Mobile electronic device, control method, and storage medium storing control program

• US 9,423,947 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Murakami, Hideko, Chiba, Atsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGGS, STELLA
• Application Number:
  US13/587,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20130047114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

According to an aspect, a mobile electronic device includes: a display unit, an operating unit, and a control unit. The display unit for displays a character input screen including a part of a plurality of soft key objects each associated with a process in a line. The operating unit receives input of an operation. Upon detecting a changing operation through the operating unit, the control unit changes arrangement of the soft key objects such that at least one of the soft key objects that has been displayed is not displayed and at least one of the soft key objects that has not been displayed is displayed.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a display configured to display a character input screen including

a keyboard area,

an input character display area for displaying an input character inputted via the keyboard area, and

a soft key display area for displaying a part of soft key objects arranged in a line, wherein the soft key objects are associated with different applications;

an operating unit configured to receive touch operations in the character input screen; and

a control unit configured to, upon detecting a first touch operation through the operating unit,

keep displaying the character input screen, and

change an arrangement of the soft key objects in a move direction of the first touch operation, while the keyboard area is displayed, such that

at least one of the soft key objects that has been displayed at a first end of the line is not displayed, and

at least one of the soft key objects that has not been displayed is displayed at a second end of the line,

wherein

the control unit is further configured to change a configuration of the soft key objects to be displayed based on the character displayed in the input character display area, and

the control unit is further configured to,

upon detecting, by the operating unit, a second touch operation, which is different from the first touch operation, on a soft key object among the displayed soft key objects,

execute the application associated with the soft key object operated on by the second touch operation, and utilize the input character displayed in the input character display area in the executed application, and

the control unit is further configured to,

upon detecting, by the operating unit, a third touch operation which moves a selected soft key object among the displayed soft key objects to and subsequently releases the selected soft key object in the input character display area,

change a layout of the input character display area in accordance with the application associated with the selected soft key object, and

display the input character in a field of the changed layout of the input character display area.

2. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first touch operation is a flick operation.

3. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing arrangement information indicating the arrangement of the soft key objects to be displayed, wherein

the control unit is configured

to save, upon moving from the character input screen to another screen, the arrangement of the soft key objects into the arrangement information, and

to reproduce, upon displaying the character input screen after said another screen, the arrangement of the soft key objects based on the saved arrangement information.

4. The mobile electronic device according to claim 3, wherein

the storage unit is configured to further store status information with respect to addition and/or deletion of an application to and/or from the mobile electronic device, and

the control unit is configured to change a configuration of the soft key objects to be displayed based on the status information stored in the storage unit.

5. The mobile electronic device according to claim 4, wherein

the control unit is configured to display, upon detecting that an application has been added based on the status information stored in the storage unit, a soft key object associated with the application.

6. The mobile electronic device according to claim 4, wherein

the control unit is configured not to display, upon detecting that an application has been deleted based on the status information stored in the storage unit, a soft key object associated with the application.

7. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured

to put, upon detecting an operation to maintain selection of a soft key object among the displayed soft key objects, the selected soft key object in a movable state, and

to change, upon further detecting an operation to move and release the selected soft key object, the arrangement of the soft key objects such that the selected soft key object is displayed at a position where the operation to release the selected soft key object is detected.

8. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

each of the soft key objects includes an image in accordance with the application associated with the soft key object.

9. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to change the configuration of the soft key objects to be displayed by, based on the character displayed in the input character display area,

hiding at least one of the soft key objects that has been displayed.

10. The mobile electronic device according to claim 9, wherein

the character displayed in the input character display area is a line feed character, and

the control unit is configured to change the configuration of the soft key objects to be displayed by, in response to the line feed character,

hiding a soft key object that has been displayed and is associated with a browser application, and

displaying a soft key object associated with a short text post site.

11. The mobile electronic device according to claim 9, wherein

the control unit is configured to change the configuration of the soft key objects to be displayed by, in response to a predetermined number of characters displayed in the input character display area,

hiding a soft key object that has been displayed and is associated with a short mail service (SMS).

12. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to automatically adjust the configuration of the soft key objects to be displayed based on the character displayed in the input character display area, on the way to input the character.

13. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the soft key objects is a shortcut for executing the application associated with the soft key object.

14. A control method of a mobile electronic device including a display and an operating unit, the control method comprising:

displaying, on the display, a character input screen including

a keyboard area,

an input character display area displaying an input character inputted via the keyboard area, and

a soft key display area for displaying a part of a plurality of soft key objects arranged in a line, wherein the plurality of soft key objects are associated with different applications;

upon detecting, by the operating unit, a first touch operation in the character input screen,

keeping displaying the character input screen, and

changing an arrangement of the soft key objects in a move direction of the first touch operation, while the keyboard area is displayed, such that

at least one of the soft key objects that has been displayed at a first end of the line is not displayed, and

at least one of the soft key objects that has not been displayed is displayed at a second end of the line;

changing a configuration of the soft key objects to be displayed based on the character displayed in the input character display area;

upon detecting, by the operating unit, a second touch operation, which is different from the first touch operation, on a soft key object among the displayed soft key objects,

executing the application associated with the soft key object operated on by the second touch operation, and utilizing the input character displayed in the input character display area in the executed application; and

upon detecting, by the operating unit, a third touch operation which moves a selected soft key object among the displayed soft key objects to and subsequently releases the selected soft key object in the input character display area,

changing a layout of the input character display area in accordance with the application associated with the selected soft key object, and

displaying the input character in a field of the changed layout of the input character display area.

15. A non-transitory storage medium that stores a control program for causing, when executed by a mobile electronic device including a display and an operating unit, the mobile electronic device to execute:

displaying, on the display, a character input screen including

a soft key display area for displaying a part of a plurality of soft key objects arranged in a line, wherein the plurality of soft key objects are associated with different applications,

a keyboard area, and

an input character display area displaying an input character inputted via the keyboard area; and

upon detecting, by the operating unit, a first touch operation in the soft key display area,

keeping displaying the input character display area, and

changing an arrangement of the soft key objects by scrolling the soft key objects in a move direction of the first touch operation, while the keyboard area is displayed, such that

at least one of the soft key objects that has been displayed at a first end of the line is not displayed, and

at least one of the soft key objects that has not been displayed is displayed at a second end of the line;

changing a configuration of the soft key objects to be displayed based on the character displayed in the input character display area;

upon detecting, by the operating unit, a second touch operation, which is different from the first touch operation, on a soft key object among the displayed soft key objects,

executing the application associated with the soft key object operated on by the second touch operation, and utilizing the input character displayed in the input character display area in the executed application; and

upon detecting, by the operating unit, a third touch operation which moves a selected soft key object among the displayed soft key objects to and subsequently releases the selected soft key object in the input character display area,

changing a layout of the input character display area in accordance with the application associated with the selected soft key object, and

displaying the input character in a field of the changed layout of the input character display area.