INPUT CONTROL UNIT

• US 20090271739A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakai, Koichi, Kawai, Hideo, Nagai, Tetsuya
• Application Number:
  US12/065,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271739A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An input control unit for enabling the user to change the input function of an input key without operating any button is provided.

A display section 15 is provided with a function partition area containing function determination areas and a match detection section 167 generates match detection information indicating that a pointer exists on a predetermined function determination area based on pointer position information indicating the display position of the pointer from a pointer position determination section 161 and function determination area position information indicating the display position of a function determination area from an icon position storage section 163, and sends the generated match detection information to a control section 168. The control section 168 converts the current input function of a numeric key 13a in an input key section 13 in response to the function determination area where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An input control unit applied to a machine for specifying a predetermined position in a display section by a pointer, said input control unit, comprising:

a pointer position determination section for generating pointer position information of a display position in the display section of the pointer based on operation information from a first operation input section of the machine;

a selection target display specification section for displaying a selection target selected by the pointer on the display section;

a match detection section for generating match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on a predetermined selection target based on the pointer position information and selection target position information indicating the display position of the selection target; and

a control section for converting the current input function of a second operation input section of the machine in response to the selection target where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.

12. The input control unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein

the selection target is an icon and said control section assigns different functions for performing different operations on the icons to a plurality of suboperation input sections contained in the second operation input section.

13. The input control unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein

the selection target is a plurality of function determination areas for determining the input functions of the second operation input section and said selection target display specification section is a function determination area display specification section for displaying the function determination areas on the display section aside from the main area, wherein

said match detection section generates match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on a predetermined function determination area based on the pointer position information and function determination area position information indicating the display position of the function determination area, and wherein

said control section converts the current input function of the second operation input section into the input function corresponding to the function determination area where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.

14. The input control unit as claimed in claim 13 wherein

the input function is a character input function through the second operation input section and the plurality of function determination areas have different character input modes.

15. The input control unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein

if the pointer exists within a predetermined distance from an end part of the display section, said control section scrolls a display screen of the display section.

16. The input control unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein

if the pointer exists within a predetermined distance from an end part of the display section and a direction is specified through the second operation input section, said control section scrolls a display screen of the display section in the direction.

17. A machine including an input control unit as claimed in claim 11, the above-mentioned display section, and the above-mentioned first and second operation input sections.

18. A mobile terminal implemented as the machine as claimed in claim 17.

19. A control method of an input control unit applied to a machine for specifying a predetermined position in a display section by a pointer, said control method comprising the steps of:

generating pointer position information of a display position in the display section of the pointer based on operation information from a first operation input section of the machine;

displaying a selection target selected by the pointer on the display section;

generating match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on a predetermined selection target based on the pointer position information and selection target position information indicating the display position of the selection target; and

converting the current input function of a second operation input section of the machine in response to the selection target where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.

20. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium and for starting an input control unit applied to a machine for specifying a predetermined position in a display section by a pointer which, when executed by the input control unit, cause said input control unit to execute the steps of:

generating pointer position information of a display position in the display section of the pointer based on operation information from a first operation input section of the machine;

displaying a selection target selected by the pointer on the display section;

generating match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on a predetermined selection target based on the pointer position information and selection target position information indicating the display position of the selection target; and

converting the current input function of a second operation input section of the machine in response to the selection target where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.