MOBILE TERMINAL DEVICE AND INPUT DEVICE

• US 20110219302A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Takashi, Kondo, Kazuhiro, Matsui, Daisuke, Inagawa, Masatoshi, Inukai, Tetsuro, Nishimura, Tatsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

A mobile terminal device includes a display section having a display screen, an input section having a touch input region on the display screen, and a control section for displaying a plurality of keys. The display screen is provided as a software keyboard where a touch operation on a specific key causes an input of the specific key. In the specific display region on the display screen that can display operation keys on the software keyboard, the control section selects these keys from a previously prepared set of input candidate key groups. In response to a specific operation on the specific display region, the control section allows the plurality of keys to be displayed on the specific display region. In response to touch on a desired key in the specific display region, the control section determines that an input of the key has been performed.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device, comprising:

a display including a first display section configured to display a first plurality of operation keys and a second display section configured to display a second plurality of operation keys;

a touch sensor configured to receive a touch input corresponding to at least one of the first plurality of operation keys displayed in the first display section and the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section; and

a controller configured to select the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section based on a predetermined set of operation keys stored in memory, and switch the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section to a third plurality of operation keys based on predetermined touch input received at the second display section.

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

the touch sensor is configured to detect a single touch input at one of the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section, and

the controller is configured to activate an operation corresponding to the one of the second plurality of operation keys.

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

the touch sensor is configured to detect a moving touch operation at one of the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section, and

the controller is configured to compare a speed of the moving touch operation against a predetermined threshold value and activate an operation corresponding to the one of the second plurality of operation keys when the speed of the moving touch operation is less than the predetermined threshold value.

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

the touch sensor is configured to detect a moving touch operation at one of the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section, and

the controller is configured to compare a speed of the moving touch operation against a predetermined threshold value and switch the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section to the third plurality of operation keys when the speed of the moving touch operation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.

5. The mobile terminal device according to claim 4, wherein

the second plurality of operation keys are assigned to a first page of operation keys and the third plurality of operation keys are assigned to a second page of operation keys, and

the controller switches from the first page to the second page when the speed of the moving touch operation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.

6. The mobile terminal device according to claim 5, wherein

the controller is configured to display a page indicator in the second display section graphically indicating a position of a currently displayed page among a plurality of available pages of operation key display groups.

7. The mobile terminal device according to claim 4, wherein

the display is configured to display the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section in a ring form, and

the controller is configured to cyclically switch between the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section and the third plurality of operation keys, which are also displayed in the form of a ring, by rotating the ring when the speed of the moving touch operation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.

8. The mobile terminal device according to claim 4, wherein

the display is configured to display the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section in a drum form including a plurality of stacked rings each including a plurality of the second plurality of operation keys, and

the controller is configured to cyclically switch between the second plurality of operation keys and the third plurality of operation keys, which are also displayed in the form of a drum, by rotating the drum when the speed of the moving touch operation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.

9. The mobile terminal device according to claim 8, wherein

different sets of said second plurality of operation keys are assigned to respective sets of input candidate key groups, and each of the input candidate key groups are displayed on a respective ring of the drum,

said drum is rotated when the speed of the moving touch operation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, and

an input candidate key group displayed on the drum is changed to another one of said input candidate key groups in response to a detected moving touch operation in a direction perpendicular to said moving touch operation that results in rotation of the drum.

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

the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section include operation keys corresponding to functions of the mobile terminal device, which initiate a program at the mobile terminal device when selected.

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

the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section include operation keys corresponding to character inputs.

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

said controller is configured to obtain a usage frequency of each of said second plurality of operation keys, and change positions of the second plurality of operation keys based on said usage frequency.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, wherein

said controller is configured to obtain a usage frequency of each of said first and second pages of said operation keys, and change positions of said first and second pages of said operation keys based on said usage frequency.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 8, wherein

said controller is configured to obtain a usage frequency of each of said stacked rings each including a plurality of the second plurality of operation keys, and change positions of each of said stacked rings based on said usage frequency.

15. A computer-readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by a mobile terminal device, cause the mobile terminal device to perform a method comprising:

displaying, in a first display section of the mobile terminal device, a first plurality of operation keys;

displaying, in a second display section of the mobile terminal device, a second plurality of operation keys;

receiving a touch input corresponding to at least one of the first plurality of operation keys displayed in the first display section and the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section;

selecting the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section based on a predetermined set of operation keys stored in memory; and

switching the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section to a third plurality of operation keys based on predetermined touch input received at the second display section.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising:

detecting a single touch input at one of the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section; and

activating an operation corresponding to the one of the second plurality of operation keys.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising:

detecting a moving touch operation at one of the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section;

comparing a speed of the moving touch operation against a predetermined threshold value; and

activating an operation corresponding to the one of the second plurality of operation keys when the speed of the moving touch operation is less than the predetermined threshold value.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising:

detecting a moving touch operation at one of the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section;

comparing a speed of the moving touch operation against a predetermined threshold value; and

switching the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section to the third plurality of operation keys when the speed of the moving touch operation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, further comprising:

displaying the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section in a ring form; and

cyclically switching between the second plurality of operation keys displayed in the second display section and the third plurality of operation keys, which are also displayed in the form of a ring, by rotating the ring when the speed of the moving touch operation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, further comprising:

displaying the second plurality of operation keys in the second display section in a drum form including a plurality of stacked rings each including a plurality of the second plurality of operation keys; and

cyclically switching between the second plurality of operation keys and the third plurality of operation keys, which are also displayed in the form of a drum, by rotating the drum when the speed of the moving touch operation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.