Input Apparatus, Input Method and Program

• US 20110057903A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamano, Ikuo, Miyazawa, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

There is provided an input apparatus including: a pressure detecting unit which detects press pressure of an operational body applied to a virtual key having one or more input candidates allocated selectively; and an input control unit which varies a selection state of the one or more input candidates selectively allocated to the virtual key for every pressing operation having, as a single time of pressing operation, timing that the press pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit exceeds a predetermined selection threshold value or timing that the press pressure becomes smaller than the selection threshold value as being attenuated after exceeding the selection threshold value.

Claims

1. An input apparatus comprising:

a pressure detecting unit which detects press pressure of an operational body applied to a virtual key having one or more input candidates allocated selectively; and

an input control unit which varies a selection state of the one or more input candidates selectively allocated to the virtual key for every pressing operation having, as a single time of pressing operation, timing that the press pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit exceeds a predetermined selection threshold value or timing that the press pressure becomes smaller than the selection threshold value as being attenuated after exceeding the selection threshold value.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a displaying unit which displays the virtual key, wherein

the pressure detecting unit is arranged at a display screen of the displaying unit and detects press pressure of an operational body applied to the display screen.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the input control unit which determines selection of an input candidate being in a selection state at that time when determination operation by the operational body is judged being performed based on the detected press pressure.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the input control unit judges that determination operation by the operational body is performed at any of the timing when press pressure by the operational body is judged not being detected, the timing when the press pressure is judged being equal to or smaller than a determination threshold value which is smaller than the selection threshold value, and the timing when a predetermined time passes after the press pressure is judged being equal to or smaller than the determination threshold value.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detecting unit which is arranged at the display screen and detects a contact position of the operational body,

wherein

the input control unit varies a selection state to another input candidate relating to the input candidate which is in a selection state at that time corresponding to a direction of contact position variation when the contact position detected by the position detecting unit is judged being out of an operational area of the virtual key while maintaining the detected press pressure equal to or larger than the selection threshold value.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the input control unit selects one or more input candidate groups selected by repeating determining selection of an input candidate being in a selection state at that time every time when determination operation by the operational body is judged being performed.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the input control unit switches from an input selection mode for selecting the input candidate group to a predictive transform selection mode for selecting a predictive transform candidate relating to the selected input candidate group when the detected press pressure is judged being equal to or larger than a transform threshold value which is larger than the selection threshold value.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the input control unit varies a selection state of the predictive transform candidate for every pressing operation in the predictive transform selection mode.

9. The input apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the input control unit determines to input the predictive transform candidate which is in a selection state at that time when the determination operation by the operational body is judged being performed based on the detected press pressure in the predictive transform selection mode.

10. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the displaying unit displays a preview of the input candidate which is in a selection state at that time when the detected press pressure is judged being equal to or larger than a predetermined display threshold value.

11. The input apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the displaying unit varies a displaying state of the input candidate corresponding to variation of detected press pressure.

12. The input apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the displaying unit displays a preview of the input candidate in a size being proportional to magnitude of the detected press pressure.

13. An input method, comprising the steps of:

detecting press pressure of an operational body applied to a virtual key having one or more input candidates allocated selectively by a pressure sensor; and

varying a selection state of the one or more input candidates selectively allocated to the virtual key for every pressing operation having, as a single time of pressing operation, timing that the press pressure detected by the pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined selection threshold value or timing that the press pressure becomes smaller than the selection threshold value as being attenuated after exceeding the selection threshold value.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute processes of:

detecting press pressure of an operational body applied to a virtual key having one or more input candidates allocated selectively by a pressure sensor; and

varying a selection state of the one or more input candidates selectively allocated to the virtual key for every pressing operation having, as a single time of pressing operation, timing that the press pressure detected by the pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined selection threshold value or timing that the press pressure becomes smaller than the selection threshold value as being attenuated after exceeding the selection threshold value.