JP2010015282A - Key input device, information processor, key input method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a key input device, an information processor, a key input method and a program for simplifying the key selection, and for improving the key input. <P>SOLUTION: This key input device includes: a display means for displaying various information; a plurality of keys to which characters or functions are individually allocated; a primary detection means for detecting contact to the plurality of keys for each of the plurality of keys; a secondary detection means for detecting the depression of keys in such a state that the contact has been detected by the primary detection means; and a control means for performing prescribed control in response to the detection of the primary detection means and the secondary detection means. When the contact has been detected by the primary detection means, the control means makes the display means display characters or functions allocated to the keys whose contact has been detected, and when the depression of keys is detected by the secondary detection means, the characters or functions allocated to the keys whose contact has been detected are decided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a key input device, an information processing device, a key input method, and a program for receiving a key operation and performing a predetermined input process.

An example of an information processing apparatus to which the key input device of the present invention is applied is a mobile phone. The mobile phone includes a plurality of keys (buttons) operated by a user (operator). The user operates a desired key to select and input a desired character (including symbols) (hereinafter referred to as character input), or to select a desired function and instruct execution (hereinafter referred to as a character input). Key input for function execution instruction can be performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-107091 A

  Here, character input will be described as an example of key input. An example of character input is creation of an e-mail. In order to input a desired character, the user first selects a desired key from a plurality of keys. At this time, the user determines which key is desired by using a character display indicating a character or the like assigned to the key at the key top or in the vicinity of the key.

  However, since the number and size of keys are limited due to the miniaturization of the mobile phone main body, the character display is also small. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to select a desired key because it is difficult to see the character display when performing key input. In addition, this character display does not display all assigned characters and the like. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to select a key to which a desired character is assigned.

  When creating an e-mail, in addition to the numeric keys to which characters are assigned, the enter key, the up / down / left / right cursor keys, etc. are frequently operated. Therefore, there is a problem that the user cannot perform smooth key input due to an increase in the number of keys to be operated.

  Each of the above problems applies not only to character input but also to a function execution instruction. Similar to the above character display, the mobile phone is provided with a function display indicating the function assigned to the key at or near the key top. When the user selects a desired function, this function display is used as a clue to determine which key is desired. However, the function display is a small display like the character display, and the function is often indicated by an illustration or the like. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to select a desired key because the function display is not only difficult to see but also difficult to understand. Also, this function display does not display all assigned functions. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to select a key to which a desired function is assigned. Further, when a predetermined function is selected and executed, in addition to the keys to which the functions are assigned, the decision key, the up / down / left / right cursor keys, etc. are frequently operated. Therefore, there is a problem that the user cannot perform smooth key input due to an increase in the number of keys to be operated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a key input device, an information processing device, a key input method, and a program that can facilitate key selection and realize smooth key input.

  In order to achieve such an object, the key input device of the present invention includes a display means for displaying various information, a plurality of keys to which characters or functions are individually assigned, and contact with the plurality of keys. Primary detection means for detecting each time, secondary detection means for detecting a key press in a state in which contact is detected by the primary detection means, and control for performing predetermined control upon detection of the primary detection means and the secondary detection means And when the contact is detected by the primary detection means, the control means displays on the display means the character or function assigned to the key where the contact is detected, and the secondary detection means When pressing is detected, the character or function assigned to the key where contact is detected is determined.

  An information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes the key input device according to the present invention.

  The key input method of the present invention includes a primary detection step for detecting key contact with respect to a predetermined key among a plurality of keys to which characters or functions are individually assigned, and a key for which key contact is detected by the primary detection step. A first display step for displaying the assigned character or function, a secondary detection step for detecting a key press in a state in which a key contact is detected by the primary detection step, and a key press is detected by the secondary detection step. A determination step for determining a character or function assigned to the key whose key contact is detected in the primary detection step.

  The program of the present invention causes a computer to execute the key input method of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate key selection and realize smooth key input.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a key input device, an information processing device, a key input method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiment, a mobile phone will be described as an example of an information processing device to which the key input device of the present embodiment is applied. However, the information processing device of the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone. Other devices / apparatuses may be used.

[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the appearance of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an external front view of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. Note that the mobile phone according to the present embodiment is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1, and may have other shapes (for example, a foldable mobile phone).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone according to the present embodiment includes a speaker 6 and a display unit 8 at the top of the housing. The speaker 6 is a receiver that outputs the voice of the other party. The display unit 8 is a device that displays various types of information such as characters and images, and examples thereof include a liquid crystal display. In addition, the mobile phone according to the present embodiment includes the microphone 5 and the input unit 7 at the lower part of the housing. The microphone 5 is a transmitter for inputting own voice to the other party. The input unit (operation unit) 7 is a group of a plurality of keys (buttons) used when the user performs an operation. As an example of the input unit 7, FIG. 1 shows a cursor key, a determination key, a numeric keypad, and the like. The cursor key is a key for moving the cursor displayed on the display unit 8 in the up, down, left, and right directions, and is, for example, a “Δ” (upward) or “▽” (downward) key in the drawing. The determination key is a key that is operated when the user makes a predetermined determination. In the drawing, the determination key is a circular key that is surrounded by the up / down / left / right cursor keys. The numeric keypad is a key to which the numbers 0 to 9 and the Japanese syllabary lines A to W are assigned, and in the figure, the assigned number and the Japanese syllabary line Is displayed (character display). In FIG. 1, in addition to these keys, there are keys to which a predetermined function is assigned, for example, an F / L key, a Clr key, and the like.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile phone of this embodiment includes a CPU 1, a ROM 2, a RAM 3, a communication unit 4, and an input detection unit in addition to the microphone 5, the speaker 6, the input unit 7, and the display unit 8 shown in FIG. 9, a display control unit 10, and a bus 20. In the following, description of the microphone 5, the speaker 6, the input unit 7, and the display unit 8 shown in FIG.

  A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1 is connected to each part in the mobile phone via the bus 20 and controls the operation of the entire mobile phone according to the read program to realize various functions.

  A ROM (Read Only Memory) 2 is a storage medium that stores fixed data such as various control programs. CPU 1 reads a program from ROM 2 and controls the operation of the mobile phone according to the program. The ROM 2 stores fixed data such as assigned character information, conversion candidate information, and changed assignment information (each information will be described later).

  A RAM (Random Access Memory) 3 is a working storage medium that stores data temporarily required for the CPU 1 to execute a program read from the ROM 2. For example, it functions as a buffer memory for character input.

  The communication unit 4 is a circuit that performs a telephone function (incoming call, outgoing call, call) and an electronic mail function (reception and transmission of mail) by radio. The communication unit 4 includes an antenna for enabling wireless communication via a wireless communication network including a base station or the like.

  The input detection unit 9 is a circuit that detects an input signal from the input unit 7 by a user operation and notifies the CPU 1 of the input signal. The input detection unit 9 detects primary detection and secondary detection and notifies the CPU 1 (each of these detections will be described later).

  The display control unit 15 is a circuit that controls the overall display operation in the display unit 8 based on an instruction from the CPU 1. For example, the display control unit 15 performs switching of a display screen and display information. Also, lighting control of the backlight that illuminates the display unit 8 is performed.

  The bus 20 is a path for data (for example, various information and various signals) exchanged between the units illustrated in FIG.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 1, ROM 2, RAM 3, input unit 7, display unit 8, input detection unit 9, and display control unit 10 operate as a key input device of this embodiment. The CPU 1, ROM 2 and RAM 3 can be called control means. The input detection unit 9 can be called a primary detection unit and a secondary detection unit. The display unit 8 and the display control unit 10 can be called display means. The input unit 7 can be called a plurality of keys.

  Here, the specific structure of the input detection part 9 is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the input detection unit 9. 3 and 4, as an example, a cross section of a part of one key (key top 21) constituting the input unit 7 is shown. In the input detection unit 9, primary detection and secondary detection are performed.

  In FIG. 3, the primary detection is to detect an operation (hereinafter referred to as key touch or key contact) in which the user touches the upper surface (front surface) of the key top 21 with a finger or the like. The input detection unit 9 includes a touch conductor 22 made of an electrical conductor connected to a capacitive touch switch (not shown) from the key top 21 that is an electrical conductor, and a conductor protection layer 24 that protects the touch conductor 22. And a conductive wire holding plate 25 made of an insulator that supports the touch conductive wire 22. The input detection unit 9 performs primary detection using these. In FIG. 3, when the user performs a key touch on the key top 21, the capacitive touch switch detects the key touch via the touch conductor 22. With this as a trigger, the input detection unit 9 transmits to the CPU 1 a signal (including which key is touched) indicating that primary detection has occurred.

  In FIG. 3, the secondary detection is to detect an operation (hereinafter referred to as key pressing or key pressing) in which the user strongly presses the upper surface (front surface) of the key top 21 in the direction of the arrow with a finger or the like. The input detection unit 9 has a contact point mechanism switch, and thereby performs secondary detection. FIG. 4 shows a state where the key is pressed (a state where the contact mechanism switch is closed). When the key is depressed as shown in FIG. 4, the moving contact dome 41 contacts the fixed contact 43, and the electrical connection between the two common conductors 42 is closed. Using this as a trigger, the input detection unit 9 transmits to the CPU 1 a signal (including which key is pressed) indicating that secondary detection has occurred. The contact holding plate 45 that holds the fixed contact 43 supports the pressing force by the finger through the key top 21 by the structure portion 51 that forms the key structure.

  Next, the operation (one embodiment of the key input method of the present invention) of the mobile phone (key input device) of the above-described embodiment will be described. In the following description, a case where the user creates an e-mail in the mobile phone of the present embodiment is taken as an example. In the case of creating an e-mail, a function execution instruction (execution instruction for an e-mail creation function) is first performed as a key input, and then a character input (e-mail text creation) is performed.

  The operation when an instruction to execute the e-mail creation function is given will be described with reference to FIG. In the mobile phone, the input detection unit 9 waits for a key operation (step S21). In the present embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that activation of the electronic mail function is assigned to the S / L key of the input unit 7 illustrated in FIG. The user touches the S / L key. The input detection unit 9 detects a key touch (step S22 / YES), and notifies the CPU 1 that the S / L key is touched (step S23).

  The CPU 1 receives the notification from the input detection unit 9 and executes the e-mail application stored in the ROM 2 to activate the e-mail function. Then, the CPU 1 causes the display unit 8 to display the function selection list 17 via the display control unit 10. The state at this time is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11A, a function selection list 17 is displayed on the display unit 8. The function selection list 17 is a screen for displaying various functions of the e-mail function and allowing the user to select them. In FIG. 11A, as various functions, received BOX (viewing and editing received mail, etc.), sent BOX (viewing and editing sent mail, etc.), unsent BOX (viewing and editing unsent mail, etc.), new Examples are mail creation and center inquiry. Further, in FIG. 11A, a cursor is displayed in the reception BOX at the top of the function selection list 17. The cursor moves downward by one item by one key touch of the S / L key.

  The user selects new mail creation, which is an e-mail creation function, from the displayed function selection list 17, and instructs execution. At this time, the user touches the S / L key three times to select creation of a new mail. The state at this time is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11B, the cursor has moved to the creation of a new mail by three key touches. The user's finger remains in contact with the key top (S / L key) after the third key touch. Then, the user confirms that the cursor is aligned with the creation of a new mail, and performs key pressing on the S / L key with the finger kept in contact. The input detection unit 9 detects the key press (step S24 / YES), and notifies the CPU 1 that the S / L key is pressed (step S25).

  The CPU 1 receives the notification from the input detection unit 9 and causes the display unit 8 to display a screen for creating an email (email creation screen) via the display control unit 10. The state at this time is shown in FIG. FIG. 6A shows a state in which “Kakikokukeko” is displayed in the assigned character display area 15, but nothing is displayed in the assigned character display area 15. As shown in FIG. 6A, the e-mail creation screen includes a mail display area 12, a mail body display area 13, a conversion candidate display area 14, and an assigned character display area 15. The mail display area 12 is an area where the input destination address, subject, and mail text are displayed. The mail text display area 13 is a part of the mail display area 12 and is an area in which the mail text is displayed. The conversion candidate display area 14 is an area for displaying a character string, a pictogram, and the like (hereinafter referred to as a conversion candidate) related to the input character. The assigned character display area 15 is an area in which when a key touch is performed on a predetermined key, a character (assigned character) assigned to the key is displayed. Character input on the e-mail creation screen configured as described above will be described later.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the user calls the e-mail creation screen, only one key (here, the S / L key) is used. That is, the user can instruct execution of a desired function without using the cursor key or the enter key. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent key press mistakes and the like that are likely to occur by operating a plurality of types of keys, and to realize smooth key input.

  The operation when inputting characters in the e-mail creation function will be described with reference to FIGS. In the mobile phone on which the e-mail creation screen shown in FIG. 6A is displayed, the input detection unit 9 waits for a key operation (step S1). In the present embodiment, as an example, an e-mail is created by inputting Japanese. In the following description, a case where “conference” is input in the body of the e-mail will be described as an example. Since the user wants to input “conference”, the user touches the “2” key among the numeric keys constituting the input unit 7 shown in FIG. The input detection unit 9 detects a key touch (step S2 / YES), and notifies the CPU 1 that the “2” key has been touched (step S3).

  The CPU 1 receives the notification from the input detection unit 9 and acquires the assigned character information stored in the ROM 2. The assigned character information is information indicating a character (assigned character) assigned to each of a plurality of keys. For example, the “2” key indicates that each character in the row is assigned as an assigned character. Then, the CPU 1 displays the assigned characters on the display unit 8 via the display control unit 10 based on the assigned character information. As shown in FIG. 6A, each character “Kakikokukeko” is displayed in the assigned character display area 15 of the display unit 8. In the assigned character display area 15, a cursor is displayed at the leftmost “ka”. The cursor moves one character to the right by one key touch of the “2” key. At this time, the conversion candidate display area 14 does not display conversion candidates related to “ka” displayed by the cursor. In addition, even if another numeric key is touched at the stage shown in FIG. 6A, only the assigned characters in the assigned character display area 15 are switched and displayed, and character input is not performed. This is done by pressing a key, not a key touch).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the user only touches a predetermined key, the characters assigned to the key are displayed as a list. Therefore, the user can easily search for a desired character, so that a desired key can be easily selected. In the above description, it is described that the user has found the “2” key from the beginning. Actually, however, each key of the numeric keypad is touched appropriately, and the assigned character display area 15 is displayed each time. Look at the list of assigned characters displayed and find the desired character (key). Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the user can select a desired character (key) while repeating the key touch several times while viewing the display of the assigned character display area 15 without looking at the character display on the key top. Can be found.

  Next, the user confirms that the cursor is positioned at “ka” in the assigned character display area 15. The user then presses the “2” key to input “ka” as an initial of “conference”. The input detection unit 9 detects the key press (step S4 / YES), and notifies the CPU 1 that the “2” key has been pressed (step S5).

  In response to the notification from the input detection unit 9, the CPU 1 displays “ka” in the mail text display area 13 of the display unit 8 via the display control unit 10. Further, the CPU 1 inputs “ka” to a character buffer such as the RAM 3. Further, the CPU 1 acquires conversion candidate information stored in the ROM 2. The conversion candidate information is information indicating conversion candidates for the character for each character. For example, the character “ka” indicates that each character string “From meeting confirmation cold Tuesday may be” is assigned as a conversion candidate. And CPU1 displays a conversion candidate on the conversion candidate display area 14 via the display control part 10 based on the acquired conversion candidate information. The state at this time is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6B, “ka” is displayed in the mail text display area 13, and “from the meeting confirmation cold Tuesday may be displayed” as a conversion candidate in the conversion candidate display area 14.

  Next, the user inputs “I” of “Conference”. Therefore, secondary detection is not detected (step S6 / NO), and the process again returns to key standby (step S1). Since the details of the subsequent processing are the same as described above, they will be omitted, and only user operations and screen transitions will be described. The user performs a key touch on each numeric keypad to search for a key to which “I” is assigned (step S1 to step S2 / YES to step S4 / NO). When the user touches the “1 a” key (step S2 / YES), “aiueo” is displayed in the assigned character display area 15 (step S3). The state at this time is shown in FIG. Since the user has found the desired “I”, the user touches the key again to set the cursor to “I”. The state at this time is shown in FIG. Then, the user presses the “1 A” key (step S4 / YES). The state at this time is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7E, “I” is input after “Ka” in the mail body display area 13 and “Ka” is displayed, and “Ka” is displayed in the conversion candidate display area 14. As a conversion candidate, “conference company purchase write shopping” is displayed (step S5).

  Here, the user confirms that “Meeting” is displayed on the leftmost of the uppermost row of the conversion candidate display area 14, lifts his finger so as not to release the “1 a” key, and then continues. A key is depressed with respect to the “1 a” key (step S6 / YES). That is, in the input detection unit 9, the contact mechanism switch is temporarily opened (see FIG. 3) from the closed state (see FIG. 4) by pressing the key in step S4, and is again closed (see FIG. 4) by pressing the key in step S6. Reference). When detecting the key press (step S6 / YES), the input detection unit 9 notifies the CPU 1 that the “1 a” key has been pressed in succession (step S7).

  The CPU 1 receives the notification from the input detection unit 9 and performs the character conversion of “kai” displayed in the mail text display area 13 of the display unit 8 via the display control unit 10, that is, the CPU 1 displays Via the control unit 10, the “kai” displayed in the mail text display area 13 is deleted, and the conversion candidate “meeting” displayed on the leftmost in the uppermost row of the conversion candidate display area 14 is mailed. It is displayed in the text display area 13. The state at this time is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7 (f), the mail text display area 13 displays the characters “meeting” desired by the user. Thereby, the character input of the characters “conference” is completed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the user performs character input (including character conversion), only the numeric keypad is used. That is, the user can input a desired character without using the cursor key or the enter key. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent key press mistakes and the like that are likely to occur by operating a plurality of types of keys, and to realize smooth key input. In addition, according to the present embodiment, even if it is difficult to distinguish the key top character display, the assigned characters are displayed on the screen so that it is easy to find and select a desired key. In addition, according to the present embodiment, when a mobile phone is used in the dark, a desired key can be obtained by touching the key while viewing the display screen with backlight without confirming the character display on the key top. You can search.

  In character input, character conversion (for example, conversion between kana and kanji) is often used, but conversion candidates are also selected while a desired character is selected from a plurality of characters assigned to keys. Since it is displayed differently each time, it was cumbersome. However, according to the present embodiment, when using Kana and Kanji character conversion in character input, for example, at the character selection stage until the conversion candidate is determined, thinking disturbance due to displaying invalid conversion candidates is eliminated. Thus, the desired character conversion can be performed in the order as considered. The reason for this is that in this embodiment, when text input is performed with kana, a plurality of characters assigned to the key by primary detection leads to a specific character, but during the character selection in the process, a conversion candidate list Do not update. This is because the conversion candidate list is updated only after the user presses the key to which the desired character is assigned, obtains the secondary detection, and confirms the character. If the desired conversion cannot be obtained from the conversion candidate list with only the first determined character, the operation for determining the next input character is repeated by touching another key or the same key. When the desired conversion candidate comes to the top of the conversion candidate list, the key detection is performed again by pressing the key again without releasing the key, and the kana-kanji conversion is confirmed.

[Second Embodiment]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Since the configuration of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment is basically the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 described in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here. In the present embodiment, at the time of character input, an assignment change that temporarily changes an existing assignment is performed using a plurality of keys.

  The operation of the cellular phone (key input device) of this embodiment (an embodiment of the key input method of the present invention) will be described. In the following description, as an example of character input, a case where a user creates an e-mail is taken as an example, as in the first embodiment.

  The operation when inputting characters in the e-mail creation function will be described with reference to FIGS. In the mobile phone on which the e-mail creation screen shown in FIG. 6A is displayed, the input detection unit 9 waits for a key operation (step S11). In the following description, as an example, it is assumed that “conference” is input in the body of the e-mail by inputting Japanese. Since the user wants to input “conference”, the user touches the “2” key among the numeric keys constituting the input unit 7 shown in FIG. The input detection unit 9 detects a key touch (step S12 / YES), and notifies the CPU 1 that the “2” key has been touched (step S13).

  The CPU 1 receives the notification from the input detection unit 9 and acquires the assigned character information and the changed assignment information stored in the ROM 2. Since the assigned character information has been described in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here. The change allocation information is information indicating how to change an existing allocation. The “2” key is assigned “Kakikukoko”, which is each character of the line, as an existing assignment, but in the assignment change of this embodiment, these characters are assigned, for example, “2”. Change the key and surrounding keys to be assigned one character at a time. An example of the allocation change is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8A, each character in the ka line is assigned to each key around the “ka” key, including the “ka” key. "Ka" is assigned to the "2" key (this is not different from the existing assignment). “Ki” is assigned to the Clr key. “Ku” is assigned to the “3” key. “K” is assigned to the “5 N” key. “Ko” is assigned to the “1 a” key. The change assignment information of the present embodiment includes the assignment change setting shown in FIG. The CPU 1 changes the existing assignment to the assignment shown in FIG. 8A based on the acquired assigned character information and the changed assignment information. Further, the CPU 1 controls the display control unit 10 based on the acquired assigned character information and change assignment information, and causes the assigned character display area 15 of the display unit 8 to display the screen shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8B, the assigned character display area 15 displays each assigned character “Kakikukeko” and the changed assignment setting (shown in FIG. 8A).

  The user looks at the display of the assigned character display area 15 and presses the key to the “2” key to which “ka” is assigned in order to input “ka” as an initial of “meeting”. Do. The input detection unit 9 detects the key press (step S14 / YES), and notifies the CPU 1 that the “2” key has been pressed (step S15). Since the operations in steps S15 and S16 are the same as those in steps S5 and S6 in FIG. 5 described in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here.

  Subsequently, the same applies to the case where the user inputs “I” for “Conference”. That is, when the user touches the “1 a” key, the input detection unit 9 detects the key touch (step S12 / YES), and notifies the CPU 1 that the “1 a” key is touched. (Step S13).

  The CPU 1 acquires the assigned character information and the changed assignment information corresponding to the “1 a” key from the ROM 2. The change assignment information here is, for example, the assignment setting shown in FIG. That is, each character in the line is assigned to the “1 a” key and the surrounding keys. The CPU 1 changes the existing assignment based on the acquired assigned character information and the changed assignment information, and causes the assigned character display area 15 to display via the display control unit 10. The state at this time is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8D, the assigned character display area 15 displays each assigned character “Aiueo” and the changed assignment setting (shown in FIG. 8C).

  The user views the display of the assigned character display area 15 and presses the key to the Con key to which “I” is assigned in order to input “I” of the characters constituting “Conference”. At this time, the user presses the key against the Con key while touching the “1 A” key. The input detection unit 9 detects the key press (step S14 / YES), and notifies the CPU 1 that the Con key has been pressed (step S15). Since the operations in steps S15 to S17 are the same as those in steps S5 to S7 in FIG. 5 described in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when a desired character is selected from the assigned characters displayed in the assigned character display area 15, what is the key touch? There is no need to go back and make a selection, and a desired character can be input with a single key press.

  In the second embodiment, the case where the assignment is changed using the key of the input unit 7 shown in FIG. 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the assignment can be changed. Another example will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, a plurality of auxiliary keys 30 are provided in the input unit 7 of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10A shows an example in which five auxiliary keys 30 are provided at the left end and the right end of the input unit 7 and three at the lower part of the input unit 7. The auxiliary key 30 is a key that is used when a change assignment is made and a specific character or function is not normally assigned. The structure of the auxiliary key 30 is configured such that primary detection and secondary detection shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are possible.

For example, when the assignment is changed for each character in the line using the auxiliary key 30, the assignment is as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10B, “E” is assigned to the auxiliary key located on the left side of the “1 A” key. In the assignment shown in FIG. 8C, “e” is “1”.
It was assigned to the “5” key located diagonally to the lower right of the “A” key. In this assignment, when the user wants to input “e”, the “1” key is touched and the “5” key is pressed. However, it is difficult to press the “5 N” key, which is positioned diagonally, with the finger in contact with the “1 A” key. Therefore, by using the auxiliary key 30, as shown in FIG. 10B, the user can easily press the key by changing the assignment to the up / down / left / right key without using the diagonally located key. Become. As described above, when the auxiliary key 30 shown in FIG. 10A is used, when the assignment is changed in the second embodiment, the assignment can always be made in the vertical and horizontal directions.

  In the above description, the structure of the auxiliary key 30 is configured to be capable of primary detection and secondary detection, but may be configured to perform only primary detection. In this case, the auxiliary key 30 is configured by a capacitive touch sensor, but is not limited thereto. For example, the auxiliary key 30 is configured by a sensor that switches ON / OFF according to the amount of received light (OFF when the amount of received light is a predetermined value, and ON when the amount of received light is reduced by covering the user's finger). May be.

  As mentioned above, although each embodiment of this invention was described, it is not limited to said each embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary.

  For example, the operation (the operation shown in each flowchart) in each of the above-described embodiments can be executed by hardware, software, or a combined configuration of both.

  When executing processing by software, a program in which a processing sequence is recorded may be installed and executed in a memory in a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware. Or you may install and run a program in the general purpose computer which can perform various processes.

  For example, the program can be recorded in advance on a hard disk or a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a recording medium. Alternatively, the program is temporarily or permanently stored on a removable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), an MO (Magneto optical) disc, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a magnetic disc, or a semiconductor memory. It can be stored (recorded). Such a removable recording medium can be provided as so-called package software.

  The program may be wirelessly transferred from the download site to the computer in addition to being installed on the computer from the removable recording medium as described above. Alternatively, the data may be transferred to the computer by a wire via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The computer can receive the transferred program and install it on a recording medium such as a built-in hard disk.

  In addition to being executed in time series in accordance with the processing operations described in the above embodiment, the processing capability of the apparatus that executes the processing, or a configuration to execute in parallel or individually as necessary Is also possible.

  The present invention can be applied to a small device such as a mobile phone, which has a small number of keys and assigns a plurality of functions and operations to each key. It can be applied to a mobile phone, a PDA or a store terminal device that obtains a specific character string by arranging characters such as Kana-Kanji conversion.

It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the mobile telephone which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the mobile telephone (key input device) which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the input detection part of the mobile telephone which is one Embodiment of this invention, and shows when a contact mechanism switch is an open state. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the input detection part of the mobile telephone which is one Embodiment of this invention, and shows when a contact mechanism switch is a closed state. It is a flowchart which shows the character input operation | movement of the mobile telephone (key input device) which is the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the example of a transition of the electronic mail preparation screen of the mobile telephone (key input device) which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the example of a transition of the electronic mail preparation screen of the mobile telephone (key input device) which is one Embodiment of this invention. (A) And (c) is a figure which shows an example of an allocation change regarding the operation | movement of the allocation change of the mobile telephone (key input device) which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (b) and (d) FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of an assigned character display area when the assignment is changed. It is a flowchart which shows the character input operation | movement of the mobile telephone (key input device) which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It relates to another example of the cellular phone (key input device) according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows the appearance of the input unit provided with the auxiliary key, and (b) shows the allocation change using the auxiliary key. It is a figure which shows an example. In relation to the operation of the function execution instruction of the mobile phone (key input device) according to the first embodiment of the present invention, (a) and (b) show transition examples of the function selection screen, and (c) shows the function execution instruction. It is a flowchart which shows this operation | movement.

Explanation of symbols

1 CPU
2 ROM
3 RAM
4 Communication section 5 Microphone 6 Speaker 7 Input section 8 Display section 9 Input detection section 10 Display control section 12 Mail display area 13 Mail text display area 14 Conversion candidate display area 15 Assigned character display area 17 Function selection list 20 Bus 21 Key top 22 Touch conductor 24 Conductor protective layer 25 Conductor holding plate 30 Auxiliary key 41 Moving contact dome 42 Common conductor 43 Fixed contact 45 Contact holding plate 51 Structure

Claims (11)

Display means for displaying various information;
Multiple keys with individually assigned characters or functions;
Primary detection means for detecting key contact to the plurality of keys for each of the plurality of keys;
Secondary detection means for detecting a key press in a state in which a key contact is detected by the primary detection means;
Control means for performing predetermined control in response to detection of the primary detection means and the secondary detection means,
The control means includes
When a key contact is detected by the primary detection means, a character or function assigned to the key for which the key contact has been detected is displayed on the display means,
A key input device for determining a character or a function assigned to a key for which a contact is detected when a key press is detected by the secondary detection means. The primary detection means is composed of a capacitive touch sensor,
2. The key input device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary detection means is constituted by a contact mechanism switch. The control means includes
3. The key input device according to claim 1, wherein after the predetermined character is fixed, the display unit displays the determined conversion candidate for the character. The control means includes
When a plurality of characters are assigned to each of the plurality of keys, and a key contact with respect to a predetermined key is detected by the primary detection means, a plurality of characters assigned to the key with the detected key contact is Change the assignment to be assigned to multiple keys including the key that detected key contact,
4. The key input device according to claim 1, wherein the assignment changed by the assignment change is displayed on the display unit. 5.   The key input device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of keys assigned by the assignment change are keys located around a key where the key contact is detected.   6. The key located in the periphery includes a key having the same function as the primary detection means provided separately from a plurality of keys to which the characters or functions are individually assigned. Key input device.   An information processing apparatus comprising the key input device according to claim 1. A primary detection step of detecting a key contact with respect to a predetermined key among a plurality of keys to which characters or functions are individually assigned;
A first display step for displaying a character or a function assigned to the key whose key contact is detected by the primary detection step;
A secondary detection step of detecting a key press in a state in which a key contact is detected by the primary detection step;
A confirmation step for confirming a character or a function assigned to a key whose key contact is detected in the primary detection step when a key press is detected in the secondary detection step;
A key input method characterized by comprising:   9. The key input method according to claim 8, further comprising a second display step of displaying the character conversion candidates determined by the determination step after the determination step. A plurality of characters are assigned to each of the plurality of keys, and when a key contact to a predetermined key is detected by the primary detection step, a plurality of characters assigned to the key where the key contact is detected, An assignment changing step for temporarily changing to assign to a plurality of keys including a key in which a key contact is detected;
A third display step for displaying the assignment changed by the assignment change step;
The key input method according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising:   A program for causing a computer to execute the key input method according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

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