JP2014120002A - Portable information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable information terminal that is improved in operability in operating a choice object on a screen.SOLUTION: A portable information terminal includes: object display means of displaying a choice object 3 on a touch panel 11; hovering state detection means of detecting a finger in a hovering state over the touch panel 11 on the basis of a sensor output of the touch panel 11; virtual operation line generation means of generating a virtual operation line 4 extending outward from the tip of the finger on the basis of the position of the tip of the finger in the hovering state and the direction of the finger; object selection means of selecting the choice object 3 as an execution object 5 on the basis of the position of the virtual operation line 4 on the touch panel 11; and focus means of displaying the execution object 5 in a focus state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable information terminal including a touch panel, and more particularly to an improvement of a portable information terminal that displays a selected object on a touch panel.

  The touch panel includes a display device such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) and a position input device for detecting an operation position of a touch operation. In a terminal device equipped with a touch panel, if a selection object such as an icon, a button switch, or a menu item is displayed on the screen, a touch operation is performed on the desired selection object, and the selection object is assigned in advance. The function can be executed.

  However, in a conventional portable information terminal such as a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), and a tablet terminal, when the selected object on the screen is operated with a finger of one hand while holding the information terminal with one hand, There was a problem that there were cases where it was difficult to operate. In particular, when the screen is larger than the size of the hand, there is a problem that the finger does not reach depending on the display position of the selected object, and it must be changed to the other hand or operated with the finger of the other hand.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for moving a pointer by displaying a pointer in the vicinity of a touch position by a finger and moving the finger along the screen. According to the terminal device described in Patent Document 1, since the pointer is displayed at a position away from the touch position by the finger, by moving the finger and moving the pointer, the display interval is narrow and the touch operation is difficult to select. Even objects can be selected correctly. However, Patent Document 1 does not facilitate an operation for selecting a selection object when a desired selection object is displayed at a position where a finger of a hand holding the terminal device is difficult to reach.

JP-A-6-51908

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a portable information terminal having improved operability when operating a selected object on a screen. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable information terminal that can easily select even a selection object displayed at a position where a finger of a hand holding the portable information terminal is difficult to reach.

  The portable information terminal according to the present invention includes an object display unit that displays a selected object on a touch panel, a hover state detection unit that detects a finger in a hover state above the touch panel based on a sensor output of the touch panel, and the hover Based on the position of the tip of the finger in the state and the orientation of the finger, virtual operation line generation means for generating a virtual operation line extending outward from the fingertip, and based on the position of the virtual operation line on the touch panel, An object selection unit that selects a selected object as an execution object and a focus unit that displays the execution object in focus are configured.

  According to such a configuration, by holding the finger in the hover state above the touch panel, the selected object is selected as the execution object based on the position on the touch panel of the virtual operation line extending outward from the fingertip. In other words, if the fingertip is held in a predetermined direction according to the display position of the selected object and held in the hover state, the desired selected object can be selected as an execution object without performing a touch operation on the selected object on the screen. Can do.

  In the portable information terminal according to the present invention, since a desired selection object can be selected as an execution object without performing a touch operation on the selection object on the screen, the operability when operating the selection object on the screen is improved. Can be improved.

It is the perspective view which showed one structural example of the portable information terminal 1 by Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the figure which showed an example of the operation | movement at the time of the hover operation in the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. 1, and the case where the thin housing | casing 10 hold | maintained with the left hand is seen from the top side is shown. It is the figure which showed an example of the operation | movement at the time of the hover operation in the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. 1, and the case where the touch panel 11 is seen from upper direction is shown. It is the block diagram which showed an example of the function structure in the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation at the time of touch panel scanning in the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. 4. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a hover operation process in the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. It is the figure which showed an example of operation | movement of the portable information terminal 1 by Embodiment 2 of this invention, and shows a mode that the distance range (lambda) of the hover operation area B is shifted in steps.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
<Portable information terminal 1>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a portable information terminal 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this figure, the lateral direction on the display screen of the touch panel 11 is the x direction, the longitudinal direction is the y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the display screen is the z direction.

  The portable information terminal 1 is a terminal device having a size that can be held by one hand, and includes a thin housing 10, a touch panel 11, a receiving speaker 12, a transmitting microphone 13, and operation keys 14a to 14a. 14c. For example, the mobile information terminal 1 is a mobile phone that can make a call with another communication terminal via a cellular base station.

  The thin casing 10 is a terminal casing having a thin and vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape. The touch panel 11, the speaker 12, the microphone 13, and the operation keys 14 a to 14 c are disposed on the front surface of the thin casing 10. Moreover, the speaker 12 is arrange | positioned at one edge part of the longitudinal direction of the thin housing | casing 10, and the microphone 13 and operation key 14a-14c are arrange | positioned at the other edge part. Here, the one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the thin casing 10 is referred to as a top portion, and the other end portion is referred to as a bottom portion.

  The speaker 12 is a sound output device for outputting a received sound. The microphone 13 is a voice input device for inputting a transmission sound. The operation keys 14a to 14c are physical keys to which various functions are assigned in advance and the assigned functions are executed by a user's pressing operation. For example, the operation key 14a is a return key for returning to the previous screen. The operation key 14b is a home key for displaying a home screen. The operation key 14c is a menu key for displaying a menu screen.

  The touch panel 11 is an input / output device that has a display screen having a vertically long rectangular shape and detects a touch operation on the display screen. A two-dimensional position in the display screen is detected as an operation position of the touch operation. One or more selected objects are displayed on the display screen, and by performing a touch operation on the desired selected object, a function assigned in advance to the selected object can be executed. The selection object is a display object that can be selected, such as an icon, a button-type switch, a menu item, and a browser link destination address, and is represented by a predetermined symbol, figure, character, or symbol.

  The touch panel 11 is used to detect a finger at a position separated from the display screen, and a finger in a hover state is detected above the display screen based on the sensor output of the touch panel 11. The hover state is a state where the height from the display screen, that is, the position in the z direction with respect to the display screen is substantially stationary within a certain range.

  In this portable information terminal 1, by holding the fingertip in a hover state above the touch panel 11 while pointing the fingertip toward a desired selection object, the selection object can be selected as an execution object without performing a touch operation. . Here, selecting a selection object displayed at a position away from the fingertip using a finger in a hover state is referred to as a hover operation.

  The touch panel 11 described above includes a touch panel display including a display device such as an LCD and a touch panel sensor including a position input device for detecting a finger in a touch operation or a hover state. For example, the touch panel sensor includes an insulating film, an electrode layer, and a substrate layer, and is a capacitive projection type electrode pattern in which an electrode pattern extending in the x direction and an electrode pattern extending in the y direction are patterned in a grid pattern. A detection element is used.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation at the time of a hover operation in the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. 1, and shows a case where the thin casing 10 held by the left hand is viewed from the top side. This figure shows a case where a hover operation is performed using the thumb 2 of the left hand.

  If a region having a certain distance range in the height direction (z direction) with respect to the touch panel 11 is referred to as a hover detection region HR, the tip of the thumb 2, that is, the fingertip 21 is kept within the hover detection region HR for a certain period of time. By hovering, the hover can be operated. Specifically, the start condition for the hover operation is that the fingertip 21 is stationary for a predetermined time T1 or more in the hover detection area HR.

  The rest condition of the fingertip 21 is that a certain amount of time T1 elapses without the amount of change per unit time exceeding a predetermined value for the height Lz of the fingertip 21 and the position in the xy plane, and the certain time T1 has elapsed. Then, hover operation becomes possible.

  The touch detection area TR is formed closer to the touch panel 11 than the hover detection area HR, and consists of a certain distance range. If the fingertip 21 moves into the touch detection region TR, it is assumed that a touch operation has been performed, and input processing corresponding to the operation position (position in the xy plane) is executed. The touch detection area TR is narrower than the hover detection area HR. Moreover, the upper limit in the distance range of the hover detection area HR is approximately the same as the maximum area where the finger can be detected by the touch panel 11 or is shorter than the maximum area.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation at the time of a hover operation in the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. 1, and shows a case where the touch panel 11 is viewed from above. In the figure, (a) shows a touch panel 11 on which 24 selection objects 3 are displayed, and (b) shows a touch operation area A consisting of an area where the thumb 2 can perform a touch operation. Yes.

  For example, the selection object 3 is an icon for executing a predetermined function, a button-type switch for starting a predetermined application program, or a menu item for performing various settings. In this example, the selection objects 3 of this type are arranged in a matrix of 6 rows and 4 columns.

  The touch operation area A is on the touch panel 11 on which the touch operation can be performed by rotating the fingertip 21 in the xy plane around the base of the thumb 2 of the left hand while holding the thin casing 10 with the left hand. It consists of the area. The selected object 3 in the touch operation area A, for example, “icon 14” or “icon 15” can be touched with the thumb 2 of the left hand.

  On the other hand, the selected object 3 outside the touch operation area A, for example, “icon 3” or “icon 8” is arranged at a position where the thumb 2 is difficult to reach. The body 10 must be changed to the right hand or operated with the finger of the right hand.

  In this portable information terminal 1, an arbitrary selection object 3 outside the touch operation area A is selected as an execution object by holding the thumb 2 in a hover state above the touch panel 11 while pointing the fingertip 21 toward a desired selection object 3. can do. The execution object is selected based on the position on the touch panel 11 of the virtual operation line extending outward from the fingertip 21 of the thumb 2 in the hover state. The virtual operation line is a virtual reference line indicating the orientation of the thumb 2 and is generated based on the position of the fingertip 21 in the xy plane and the orientation of the thumb 2 in the xy plane.

  (C) in the figure shows a case where “icon 3” in the hover operation area B is selected as the execution object 5, and (d) shows “icon 8” being selected as the execution object 5. The case is shown. The hover operation area B is an area on the touch panel 11 having a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4.

  The virtual operation line 4 is a straight line parallel to the xy plane. The hover operation area B is formed of a part of a sector area centered on the fingertip 21. For example, the angle range θ is about 30 degrees. The execution object 5 is automatically selected from the selection objects 3 in the hover operation area B. For example, the selection object 3 closest to the virtual operation line 4 is selected as the execution object 5.

  The distance between the selected object 3 and the virtual operation line 4 is obtained by the length of a perpendicular line that extends from the center of the selected object 3 to the virtual operation line 4. Whether or not the selected object 3 is in the hover operation area B is determined by whether or not the center of the selected object 3 is located in the hover operation area B.

  In (c) in the figure, among the three selection objects “icon 3”, “icon 4”, and “icon 7” centered in the hover operation area B, the selection object “icon 3” closest to the virtual operation line 4 is displayed. "Is selected as the execution object 5. The selected object selected as the execution object 5 is displayed in focus and can be easily distinguished from other selection objects, that is, non-execution objects. For example, the execution object 5 is highlighted by changing the display color from before the selection or by shifting the luminance level to the high luminance side.

  After holding the thumb 2 in the hover state, the virtual operation line 4 and the hover operation area B can be moved by rotating the fingertip 21 around the root of the thumb 2 in the xy plane. In (d) in the figure, the selected object “icon 8” centered in the hover operation area B is selected as the execution object 5.

  In this portable information terminal 1, when any one of the selected objects 3 is selected as the execution object 5 by the hover operation, the execution object 5 is moved to the other area in the hover operation area B by holding the fingertip 21 for a predetermined time T2. Can be changed to the selected object. The priority when selecting the execution object 5 from the selection objects 3 in the hover operation area B is higher when the distance between the selection object 3 and the virtual operation line 4 is shorter.

  In the case of (c) in the figure, the priority order is “icon 3”, “icon 7”, “icon 4”. If the fingertip 21 is kept stationary, these are displayed every time a certain time T2 elapses. Are selected as execution objects 5 in order.

  As described above, the arbitrary selection object 3 outside the touch operation area A can be selected as the execution object 5 by rotating the fingertip 21 in the xy plane or keeping the fingertip 21 stationary for a predetermined time T2. If a touch operation is performed while the execution object 5 is selected, a function assigned to the execution object 5 can be executed.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration in the portable information terminal 1 of FIG. The portable information terminal 1 includes a touch panel sensor 11a, a touch panel display 11b, an object display unit 101, a touch operation detection unit 102, an allocation function execution unit 103, a hover state detection unit 104, a virtual operation line generation unit 105, an object selection unit 106, The focus unit 107 is configured. The touch panel 11 of FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a touch panel sensor 11a and a touch panel display 11b.

  The object display unit 101 generates display data for displaying one or more selected objects 3 on the screen and outputs the display data to the touch panel display 11b. The touch operation detection unit 102 detects the operation position of the touch operation based on the output of the touch panel sensor 11a, and outputs the detection result to the allocation function execution unit 103. When a touch operation is detected, the allocation function execution unit 103 executes the allocation function based on the operation position of the touch operation.

  The hover state detection unit 104 detects a finger in a hover state above the touch panel 11 based on the output of the touch panel sensor 11a. Specifically, the height Lz of the fingertip 21 from the touch panel 11 is within the hover detection region HR, and the amount of change per unit time is a predetermined value for the height Lz and the position of the fingertip 21 in the xy plane. If the predetermined time T1 has passed without exceeding, it is determined that the vehicle is in the hover state.

  The virtual operation line generation unit 105 generates a virtual operation line 4 extending outward from the fingertip 21 based on the position of the fingertip 21 and the orientation of the finger in the hover state. The virtual operation line 4 may be a broken line or a curved line in addition to a linear shape extending from the fingertip 21 toward the finger. A straight line extending at a predetermined angle φ with respect to the direction of the finger may be used as the virtual operation line 4.

  The object selection unit 106 selects any one of the selection objects 3 as the execution object 5 based on the position of the virtual operation line 4 on the touch panel 11. Specifically, an area composed of a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4 is defined as a hover operation area B, and a selection object closest to the virtual operation line 4 among the selection objects 3 in the hover operation area B is selected. Select as execution object 5. In addition to the fan-shaped area centered on the fingertip 21, the hover operation area B may include a fan-shaped area centered on this reference point with a predetermined point away from the fingertip 21 as a reference point. . The focus unit 107 generates display data for displaying the execution object 5 in focus and outputs the display data to the touch panel display 11b.

  The object selection unit 106 changes the execution object 5 to another selected object in the hover operation area B when the fixed time T2 has passed without the finger position in the hover state changing more than a certain level. Further, the object selection unit 106 cancels the selection state of the execution object 5 when the height Lz of the fingertip 21 becomes higher than the hover detection area HR. If a touch operation is detected while the execution object 5 is selected, the assigned function execution unit 103 executes the function assigned to the execution object 5 regardless of the operation position of the touch operation.

  The angle range θ that defines the hover operation area B may be a fixed value or a variable value that can be arbitrarily designated by the user. In addition, the times T1 and T2 for defining the hover state may be fixed values or variable values that can be arbitrarily specified by the user.

  Steps S101 to S108 in FIG. 5 are flowcharts showing an example of an operation at the time of touch panel scanning in the portable information terminal 1 in FIG. First, the touch operation detection unit 102 and the hover state detection unit 104 check the capacitance of each electrode in the touch panel sensor 11a (step S101), and the finger approaches the hover detection region HR from the amount of change in capacitance. If this is detected, the height Lz of the fingertip 21 and the position of the fingertip 21 in the xy plane are calculated (steps S102 and S103).

  In the hover state detection unit 104, the height Lz of the fingertip 21 is within the hover detection area HR, and the amount of change per unit time exceeds a predetermined value for the height Lz and the position of the fingertip 21 in the xy plane. If the predetermined time T1 elapses, it is determined that the camera is in the hover state, and the virtual operation line generation unit 105, the object selection unit 106, and the focus unit 107 perform hover operation processing (steps S104 and S105).

  On the other hand, if the height Lz of the fingertip 21 is within the touch detection region TR, the touch operation detection unit 102 determines that the touch operation has been performed, and sends position information indicating the operation position of the touch operation to the assignment function execution unit 103. Output. The allocation function execution unit 103 executes input processing according to the operation position of the touch operation (steps S104, S106, S107).

  The processing procedure from step S101 to step S107 is repeated at regular time intervals T3 until the fingertip 21 leaves the hover detection area HR, and this process ends when the fingertip 21 leaves the hover detection area HR upward ( Step S108).

  Steps S201 to S212 in FIG. 6 are flowcharts illustrating an example of hover operation processing in the portable information terminal 1 in FIG. In this processing procedure, the icon and the execution icon are the selection object 3 and the execution object 5, respectively. First, the virtual operation line generation unit 105 determines the position of the fingertip 21 and the orientation of the finger 2 and generates the virtual operation line 4 (steps S201 and S202).

  Next, the object selection unit 106 selects a region having a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4 as a hover operation area B, and selects an icon in the hover operation area B as an operation target icon (step S203). ). The object selection unit 106 calculates the distance to the virtual operation line 4 for the operation target icon, and selects the operation target icon with the shortest distance as the execution icon (steps S204 and S205). When the execution icon is selected, the focus unit 107 displays the execution icon in focus (step S206).

  Next, after the execution icon is selected, if the predetermined time T2 elapses without the fingertip 21 moving, the execution icon is changed to another icon in the hover operation area B, and the processing procedure after step S206 is repeated. (Steps S207 and S208). On the other hand, if the fingertip 21 moves in the xy plane before the predetermined time T2 elapses, the processing procedure after step S201 is repeated (steps S207 and S209).

  Moreover, the allocation function execution part 103 will perform the allocation function corresponding to an execution icon, if a touch operation is performed before fixed time T2 passes (step S207, S209-S211). The processing procedure after step S207 is repeated until the fingertip 21 is released from the hover detection area HR. When the fingertip 21 is released upward from the hover detection area HR, the selected state of the execution object 5 is canceled and the process is completed. (Step S212).

  According to the present embodiment, by holding the finger in the hover state above the touch panel 11, any one of the selection objects 3 is selected based on the position on the touch panel 11 of the virtual operation line 4 extending outward from the fingertip 21. Is selected as the execution object 5. That is, if the fingertip 21 is held in a hover state according to the display position of the selection object 3, the desired selection object 3 can be executed as an execution object without touching the selection object 3 on the screen. 5 can be selected.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, an example of a case where an area composed of a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4 is defined as a hover operation area B, and the execution object 5 is selected from the selection objects 3 in the hover operation area B. Explained. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, an area consisting of a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4 and a certain distance range λ from the fingertip 21 is defined as a hover operation area B, and the height of the fingertip 21 is increased. A case where the distance range λ is shifted stepwise according to the length Lz will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the portable information terminal 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, where the distance range λ of the hover operation area B is shifted stepwise according to the height Lz of the fingertip 21. It shows how to make it happen. (A1) in the figure shows a case where the thin casing 10 held by the left hand is viewed from the top side, and (A2) and (A3) show a case where the touch panel 11 is viewed from above. ing. In (A2) and (A3), the position and orientation of the thumb 2 in the hover state in the xy plane are different.

  The hover operation area B1 shown in (A2) and (A3) is a region that is composed of a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4 and a certain distance range λ from the fingertip 21. The distance range λ is 0 <λ ≦ D1. The hover operation area B1 is composed of a sector area centered on the fingertip 21.

  Whether or not the selected object 3 is in the hover operation area B1 is determined by whether or not the symbol representing the selected object 3 overlaps with the hover operation area B1. That is, if the outer shape of the selected object 3 slightly overlaps the hover operation area B1, it is determined that the selected object 3 is located in the hover operation area B1. Alternatively, if a part of the selected object 3, for example, the center of the selected object 3 overlaps the hover operation area B1, the selected object 3 may be determined to be located in the hover operation area B1. In the following, a method for selecting the selected object 3 will be described by taking as an example a case where it is determined that the selected object 3 is located in the hover operation area B1 if the outer shape of the selected object 3 slightly overlaps the hover operation area B1. .

  Of the selected objects 3 in such a hover operation area B1, the selected object 3 closest to the virtual operation line 4 is selected as the execution object 5. In the case of (A2), “icon 10” is selected as the execution object 5 among the three selected objects “icon 6”, “icon 7”, and “icon 10” in the hover operation area B1. In the case of (A3), among the three selection objects “icon 11”, “icon 12”, and “icon 15” in the hover operation area B1, “icon 12” is selected as the execution object 5. .

  (A4) in the figure shows a case where the fingertip 21 is lifted by a distance Lzg from the state (A1). In (A5) and (A6), the hover operation is performed in the state (A4). The situation is shown. In (A5) and (A6), the position and orientation of the thumb 2 in the hover state in the xy plane are different.

  The hover operation area B2 shown in (A5) and (A6) is an area that is composed of a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4 and a certain distance range λ from the fingertip 21. The distance range λ is D1 <λ ≦ D1 × 2. The hover operation area B2 is a part of a fan-shaped area centered on the fingertip 21, and is composed of an arc-shaped belt-shaped area. That is, by raising the height Lz of the thumb 2 in the hover state by a certain value Lz1 or more, the distance range λ of the hover operation area B is shifted outward by the distance D1.

  In the case of (A5), among the four selected objects “icon 3”, “icon 4”, “icon 6”, and “icon 7” in the hover operation area B2, “icon 3” is selected as the execution object 5. Yes. In the case of (A6), “icon 12” is selected as the execution object 5 among the two selection objects “icon 8” and “icon 12” in the hover operation area B2.

  Furthermore, if the fingertip 21 is raised by the distance Lz1 or more from the state (A4), the distance range λ of the hover operation area B is shifted outward by the distance D1, and D1 × 2 <λ ≦ D1 × 3. Thus, every time the height Lz of the thumb 2 in the hover state is increased by a certain value Lz1, the distance range λ of the hover operation area B is shifted outward by the distance D1.

  Further, when the height Lz of the thumb 2 in the hover state is lowered, the distance of the hover operation area B every time the height Lz is lowered by the constant value Lz1 as in the case of raising the thumb 2 in the hover state. The range λ is shifted inward by a distance D1. Specifically, in order to distinguish it from a touch operation for executing the assignment function of the execution object 5, when the height Lz drops by Lz1 or more within a predetermined time T4, it is determined that the operation is a touch operation. On the other hand, if the time required for the height Lz to drop by Lz1 exceeds T4, the distance range λ of the hover operation area B is shifted inward by D1.

  According to the present embodiment, by changing the height Lz of the finger in the hover state by a certain value Lz1 or more, the hover operation area B is shifted to the outside, or the inside is shifted to the desired selection object 3. The execution object 5 can be selected.

  In the first and second embodiments, the example in which the execution object 5 is selected based on the distance between the selection object 3 and the virtual operation line 4 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the selection in the hover operation area B. The method for selecting the execution object 5 from the objects 3 is not limited to this. For example, the configuration may be such that the execution object 5 is selected based on the distance between the fingertip 21 of the finger in the hover state and the selection object 3.

  More specifically, the selection object closest to the fingertip 21 among the selection objects 3 in the hover operation area B is selected as the execution object 5. The distance between the fingertip 21 and the selected object 3 is obtained by the length of the line segment connecting the fingertip 21 and the center of the selected object 3.

  The priority when selecting the execution object 5 from the selection objects 3 in the hover operation area B is higher when the distance between the fingertip 21 and the selection object 3 is shorter. If it demonstrates using (c) of FIG. 3, a priority will be the order of "icon 7", "icon 3", and "icon 4", and if the fingertip 21 is kept still, the fixed time T2 will pass. Each time, these selected objects 3 are selected as execution objects 5 in order.

  Further, using (A5) in FIG. 7, the priority order is “icon 6”, “icon 7”, “icon 3”, “icon 4”, and the fingertip 21 is kept stationary. Each time the predetermined time T2 elapses, these selected objects 3 are sequentially selected as the execution object 5.

  In the first and second embodiments, the example in which the execution object 5 is selected based on the virtual operation line 4 has been described. However, the virtual operation line 4 and the hover operation areas B, B1, and B2 are displayed on the screen. Such a configuration may be adopted. For example, the virtual operation line 4 is displayed using a guide line consisting of a dotted line or a broken line, and the hover operation areas B, B1, B2 display the boundary line using a solid line. Further, the display colors in the hover operation areas B, B1, and B2 may be different from the display colors outside the area.

  In Embodiments 1 and 2, the example in which the function assigned to the execution object 5 is executed by performing a touch operation has been described. However, the present invention executes the function assigned to the execution object 5. However, this is not a limitation. For example, the function assigned to the execution object 5 may be executed by lowering the height Lz of the thumb 2 in the hover state by a certain value Lz2 or more.

  In the first and second embodiments, an example has been described in which a finger in a hover state is detected using the touch panel 11 including a projection type detection element by a capacitance method. However, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, an optical touch panel that detects a finger in a hover state by projecting detection light including light such as infrared rays toward the finger and receiving reflected light from the finger may be used.

  In Embodiments 1 and 2, an example in which two or more selection objects 3 are displayed on the touch panel 11 and any one of these selection objects 3 is selected as an execution object 5 by a hover operation has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a case where one selected object 3 is displayed on the touch panel 11 and the selected object 3 is selected as the execution object 5.

  Further, in the first and second embodiments, an example has been described in which the hover operation can be performed if it is detected that the fingertip 21 is stationary for a certain time T1 or more in the hover detection region HR. The start condition of the hover operation is not limited to this. For example, if it is detected that the fingertip 21 stays in the hover detection area HR for a certain time T0 or more, the configuration may be such that the hover operation is possible regardless of whether or not the fingertip 21 is in a stationary state.

The configuration of the portable information terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention and the corresponding operational effects are organized and summarized below.
The portable information terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an object display unit 101 that displays the selected object 3 on the touch panel 11 and a hover state that detects a finger in a hover state above the touch panel 11 based on the sensor output of the touch panel 11. Based on the detection unit 104, the position of the tip of the finger in the hover state and the orientation of the finger, the virtual operation line generation unit 105 that generates the virtual operation line 4 extending outward from the fingertip 21, and the touch panel of the virtual operation line 4 11 includes an object selection unit 106 that selects the selected object 3 as the execution object 5 and a focus unit 107 that displays the execution object 5 in focus.

  According to such a configuration, if the fingertip 21 is held in the hover state in a predetermined direction according to the display position of the selected object 3, a desired operation can be performed without performing a touch operation on the selected object 3 on the screen. The selected object can be selected as the execution object 5.

  In the portable information terminal according to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the object selection unit 106 defines a region including a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4 as the hover operation area B, and the hover operation area B Among the selected objects 3, the selected object closest to the virtual operation line 4 is selected as the execution object 5. According to such a configuration, the selected object can be selected as the execution object 5 simply by pointing the fingertip 21 toward the desired selected object.

  In the mobile information terminal according to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the object selection unit 106 defines a region including a certain angle range θ centered on the virtual operation line 4 as the hover operation area B, and the hover operation area B Among the selected objects 3, the selected object closest to the fingertip 21 is selected as the execution object 5. According to such a configuration, a selection object whose display position is close to the fingertip 21 can be easily selected.

  In addition to the above-described configuration, the portable information terminal according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is configured so that the object selection unit 106 displays the execution object 5 when a certain time T2 has elapsed without the finger position in the hover state changing more than a certain level. It is configured to change to another selected object 3 in the hover operation area B. According to such a configuration, an arbitrary selection object 3 in the hover operation area B can be selected as the execution object 5.

  In the portable information terminal according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the hover state detection unit 104 detects the height Lz of the finger in the hover state from the touch panel 11, and the object selection unit 106 includes the virtual operation line 4. When the height Lz of the finger in the hover state changes by a certain level or more, an area consisting of a constant angle range θ centered on the center of the fingertip 21 and a constant distance range λ from the fingertip 21 is defined as a hover operation area B. Based on the amount of change in the height Lz, the distance range λ of the hover operation area B is shifted outward or inward. According to such a configuration, by changing the height Lz of the finger in the hover state by a certain value Lz1 or more, the hover operation area B is shifted to the outside or the inside is shifted to the desired selection object 3. The execution object 5 can be selected.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable information terminal 10 Thin housing 101 Object display part 102 Touch operation detection part 103 Assignment function execution part 104 Hover state detection part 105 Virtual operation line generation part 106 Object selection part 107 Focus part 11 Touch panel 11a Touch panel sensor 11b Touch panel display 2 Thumb 21 fingertip 3 selected object 4 virtual operation line 5 execution object A touch operation area B, B1, B2 hover operation area

Claims (5)

Object display means for displaying the selected object on the touch panel;
Hover state detecting means for detecting a finger in a hover state above the touch panel based on the sensor output of the touch panel;
Virtual operation line generating means for generating a virtual operation line extending outward from the fingertip based on the position of the tip of the finger in the hover state and the orientation of the finger;
Object selection means for selecting the selected object as an execution object based on the position of the virtual operation line on the touch panel;
A portable information terminal comprising focus means for displaying the execution object in focus.   The object selection means sets a region having a certain angle range centered on the virtual operation line as a hover operation area, and executes the selected object closest to the virtual operation line among the selected objects in the hover operation area. 2. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the portable information terminal is selected as an object.   The object selection means uses a region having a certain angle range centered on the virtual operation line as a hover operation area, and among the selection objects in the hover operation area, a selection object closest to the fingertip as the execution object. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the portable information terminal is selected.   The object selecting means changes the execution object to another selected object in the hover operation area when a certain time elapses without the position of the finger in the hover state changing more than a certain level. The portable information terminal according to claim 2 or 3. The hover state detection means detects the height of the finger in the hover state from the touch panel,
The object selecting means has an area consisting of a certain angle range centered on the virtual operation line and a certain distance range from the fingertip as the hover operation area, and the height of the finger in the hover state is The distance range of the hover operation area is shifted to the outside or shifted to the inside based on the amount of change in the height when the level changes by a certain level or more. The portable information terminal described in Crab.

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