Input device and input method

• US 10,628,039 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2018
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Sanou, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US16/009,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20190004696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

An input device includes a display, a detector, and a controller. A setting target character unit corresponds to a conversion range including a specific number of characters. The controller causes the display to display a conversion range reduction key and a conversion range increase key. In response to detection of a touch on the conversion range reduction key, the controller causes the display to display, in place of the setting target character unit included in a to-be-confirmed character string, a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including at least one character fewer than the specific number. In response to detection of a touch on the conversion range increase key, the controller causes the display to display, in place of the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string, a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including characters more than the specific number.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a display having a display surface;

a detector including a touch panel and configured to detect a touch on the display surface by a detection target; and

a controller including a processor and configured to cause the display to display a plurality of operation keys, wherein

the plurality of operation keys include a conversion key and character input keys with each of which at least one symbol is associated,

in response to detection of touches on the character input keys by the detection target, the controller causes the display to display an input character string,

in response to detection of a touch on the conversion key by the detection target in a state in which the input character string is displayed on the display surface of the display, the controller converts the input character string into a to-be-confirmed character string,

in response to detection of a touch on the conversion key by the detection target, the controller causes the display to change to a state of displaying a conversion range reduction key and a conversion range increase key adjacent to the conversion key from a state of displaying the conversion key without displaying the conversion range reduction key and the conversion range increase key,

the to-be-confirmed character string includes a setting target character unit,

the setting target character unit corresponds to a conversion range including a specific number of characters,

in response to detection of a touch on the conversion range reduction key by the detection target, the controller causes the display to display, in place of the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string, a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including at least one character fewer than the specific number of characters,

in response to detection of a touch on the conversion range increase key by the detection target, the controller causes the display to display, in place of the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string, a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including characters more than the specific number of characters, and

in response to detection of a touch on a right side of the conversion range corresponding to the setting target character unit displayed on the display surface, the controller causes the display to display, in place of the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string, a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including characters the number of which is larger than the specific number of characters.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller determines

the number of characters to be subtracted from the specific number to narrow the conversion range corresponding to the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string according to a touch period for which the conversion range reduction key is touched by the detection target, and

the number of characters to be added to the specific number to widen the conversion range corresponding to the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string according to a touch period for which the conversion range increase key is touched by the detection target.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

when the conversion key is touched by the detection target for a touch period that is equal to or longer than a threshold period, the controller causes the display to display the conversion range reduction key and the conversion range increase key.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller causes the display to display the conversion range reduction key and the conversion range increase key adjacently to the conversion key.

5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

a lowermost part of the conversion range reduction key and a lowermost part of the conversion range increase key are located above a lowermost part of the conversion key.

6. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

in response to detection of the touch on the conversion key by the detection target, the controller causes the display to display a plurality of conversion candidates each corresponding to the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string.

7. The input device according to claim 6, wherein

in response to detection of a touch on the conversion key by the detection target, the controller changes a selected conversion candidate among the plurality of conversion candidates.

8. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of operation keys further include a movement key for shifting the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string, and

in response to detection of a touch on the movement key, the controller shifts the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string.

9. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of operation keys further include a blank key for inputting a blank, and

the conversion key and the blank key are displayed at the same position.

10. An input method comprising:

causing by a controller a display to display a plurality of operation keys including a conversion key and character input keys with each of which at least one symbol is associated;

in response to detection of touches by a detection target on the character input keys displayed on a display surface of the display, causing by the controller the display to display an input character string;

in response to detection of a touch by the detection target on the conversion key displayed on the display surface of the display in a state in which the input character string is displayed on the display surface of the display, converting by the controller the input character string into a to-be-confirmed character string, the to-be-confirmed character string including a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including a specific number of characters;

in response to detection of a touch by the detection target on the conversion key displayed on the display surface of the display, causing by the controller the display to change to a state of displaying a conversion range reduction key and a conversion range increase key adjacent to the conversion key from a state of displaying the conversion key without displaying the conversion range reduction key and the conversion range increase key;

in response to detection of a touch by the detection target on the conversion range reduction key displayed on the display surface of the display, causing by the controller the display to display, in place of the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string, a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including at least one character fewer than the specific number of characters;

in response to detection of a touch by the detection target on the conversion range increase key displayed on the display surface of the display, causing by the controller the display to display, in place of the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string, a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including characters more than the specific number of characters; and

in response to detection of a touch on a right side of the conversion range corresponding to the setting target character unit displayed on the display surface, causing by the controller the display to display, in place of the setting target character unit included in the to-be-confirmed character string, a setting target character unit corresponding to a conversion range including characters the number of which is larger than the specific number of characters.