Information input apparatus and information input method

• US 8,390,590 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takarabe, Tomotaka, Ito, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERKOULOVA, OLGA VLADIMIROVNA
• Application Number:
  US12/832,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20110007015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 345/168, 345/171, 345/172, 345/169, 715/771, 715/773, 178/101
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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

An information input apparatus which displays a plurality of buttons on a display unit, detects an indicated position by a positional coordinate detection unit arranged on the display unit and inputs information corresponding to an indicated button includes: an incorrect input judgment unit for judging whether or not input information which is input when a to-be-selected button selected from the plurality of buttons is indicated is incorrect input; a pattern selection unit which makes a user select one button arrangement pattern from a plurality of button arrangement patterns including the to-be-selected button at a predetermined position when the incorrect input judgment unit judges that the input information is incorrect input.

Claims

1. An information input apparatus which displays a plurality of buttons on a display unit, detects an indicated position by a positional coordinate detection unit arranged on the display unit and inputs information corresponding to an indicated button, comprising:

an incorrect input judgment unit for judging whether or not input information which is input when a to-be-selected button selected from the plurality of buttons is indicated is incorrect input;

a pattern selection unit which makes a user select one button arrangement pattern from a plurality of button arrangement patterns each including the to-be-selected button at a predetermined position when the incorrect input judgment unit judges that the input information is incorrect input, the pattern selection unit to display the plurality of button arrangement patterns together on the display unit;

an enlarged range extraction unit which extracts a range where the buttons are enlarged in accordance with the button arrangement pattern selected by the pattern selection unit by referring to storage information in which information relating to the buttons included in a specified direction with respect to the to-be-selected button is stored;

an enlarged region specification unit which specifies a target region from the plurality of buttons based on the range extracted by the enlarged range extraction unit to enlarge and display the specified target region on the display unit; and

a changeable pattern selection unit which makes the user select a selectable button arrangement pattern other than the one button arrangement pattern selected by the pattern selection unit based on the storage information.

2. The information input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when a second button arrangement pattern is selected from the selectable button arrangement patterns by the changeable pattern selection unit, the enlarged range extraction unit extracts a second range where the buttons are enlarged in accordance with the second button arrangement pattern by referring to the storage information, and the enlarged region specification unit specifies a second target region from the plurality of buttons based on the second range to enlarge and display the specified second target region on the display unit in place of the specified target region which is displayed on the display unit.

3. The information input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the storage information includes the button arrangement pattern which is selectable in accordance with a position at which the to-be-selected button is arranged, and a movement direction to the second button arrangement pattern which is selectable by the changeable pattern selection unit with respect to the button arrangement pattern.

4. An information input method which displays a plurality of buttons on a display unit, detects an indicated position by a positional coordinate detection unit arranged on the display unit and inputs information corresponding to an indicated button, comprising:

judging whether or not input information which is input when a to-be-selected button selected from the plurality of buttons is indicated is incorrect input;

making a user select one button arrangement pattern from a plurality of button arrangement patterns each including the to-be-selected button at a predetermined position when the input information is judged to be incorrect input by the incorrect input judging, the plurality of button arrangement patterns being displayed together on the display unit;

extracting an enlarged range where the buttons are enlarged in accordance with the button arrangement pattern selected by the selection of the pattern by referring to storage information in which information relating to the buttons included in a specified direction with respect to the to-be-selected button is stored;

specifying an enlarged target region from the plurality of buttons based on the range extracted by the extracting of the range where the buttons are enlarged to enlarge and display the specified target region on the display unit; and

selecting a changeable pattern to make the user select a selectable button arrangement pattern other than the one button arrangement pattern selected by the pattern selection based on the storage information.