CHARACTER INPUT DEVICE

• US 20130021286A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Sudo, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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 phone terminal includes a touch panel that detects a gesture with respect to a display surface thereof, and a control unit that displays a plurality of buttons on the display surface of the touch panel. When the touch panel detects a gesture in which touch is started at a first position on the touch panel and is maintained to a second position on the touch panel, the control unit displays a character string obtained by prediction processing or conversion processing based on a character string including characters corresponding to buttons displayed on a trajectory obtained by connecting each position in which the touch is detected from when the touch is started at the first position to when the touch is maintained to the second position in a predetermined area on the touch panel as a candidate of a character string input by the gesture.

Claims

1. A character input device comprising:

a touch panel for detecting a touch gesture with respect to a display surface thereof; and

a control unit for displaying a plurality of buttons on the display surface of the touch panel, and for displaying, when the touch panel detects a touch gesture in which a touch is started at a first position on the touch panel and is maintained to a second position on the touch panel, a character string in a predetermined area on the touch panel as a candidate of a character string input by the touch gesture, the character string displayed in the predetermined area being obtained by prediction processing or conversion processing based on a character string including characters corresponding to the buttons displayed on a trajectory obtained by connecting each position in which the touch is detected from when the touch is started at the first position to when the touch is maintained to the second position, wherein,

the control unit is configured to receive, when the touch started at the first position and maintained to the second position is further maintained to the predetermined area, and when a specific gesture is detected in the predetermined area, the character string displayed at a position where the specific gesture is detected as the character string input by the touch gesture.

3. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to receive the character string displayed at the position where a change in a direction of movement of the touch is detected in the predetermined area as the character string input by the touch gesture.

4. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to receive the character string displayed at the position where a movement of the touch in which a trajectory of a specific shape is drawn is detected in the predetermined area as the character string input by the touch gesture.

5. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to convert the character string including the characters corresponding to the buttons displayed on the trajectory into kanji by the conversion processing.

6. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein,

the control unit is configured to receive, when the touch started at the first position and maintained to the second position is further maintained to a mark area of the touch panel specified in advance, and when the specific gesture is detected in the mark area, one of character strings obtained by the prediction processing or the conversion processing as the character string input by the touch gesture and further receive a mark corresponding to the mark area as a character thus input.

2. (canceled)

7. (canceled)