Character input device

• US 9,182,907 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Sudo, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US13/637,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20130021286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 display configured to display a candidate area, a text area, and a keyboard area including a plurality of buttons;

a touch sensor configured to detect a touch gesture with respect to the display; and

a control unit configured to control the display to display

the keyboard area, and

when the touch sensor detects a touch gesture in which a touch is started at a first position in the keyboard area and is maintained to a second position in the keyboard area, candidate character strings in the candidate area on the display as candidates of a character string input by the touch gesture, wherein

the candidate character strings displayed in the candidate area are obtained by prediction processing or conversion processing based on characters corresponding to buttons on a trajectory of the touch gesture from the first position to the second position, while the touch is maintained in the keyboard area, and

when the touch sensor detects the touch gesture in which the touch is started at the first position, continuously maintained to the second position, and further continuously maintained to the candidate area, and when a specific curved gesture, which is performed while the touch is maintained in the candidate area, is detected on one of the candidate character strings, the control unit is configured to control the display to display the one candidate character string in the text area as input text.

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

the specific gesture is a touch gesture in which a direction of movement of the touch is changed.

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

the touch gesture is a gesture in which a movement of the touch draws the trajectory of a specific shape that is a rotational trajectory around a character.

4. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to convert the character string input by the touch gesture into kanji by the conversion processing.

5. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein, the control unit is configured to, when the touch started at the first position and maintained to the second position is further maintained to a previously specified mark area of the display, and when the specific gesture is detected in the mark area,

receive one of the candidate 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.

6. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein the touch gesture includes a first section for inputting the character string and a second section for selecting one of the candidate character strings.

7. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein the candidate area is outside the keyboard area, and

the candidate character strings do not overlap the keyboard area.

8. The character input device according to claim 7, wherein the candidate area is outside the text area, and

the candidate character strings do not overlap the text area.