JP2010257163A - Input device and input auxiliary implement of touch panel allowing touch typing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input device making it possible to input text, numbers and the like by touch typing (blind touch) with accuracy and at high speed using keys provided on a touch panel. <P>SOLUTION: Touch-sensing portions such as small protrusions corresponding to an input portion (image-based key switch or the like) are provided on the back surface of the input device of a touch panel used as it is held by one or both hands and on the front surface of the touch panel, so that it is possible to indicate a portion that a thumb should touch by means of the protrusions or the like that fingers holding the back surface touch and sense. Also, when a thumb touches the touch panel, it senses the protrusions or the like, and thereby fine adjustments of finger positions are made possible. As a simpler device, similar protrusions or the like are provided only on the back surface. These touch-sensing portions may be provided on a device in advance, or a sheet-shaped input auxiliary implement may be affixed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an input device and an input auxiliary tool for a touch panel capable of input by a touch type (blind touch).

Touch panels are widely used as information input means for various devices such as mobile information terminals such as mobile phones. Recently, as an efficient Japanese input method using a touch panel, there is a flicking operation called “flicking” (flicking) (not only touching one point, but also performing a two-dimensional input operation). An input method (see Non-Patent Document 1) is also used.

However, when compared with an input device having a physical key or switch, the touch panel has a weak point that it has a feeling of being pressed or feedback, and thus erroneous input is likely to occur.

In particular, in the case of complicated input such as character input and numeric input, there is a drawback that accurate input is extremely difficult without visual recognition of the input unit.

In the case of an input device having a physical key, it becomes possible to input a sentence or a number without looking at the input key itself by learning, so that a touch type (so-called blind touch) is possible, and high-speed input is possible. On the other hand, conventional touch panels are almost impossible to perform touch type (blind touch), and there is a limit to speeding up input.

For the same reason, the touch panel is difficult for a person with visual impairment to operate.

In addition, even for healthy people, there is a problem that it is extremely difficult to input in a situation where it is desired to input without looking at the screen or the operation unit as much as possible, such as input on a train.

As an improvement measure, various methods have been devised to reduce erroneous input by providing some tactile projections or the like on the touch panel (Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3).

Also, there is a method of using as a fingertip guide by overlapping a panel with a hole on the touch panel (Patent Documents 4, 5, and 6).

Another approach is to enable a touch type by discriminating the user's purpose from the movement of the user's finger using an electronic circuit (Patent Documents 7 and 8).

JP 7-319623 A JP 2006-350789 A JP-A-6-36642 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-134633 JP-A-9-18931 JP 2001-117721 A JP 2001-154766 A JP 2008-234007 A

Apple Japan website "Apple-iPhone-Features-Keyboard" http://www.apple.com/jp/iphone/features/keyboard.html (Explanation about Japanese input by flick input) Apple Japan, 2009

However, any of these conventional devices has a problem in inputting characters and numbers at a high speed depending on the touch type.

Patent Document 1 is intended to reduce erroneous input as an aid after visually recognizing the position. Patent Documents 2 and 3 do not require much vision in applications that do not require so complex or high-speed input. It can be input. Therefore, it is impossible with these methods to perform high-speed input such as sentences and numbers with a touch type. Also, in Patent Documents 2 and 3, a part that does not react even when touching the panel is provided so that an input to the touch panel does not occur when the protrusion is touched, and a protrusion for touching is provided there. Yes. This method requires a certain amount of space and is difficult to use in a small information input device such as a mobile phone.

The method of stacking a panel with a hole on the touch panel restricts the versatility of the touch panel, increases the thickness of the panel, and involves the complexity of attaching and detaching the panel. Further, it cannot cope with an input method that involves a flicking operation (flicking) called a flick input (not only touching one point but also performing a two-dimensional input operation).

In addition, the method using an electronic circuit is not suitable for high-speed input because the device is complicated and the finger is assumed to move on the panel in search of the touch site.

Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is that when a complicated input such as a sentence or a number is made using a touch panel, it is possible to input accurately at high speed without visually recognizing the touched position. Therefore, it is a point of how to guide an input finger to an accurate position by a method other than vision.

At this time, it is desirable not to disturb the two-dimensional movement of the input finger.

The touch panel input device of the present invention enables high-speed input of text and numbers by touch type (blind touch) without visually recognizing the operation surface, and does not obstruct display by liquid crystal, etc. Without touching the screen, and without disturbing the two-dimensional operation on the panel such as flick input, the input part (image key switch by image) Etc.), it is possible to use not only the finger that performs input but also the sensation of another finger that holds the input device. .

The touch panel of the present invention is provided with small protrusions on the input part (key switch or the like by an image) of a thin information input device held by one hand or both hands, and the corresponding part on the back of the input device. Etc., the touch panel is operated with the thumb while touching the protrusion on the back with the finger holding the device.

The keyboard with physical keys can be input at high speed without looking at the keyboard because the position where the finger should be placed is determined and the position can be touched (called the home position) This is also because feedback of the pressed feeling and the position of the finger is given to the depressed finger.

On the other hand, in the case of a touch panel, unlike a physical key switch, input is made at the moment when a finger touches the panel, so it is necessary to provide a place to place a finger like the home position on the keyboard Can not.

Therefore, in the present invention, a touching part such as a protrusion corresponding to the input part is provided on the back surface of the input device so as to indicate the home position, and by touching it with a finger other than the thumb, Allows the thumb to indicate the position to be pressed (for this purpose it is desirable that the input device be thin).

In addition, by providing tactile parts such as small protrusions on the touch panel that do not interfere with the visual recognition of the display on the input part (key switch etc. by image), input is performed when the touch panel is pressed with the thumb. Since feedback as to whether or not the part is touched accurately is always given, it is possible to finely correct the touched position while inputting.

Since the fingertips have a sensitive sensation, by using the sense of touch and the sense of position of both the finger and thumb holding the input device, text and numbers can be quickly touched (blind touch) with a certain level of proficiency. It becomes possible to input.

As a result, the input device of the present invention can be used as a compact and high-speed input device for small devices such as mobile phones.

Alternatively, even stationary devices can be used as a very space-saving input device instead of a normal keyboard and mouse.

Since the structure of the present invention is extremely simple, any input device using a touch panel that is relatively thin and used with one hand or both hands can be applied to various applications and at a very low cost.

Protrusions or the like can be provided in advance on the back surface and touch panel of the input device, and a sheet provided with protrusions or the like on the part corresponding to the key switch on the input screen is provided on the back surface of the device and on the touch panel. The present invention can also be easily applied by pasting it on.

Moreover, since the touching part on a touch panel may be very small, visibility and operability, such as a liquid crystal display of a touch panel, are not impaired.

Furthermore, even when a visually handicapped person uses, the present invention enables much more reliable input than an input device using a conventional touch panel.

In addition, even when a healthy person uses and does not perform a touch type, accurate and stable input is possible compared to a normal touch panel.

For example, by using the present invention, even when performing so-called numeric keypad input, which is a Japanese input method widely used in mobile phones, accurate and stable input is possible as compared with a normal touch panel.

The implementation method of the input device of a touchscreen is shown, (A) is the front surface side, (B) is the perspective view which showed the back surface side. It is explanatory drawing which showed the method of the input using the touchscreen of this invention. This figure shows a case where an input device is held with one hand for input. It is explanatory drawing which showed the method of the input using the touchscreen of this invention. This figure shows a case where an input device is held with both hands for input.

The purpose of making it possible to input text and numbers at high speed with a touch type (blind touch) without visually recognizing the operation surface using the touch panel is an extremely simple method, This has been achieved without compromising visibility, without interfering with two-dimensional input operations such as flick input on the touch panel, and without increasing the size of the input device.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the device according to the present invention, in which 1 is a front surface of an input device, 2 is a touch panel, 3 is an input part displayed on a liquid crystal or the like, 4 is a protrusion provided on the input part on the touch panel, 5 Is a protrusion provided on a portion corresponding to the input portion on the back surface of the input device, and 6 is a back surface of the input device.

FIG. 2 shows a state where an input device is held with one hand, and a finger other than the thumb touches the protrusion on the back surface while the thumb touches the protrusion on the touch panel. In addition, although the tactile part on the touch panel is a protrusion for easy understanding here, the tactile part may be a hole or a groove, and in order to easily identify the place where the tactile is touched, The shape and size may be changed depending on the location. In particular, in order to smoothly perform the flick input, the tactile site may be a very small recess.

The tactile site may be formed directly on the touch panel of the input device and the back surface of the input device, or may be affixed with a sheet-like input auxiliary tool having a tactile portion on the surface thereof.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the input device is held with both hands, and the input is performed while the projections on the touch panel are touched with the thumbs while touching the projections on the back surface with fingers other than the thumbs of both hands. . In this case, input by a touch type using the thumbs of both hands is possible, so that higher speed input is possible. Here, the tactile part on the touch panel is a protrusion for easy understanding, but the tactile part may be a very small recess in order to smoothly perform the flick input.

In addition to the above, on the back surface of the input device, in addition to the above, a groove, a hole or a protrusion is also provided in a part where the finger naturally touches when the input device is held, so that more reliable input can be performed. It may be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Input device front surface 2 Touch panel 3 Input part displayed on liquid crystal etc. 4 Protrusion provided on the input part on the touch panel 5 Input device back surface 6 Protrusion provided in the part corresponding to the input part on the back side of the input device

Claims (7)

A touch panel having a tactile part consisting of a protrusion, hole or groove corresponding to an input part on the screen on the touch panel, and a tactile part consisting of a corresponding protrusion, hole or groove on the back surface thereof. Input device. An input device having the same structure as in claim 1, wherein the shape and size of a tactile part consisting of a protrusion, a hole, and a groove are changed depending on a place so that the touched position is easily understood. . The touch panel input device according to claim 1, wherein sheets having projections, holes, or grooves used for the tactile part are attached to provide the same function as that of claim 1 or 2 to the input device. 4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein a tactile part such as a protrusion on the touch panel is omitted, and a tactile part including a protrusion, a hole, or a groove corresponding to the input part on the front touch panel is provided on the back surface. Touch panel input device. In order to bring the same function as the first, second, third and fourth aspects to the input device, the input device has a tactile part consisting of a projection, a hole or a groove corresponding to the display part, and is used by being attached to the front and back surfaces of the input device. Sheet-like input aid. In order to provide the input device with the same function as in claim 1, the touch panel has a tactile part consisting of a protrusion, a hole, or a groove corresponding to the input part on the screen, and the input device is naturally held by hand. An input device that has a tactile site consisting of a protrusion, hole, or groove at the position on the back where the finger just touches. To provide the input device with the same function as that of claim 6, when the input device is naturally held by hand, it is used by being attached to the input device so that a tactile part is formed at the position on the back where the finger touches. A sheet-like input aid.