JP5236346B2 - Input device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device, and more particularly to an input device having a touch panel.

  For example, in a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, various input devices have been developed depending on the function and / or application of each terminal when a user operates the terminal. In many cases, an input operation is performed when a user directly presses a mechanical key or button disposed on the surface of the mobile terminal body with a finger or the like.

  The key of the input device in such a terminal is usually arranged according to the main use of the terminal, and in general, the physical arrangement of the key defined first can be changed later. It's not like that.

  By the way, recently, a variety of functions have been incorporated into small portable terminals, as some mobile phones have digital cameras and music playback functions. In addition to the main applications of each terminal, there are many auxiliary functions, PDA (Personal Digital Assistance: Personal Digital Assistant), etc. Some have multiple uses. In such a terminal, if the key arrangement is fixed, it may be inconvenient during an input operation depending on the function used.

  In order to eliminate such inconvenience of operation, a touch panel is placed on the front of the liquid crystal display screen so that when an operation key or button displayed as an image is pressed on the display screen, A terminal having an input device configured such that a corresponding touch panel receives input has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the foldable mobile phone described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to arbitrarily display and input a key arrangement on the display screen. Therefore, it is possible to configure a free key arrangement, Each time the function is switched, the key arrangement can be freely changed according to the function, and extremely good operability can be obtained. For example, when using the functions of a digital camera mounted on this mobile phone, keys such as the shutter and zoom are arranged on the display unit at an easy-to-use position, and when inputting characters, the display unit By changing the above key arrangement, it is possible to arrange keys arranged like a keyboard of a personal computer.

  If such a terminal is used, the arrangement of keys can be arbitrarily changed according to each function installed in the terminal. Therefore, the user can perform an input operation by optimizing the input device of one terminal to each of a plurality of functions. It can be carried out.

JP 2006-31224 A

  However, in a terminal using a touch panel as an input device, in order to realize a flexible key arrangement, the entire surface of the touch panel is flat, and the input device is operated using mechanical keys and buttons arranged in advance. Compared to the above, it is difficult to discriminate the shape of the key and the boundary between the keys by sensing the physical unevenness of the key surface with the touch of the fingertip. Therefore, it is generally difficult to perform touch typing (blind touch) with such an input device.

  In particular, when inputting characters, such as when creating e-mail texts using a mobile terminal, the part to be operated by pressing a key (operation unit) and the progress and results of the input are displayed. In many cases, the position is different from the portion to be displayed (display unit). Therefore, when starting to input a key, the position of the key to be pressed first is watched and then the pressing operation is performed. It is also assumed that the part where the key operation is performed is not watched in order to watch the part where the result is displayed. In such a situation, when the user performs the input operation by continuously pressing the same key multiple times, in the case of the input device using the touch panel, the user intends to continuously press the same part, During a series of pressing operations, the pressing position gradually shifts, and the position where the intended key is removed is pressed, and the position where the key is not assigned or another adjacent key is pressed. May cause an erroneous input.

  Furthermore, in the portable terminal, the size of the display unit is often restricted due to the necessity of downsizing the terminal body. For this reason, when a large number of keys are displayed on the key display unit, each key must be displayed in a small size. In such a situation, when one and the same key is continuously pressed, the pressing position is gradually shifted during a series of pressing operations, and it is determined that another adjacent key is pressed, and the user It is expected that there will be many inputs that are different from the intentions.

  When an unintended input operation is performed, the user needs to perform the input operation again after correcting the input mistake. During such an operation, the user has no idea about the input operation originally desired. If the interruption occurs frequently, it causes a significant stress for the user.

  Therefore, the objective of this invention made | formed in view of this point is to provide the input device which can improve the operativity at the time of inputting information by press operation using a touch panel.

The invention of the input device according to claim 1 that achieves the above object is as follows:
A display for displaying a plurality of input keys;
A touch panel that is disposed in association with the display unit and detects inputs to the plurality of input keys displayed on the display unit;
A detection unit for detecting continuous hitting input that is continuous input at an interval shorter than a predetermined time to the touch panel;
A storage unit for storing an input key corresponding to the position where the continuous hitting input is started;
When the detection unit detects continuous hitting input to the touch panel, an input key stored in the storage unit is input in a predetermined area including an input key corresponding to a position where the continuous hitting input is started. and a control unit for controlling to process as input to,
The control unit presets the entire area on the touch panel as the predetermined area .

The invention of the input device according to claim 2 that achieves the above object is as follows:
A display for displaying a plurality of input keys;
A touch panel that is disposed in association with the display unit and detects inputs to the plurality of input keys displayed on the display unit;
A detection unit for detecting continuous hitting input that is continuous input at an interval shorter than a predetermined time to the touch panel;
A storage unit for storing an input key corresponding to the position where the continuous hitting input is started;
When the detection unit detects continuous hitting input to the touch panel, an input key stored in the storage unit is input in a predetermined area including an input key corresponding to a position where the continuous hitting input is started. A control unit that controls to process as an input to
The control unit controls to sequentially shift a plurality of characters assigned to input keys stored in the storage unit in response to the repeated hitting input .

The invention of the input device according to claim 3 that achieves the above object is as follows:
A display for displaying a plurality of input keys;
A touch panel that is disposed in association with the display unit and detects inputs to the plurality of input keys displayed on the display unit;
A detection unit for detecting continuous hitting input that is continuous input at an interval shorter than a predetermined time to the touch panel;
A storage unit for storing an input key corresponding to the position where the continuous hitting input is started;
When the detection unit detects continuous hitting input to the touch panel, an input key stored in the storage unit is input in a predetermined area including an input key corresponding to a position where the continuous hitting input is started. A control unit that controls to process as an input to
The control unit detects the repeated hit input outside the input reception range of the input key defined by the input key corresponding to the position where the repeated hit input stored in the storage unit is started during the repeated hit input. In this case, the display unit is controlled to display information based on the deviation of the input key from the input reception range .

  According to the present invention, in the continuous hit input, the input key corresponding to the position where the continuous hit input is started is stored, and the input within the predetermined area including the stored input key is stored as the input key. When the input operation (continuous hitting) in which the same input key is continuously pressed a plurality of times is performed, even if the position pressed by the user is shifted, the user initially intends It can be processed as an input to the key. Therefore, if the key intended first is correctly pressed, subsequent successive hits are processed as an input to the intended key even if the pressed position deviates from the intended key. Therefore, every time the key is pressed, the touch panel is processed. It is possible to perform an input operation without paying attention to and confirm operability, and the operability can be significantly improved.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the following embodiments, a foldable mobile phone will be described as an example of a terminal provided with an input device. However, the input device of the present invention can be applied to a foldable terminal or a mobile phone. The present invention is not limited and can be applied to any terminal as long as the terminal has an input unit including a touch panel.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a mobile phone 1 having an input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The mobile phone 1 is a folding type that can be opened and closed by a hinge portion at the center of the main body, and FIG. 1 shows an open state. On one of the two surfaces that appear when the mobile phone 1 is in the open state, an information display unit 2 constituted by a liquid crystal screen or the like for displaying various information, and a voice output unit for outputting voice of a call, music playback sound, etc. 5 and a key display unit 3 for drawing the shapes of keys, buttons, etc. on a liquid crystal screen or the like and displaying these arrangements, as shown in a partially cut-out manner on the other surface, and this key display The touch panel 4 is disposed on the front surface of the unit 3 and is configured with a transparent switch that directly accepts an input by a user's finger or the like. In addition, the mobile phone 1 may be provided with a voice input unit such as a microphone, a digital camera and a one-segment tuner antenna, and various interfaces depending on the functions. .

  The cellular phone 1 according to the present embodiment causes the key display unit 3 to display the shape and arrangement of keys as images instead of arranging various keys and buttons as mechanical switches on the main body of the cellular phone 1. When the user presses the image portion on which the key is displayed, the touch panel 4 corresponding to the position is pressed, and a signal corresponding to the input is output from the transparent switch at the pressed position of the touch panel 4. So that

  In FIG. 2, the schematic front view of the open state of the mobile telephone 1 is shown. Here, as an example, the display of each display unit at the time of creating an e-mail is illustrated. The information display unit 2 displays an e-mail text creation / editing screen, and the key display unit 3 displays an operation key group necessary for e-mail text creation / editing selected from a template according to the application. It is. The user presses the keys of the operation key group displayed on the key display unit 3 (actually presses the touch panel 4), and inputs characters constituting the e-mail. In the information display part 2 of FIG. 2, the fixed part of the character of the email input by the user is displayed at the top of the screen, and the current input point is indicated by a square cursor. At the time shown in the figure, the user presses the “1 / A line” key in the key display unit 5 five times in succession, and shows that the fifth character “O” is input. Yes. In response to the input of the character “o”, various selection candidates for words beginning with “o” are displayed at the bottom of the information display unit 2, and the user selects and determines a candidate from among these.

  In FIG. 2, the e-mail creation function has been described as an example, but the information display unit 2 and the key display unit 3 are suitable for using the function according to various templates according to the functions of the mobile phone 1. Screen display and easy-to-use key layout. For example, although not shown, when using the call function, the information display unit 2 displays the input telephone number and name of the other party, or when using the music playback function, the information display unit 2 The name and volume are displayed, and the key display unit 3 displays the play and stop function buttons and the volume adjustment key. Further, when using the digital camera function, the information display unit 2 Displays the currently captured image and displays various function buttons such as a shutter and zoom on the key display unit 3 so that it can cope with various configurations.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment. The mobile phone 1 includes the information display unit 2, the key display unit 3, the touch panel 4, and the voice output unit 5 described above, and also displays key shapes and layouts of input keys and buttons according to each application. A plurality of templates to be displayed on the unit 3, a storage unit 6 for storing a key position input by the user (pressed) on the touch panel 4, a history of input time intervals, and the like. Based on the timing at which the touch panel 4 is pressed, the calculation unit 7 that calculates the positional relationship with the image displayed on the unit 3, the position determination unit 8 that determines the input position based on the calculation result of the calculation unit 7. A time determination unit 9 that determines the length of the input time interval and a predetermined time threshold (hereinafter also referred to as a predetermined time), and a control unit 10 that controls and manages these blocks. It is provided in La.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the key display unit 3 and the touch panel 4 of the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 schematically shows a state in which the user's fingertip 11 is about to touch a key displayed on the key display unit 3 of the mobile terminal 1. In this embodiment, as an example, the description will be made based on the arrangement of keys when creating an e-mail. However, keys and buttons suitable for input and operation corresponding to the application of each function to be used are displayed on the key display unit. 3 is displayed. In addition, the lines corresponding to the lines A to W, which are widely used as the e-mail creation function of the mobile phone 1, correspond to the respective keys, and the corresponding lines are continuously pressed (repeated). In the following description, it is assumed that a method of transitioning hiragana to forward and inputting characters one by one (so-called multi-tap input method) is used. Note that only a part of the entire key displayed on the key display unit 3 is illustrated, and other parts are omitted. Further, when the skin of the fingertip 11 of the user presses the touch panel 4, the pressed portion is not a single point but has a certain area, and this portion is indicated by a broken line as the pressed portion 12.

  For each key displayed on the key display unit 3, the inside bounded by the displayed key image is defined as a key display range 20. In correspondence with the position of the key display range 20, a portion that actually receives an input of a user's finger or the like on the touch panel 4 is defined as an effective area 21. In this example, the effective area 21 is defined slightly inside the key display range 20 in consideration of the fact that the user's fingertip 11 has a certain area of the pressing portion 12, but depending on various key arrangements For example, the key display range 20 and the effective area 21 can be combined, or the effective area 21 can be defined outside the key display range 20. A portion other than the effective area 21, that is, a portion that does not accept input with a finger or the like is called an invalid area.

  By associating the contact areas (XY coordinates) of a large number of touch switches on the touch panel 4 with the effective areas 21 correlated with the keys displayed in the key display range 20 of the key display section 3, the touch panel 4 is , A signal corresponding to the position pressed and input by the user is output. The signal generated when the touch panel 4 is pressed is transmitted to the calculation unit 7 under the control of the control unit 10, and the calculation unit 7 calculates the XY coordinates pressed on the touch panel 4, and based on the calculation result. Then, the position determination unit 8 determines the pressed position and transmits the determination result to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 reads out processing to be executed when there is an input of the position by referring to the storage unit 6, and controls each functional unit to perform corresponding processing.

  Next, processing performed in the time determination unit 9 will be described with reference to FIG. The time determination unit 9 determines whether the user intends to continuously press the same location or to change the pressed position based on the time interval of pressing by the user's fingertip 11 hitting the touch panel 4 repeatedly. judge. In order to explain the processing related to this determination, as an example, when using the e-mail creation function, the keys as shown in FIG. 2 are arranged, and the user calls “sound” by the multi-tap input method described above. A scene where characters are input will be described.

  To input the character “oto”, which is the reading kana of the character “sound”, as shown in FIG. As a result, the pseudonym of that line is sequentially shifted to “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O”, and the fifth character “O” is displayed. ”/ Ta line” key is pressed 5 times in succession, and the kana of the line is sequentially changed to “ta”, “chi”, “tsu”, “te”, “to”, and is the fifth character in the line. It is necessary to display “and”.

  FIG. 5A shows the relationship between the transition of the output (display) of the kana corresponding to the input (press) to the key and the time interval between the inputs (press). As can be understood from this figure, the input operation for sequentially shifting the characters assigned to the “1 / A line” and “4 / Ta line” keys is performed by a plurality of consecutive inputs to the same key (a series of Therefore, it is possible to input at short time intervals (Δt1 to Δt4 and Δt6 to Δt9), but the input is changed from the “1 / A row” key to the “4 / Ta row” key. In this case, since it is necessary to move the finger from the “1 / A row” key to the “4 / Ta row” key, a longer time interval (Δt5) is required.

  FIG. 6 is a graph showing the time intervals shown in FIG. When comparing each time interval in the vertical direction, it can be seen that while the time intervals Δt1 to Δt4 and Δt6 to Δt9 are substantially the same length of time, only the time interval Δt5 protrudes. Therefore, a time threshold Tth that is a predetermined time is set between these short time intervals (Δt1 to Δt4 and Δt6 to Δt9) and a long time interval (Δt5), and the time interval of input performed by the user is Whether the user continuously presses the characters assigned to the same key by sequentially comparing whether it is longer or shorter than this time threshold Tth, or has the input target changed to another key Can be determined.

  5 and 6, the time interval from the moment when a key is pressed (On state) until the next key press (On state) is measured as Δt. For example, a certain key is pressed. It is also possible to set Δt as the time interval from the moment when is released (Off state) to the next key press (On state). If Δt is defined in this way, even if the user is in a state of being confused about the next operation, such as thinking while keeping the key pressed with his finger while the key is repeatedly pressed (while remaining in the On state), If the next key is pressed (On state) immediately after canceling (Off state) (within the time threshold Tth), these inputs can also be recognized as consecutive hits.

  The time threshold Tth described above can be set in various ways. For example, an arbitrary time threshold value Tth set by the user himself / herself can be stored in the storage unit 6 in advance. It is preferable that the time threshold Tth to be set is a value obtained by adding a little time to the time interval of key operation in which the user normally presses the same place continuously. Even during use, if the set time threshold value Tth can be changed and adjusted as appropriate, it is more convenient for the user.

  As another mode, for example, when there is an input by the user, the position and time of the input are compared with the position and time of the input just before that, and almost the same position (or the same key is valid) In the case of continuous input in (Area), the time threshold value Tth can be set by adding some time to the time interval between these inputs. The next input can be determined as an input for sequentially shifting characters assigned to the same key as long as the input is within the time threshold Tth. However, a time interval exceeding the time threshold Tth is set. If there is an input, it means that the input target has been changed to another key, or a series of consecutive inputs to the same key (inputs for sequentially shifting characters assigned to the same key) It can be determined that there is no. If the time threshold Tth is set in this way, even if the user changes to another user, the time threshold Tth can be easily adjusted from the timing when the new user presses the key, and the new user can immediately 1 can be adapted.

  As yet another aspect, the average value of the time interval of input that seems to be a series of continuous inputs to the same key is calculated from all or part of the history of operations that the user has pressed the key so far. The time threshold value Tth can also be set based on the value. If the time threshold value Tth is set based on learning as described above, the time threshold value Tth specialized to the user can be set as the user performs an input operation.

  By appropriately setting the time threshold value Tth as described above, it is possible to improve the accuracy with which the time determination unit 9 determines whether the user's key press operation is a series of continuous inputs to the same key. . Each time threshold Tth as described above, or to use any previously, to the user may be previously set, in accordance with each application that uses it to be switched to the optimum the time threshold Tth You can also.

  Next, the operation of the input device of the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, the control unit 10 reads a key layout template corresponding to the application from the storage unit 6, displays the template on the key display unit 3, and waits for input (step S11). When the touch panel 4 detects an input by pressing, the calculation unit 7 calculates a position where the input is detected, and the position determination unit 8 uses the calculation result and a template of the current key arrangement stored in the storage unit 6. By comparing, the pressed key is determined, and the key is stored in the storage unit 6 (step S12).

  Next, the control unit 10 refers to the key input history in the storage unit 6 and determines whether or not there is an input to the touch panel 4 immediately before the input detected this time (step S13). If there is no previous input, the control unit 10 sets the input detected this time as the first input, and if the detected position of the input is on a predetermined key (effective area 21) (step S18), A predetermined area including the predetermined key is set as an extended effective area that is determined as an input to the predetermined key, and is stored in the storage unit 6 (step S19), and a normal input process corresponding to the key is performed. (Step S20).

  Here, the extended effective area is, for example, an area including up to a key adjacent to the key where the input is detected. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, when the “1 / A row” key is first pressed, the “2 / A row” and “4 / A row” adjacent to the “1 / A row” key are displayed. , A region surrounded by a dotted line including “5 / Na row” becomes an extended effective area, and thereafter, all inputs satisfying a predetermined condition in the extended effective area are accepted as an input to “1 / A row”. The extended effective area is not limited to the above, and the entire touch panel may be set as the extended effective area, or any appropriate range may be set as the extended effective area. The “input satisfying the predetermined condition” will be described in detail later in the description of step S16.

  In step S18, when the input detected this time is detected at a position (invalid area) that is not on any key (effective area 21), the control unit 10 determines that the input is invalid (no processing is performed). Not performed).

  If it is determined in step S13 that there is a previous input, the control unit 10 refers to the key input history in the storage unit 6 to determine whether the current input is to the same key as the previous input. It is determined whether or not (step S14). If the current input is an input to the same key as the previous input, a normal input process corresponding to the key is performed based on the input (step S20).

  In this case, for example, when the current input is an input to the same “1 / A line” key as the previous input, the time interval between the previous input and the current input is a predetermined time (character If it is equal to or longer than the confirmation time Tth2), the displayed character is confirmed based on the immediately preceding input, and “A” is newly displayed next to it. On the other hand, if the time interval between the previous input and the current input is less than the character determination time Tth2, the displayed character is shifted by one based on the previous input. That is, if “A” is displayed by the previous input, the displayed “A” is changed to “I”. If “I” is displayed by the previous input, the “A” is displayed. Change “I” to “U”. The time threshold value Tth2 is preferably the same as or longer than the time threshold value Tth described above.

  In step S14, when the current input is not an input on the same key as the previous input, the control unit 10 refers to the storage unit 6 to determine whether or not an extended effective area is set. If the extended effective area is set, it is determined whether or not the position of the current input is included in the extended effective area (step S15). When it is determined that the extended effective area is not set or the position of the current input is not included in the set extended effective area (NO in step S15), the control unit 10 determines that the current input is If it is detected on a predetermined key, a predetermined area including the key is set as an extended effective area and stored in the storage unit 6, and normal input processing corresponding to the key is performed (steps S18 to S20). If the current input is detected at a position that is not on any key, the input is invalidated (NO in step S18).

  When it is determined in step S15 that the position of the current input is included in the extended effective area, the time determination unit 9 determines whether the time interval from the previous input to the current input is less than the time threshold Tth. Is determined (step S16). Note that the input time interval may be measured by starting a timer (not shown) every time an input is detected, or by storing the time of each key input in the key input history of the storage unit 6. You may make it calculate based on.

  If it is determined in step S16 that the time interval from the previous input to the current input is equal to or greater than the time threshold Tth, the control unit 10 determines that the current input is detected on a predetermined key. A predetermined area including a key is set as an extended effective area and stored in the storage unit 6, a normal input process corresponding to the key is performed (steps S <b> 18 to 20), and the current input is not on any key If detected, the input is invalidated (NO in step S18).

  If it is determined in step S16 that the time interval from the previous input to the current input is less than the time threshold Tth, the control unit 10 displays the current input in the extended effective area stored in the storage unit 6. Are accepted as a series of continuous inputs to the key corresponding to (step S17). That is, for example, when the extended effective area is set corresponding to the key “1 / A row” and stored in the storage unit 6, the control unit 10 determines that the current input position is “1 / A row”. If it is not included in the extended effective area, the input is accepted and processed as a series of continuous inputs to the “1 / A row” key.

  In this way, for example, in order to input “O”, the user intends to press (continuously strike) the “1 / A row” key five times in succession as shown in FIG. However, in fact, as shown in FIG. 5B, the finger is displaced from the “1 / A line” key, and the middle between “1 / A line” and “2 / A line” is invalid. Even if the key of the area and “2 / ka line” is pressed, the position of the press is included in the extended effective area set corresponding to “1 / A line”, so that the interval between the presses is Tth. If it is less than that, it is determined that the input is a series of continuous inputs to the “1 / A row” key, and transitions are made to “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O”. “O” is entered. Therefore, in this Embodiment, the detection part which detects the continuous hit input is comprised including the time determination part 9, the position determination part 8, and the control part 10. FIG.

  Hereinafter, the effect of the processing described above will be further described with reference to the conceptual diagrams of FIGS. Each figure has a plurality of keys displayed in a plurality of key display ranges 20 on the key display unit 3, and a touch panel 4 (not shown) disposed thereon is pressed by a user's fingertip 11. 12 shows a pressed state. Further, FIGS. 8 to 10 show the position of the finger that is repeatedly hit in time series. Here, in creating the e-mail text as described in FIG. An example of an input operation in the case of making a transition to a forward feed by continuously pressing (so-called multi-tap input method) will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram that captures a series of successive pressing operations performed by the user. Since the pressing portion 12 of the user's fingertip 11 that actually touches the touch panel 4 presses the effective area 21 of the “1 / A row” key, the position determination unit 8 determines that “1 / A row” It is determined that the key is pressed. By this input, if the input is the first input, the kana character “a” is displayed on the information display unit 2 as the character display, and if “a” is originally displayed, the kana character is displayed. Is changed to display “I”, and if “I” is originally displayed, it is changed to “U”. As long as the pressing portion 12 continuously presses the inside of the effective area 21 properly, the transition of the kana characters described above is repeated (YES in steps S11 to S14 in FIG. 7 and the flow in S20, or steps S11 to 13). NO and S18-20 flow).

  Since the user has performed the above operation without gazing at the key display unit 3, it is assumed that the pressing portion 12 is gradually displaced during the continuous pressing operation and the state shown in FIG. 9 is obtained. In this case, since the pressing portion 12 does not press the effective area 21 of any key, that is, presses the invalid area, this input becomes invalid if it is a normal input operation. However, when the time determination unit 9 determines that the continuous input is performed within the time threshold value Tth, this pressing operation is also performed by assuming that the “1 / A row” key is pressed. That is, if the pressing operation to the invalid area is performed within the time threshold value Tth after the pressing operation to the effective area 21, the pressing operation to the invalid area is changed to the pressing operation to the previous effective area 21. It is assumed that it is processing. Therefore, in this case as well, the kana character “A line” transitions (corresponding to the flow of steps S11 to S17 in FIG. 7).

  When the pressing portion 12 is further displaced during the continuous pressing operation and becomes in a state as shown in FIG. 10, the pressing portion 12 actually presses the effective area 21 of “2 / ka line”. Yes. Of course, if it is a normal input operation, the process is performed assuming that “2 / ka line” has been input. However, if all the continuous inputs are performed within the time threshold Tth from the previous input, The pressing operation to “2 / ka line” is also performed by assuming that the “1 / A line” key is pressed. That is, when all of the invalid area presses after the effective area 21 press or other effective area presses after the effective area 21 press are within the time threshold Tth from the previous press, a series of presses within the time threshold Tth It is processed as a continuous press to the effective area 21 pressed at the beginning of the operation. Therefore, in this case as well, the kana character “A line” transitions (corresponding to the flow of steps S11 to S17 in FIG. 7).

  By performing the processing as described above, the user performs a pressing operation without gazing at the key display unit 3, so that the pressing portion 12 is a key of “1 / A row” during a continuous pressing (continuous hitting) operation. Even if the user has deviated from the above, continuous input to the “1 / A line” key desired by the user (ie, an input for circulating the characters assigned to “1 / A line”) continues. Done.

  Furthermore, in the input operation according to the embodiment described above, the entire area of the pressing portion 12 of the user's fingertip 11 is input to the touch panel 4, but one point inside the pressing portion may be treated as a pressing position. it can.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of position determination in which one point in the area within the pressing portion 12 is handled as a pressing position. When the pressing portion 12 of the user's fingertip 11 has a certain area, a rectangle surrounding the pressing portion 12 is defined in a virtual XY plane on the touch panel 4. In this example, the four sides of this rectangle are parallel to the X axis and the Y axis of the XY plane. By connecting the midpoints of the opposing sides of the rectangle, the center of gravity of the rectangle is obtained, and this center of gravity is set as the center point 13. By doing in this way, even when the pressing part 12 has an area, the input can be processed as one point input.

  In particular, the mobile terminal such as the mobile phone 1 is not only used to hold the terminal body with one hand and press the key against the touch panel 4 with the other hand, but also while holding it with one hand. Key operations are often performed using the thumb of the hand. In this case, it is assumed that the key will be pressed with the thumb lying down considerably, or that the shape of the pressing portion 12 will be an extremely elliptical shape. For example, the area of the pressing portion 12 may become extremely small. Even in such a case, by performing the above-described processing for obtaining the center point 13 by the calculation unit 7, the input of the pressing portion 12 can be easily processed as one point input.

  For example, when a large number of keys are displayed and arranged on the key display unit 3, the area of each key is small, and therefore the finger pressing portion 12 is smaller than the area of the key display range 20 of each key. There may be a case where the area becomes larger. Even in such a case, by performing the position determination described above, the key display unit 3 can be used effectively, and good operability can be obtained using the above-described embodiment.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, during the input operation (sequential hitting) in which the same input key is continuously pressed a plurality of times, the position pressed by the user's finger is the effective area 21 of the key being hit repeatedly. Even if the user goes outside, it is processed as an input to the key that the user originally intended. In the following second embodiment, when the process according to the first embodiment is performed, and when the repeated hit input deviates from the effective area 21, that effect and the direction in which the repeated hit input deviates from the effective area 21. To the user.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an input operation of mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, before starting the input operation, as shown in FIG. 13, the center point 15 of the effective area is defined on the touch panel 3 so as to correspond to the center of each key displayed on the key display unit 3. Then, the position of the effective area center point 15 corresponding to each key is stored in the storage unit 6. In addition, about input operation, since it is the same as that of FIG. 7 about step S11-S20 of FIG. 12, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  From step S11 to S17, that is, when the repeated hitting input started from the effective area 21 of a certain key deviates from the effective area 21 of the key, but the time interval between repeated hits is less than Tth, If this is the case, the process up to the point where the key input is processed is the same as in the first embodiment.

  In this Embodiment, the control part 10 performs the press position alerting | reporting process which alert | reports that it has remove | deviated from the effective area 21 which should be pressed after step S17 (step S21). In this pressing position notification process, the control unit 10 determines the position when the center point 13 of the finger pressing portion 12 described in the first embodiment deviates from the effective area 21 during continuous hitting, and the effective area 21. From the position of the effective area center point 15, the direction and magnitude of the displacement of the pressing position during continuous hitting input is calculated as a vector.

  That is, for example, during the repeated hitting input at the position of the finger pressing portion 12 shown in FIG. 8, the position of the repeated hitting input gradually shifts, and the input is performed at the position of the finger pressing portion 12 as shown in FIG. Suppose that At this time, the calculation of the vector performed in the pressed position notification process in step S21 is as shown in FIG. In FIG. 13, a (virtual) vector is used to indicate that the center point 13 of the pressed portion 12 of the user's finger has shifted to the right from the effective area center point 15 of the effective area 21 of the “1 / A” key. Used to show.

  Furthermore, in this press position notification processing, the effective input that the repeated input should originally be pressed is displayed on the information display unit 2 on which the result of the repeated input (for example, characters when creating an e-mail) is displayed based on the calculated vector. A message indicating that the user has left the area 21 is displayed. In this case, it is preferable to notify the user by changing the shape and display mode of the cursor used for character input displayed on the information display unit 2 from the normal display.

  For example, when inputting the text “How are you?” As a text of an e-mail using a conventional mobile phone, the character currently being input is usually displayed on a document editing screen as shown in FIG. A cursor indicating the position of “U” is displayed in various manners such as blinking. In the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment, if the repeated hitting input is normally performed within the effective area 21 to be originally pressed, for example, a cursor is displayed as shown in FIG. However, if the position of the continuous hit shifts from the position shown in FIG. 8 to the position shown in FIG. 9 (or FIG. 13) while the user is inputting repeatedly, the brightness of the cursor as shown in FIG. By changing the color or the color, the position where the continuous hitting is input is shifted to the right. For example, when the repeated hit input is shifted downward, the cursor display as shown in FIG. 14D is performed. When the repeated hit input is shifted upward, the cursor is displayed as shown in FIG. I do.

  As described above, various modes can be considered as a method for indicating that the continuous hit input has deviated from the effective area 21 to be originally pressed. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the cursor is divided into four fine areas so that the direction can be displayed. However, the areas do not need to be separated and may be in contact with each other. Furthermore, in the cursor having the divided fine areas, only the areas corresponding to the shifted directions may be displayed. For example, when the repeated hit input is shifted downward, the cursor is displayed as shown in FIG. 15A, and when the repeated hit input is shifted upward, the cursor as shown in FIG. 15B is displayed. Display.

  Also, the direction of deviation can be indicated by changing the brightness and shade of color with one cursor. For example, when the continuous hit input is shifted downward, the cursor is displayed as shown in FIG. 15C, and when the continuous hit input is shifted upward, the cursor as shown in FIG. 15D is displayed. Display can also be performed.

  Furthermore, an arrow may be superimposed on the cursor to intuitively indicate the shifted direction. For example, when the continuous hit input is shifted downward, the cursor is displayed as shown in FIG. 15E, and when the continuous hit input is shifted upward, the cursor as shown in FIG. 15F is displayed. Display can also be performed. Further, the shape of the cursor itself may be an arrow. In step S21, when the repeated hit input is deviated, the deviation is calculated as a vector. Therefore, the magnitude of the deviation can be indicated by the cursor shape, brightness, color, shading, and the like. For example, as the amount of deviation increases, the brightness of the cursor can be increased or the color can be made darker. In particular, when an arrow is used for the cursor, the length or thickness of the arrow can correspond to the size of the vector.

  In the pressing position notification process according to the present embodiment, “the direction in which the repeated hit input is shifted” is indicated by the cursor display mode, but “the direction in which the shift of the consecutive hit input is to be returned” is also indicated by the cursor display mode. Good. That is, in this case, the direction opposite to the calculated vector is notified.

  By doing as described above, while receiving the advantages of the first embodiment, that is, even if the repeated hitting input started from the effective area 21 of a certain key deviates from the effective area 21 of the key, the effective key is effective. It is possible to notify that the actual repeated input is out of the effective area 21 of the key while processing it as an input in the area 21. Therefore, even if the user who has repeatedly input is performing an input on the touch panel 4 without gazing at only the information display unit 2 and looking at the key display unit 3, the user can recognize the deviation of his / her repeated input. it can. In addition, since the user has made a desired input, it is possible to know that the actual repeated input is out of the effective area 21 of the key and the direction out of the effective area 21. Even without looking at the display unit 3, it is possible to perform continuous hitting while correcting the pressed position of the finger to the effective area 21 to be originally pressed.

  As a result, when the user moves his / her finger without looking at the key display unit 3 to press another key after the continuous hit input is removed from the effective area 21 of a certain key, the finger is moved at an appropriate interval. Even so, since the movement is originally from a position shifted, the position of the movement destination is also shifted, and it is prevented that an input is performed at a position shifted from a desired key.

  In the second embodiment described above, the center point 13 of the finger pressing portion 12 to be repeatedly input is calculated by constantly calculating the center point 13 of the finger pressing portion 12 described in the first embodiment. Although the vector for notifying the “deviation” when deviating from the effective area 21 is calculated, other modes can be assumed. For example, the finger pressing portion 12 for performing continuous hitting does not calculate the center point 13 of the finger pressing portion 12 in a normal state, and protrudes from the effective area 21 of a certain key and enters the effective area 21 of an adjacent key. In this case, the center point 13 of the finger pressing portion 12 can be calculated for the first time. In this case, the pressing portion 12 of the finger performs input over the effective area 21 of the two adjacent keys (that is, the two keys are pressed simultaneously). It is desirable to process. However, in this way, the center point 13 of the finger pressing portion 12 is not changed for the first time when the finger pressing portion 12 that originally hit the effective area 21 of one key straddles the effective area 21 of two adjacent keys. It may be calculated. Thereafter, similarly to the above-described pressing position notification processing, the vector for notifying the deviation from the relationship between the calculated center point 13 and the effective area center point 15 of the effective area 21 of the key that was originally input repeatedly. Is calculated.

  In addition, this invention is not limited only to said each embodiment, Many deformation | transformation or a change is possible. For example, the extended effective area in the first embodiment described above need not be limited to an area including a key group adjacent to the target key. For example, “an area up to a distance of 1.5 cm around the target key” Various aspects can be envisaged.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the case of inputting an e-mail character as an example of the input operation has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this operation. Various operations can be used as long as they perform continuous input at approximately equal time intervals within the time threshold Tth, such as volume adjustment for playback function, song selection operation, channel selection operation for TV and radio playback function, zoom operation for digital camera function, etc. It is applicable to.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the mobile telephone which has an input device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic front view of the open state of the mobile phone shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram of the mobile phone shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining the key display part and touch panel of a mobile telephone which are shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining the time determination of key input by the time determination part of the mobile phone shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed each time interval shown in FIG. 5 with the graph. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the input device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram explaining operation | movement of the input device of the mobile telephone shown in FIG. Similarly, it is a conceptual diagram explaining operation | movement of the input device of the mobile telephone shown in FIG. Similarly, it is a conceptual diagram explaining operation | movement of the input device of the mobile telephone shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining an example of the position determination of the press part in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the input device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the press position alerting | reporting process in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display by the press position alerting | reporting process of 2nd Embodiment. Similarly, it is a figure which shows the example of the display by the press position alerting | reporting process of 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile phone 2 Information display part 3 Key display part 4 Touch panel 5 Audio | voice output part 6 Memory | storage part 7 Calculation part 8 Position determination part 9 Time determination part 10 Control part 11 User's fingertip 12 Press part 13 Center point 15 Effective area center point 20 Key display range 21 Effective area

Claims (3)

A display for displaying a plurality of input keys;
A touch panel that is disposed in association with the display unit and detects inputs to the plurality of input keys displayed on the display unit;
A detection unit for detecting continuous hitting input that is continuous input at an interval shorter than a predetermined time to the touch panel;
A storage unit for storing an input key corresponding to the position where the continuous hitting input is started;
When the detection unit detects continuous hitting input to the touch panel, an input key stored in the storage unit is input in a predetermined area including an input key corresponding to a position where the continuous hitting input is started. A control unit that controls to process as an input to
The control unit presets the entire area on the touch panel as the predetermined area. A display for displaying a plurality of input keys;
A touch panel that is disposed in association with the display unit and detects inputs to the plurality of input keys displayed on the display unit;
A detection unit for detecting continuous hitting input that is continuous input at an interval shorter than a predetermined time to the touch panel;
A storage unit for storing an input key corresponding to the position where the continuous hitting input is started;
When the detection unit detects continuous hitting input to the touch panel, an input key stored in the storage unit is input in a predetermined area including an input key corresponding to a position where the continuous hitting input is started. A control unit that controls to process as an input to
The input device controls the control unit to sequentially shift a plurality of characters assigned to input keys stored in the storage unit in response to the repeated hitting input. A display for displaying a plurality of input keys;
A touch panel that is disposed in association with the display unit and detects inputs to the plurality of input keys displayed on the display unit;
A detection unit for detecting continuous hitting input that is continuous input at an interval shorter than a predetermined time to the touch panel;
A storage unit for storing an input key corresponding to the position where the continuous hitting input is started;
When the detection unit detects continuous hitting input to the touch panel, an input key stored in the storage unit is input in a predetermined area including an input key corresponding to a position where the continuous hitting input is started. A control unit that controls to process as an input to
The control unit detects the repeated hit input outside the input reception range of the input key defined by the input key corresponding to the position where the repeated hit input stored in the storage unit is started during the repeated hit input. In this case, the input device is controlled to display information based on a deviation from the input reception range of the input key on the display unit.

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