JP2014120951A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique for enabling a more reliable input operation based on a touch operation without causing a wrong operation, in an electronic apparatus enabling an input operation based on a touch operation.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus 100, when detecting a touch operation to a display section 111 as a first operation, notifies a user of information indicating an input corresponding to the area of the touch operation thus made by, for example, changing the mode of display of the area. The electronic apparatus 100, when further detecting a second operation of pressing the area to be operated on in the middle of detecting the user's touch operation, determines to confirm the input and accepts the input corresponding to the area to be operated on as an input based on the touch operation.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device that allows a user to perform an input operation by a touch operation.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in electronic devices such as mobile phones, those that employ a mechanical switch such as a tact switch as an input device (user interface) for accepting a user's input operation have been mainstream. In recent years, with the spread of smartphones, tablet terminals, and the like, electronic devices that include a touch panel type input device and that can be input by touch operations are increasing. However, in the input operation by the touch operation, an erroneous operation is likely to occur compared to the input operation by the mechanical switch. In particular, since braille cannot be provided on the touch panel, it is generally difficult for a visually impaired person who performs an input operation using braille to perform an input operation using the touch panel.

  Patent Document 1 describes an electronic apparatus including a touch panel type input device that can accept a plurality of inputs by accepting an input in a plurality of stages in accordance with the pressure applied to the touch surface of the touch sensor. In this electronic apparatus, after receiving the input of the first stage, at least one of the first load standard that cancels the reception of the input of the first stage and the second load standard that receives the input of the second stage. Control load criteria. This reduces the possibility of accepting input unintended by the user or canceling acceptance of input. In addition, when the first-stage input is received, the touch sensor is vibrated and a tactile sensation is given to the finger touching the touch surface to notify the user that the first-stage input has been received. ing.

JP 2011-216131 A

  In the touch panel type input device as described above, when a touch operation is performed, an input corresponding to the touch operation (first stage) is received (detected) as it is. For this reason, for example, when a plurality of input objects are displayed on the display unit and a touch operation is performed on one of the objects, the touch operation is erroneously performed on an object that is not intended by the user. However, there is a problem that an input (first stage) corresponding to the object is erroneously accepted as it is. In addition, when the user is visually impaired, there is a problem that it is difficult to perform an input operation without performing an erroneous operation by a touch operation.

  For this reason, when performing an input operation by a touch operation, it is desirable that the user himself can confirm whether or not an input intended by the user is accepted by the electronic device by the touch operation. Moreover, even if the user is a visually impaired person, it is desirable that a correct input operation can be surely performed by a touch operation.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables an input operation by a touch operation to be performed more reliably without causing an erroneous operation in an electronic device that can perform the input operation by a touch operation.

  The present invention can be realized as an electronic device, for example. An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a display unit that receives an input by a touch operation, a first detection unit that detects a touch operation on the display unit of the electronic device as a first operation, and a first detection unit. When the first operation is detected, the notification means for notifying the user of the information corresponding to the area where the first operation is performed in the display area of the display unit, and the first detection means In a state where the first operation is detected, a second detection unit that detects a second operation that depresses an area where the first operation is performed, and the second operation is detected by the second detection unit. Then, the apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives an input corresponding to an area where the first operation and the second operation are performed as an input by a touch operation.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique which makes it possible to perform input operation by touch operation more reliably, without producing erroneous operation with the electronic device which can perform input operation by touch operation can be provided.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of the alerting | reporting method of the input information to a user, when the input operation by touch operation using the touch panel 201 is performed in the electronic device 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows another example of the alerting | reporting method of the input information to a user, when the input operation by touch operation using the touch panel 201 is performed in the electronic device 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the relationship between the pressing force detected by the pressure-sensitive sensor 113, and the detection of touch operation (1st and 2nd operation) in the electronic device 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and all combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution means of the invention.

  This embodiment demonstrates the example which applied this invention to electronic devices, such as a smart phone and a tablet terminal. Note that the present invention can be applied to any electronic device that accepts an input by a touch operation. For example, among electronic devices such as image forming apparatuses (multifunction devices, printers, etc.), image reading devices (scanners), FAX, digital cameras, digital video cameras, televisions, etc. Is applicable.

<Configuration of electronic equipment>
First, the configuration of the electronic device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The electronic device 100 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, a hard disk drive (HDD) 104, an operation unit 105, an audio output unit 106, and a communication unit 107, and these devices are connected to each other via a bus 120 so as to communicate with each other. Yes. Electronic device 100 may further include a device other than the device shown in FIG. For example, the electronic device 100 may further include a connection port to which an external device that can transmit and receive data via USB or the like is connected.

  The CPU 101 controls the operation of each device included in the electronic device 100. The CPU 101 controls the operation of each device by reading a control program stored in the ROM 102 or the HDD 104, developing it in the RAM 103, and executing it.

  The ROM 102 is a nonvolatile memory, and stores a control program for the CPU 101 to control the operation of each device, parameters necessary for the operation of each device, and the like. A RAM 103 is a volatile memory, and is used as a temporary storage area such as a main memory and a work area of the CPU 101. The HDD 104 is a non-volatile storage device that can store various data such as document data and image data.

  The operation unit 105 includes a display unit 111, an operation input unit 112, and a pressure sensor 113. The display unit 111 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). The display unit 111 displays various information, operation screens, and the like in the electronic device 100. The operation input unit 112 includes an input device such as a touch panel and a keyboard (hard key). The touch panel of the operation input unit 112 is provided on the surface of the display unit 111.

  Note that the user touches the finger (performs a touch operation) on the surface of the touch panel. However, in the present embodiment, when the user touches the touch panel with the finger, the display surface of the display unit 111 is displayed. May be described as touching each other. When the operation unit 105 accepts a touch operation on the touch panel, an operation on an element in the area (position) where the touch operation is performed, which is included in the screen (display area) displayed on the display unit 111, is performed. It may be described as accepted. The touch panel may be any of various types of touch panels such as a resistive film type, a capacitance type, a surface acoustic wave type, an infrared type, an electromagnetic induction type, an image recognition type, and an optical sensor type. .

  The pressure-sensitive sensor 113 is a sensor that detects a pressing force applied to a region in the display area of the display unit 111 where the touch operation is performed when the user performs a touch operation on the display unit 111 (touch panel). It corresponds to. The pressure-sensitive sensor 113 is composed of an element that reacts to an applied force, such as a piezoelectric element. The pressure-sensitive sensor 113 may be a capacitive touch sensor that detects a pressing force based on a change in capacitance. In this case, the pressure-sensitive sensor 113 is configured integrally with the touch panel of the operation input unit 112. Also good.

  The audio output unit 106 includes a speaker, and outputs an operation sound or the like when a button or a touch panel is operated from the speaker. Further, as will be described later, when the touch operation on the display unit 111 is performed on the touch panel, the audio output unit 106 receives an input corresponding to the area where the touch operation is performed in the display area of the display unit 111. It is also possible to output the indicated information by voice.

  The communication unit 107 is a network interface (I / F) corresponding to a wireless communication standard such as a wireless local area network (LAN) or short-range wireless communication, and communicates with an external device via a wireless communication network according to a predetermined protocol. Performs communication (data transmission / reception).

<Operation of electronic equipment>
Next, with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, an operation of the electronic device 100 according to the present embodiment when a user input operation is received by a touch operation on the touch panel (operation input unit 112) will be described. When receiving an input by a touch operation on the display unit 111 (touch panel), the electronic device 100 according to the present embodiment receives the input by a two-step operation (a first operation and a second operation).

  Specifically, when the CPU 101 detects a touch operation on the display unit 111 as the first operation (first detection operation), the CPU 101 notifies the user of information indicating an input corresponding to the area where the touch operation is performed. To do. This prompts the user to confirm whether or not the input intended by the user is correctly accepted by the electronic device 100 (that is, whether or not an erroneous operation can occur).

  For example, the CPU 101 notifies the user of information indicating the input by changing the display mode (changing the character size, brightening the display of the area, etc.) in the operation target area. Alternatively, the CPU 301 may cause the audio output unit 106 to output information indicating the input, or display output of the information indicating the input itself (for example, a character to be input can be arbitrarily set in the display area of the display unit 111. May be displayed in a position distinguishable from other characters). Furthermore, you may perform combining one or more above-mentioned alerting | reporting operation | movement.

  The user confirms information scheduled to be input by the touch operation based on the information notified from the electronic device 100 in a state in which the touch operation is continued (while touching the touch panel). When the confirmed input is intended by the user, the user can confirm the input by pressing (pushing down) the area where the touch operation is performed. When the CPU 101 detects the second operation of pressing the area that is the operation target in the state where the user's touch operation is detected (second detection operation), the CPU 101 determines that the input should be confirmed, and the operation target An input corresponding to the region that has become is accepted as an input by a touch operation. In this way, the CPU 301 performs a reception process for receiving an input by a touch operation.

  On the other hand, if the confirmed input is not intended by the user, the user temporarily stops the touch operation (ie, removes a finger or the like from the touch panel), thereby canceling the acceptance of the input, and then touching again. Can be redone. When the CPU 301 changes from a state in which the user's touch operation is detected to a state in which the touch operation is not detected without detecting the second operation of pressing the region that is the operation target, the CPU 301 accepts an input by the touch operation. Without accepting the input.

  In the present embodiment, the CPU 301 performs the above-described first operation and second operation on the display unit 111 (touch panel) based on the output from the pressure sensor 113 as described with reference to FIG. Detect.

  FIG. 2A shows a state where a touch operation (first operation) is performed on the display area of the display unit 111 (the touch panel 201 of the operation input unit 112). Is touching the area displayed as input information. In response to the detection of the touch operation, the CPU 101 changes the display mode of the area where the touch operation has been performed (by increasing the size of the character “5”), thereby confirming the input corresponding to the area. Urging to. As a result, the input operation by the touch operation can be performed more reliably by the user without causing an erroneous operation.

  In FIG. 2B, after confirming the input, the touch panel 201 is further pressed (pressed down) from the state in which the touch panel 201 is touched, and a confirmation operation (second operation) for confirming the input is performed by the user. Shows the state. The CPU 301 confirms (accepts) an input in accordance with this confirmation operation. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the CPU 301 may further change the display mode of the area where the touch operation is performed so that the user can recognize that the input has been confirmed. In FIG. 2B, the size of the character “5” is displayed larger than that in the case of FIG. 2A to indicate to the user that the input has been confirmed.

  Next, FIGS. 3A and 3B not only change the display mode of the area where the touch operation is performed as in FIGS. 2A and 2B, but also input corresponding to the area. In this case, the information shown is output as audio from the speaker 202. Thus, by notifying the user of input information by voice output, it is possible to more reliably perform an input operation by a touch operation without causing an erroneous operation even when the user is a visually impaired person.

  Next, FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the pressing force detected by the pressure sensor 113 and the detection of the touch operation (first and second operations). The CPU 301 may detect the above-described first operation and second operation on the display unit 111 (touch panel 201) based on the output from the pressure sensor 113 as follows. Here, the user performs a touch operation (first operation) on the touch panel 201 during a period T1 illustrated in FIG. 4, and also performs an operation (pressing a region where the touch operation is performed during the period T2 illustrated in FIG. 4 ( Second operation) is performed. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the pressing force P indicated by the output from the pressure sensor 113 changes according to these operations by the user. When the pressure sensor 113 is a touch sensor, the pressing force P shown in FIG. 4 is proportional to the capacitance.

In this embodiment, when the pressing force P indicated by the output from the pressure sensor 113 exceeds the first threshold value (P _TH1 ) shown in FIG. 4 (P> P _TH1 ), the CPU 101 performs the first operation described above. Detects that has been done. Further, when the pressing force P indicated by the output from the pressure sensor 113 further exceeds the second threshold value (P _TH2 ) (P> P _TH2 ), the CPU 101 _confirms that the above-described second operation has been performed. Detect. On the other hand, when the pressing force P changes to the first threshold value ( _PTH1 or less) after detecting the first operation, the CPU 101 accepts the input without accepting the input by the touch operation. To release.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the electronic device 100 detects a touch operation on the display unit 111 as the first operation, the electronic device 100 displays information indicating an input corresponding to the area where the touch operation is performed. The user is notified by changing the display mode. Furthermore, when the electronic device 100 detects the second operation of pressing the area that is the operation target while detecting the user's touch operation, the electronic device 100 determines that the input should be confirmed and is the operation target. An input corresponding to the area is accepted as an input by a touch operation. According to the present embodiment, before receiving an input corresponding to a touch operation, confirmation as to whether or not the input intended by the user is correctly received by the electronic device 100 (that is, whether or not an erroneous operation can occur). Can be prompted to the user. As a result, the input operation by the touch operation can be performed more reliably by the user without causing an erroneous operation. In addition, even if the user is a visually impaired person, an input operation by a touch operation can be more reliably performed.

Claims (6)

A display unit that accepts input by touch operation;
First detection means for detecting a touch operation on the display unit as a first operation;
When the first operation is detected by the first detection unit, information indicating an input corresponding to the area where the first operation is performed in the display area of the display unit is notified to the user. Notification means;
A second detection means for detecting a second operation of pressing down a region where the first operation is performed in a state where the first operation is detected by the first detection means;
An accepting means for accepting an input corresponding to an area where the first operation and the second operation are performed as an input by the touch operation when the second operation is detected by the second detecting means; An electronic device comprising: The notification means includes
The information indicating the input corresponding to the area where the first operation is performed is at least one of a change in the display mode in the area, a display output of the information indicating the input, and an audio output of the information indicating the input The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the notification is made to the user. The accepting means is
From the state in which the first operation is detected by the first detection unit, the first detection unit detects the first operation without detecting the second operation by the second detection unit. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when the operation changes to a state in which the operation is not detected, the input of the input is canceled without receiving the input by the touch operation. A sensor for detecting a pressing force applied to the area where the touch operation is performed in the display area when the touch operation is performed;
The first detection means includes
If the pressing force detected by the sensor exceeds a first threshold when a touch operation on the display unit is performed, the first operation is detected,
The second detection means includes
In a state where the first operation is detected, the second operation is detected when the pressing force detected by the sensor exceeds a second threshold value higher than the first threshold value. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus is characterized in that: The accepting means is
After the first operation is detected by the first detection means, if the pressing force detected by the sensor changes to the first threshold value or less, the input of the input is not accepted without receiving the input by the touch operation. 5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reception is canceled.   The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is a capacitive touch sensor and detects the pressing force based on a change in capacitance.

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