Communication apparatus, input control method and input control program

• US 8,446,375 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yasumi, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US12/326,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 345/104, 178 1801- 2004, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes a touch panel for inputting a command by touching a surface thereof having an oblong profile short in one direction relative to the other direction orthogonal thereto, the touch panel outputting a touch position detection data in response to a touch given to a spot on the surface thereof for locating the touch position but not outputting touch position detection data when some other spot is touched while the spot is being touched, a speaker arranged outside and near one of the edges of the touch panel running in the one direction and a microphone arranged outside and near the other edge of the touch panel running in the one direction. The touch panel provides a command input region inputting a command in at least a part of the surface thereof arranged along the other direction and close to the other edge in a talk mode.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus for communicating with another apparatus, comprising:

a touch panel having part of a surface thereof configured to be used as command input region for inputting a command, the command input region of the surface configured to be touched in the inside to input a command, the touch panel outputting touch position detection data being sent out in response to at least two touches given respectively to two spots on the surface for locating at least the two touch positions;

a command nullifying section that nullifies the command input by a touch given to the inside of the command input region while the outside of the command input region of the surface of the touch panel is being touched based on the touch position detection data output in response to a touch given to the outside of the command input region of the surface of the touch panel when the inside of the command input region is touched while the outside of the command input region of the surface of the touch panel is being touched, in a talk mode;

a display section that displays a display element on a display screen thereof, the display element representing the command that can be input in response to the touch given to the touch panel on the surface thereof in the inside of the command input region, in a talk mode;

wherein

the touch panel having the command input region as a region arranged on the display screen of the display section so as to face the display element being displayed on the display screen of the display section in a talk mode;

a position detecting section that detects the touch position on the surface based on the touch position detection data supplied from the touch panel in response to the touch given to the surface; and

a command determining section that determines whether the touch position is inside of the command input region or not based on the position of the command input region of the surface of the touch panel facing the display element being displayed on the display screen of the display section and the touch position as detected by the position detecting section and, in the case where the touch position is determined to be inside of the command input region, and determines the command represented by the display element facing the command input region including the touch position as the command input by the touch given to the inside of the command input region of the surface of the touch panel, wherein

the command nullifying section is configured to control the command determining section in a talk mode in such a way that, in the case where the surface of the touch panel is touched sequentially at least at two spots and the command determining section determines that the touch position of the spot touched first is out of the command input region, the command determining section compulsorily determines that the touch position of the other spot touched second is also out of the command input region.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the command nullifying section is configured to control the display section in a talk mode in such a way that, in the case where the command determining section determines that the touch position of a touch given to the surface of the touch panel is out of the command input region, the display section erases the display element on the display screen.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the command nullifying section is configured to control the display section in a talk mode in such a way that, in the case where the command determining section determines that the touch position of a touch given to the surface of the touch panel is out of the command input region, the display section displays the display element on the display screen with lower luminance and/or lightness than normal.

4. The apparatus for communicating with another apparatus, comprising:

a touch panel having part of a surface thereof configured to be used as command input region for inputting a command, the command input region of the surface configured to be touched in the inside to input a command, the touch panel outputting touch position detection data being sent out in response to at least two touches given respectively to two spots on the surface for locating at least the two touch positions;

a command nullifying section that nullifies the command input by a touch given to the inside of the command input region while the outside of the command input region of the surface of the touch panel is being touched based on the touch position detection data output in response to a touch given to the outside of the command input region of the surface of the touch panel when the inside of the command input region is touched while the outside of the command input region of the surface of the touch panel is being touched, in a talk mode;

a connection section connectable to a headset having a sound input/output feature; and

a connection detecting section that detects the presence or absence of connection of the headset to the connection section, wherein

the command nullifying section is configured to operate in such a way that when the connection of the headset to the connection section is detected by the connection detecting section in a talk mode and the touch panel is additionally touched on the surface thereof in the inside of the command input region while it is held in touch outside the command input region, it stops the operation of the touch panel instead of nullifying the input of the command input in response to the touch given to the command input region of the surface.