JP2002108545A - Mobile terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] A portable terminal device for setting an input mode for inputting characters in accordance with a key operation by a user, wherein the key operation is simplified for the user. For example, in a mobile phone terminal device, an input mode receiving unit receives an input mode for inputting a character from a user, and an input mode key setting unit sets an input mode received by the input mode receiving unit to a key B in the mobile phone terminal device 1. Then, when the key B is operated, the input mode setting means sets the input mode based on the setting contents of the input mode key setting means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable terminal device for setting an input mode for inputting characters according to a key operation by a user, and more particularly to a portable terminal device in which the key operation is simplified for the user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a mobile phone terminal device such as a mobile phone system and a simplified mobile phone system (PHS: Personal Handyphone System), a text is created when a mail is created and transmitted. I have. When creating such a text, the user selects a character input mode and inputs characters.

As a character input mode, there are, for example, "hiragana", "full-width katakana", "half-width katakana", "alphabet" and "symbol". Here, FIG.
An example of the appearance of the mobile phone terminal device 11 is shown. The mobile phone terminal device 11 is provided with a screen G1 for displaying and outputting various information and a numeric keypad T1 for receiving various information from a user.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, a key for receiving "ON" or "OFF" of the power supply is provided at an upper portion of the numeric keypad T1, and "1" to "9" are provided below the key.
And a key for receiving “*”, “0”, and “#”, and a “character” key (character key) M1 for receiving an input mode switching instruction from the user is provided below the key. Also, “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”,
The keys "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", and "0" are "a", "ka", "sa", "ta",
"Na", "ha", "ma", "ya", "ra", "wa",
Assigned for character input by the user.

In such a portable telephone terminal device 11, every time the button of the character key M1 is pressed once, for example, the above-mentioned five types of input modes (“hiragana”, “full-width katakana”, “half-width katakana”, “ Alphabet "and" symbol "are sequentially switched. For this reason, the user presses the character key M1 (one or more times) to select an input mode of a character to be input, and then presses the numeric keypad T1 to input various characters. The currently selected input mode is displayed, for example, at the end of the screen G1 ("Hiragana" in the example of FIG. 3).

In such a character input method, as a specific example, if the user wishes to switch to the “full-width katakana” input mode while inputting characters in the “hiragana” input mode, It is necessary to press the key M1 once. Further, as a specific example, when the user wants to switch to the input mode of “Hiragana” while inputting characters in the character mode of “full-width katakana”, the user needs to press the character key M1 four times. Becomes

[0007] A conventional example of character input will be introduced. For example, in a method of inputting character information to a wireless communication device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-274247, one kana character is specified by the number of times a key is pressed,
Displaying a cursor and inputting character information at the position of the cursor has been performed. In this character information input method, switching between a numeric input mode and a kana input mode is possible, and which mode is displayed so as to be identifiable.

For example, in a portable telephone described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-46442, a code data array composed of a combination of two consecutive input signals by dial keys is associated with katakana or alphanumeric characters. These conversions are performed. In this mobile phone, the mode is set by the first two inputs.
If "0", set to "Katakana"; if "99", set to "alphanumeric".

[0009]

However, in a conventional mobile phone terminal device or the like, when a text such as a mail is created by using several input modes such as "Hiragana" and "Full-width Katakana", for example. However, as described above, the user must press the character key M1 many times to switch the input mode, which is very inconvenient. In particular, such a problem is remarkable in a mobile phone terminal device and the like, which are being miniaturized. In addition, in a conventional mobile phone terminal device or the like, for example, a key for switching an input mode (the above-described character key M1) is fixedly set, and therefore, there are cases where usability is poor for a user.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional circumstances, and simplifies a key operation for a user when setting an input mode for inputting a character in accordance with the key operation by the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile terminal device capable of performing the following.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, in a portable terminal device according to the present invention, an input mode accepting unit accepts an input mode for inputting characters from a user, and an input mode key setting unit accepts an input mode. The input mode accepted by the mode accepting unit is set as a key (for example, the input mode is assigned to the key and stored in a memory), and the input mode key is operated when the input mode setting unit operates (eg, presses) the key. The input mode is set based on the setting contents of the setting means (for example, the contents stored in the memory).

Therefore, the input mode set when the key is operated can be arbitrarily set by the user, so that the key operation for setting the input mode can be simplified for the user.

More specifically, for example, when there are three or more types of input modes, one input mode can be set for one key or a plurality of types of input modes can be set for one key as required by the user. To set a different type of input mode for each of a plurality of keys, and to select the input mode set for the key and enter characters in the input mode, switch to the input mode. It is possible to reduce the number of key operations. Further, for example, if the user can arbitrarily select a key (key according to the present invention) for setting an input mode from a plurality of keys provided on the mobile terminal device,
Further, user convenience can be improved.

More specifically, for example, when there are two types of input modes, a key for setting the input mode by the user from among a plurality of keys provided on the portable terminal device (key according to the present invention) Arbitrarily, setting one input mode for one key, setting two types of input modes for one key, and inputting different types for each of the two keys as required by the user. When a mode is set or the like, when an input mode set for a key is selected and characters are input in the input mode, the user's usability is improved with respect to a key operation for switching to the input mode. Can be.

More specifically, when there is only one type of input mode, for example, a key for setting the input mode by the user from among a plurality of keys provided on the portable terminal device (key according to the present invention) Arbitrarily select and set the input mode for the key. When the input mode set for the key is selected and characters are input in the input mode, the input mode is set. With regard to the key operation of (1), user convenience can be improved.

Here, various input modes may be used. For example, "hiragana", "full-width katakana", "half-width katakana", "alphabet", "symbol", and the like can be used. Further, the input mode accepting means can be composed of, for example, keys for accepting the input mode from the user.

In a preferred embodiment, the key according to the present invention (herein referred to as an input mode setting key for convenience of explanation) is one of a plurality of keys provided on the portable terminal device as described above. In this configuration, the user can arbitrarily designate (assign) the input mode setting key from the user, the user-friendliness can be further improved. For example, the input mode setting key is predetermined (fixed). You may.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A portable telephone terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this example,
The portable terminal device according to the present invention is used in a portable telephone system or a PHS.
Although the case where the present invention is applied to a mobile phone terminal device such as that shown in FIG.

The portable telephone terminal of the present embodiment includes, as functions according to the present invention, an input mode accepting function for accepting an input mode for inputting characters from a user (a function corresponding to the input mode accepting means according to the present invention). An input mode key setting function for setting the input mode accepted by the input mode accepting function to a key (a function corresponding to the input mode key setting means of the present invention), and an input mode key setting function when the key is operated Has an input mode setting function (a function corresponding to an input mode setting means according to the present invention) for setting an input mode based on the setting contents of (1).

FIG. 1 shows an example of the appearance of the mobile phone terminal 1 of this embodiment. The mobile phone terminal 1 of this embodiment has a screen G for displaying and outputting various information, A numeric keypad T for receiving various types of information from a user is provided, and an input switch button B (corresponding to a key in the present invention) serving as a dedicated button for switching an input mode is provided on the (side of the mobile phone terminal device 1). Section.

In the mobile phone terminal 1 of this embodiment,
It is assumed that the user can arbitrarily switch between five types of input modes, “Hiragana”, “Full-width Katakana”, “Half-width Katakana”, “Alphabet”, and “Symbol”.

In this embodiment, as the arrangement of the numeric keypad T, a key for receiving "ON" or "OFF" of the power supply is provided at an upper portion, and "1" to "9" and "*" are provided below the key. A key for receiving "", "0", and "#" is provided. Below the key, a "character" key (character key) M for receiving an input mode switching instruction from the user is provided. Also, “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”,
The keys “6”, “7”, “8”, “9”, “0”
"A", "ka", "sa", "ta", "na",
“Wa”, “ma”, “ya”, “ra”, and “wa” are allocated for character input by the user.

In the portable telephone terminal device 1 of this embodiment, each time the button of the character key M is pressed once, for example, the above five types of input modes (“Hiragana”, “Full-width Katakana”, “Half-width Katakana”) , “Alphabet”, “symbol”). For this reason, the user can press the character key M (one or more times) to select the input mode of the character to be input, and then press the numeric key T to input various characters. Then, the currently selected input mode is displayed, for example, at the end of the screen G (“Hiragana” in the example of FIG. 3).

First, a description will be given of the character input method of the present embodiment and the switching of the input mode using the character key M described above.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a table in which the number of times the numeric keypad T is pressed and the characters to be input are associated with the mobile phone terminal device 1 of the present embodiment. In this example, a method of inputting characters based on a table as shown in FIG. 1 is shown, but various methods may be used as a method of inputting characters.

As shown in the figure, the key input of this embodiment includes a plurality of numeric keys for inputting numbers ("1" to "9" and "0") as described above. Are made to correspond to each row (“A” to “W”) of the Japanese syllabary, and the number of continuous operations (pressing) of each key is made in each row (“A” to “O”) The input of a kana character is received from the user in correspondence with the "stage".

That is, in this example, a character input method generally known as a toggle method (or a cyclic method) is used. For example, the character input method depends on the type of a key to be pressed and the number of times the key is pressed. A method of inputting various characters is used. As a specific example, for example, when "ku" is input, the "2" key of the numeric keypad T is depressed three times in succession. For example, when "zo" is input, the "3" key of the numeric keypad T is realized. Is pressed ten times in succession. By repeating such key operations, the user can send various text messages to the mobile phone terminal 1.
Can be entered.

In the portable telephone terminal 1 of the present embodiment, an area (input mode storage area) W1 for storing a value for identifying the currently selected input mode is provided in, for example, a nonvolatile memory. Mode storage area W1
The input mode is switched based on the value of.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the correspondence between the value of the input mode storage area W1 and the input mode. As shown in the figure, in this example, the value of the input mode storage area W1 is "1" and the input mode is "Hiragana", and the value is "2". That the input mode is “full-width katakana”, and that the value is “3”, and that the input mode is “half-width katakana”; "4" is associated with "alphabet" as the input mode, and the value is "5".
And that the input mode is “symbol”. As the default of the input mode storage area W1, for example, "1"("Hiragana") is set.

As an example, FIG. 4 shows an example of the correspondence between the number of times the character key M is pressed and the input mode that can be switched when the input mode of “Hiragana” is currently set. As shown in the figure, in the mobile phone terminal device 1 of the present example, for example, when the input mode of “Hiragana” is set, pressing the character key M once switches the input mode to “Full-width Katakana”. When the character key M is pressed twice, the input mode is switched to "half-width katakana", when the character key M is pressed three times, the input mode is switched to "alphabet", and when the character key M is pressed four times, the input mode is switched. Switch to "Symbol" and press character key M five times to change input mode to "Hiragana"
Can be switched to

FIG. 5 shows an example of a procedure of a process for switching the input mode in response to the depression of the character key M by the portable telephone terminal device 1 of the present embodiment. That is, in the mobile phone terminal device 1, first, when there is a key input from the user, it is determined whether or not the operated key is a character key M (step S1). Addition value obtained by adding 1 to the value of input mode storage area W1 (W1 +
It is determined whether 1) is greater than 5 (Step S)
2).

As a result (step S2), when it is determined that the added value (W1 + 1) is not larger than 5 (that is, 5 or less), the portable telephone terminal 1 sets the value of the input mode storage area W1. Is the sum (W1 + 1)
(That is, new W1 = W1 + 1 before update) (step S3), and the type of input mode corresponding to the value of the input mode storage area W1 after the update is displayed on the screen G (step S5). ), Accepting a character input from the user in the input mode.

If it is determined from the above result (step S2) that the added value (W1 + 1) is larger than 5, the portable telephone terminal 1 sets the input mode storage area W
The value of 1 is updated with 1 (that is, W1 = 1) (step S4), and the type of the input mode corresponding to the updated value of the input mode storage area W1 (in this example,
"Hiragana") is displayed on the screen G (step S5), and input of characters from the user is accepted in the input mode. When it is determined that the operated key is not the character key M, the mobile phone terminal device 1 performs a process corresponding to the operated key (step S6).

Next, switching of the input mode using the input switching button B will be described. In this example, two types of input modes, a main mode and a sub mode, are assigned to the input switching button B in consideration of the fact that about two types of input modes are actually used when creating a text such as a mail. There is a configuration that can be registered. By operating the input switching button B, the user can switch to the registered input mode with one touch, and the usability of the user is improved.

In this example, an input switching button is used to set an arbitrary input mode (for example, a frequently used input mode) for each user in consideration of the fact that the frequently used input mode may differ for each user. B can be registered. Here, FIG. 6 shows an example of a screen (input switching mode setting screen) for registering the main mode and the sub mode of the input switching button B. In the example shown in the figure, “Hiragana” is set as the main mode, and “symbol” is set as the sub mode.

In the portable telephone terminal device 1 of the present embodiment, for example, a two-byte user registration input mode area U1, which stores two types of input modes currently registered in the input switching button B in a nonvolatile memory, for example, U2 is provided. When the user has registered the main mode, a value corresponding to the input mode related to the registration is stored in the user registration input mode area U1 of the main mode, and similarly, the user has registered the sub mode. In this case, a value corresponding to the input mode related to the registration is stored in the sub-mode user registration input mode area U2. Here, as the value corresponding to each input mode, for example, the same value (“1” to “1”) as the value stored in the input mode storage area W1 shown in FIG.
“5”) is used. Note that, for example, 0 is set as an initial value of the values of the user registration input mode areas U1 and U2 in the main mode and the sub mode.

More specifically, in this example, the input mode of "Hiragana" is registered in the main mode, and the input mode of "symbol" is registered in the sub mode. If the main mode and the sub mode are alternately switched each time the input switch button B is pressed once, for example,
Then, the following input mode switching operation is performed. In this example, it is assumed that kanji conversion is possible only in the input mode of “hiragana”.

That is, in any input mode at present (excluding, for example, the input mode of the main mode “Hiragana”), if the input switch button B is pressed once, The input mode is switched to “Hiragana” registered as the main mode. Further, if the input switching button B is pressed once while the character input is being performed in the input mode of “Hiragana”, the input mode is switched to “symbol” registered as the sub mode, whereby the numeral Etc. can be input. When the input switch button B is pressed once again while character input is being performed in the “symbol” input mode, the input mode is again changed to “hiragana” registered as the main mode. Can be switched.

Here, in the present embodiment, the main mode and the sub mode are alternately switched each time the input switch button B is pressed once as described above. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the input mode is switched to the main mode when B is pressed and returned to the original state, while the input mode is switched to the sub-mode while the input switching button B is kept pressed. .

FIG. 7 shows an example of a procedure of a process of switching the input mode in response to the depression of the input switching button B by the portable telephone terminal device 1 of the present embodiment. That is,
In the mobile phone terminal device 1, for example, when waiting for a key input in a mode for creating a message (step S 11), if there is a key input (step S 12),
The type of the key related to the key input is determined (step S
13).

As a result (step S13), for example, when it is determined that the key related to the key input is the input switch button B, the input mode currently set in the mobile phone terminal 1 is set to the input mode of the main mode. Is determined (step S14), it is not the same (that is,
If it is determined that an input mode other than the main mode is currently set, the input mode is set to the main mode (in this example,
"Hiragana") (step S15), and the process again shifts to the message creation mode key input waiting state (step S11).

On the other hand, when it is determined that the currently set input mode is the same as the main mode (step S1).
4) In the mobile phone terminal 1, the input mode is switched to the sub mode (in this example, "symbol") (step S1).
6) The process again shifts to the message creation mode key input waiting state (step S11).

Further, the above result (step S13), for example, when the key related to the key input is a dial key ("1" to
("9" or "0" key)
In the mobile phone terminal device 1, based on the currently set input mode, the character corresponding to the key pressed by the key input (for example, when the “1” key is pressed in the input mode of “Hiragana”). Accepts the input of "A") (step S17), and again shifts to the message creation mode key input waiting state (step S11).

As described above, the mobile phone terminal 1 of the present embodiment
For example, even in a case where characters are input in a configuration that is small and has relatively few input keys (input buttons), the user can arbitrarily register an input mode for inputting characters. A dedicated input switching button B is provided, and by pressing the input switching button B, two types of input modes (main mode and sub mode) registered by the user can be sequentially switched. Therefore, for example, these two types of input modes can be switched with a small number of switching times, and user operability at the time of switching the input mode can be improved.

Here, the configuration of the portable terminal device according to the present invention is not necessarily limited to the one described above, and various configurations may be used. Further, the application field of the portable terminal device according to the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described fields, and the present invention can be applied to various fields.

In this example, various processes performed by the portable terminal device according to the present invention are performed, for example, by a CPU (Central
l The processing resource is controlled by executing a control program stored in a ROM in a hardware resource including a processor such as a processing unit and a memory. Can be configured as independent hardware circuits. The present invention also provides a floppy (registered trademark) disk or a CD-ROM storing the control program.
It is also possible to grasp a computer-readable recording medium such as a program or the program itself, and to execute the processing according to the present invention by inputting the control program from the recording medium to the computer and causing the processor to execute the program. Can be.

[0046]

As described above, in the portable terminal device according to the present invention, the input mode for inputting characters is accepted from the user, the accepted input mode is set as a key, and the key is operated. Since the input mode is set based on the contents of the setting, the input mode set when a key is operated can be arbitrarily set by the user. Can be

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an external appearance of a mobile phone terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table in which the number of times a numeric key is pressed and characters to be input are associated with each other.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence between a value of an input mode storage area and an input mode;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence between the number of times a character key is pressed and an input mode.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure of a process of switching an input mode in response to pressing of a character key by a mobile phone terminal device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an input switching mode setting screen.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure of a process of switching an input mode in response to pressing of an input switching button by a mobile phone terminal device.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an appearance of a mobile phone terminal device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Mobile phone terminal device, G screen, T keypad, M keypad character, B input switch button,

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 1/725

Claims (1)

[Claims] An input mode receiving means for receiving an input mode for inputting characters from a user, an input mode key setting means for setting an input mode received by the input mode receiving means as a key, and the key is operated. And an input mode setting means for setting an input mode based on the setting contents of the input mode key setting means.