Input apparatus, input method and program

• US 9,652,067 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Yusuke, Yamano, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Ilana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rayan, Mihir K
• Application Number:
  US12/841,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20110057903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

Abstract

There is provided an input apparatus including: a pressure detecting unit which detects press pressure of an operational body applied to a virtual key having one or more input candidates allocated selectively; and an input control unit which varies a selection state of the one or more input candidates selectively allocated to the virtual key for every pressing operation having, as a single time of pressing operation, timing that the press pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit exceeds a predetermined selection threshold value or timing that the press pressure becomes smaller than the selection threshold value as being attenuated after exceeding the selection threshold value.

Claims

1. An input apparatus comprising:

a pressure detecting unit which detects one of a plurality of discernible levels of press pressure of an operational body applied to a virtual key having one or more initial input candidates allocated selectively;

an input control unit which selects an initial input candidate by varying a first selection state of the one or more initial input candidates in a single pressing operation if a timing of the press pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit exceeds a predetermined selection threshold value, or the timing of the press pressure becomes smaller than the predetermined selection threshold value after first exceeding the predetermined selection threshold value; and

a position detecting unit which detects a contact position of the operational body on a display screen,

wherein the input control unit selects a related input candidate associated with the selected initial input candidate by varying a second selection state of one or more related input candidates according to a directional movement of the operational body while maintaining, during the single pressing operation, the detected press pressure equal to or larger than the predetermined selection threshold value,

wherein the input control unit varies the first selection state with every pressing operation,

wherein the input control unit selects one or more input candidate groups selected by repeating determining selection of the initial input candidate being in the first selection state at a time when a determination operation by the operational body is judged as being performed,

wherein the input control unit switches from an input selection mode for selecting the input candidate group to a predictive transform selection mode for selecting a predictive transform candidate relating to the selected input candidate group when the detected press pressure is judged being equal to or larger than a transform threshold value which is larger than the selection threshold value, and

wherein the pressure detecting unit, the input control unit, and the position detecting unit are each implemented via at least one processor.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a displaying unit having the display screen which displays the virtual key,

wherein the pressure detecting unit is arranged at the display screen of the displaying unit and detects press pressure of the operational body applied to the display screen, and

wherein the displaying unit is implemented via at least one processor.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the input control unit which determines selection of the initial input candidates being in the first selection state at that time when a determination operation by the operational body is judged being performed based on the detected press pressure.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the input control unit judges that the determination operation by the operational body is performed at any of the timing when press pressure by the operational body is judged not being detected, the timing when the press pressure is judged being equal to or smaller than a determination threshold value which is smaller than the predetermined selection threshold value, and the timing when a predetermined time passes after the press pressure is judged being equal to or smaller than the determination threshold value.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the input control unit varies a selection state of the predictive transform candidate for every pressing operation in the predictive transform selection mode.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the input control unit determines to input the predictive transform candidate which is in the first selection state at that time when the determination operation by the operational body is judged being performed based on the detected press pressure in the predictive transform selection mode.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the displaying unit displays a preview of the initial input candidates which is in the first selection state at that time when the detected press pressure is judged being equal to or larger than a predetermined display threshold value.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the displaying unit varies a displaying state of the initial input candidates corresponding to variation of detected press pressure.

9. The input apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the displaying unit displays a preview of the initial input candidates in a size being proportional to magnitude of the detected press pressure.

10. An input method, comprising the steps of:

detecting one of a plurality of discernible levels of press pressure of an operational body applied to a virtual key having one or more initial input candidates allocated selectively by a pressure sensor; and

selecting an initial input candidate by varying a first selection state of the one or more initial input candidates in a single pressing operation if a timing of the press pressure detected by the pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined selection threshold value, or the timing of the press pressure becomes smaller than the predetermined selection threshold value after first exceeding the predetermined selection threshold value;

detecting a contact position of the operational body;

selecting a related input candidate by varying a second selection state of one or more related input candidates associated with the selected initial input candidate according to a directional movement of the operational body while maintaining, during the single pressing operation, the detected press pressure equal to or larger than the predetermined selection threshold value, wherein the first selection state is varied with every pressing operation;

selecting one or more input candidate groups selected by repeating determining selection of the initial input candidate being in the first selection state at a time when a determination operation by the operational body is judged as being performed; and

switching from an input selection mode for selecting the input candidate group to a predictive transform selection mode for selecting a predictive transform candidate relating to the selected input candidate group when the detected press pressure is judged being equal to or larger than a transform threshold value which is larger than the selection threshold value.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform processes of:

detecting one of a plurality of discernible levels of press pressure of an operational body applied to a virtual key having one or more initial input candidates allocated selectively by a pressure sensor;

selecting an initial input candidate by varying a first selection state of the one or more initial input candidates in a single pressing operation if a timing of the press pressure detected by the pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined selection threshold value, or the timing of the press pressure becomes smaller than the predetermined selection threshold value after first exceeding the predetermined selection threshold value;

detecting a contact position of the operational body;

selecting a related input candidate by varying a second selection state of one or more related input candidates associated with the selected initial input candidate according to a directional movement of the operational body while maintaining, during the single pressing operation, the detected press pressure equal to or larger than the predetermined selection threshold value, wherein the first selection state is varied with every pressing operation;

selecting one or more input candidate groups selected by repeating determining selection of the initial input candidate being in the first selection state at a time when a determination operation by the operational body is judged as being performed; and

switching from an input selection mode for selecting the input candidate group to a predictive transform selection mode for selecting a predictive transform candidate relating to the selected input candidate group when the detected press pressure is judged being equal to or larger than a transform threshold value which is larger than the selection threshold value.