Mobile terminal device and program used in mobile terminal device

• US 20070063988A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshiyuki, Inamura, Hiroshi, Tomimori, Takeshi, Kawamata, Takenori, Fukuda, Keisaku, Azami, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function

Abstract

A mobile terminal device, which is provided with the plurality of keys, includes: a detection interface for detecting touching any of the keys by a user; a press detection interface for detecting pressing the key by the user; a controller for executing a first function assigned to the key at the time of detection of the user touching the key in a case where touching time period, for which the user touches the key, is equal to, or longer than, a predetermined judging time, and for executing a second function assigned to the key at the time of detection of the user touching the key in a case where the touching time period is shorter than the predetermined judging time; and an output controller for displaying an explanation on the first function on a display unit in a case where the touching time period is equal to, or longer than, the predetermined judging time.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys, comprising:

a touch detector configured to detect touching any of the keys by a user;

a press detector configured to detect pressing any of the keys by the user;

a function executor configured to execute, when the press detector detects the touching any of the keys by the user, a first function assigned to the key in a case where touching time period representing a time period, for which the user touches the key, is equal to, or longer than, predetermined judging time, and to execute, when the press detector detects the touching any of the keys by the user, a second function assigned to the key in a case where the touching time period for which the user touches the key is shorter than the predetermined judging time; and

an output unit configured to output an explanation on the first function in a case where the touching time period is equal to, or longer than, the predetermined judging time.

2. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein,

after the touching time period for a certain key, which is one of the keys, reaches the time equal to, or longer than, the predetermined touching time period, in a case where the touch detector detects the touching a different key by the user, which is one of the keys,

the output unit outputs the explanation on the first function assigned to the different key even when the touching time period for the different key is shorter than the predetermined judging time.

3. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs an explanation on the second function assigned to the key in a case where the touching time period is shorter than the predetermined judging time.

4. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

different first functions are assigned to the plurality of keys respectively; and

the output unit outputs explanations on the plurality of first functions assigned to a key included in the plurality of keys in a case where the touching time period for the key is equal to, or longer than, the predetermined judging time.

5. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

different second functions are respectively assigned to the plurality of keys; and

the output unit outputs explanations on the plurality of second functions assigned to a key included in the plurality of keys in a case where the touching time period for the key is shorter than the predetermined judging time.

6. A program used in a mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys, the program causing the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of:

detecting touching any of the keys by a user;

detecting pressing any of the keys by the user;

executing a first function assigned to the key, when the touching any of the keys by the user is detected, in a case where touching time period representing a time period, for which the user touches the key, is equal to, or longer than, predetermined judging time,

executing a second function assigned to the key in a case where the touching time period is shorter than the predetermined judging time; and

outputting an explanation on the first function in a case where the touching time period is equal to, or longer than, the predetermined judging time.