Mobile terminal device, and program used in mobile terminal device

• US 8,532,711 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshiyuki, Azami, Toshihiro, Inamura, Hiroshi, Tomimori, Takeshi, Fukuda, Keisaku, Kawamata, Takenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JULIO R
• Application Number:
  US11/521,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20070063989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/550.1, 345/168, 345/169, 345/172, 345/173
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 1/0279 Improving the user comfort or ergonomics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• 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

Abstract

A mobile terminal device, which is provided with the plurality of keys, includes: a touch detection interface for detecting that a user has touched a key; a press detection interface for detecting that the user has pressed the key; a controller for switching the mode in response to whether or not the user has touched a side key, in order to execute a first function assigned to the key in a case where the key is pressed by the user in a “shift mode,” and to execute a second function assigned to the key in a case where the key is pressed by the user in a “normal mode”; and a display unit for displaying an explanation on the first function assigned to the key in a case where it is detected in the “shift mode” that the user has touched the key.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys and a certain key located at a side surface which is different from a surface where the plurality of keys are located in a phone chassis, the mobile terminal device comprising:

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

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

a mode switcher configured to switch a mode of a group of the keys to a first mode in which at least a first function selected from a group comprising calling a mail editing screen and calling a screen for using the Internet is available in a case where the user touches the certain key, which is not one of the group of the keys, and to switch the mode of the group of the keys to a second mode in which at least a second function selected from a group comprising calling a menu screen and calling a jump screen is available in a case where the user does not touch the certain key;

a function executor configured to execute the first function assigned to an input key, which is a key different from the certain key and is one of the group of the keys, in a case where the press detector detects in the first mode that the user has pressed the input key among the plurality of keys, and to execute the second function assigned to the input key in a case where the press detector detects in the second mode that the user has pressed the input key; and

an output unit including a display screen configured to display a plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys in a case where the touch detector detects that the user has touched the certain key and the explanation of the first function assigned to a specific one of the keys is not associated with the specific one of the keys on the display screen until the specific one of the keys is pressed,

wherein the output unit outputs an explanation of the second function assigned to the input key in a case where the touch detector detects in the second mode that the user has touched the input key, and

wherein even if a detected status has been changed from touching the certain key by the user to not touching the certain key, the mode switcher keeps the first mode until a timer reaches a predetermined time without switching the mode from the first mode to the second mode.

2. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the explanation of the first function assigned to the group of the keys is displayed on display screen and is not displayed on the group of the keys.

3. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit highlights an explanation of the first function assigned to the input key in a case where the touch detector detects in the first mode that the user has touched the input key, the explanation being one of the plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys.

4. A mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys and a certain key located at a side surface which is different from a surface where the plurality of keys are located in a phone chassis, the mobile terminal device comprising:

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

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

a mode switcher configured to switch a mode of a group of the keys to a first mode in which at least a first function selected from a group comprising calling a mail editing screen and calling a screen for using the Internet is available in a case where the user touches the certain key, which is not one of the group of the keys, and to switch the mode of the group of the keys to a second mode in which at least a second function selected from a group comprising calling a menu screen and calling a jump screen is available in a case where the user does not touch the certain key;

a function executor configured to execute the first function assigned to an input key, which is a key different from the certain key and is one of the group of the keys, in a case where the press detector detects in the first mode that the user has pressed the input key among the plurality of keys, and to execute the second function assigned to the input key in a case where the press detector detects in the second mode that the user has pressed the input key; and

an output unit including a display screen configured to display a plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys in a case where the touch detector detects that the user has touched the certain key and the explanation of the first function assigned to a specific one of the keys is not associated with the specific one of the keys on the display screen until the specific one of the keys is pressed,

wherein the output unit outputs an explanation of the second function assigned to the input key in a case where the touch detector detects in the second mode that the user has touched the input key, and

wherein in a case where a detected status has been changed from touching the certain key by the user to touching the input key by the user sequentially, the mode switcher keeps the first mode without switching the mode from the first mode to the second mode until when the user does not touch any one of the input keys, even if the user has not touched the certain key.

5. A processing method in a mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys and a certain key located at a side surface which is different from a surface where the plurality of keys are located in a phone chassis, the processing method comprising:

detecting, via the mobile terminal device, touching any of the keys and the certain key by a user;

detecting, via the mobile terminal device, pressing any of the keys and the certain key by the user;

switching, via the mobile terminal device, a mode of a group of the keys to a first mode in which at least a first function selected from a group comprising calling a mail editing screen and calling a screen for using the Internet is available in a case where the user touches the certain key, which is not one of the group of the keys, and switching the mode of the group of the keys to a second mode in which at least a second function selected from a group comprising calling a menu screen and calling a jump screen is available in a case where the user does not touch the certain key;

executing, via the mobile terminal device, the first function assigned to an input key, which is a key different from the certain key and is one of the group of the keys, in a case where it is detected in the first mode that the user has pressed the input key among the plurality of keys, and executing the second function assigned to the input key in a case where it is detected in the second mode that the user has pressed the input key;

outputting, via a display screen of the mobile terminal device, a plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys in a case where it is detected that the user has touched the certain key, and the explanation of the first function assigned to a specific one of the keys is not associated with the specific one of the keys on the display until the specific one of the keys is pressed; and

outputting, via the mobile terminal device, an explanation of the second function assigned to the input key in a case where it is detected in the second mode that the user has touched the input key,

wherein even if a detected status has been changed from touching the certain key by the user to not touching the certain key, the first mode is kept until a timer reaches a predetermined time without switching the mode from the first mode to the second mode.

6. The processing method according to claim 5, wherein the explanation of the first function assigned to the group of the keys is displayed on the display screen and is not displayed on the group of the keys.

7. The processing method according to claim 5, wherein the output unit highlights an explanation of the first function assigned to the input key in a case where it is detected in the first mode that the user has touched the input key, the explanation being one of the plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys.

8. A processing method in a mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys and a certain key located at a side surface which is different from a surface where the plurality of keys are located in a phone chassis, the processing method comprising:

detecting, via the mobile terminal device, touching any of the keys and the certain key by a user;

detecting, via the mobile terminal device, pressing any of the keys and the certain key by the user;

switching, via the mobile terminal device, a mode of a group of the keys to a first mode in which at least a first function selected from a group comprising calling a mail editing screen and calling a screen for using the Internet is available in a case where the user touches the certain key, which is not one of the group of the keys, and switching the mode of the group of the keys to a second mode in which at least a second function selected from a group comprising calling a menu screen and calling a jump screen is available in a case where the user does not touch the certain key;

executing, via the mobile terminal device, the first function assigned to an input key, which is a key different from the certain key and is one of the group of the keys, in a case where it is detected in the first mode that the user has pressed the input key among the plurality of keys, and executing the second function assigned to the input key in a case where it is detected in the second mode that the user has pressed the input key;

outputting, via a display screen of the mobile terminal device, a plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys in a case where it is detected that the user has touched the certain key, and the explanation of the first function assigned to a specific one of the keys is not associated with the specific one of the keys on the display until the specific one of the keys is pressed; and

outputting, via the mobile terminal device, an explanation of the second function assigned to the input key in a case where it is detected in the second mode that the user has touched the input key,

wherein in a case where a detected status has been changed from touching the certain key by the user to touching the input key by the user sequentially, the first mode is kept without switching the mode from the first mode to the second mode until when the user does not touch any one of the input keys, even if the user has not touched the certain key.

9. A mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys and a certain key located at a side surface which is different from a surface where the plurality of keys are located in a phone chassis, the mobile terminal device comprising:

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

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

a mode switcher configured to switch a mode of a group of the keys to a first mode in which at least a first function selected from a group comprising calling a mail editing screen and calling a screen for using the Internet is available in a case where the user touches the certain key, which is not one of the group of the keys, and to switch the mode of the group of the keys to a second mode in which at least a second function selected from a group comprising calling a menu screen and calling a jump screen is available in a case where the user does not touch the certain key;

a function executor configured to execute the first function assigned to an input key, which is a key different from the certain key and is one of the group of the keys, in a case where the press detector detects in the first mode that the user has pressed the input key among the plurality of keys, and to execute the second function assigned to the input key in a case where the press detector detects in the second mode that the user has pressed the input key; and

an output unit including a display screen configured to display a plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys in a case where the touch detector detects that the user has touched the certain key and the explanation of the first function assigned to a specific one of the keys is not associated with the specific one of the keys on the display screen until the specific one of the keys is pressed,

wherein the output unit outputs an explanation of the second function assigned to the input key in a case where the touch detector detects in the second mode that the user has touched the input key, and

wherein, after the user has touched the certain key, the output unit terminates the display of the plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys in a case where a predetermined time has passed and the user has not touched one of the group of keys.

10. A processing method in a mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys and a certain key located at a side surface which is different from a surface where the plurality of keys are located in a phone chassis, the processing method comprising:

detecting, via the mobile terminal device, touching any of the keys and the certain key by a user;

detecting, via the mobile terminal device, pressing any of the keys and the certain key by the user;

switching, via the mobile terminal device, a mode of a group of the keys to a first mode in which at least a first function selected from a group comprising calling a mail editing screen and calling a screen for using the Internet is available in a case where the user touches the certain key, which is not one of the group of the keys, and switching the mode of the group of the keys to a second mode in which at least a second function selected from a group comprising calling a menu screen and calling a jump screen is available in a case where the user does not touch the certain key;

executing, via the mobile terminal device, the first function assigned to an input key, which is a key different from the certain key and is one of the group of the keys, in a case where it is detected in the first mode that the user has pressed the input key among the plurality of keys, and executing the second function assigned to the input key in a case where it is detected in the second mode that the user has pressed the input key;

outputting, via a display screen of the mobile terminal device, a plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys in a case where it is detected that the user has touched the certain key, and the explanation of the first function assigned to a specific one of the keys is not associated with the specific one of the keys on the display until the specific one of the keys is pressed; and

outputting, via the mobile terminal device, an explanation of the second function assigned to the input key in a case where it is detected in the second mode that the user has touched the input key,

wherein, after the user has touched the certain key, the outputting the plurality of explanations of the first function includes terminating the display of the plurality of explanations of the first function assigned to each key of the group of the keys in a case where a predetermined time has passed and the user has not touched one of the group of keys.