Terminal device and key entry method for preventing erroneous entry in key entry

• US 9,189,103 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCNT LLC
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kamata, Kyoko, Akama, Katsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Karimi, Pegeman
• Application Number:
  US14/177,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-175, 715/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• 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

The terminal device includes a touch panel that accepts a touch entry including a first touch on a first key corresponding to a first position and a second touch on a second key corresponding to a second position that is different from the first position, and a processor that detects the first touch and the second touch, determines elapsed time from the first touch to the second touch when detecting the second touch after detecting the first touch, and decides that the second touch is a touch to the first key when the elapsed time is less than a threshold.

Claims

1. A terminal device comprising:

a touch panel that accepts a touch entry including a first touch on a first key and a second touch on a second key, the second touch being a next touch of the first touch, the first key corresponding to a first area, the second key corresponding to a second area that is different from the first area; and

a processor configured to;

detect the first touch and the second touch,

determine whether the second touch is a touch to the first key or a touch to the second key based on elapsed time from the first touch to the second touch when the first touch is detected in the first area and the second touch is detected in the second area, and

decide that the second touch is the touch to the first key regardless of the elapsed time from the first touch to the second touch when both the first touch and the second touch are detected in the first area.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1 further comprising a display that displays the first key and the second key,

wherein, when deciding that the second touch is the touch to the first key, the processor moves a display position of the first key on the display to a touched position of the second touch.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein, at time when elapsed time from the second touch reaches equal to or greater than a threshold, the processor outputs a notification sound indicating that the touch entry has been fixed.

4. A key entry method in a terminal device comprising a touch panel that accepts a touch entry including a first touch on a first key and a second touch on a second key, the second touch being a next touch of the first touch, the first key corresponding to a first area, the second key corresponding to a second area that is different from the first area, the method comprising:

detecting the first touch and the second touch;

determining whether the second touch is a touch to the first key or a touch to the second key based on elapsed time from the first touch to the second touch when the first touch is detected in the first area and the second touch is detected in the second area; and

deciding that the second touch is the touch to the first key regardless of the elapsed time from the first touch to the second touch when both the first touch and the second touch are detected in the first area.

5. A storage medium storing a key entry program used in a terminal device comprising a processor and a touch panel that accepts a touch entry including a first touch on a first key and a second touch on a second key, the second touch being a next touch of the first touch, the first key corresponding to a first area, the second key corresponding to a second area that is different from the first area, the key entry program causing the processor to execute a procedure, the procedure comprising:

detecting the first touch and the second touch;

determining whether the second touch is a touch to the first key or a touch to the second key based on elapsed time from the first touch to the second touch when the first touch is detected in the first area and the second touch is detected in the second area; and

deciding that the second touch is the touch to the first key regardless of the elapsed time from the first touch to the second touch when both the first touch and the second touch are detected in the first area.