Mobile terminal device and input operation receiving method for switching input methods

• US 9,760,165 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kubota, Saki, Saiki, Atsutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Application Number:
  US14/696,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

Mobile terminal device and method for switching inputs methods. In an embodiment, a mobile terminal device switches between two or more different input methods upon satisfaction of a switching condition, which indicates that input detection via the current input mode is difficult.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device comprising:

a first input apparatus configured to receive input operations via a first input method;

a second input apparatus configured to receive input operations via a second input method that is different than the first input method; and

at least one processor configured to

receive a refusal operation, and

while input operations are being received by the first input apparatus via the first input method, determine when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult by determining that the refusal operation has not been received, and,

when receiving input operations via the first input method is determined to have become difficult, start operation of the second input apparatus to begin receiving input operations via the second input method, and stop operation of the first input apparatus to stop receiving input operations via the first input method.

2. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the first input method comprises sound recognition, wherein the first input apparatus comprises a microphone and converts sound, received via the microphone, into text, and wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when a volume of ambient sound, received via the microphone, exceeds a predetermined level.

3. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the first input method comprises gesture detection, wherein the first input apparatus comprises a camera and detects a gesture based on an image photographed by the camera, and wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when an ambient brightness is lower than or equal to a predetermined brightness.

4. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein the first input method comprises line-of-sight detection, wherein the first input apparatus comprises a camera and detects a position on the display corresponding to a line of sight of a user based on eyes of the user photographed by the camera, and wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining if the mobile terminal device is moving.

5. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when a number of false input operations exceeds a predetermined number.

6. A mobile terminal device comprising:

a first input apparatus configured to receive input operations via a first input method;

a second input apparatus configured to receive input operations via a second input method that is different than the first input method;

a third input apparatus configured to receive input operations via a third input method that is different than both the first input method and the second input method, and

at least one processor configured to

while input operations are being received by the first input apparatus via the first input method, determine when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult, and,

when receiving input operations via the first input method is determined to have become difficult;

receive a user operation that indicates an input method to be used;

when the user operation indicates the second input method, start operation of the second input apparatus to begin receiving input operations via the second input method;

when the user operation indicates the third input method, start operation of the third input apparatus to begin receiving input operations via the third input method; and

stop operation of the first input apparatus to stop receiving operations via the first input method.

7. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the first input method comprises sound recognition, wherein the first input apparatus comprises a microphone and converts sound, received via the microphone, into text, and wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when a volume of ambient sound, received via the microphone, exceeds a predetermined level.

8. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the first input method comprises gesture detection, wherein the first input apparatus comprises a camera and detects a gesture based on an image photographed by the camera, and wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when an ambient brightness is lower than or equal to a predetermined brightness.

9. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6, further comprising a display, wherein the first input method comprises line-of-sight detection, wherein the first input apparatus comprises a camera and detects a position on the display corresponding to a line of sight of a user based on eyes of the user photographed by the camera, and wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining if the mobile terminal device is moving.

10. The mobile terminal device according to claim 6, wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when a number of false input operations exceeds a predetermined number.

11. An input operation receiving method comprising:

while input operations are being received by a first input apparatus, configured to receive input operations via a first input method and receive a refusal operation, determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult by determining that the refusal operation has not been received; and

when receiving input operations via the first input method is determined to have become difficult,

starting operation of a second input apparatus, configured to receive input operations via a second input method that is different than the first input method, to begin receiving input operations via the second input method, and

stopping operation of the first input apparatus to stop receiving input operations via the first input method.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when a volume of ambient sound, received via a microphone, exceeds a predetermined level.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when an ambient brightness is lower than or equal to a predetermined brightness.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining if the first input apparatus is moving.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining when reception of input operations via the first input method has become difficult comprises determining when a number of false input operations exceeds a predetermined number.