destination. Even if not all characters representing the destination are entered in the character input field 202, if the “search” button 207 is pressed, a place name or facility name including the characters entered in the character input field 202 is searched and listed. The user sets a destination by selecting a desired destination from the displayed list. In addition, since this technique is disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 and the like, description thereof is omitted here.

  Here, a button specifying method of the touch panel input device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of each unit when a button is specified in the touch panel input device.

  When the user selects the destination setting menu on the menu screen or the route guidance screen of the car navigation system, a destination setting screen 200 shown in FIG. 2 is displayed. In order to simplify the description here, the operation of each unit when the user operates the character input button 203 and already inputs the characters “ma” and “tsu” as an example and is going to input the next character from now on will be described. To do. At this time, “MA” and “TSU” are temporarily stored in the RAM of the control means 10 as the history of the input buttons. Correspondingly, characters “MA” and “TSU” are displayed in the destination input field 202 of the destination setting screen 200. At this time, in step S301, the storage means 13 uses the character already input by the next candidate button search means 17, that is, the history of input characters temporarily stored in the RAM ("MA" and "TSU" in FIG. 2) as a search key. One or more of the destination names and facility names stored in the field that match the search key are extracted. In the case of FIG. 2, for example, “Matsue”, “Matsukawa”, “Matsudo”, “Matsumoto”, “Matsuyama”, etc., which are names beginning with “MA” and “TSU” are searched and extracted. The

  Next, in step S <b> 302, the character of the next candidate button that is estimated to be input next to “MA” and “TSU” that are already input characters is temporarily stored in the RAM of the control means 10. In other words, the next candidate buttons that the user will press are “Matsue” “E”, “Matsukawa” “K”, “Matsudo” “To”, “Matsumoto” “M”, “ “Yama” of “Matsuyama” is stored.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S303, where the pressing position detection unit 14 is waiting for the user to press the input unit 11. When the user presses the input unit 11, the pressing position detection unit 14 detects the pressing unit 11 and detects its position coordinate. Proceed to

  In step S304, the positional relationship calculation means 15 compares the position coordinates detected by the pressed position detection means 14 with the position coordinates of each button, thereby determining whether or not the location pressed by the user is the position of a specific button. Is determined. If it is the position of the specific button that the user has pressed, in step S305, it is determined whether or not the button is a button for instructing interruption of processing such as a “return” button, and the processing is terminated. If it is an instruction, the destination setting is ended, that is, the destination setting screen is closed, and the menu screen and the route guidance screen displayed before that are returned.

  If the specific button pressed by the user in step S305 does not instruct the end of the process, the button specifying unit 16 specifies the button as the button pressed by the user in step S306, and proceeds to step S309. Is added to the input character history stored in the RAM in the control means 10 and displayed as a newly input character in the destination input field 202.

  In step S304, when the place pressed by the user is not the position of the specific button, the process proceeds to step S307, and the positional relationship calculation means 15 is temporarily stored in the RAM in the control means 10 from the pressed position coordinates. The distance to the position coordinates of each next candidate button is calculated. In the example of inputting the destination in FIG. 2, the user correctly presses “MA” (pressing position (A)) “TSU” (pressing position (B)) and the button, and then “E” of the character input button 203. , “O”, “ke”, “ko” is pressed near the middle (pressing position (C)). In this case, the positional relationship calculation means 16 performs the process from the position coordinates of the pressed position (C) to the position coordinates of the buttons of the respective next candidate buttons “E”, “KA”, “TO”, “MO”, “YA”. The distance is calculated.

  Subsequently, in step S308, the button specifying unit 16 compares the distances from the pressed position coordinates calculated in the above step to each of the next candidate buttons, and specifies that the user is about to press the shortest distance. . In the case of FIG. 2, since the distance from the position coordinate of the pressing position (C) to the position coordinate of the “e” button among the next candidate buttons is the shortest, the user tries to press the “e” button. As specified.

  In the subsequent step S309, the newly specified button is added to the input character history stored in the RAM in the control means 10, and the newly specified character is displayed in the destination input column 202. In the case of FIG. 2, the character “e” is newly displayed in the destination input field 202.

  In step S310, it is determined whether or not the input is completed. If the input is completed, the input of the destination is terminated. If not, the process returns to step S301 and the above steps are repeated. When the user presses the destination setting button 201 or when the “search” button 207 is pressed, it is considered that the input of the destination is completed.

[Modification]
Hereinafter, a modified example of the touch panel input device and its button specifying method in the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The car navigation system of the above embodiment is provided with an audio player function, and FIG. 4 shows an example of an audio player operation screen displayed on the touch panel when the audio player function is operated. The operation screen 400 for the audio player includes a “rewind” button 410, a “play” button 420, a “fast forward” button 430, a “back skip” button 440, a “pause” button 450, a “skip” button 460, ”Button 470,“ Mute ”button 480, and“ Stop ”button 490, nine buttons are displayed.

  In the above embodiment, the name of the destination or the facility is stored in the storage unit 13. However, in this modification, the storage unit 13 stores the order candidate for pressing the button operation of the audio player function. ing.

  For example, when the audio is rewound, the next button to be selected is usually a play button or a pause button, so that “rewind”, “play” and “rewind” “ Button operation order candidates such as “pause” are stored. Similarly, when the stop button is pressed and the audio is stopped, the button to be selected next is a normal play button or an eject button, so buttons such as “stop”, “play”, and “stop” “take” Operation order candidates are stored.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation when the user presses the “stop” button 490 (A ′) and then presses the pressing position (B ′) on the touch panel will be described. The pressing position (B ′) is an intermediate position among the “rewind” button 410, the “play” button 420, the “back skip” button 440, and the “pause” button 450.

  When the user presses the “stop” button 490, the next candidate button search unit 17 refers to the storage unit 13 to search and extract a button that is likely to be pressed by the user following the “stop” button. Temporarily stored in the RAM as the next candidate button. In the case of this modification, the next candidate buttons are a “play” button 420 and a “take out” button 470.

  When the user presses the touch panel, the pressing position detecting unit 14 detects that the touch panel is pressed and the position coordinates of the pressing position (b ′), and temporarily stores them in the RAM. Next, the positional relationship calculation means 15 calculates the distance from the position coordinate of the pressed position (b ′) to the position coordinate of the next candidate button, that is, the distance to the “play” button 420 and the “eject” button 470, respectively. The button specifying unit 16 specifies that the next candidate button closest to the pressed position (b ′) is pressed by the user. In this embodiment, since the distance from the pressed position (b ′) to the “play” button 420 is the shortest, the user is identified as having pressed the “play” button 420 and the process proceeds to the subsequent processing.

  As described above, in this modified example, when the user cannot press the button displayed on the touch panel correctly, the button that the user would have pressed is selected from the searched next candidate buttons. Can automatically identify and continue processing. Thus, the user can perform appropriate button operations without wasting time trying to press the button many times.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic internal configuration diagram of a touch panel input device 1 when the touch panel input device of the present invention is applied to a car navigation system. FIG. 2 shows an example of a destination setting screen in the car navigation system provided with the touch panel input device 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of each unit when a button is specified in the touch panel input device. FIG. 4 shows an example of an audio player operation screen displayed on the touch panel when the audio player function is operated.

Explanation of symbols

1: Touch panel input device 1
10: Control means 11: Input means 12: Display means 13: Storage means 14: Pressed position detection means 15: Position relation calculation means 16: Button specifying means 17: Next candidate button search means

Claims (7)

Display means for displaying a plurality of buttons on the screen, a touch panel attached to the front face of the display means, a control means, a pressing position detecting means for detecting the pressing and pressing position of the touch panel, and the detected pressing In a touch panel input device including a button specifying unit that determines that a specific button has been pressed based on a position,
The touch panel input device further includes:
Storage means for storing the order of buttons to be pressed;
Next candidate button search means for searching one or more next candidate buttons predicted to be pressed next by referring to the history of pressed buttons and the button order candidates stored in the storage means;
It is determined whether or not the pressed position detected by the pressed position detecting means is a position corresponding to the button displayed on the display means, and if the pressed position is not a position corresponding to the button, the pressed position A positional relationship calculating means for calculating the distance from each of the next candidate buttons to the position of each next candidate button,
The button specifying means specifies that the button is pressed when the pressed position is a position corresponding to a predetermined button, and if not, determines the result calculated by the positional relationship calculating means. A touch panel input device characterized by comparing and specifying any one of the next candidate buttons as a pressed button.   The button specifying means compares the distance from the pressed position calculated by the positional relationship calculating means to the position of each next candidate button, and specifies the button with the shortest distance as the pressed button. The touch panel input device according to claim 1.   The touch panel input device according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of character input buttons are displayed on the display unit, and a button order candidate stored in the storage unit is a name or a place name.   The touch panel input device according to claim 2, wherein an operation button for an audio player is displayed on the display means.   The touch panel input device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the touch panel input device is installed in a navigation device. Buttons in a touch panel input device comprising display means for displaying a plurality of buttons on the screen, a touch panel attached to the front face of the display means, control means, and storage means for storing the order of buttons to be pressed A specific method,
(1) Identify one or more next candidate buttons that are predicted to be pressed next by referring to the history of pressed buttons and the button order candidates stored in the storage unit;
(2) The touch panel is pressed and the pressed position is detected,
(3) Determine whether the pressed position corresponds to the button displayed on the display means,
(4) In the above (3), when the pressed position is a position corresponding to the button, the button is specified as pressed,
(5) If the pressed position is not the position corresponding to the button in (3), the distance from the pressed position to the position of each next candidate button is calculated,
(6) A button specifying method in a touch panel input device, wherein the result calculated in (5) is compared and any one of the next candidate buttons is specified as a pressed button.   The touch panel according to claim 6, wherein in (6), the distance from the pressed position to the position of each next candidate button is compared, and the shortest distance is specified as the pressed button. Button identification method in input device.

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