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Information Processing Apparatus, And Input Control Method And Program Of Information Processing Appratus

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for modifying an input area, comprising a memory and a processor executing instructions stored in the memory. The processor executes instructions stored in the memory to display a first input area on a device. The processor further executes instructions stored in the memory to detect a user input in a second input area. The processor still further executes instructions stored in the memory to perform, if the user input comprises a first operation, an input function,' and modify, if the user input comprises a second operation, the first input area.

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Patent Information

Application #
Filing Date
07 October 2011
Publication Number
25/2013
Publication Type
INA
Invention Field
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Status
Email
Parent Application

Applicants

SONY CORPORATION
1-7-1 KONAN, MINATO-KU, TOKYO

Inventors

1. IKUO YAMANO
C/O SONY CORPORATION, 1-7-1 KONAN, MINATO-KU, TOKYO

Specification

INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND INPUT CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM OF INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS RELATED APPLICATIONS [1] The present disclosure contains subject matter related to that disclosed in Japanese Priority Patent Application JP 2010-232240 filed in the Japan Patent Office on October 15,2010, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND [2] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, and an input control method and program of the information processing apparatus. [3] In recent years, electronic devices using touch panels or touch pads to perform an input operation have been widely used. Examples of the electronic devices include mobile phones, personal digital assistants, personal computers and car navigation systems. [4] For example, JP 2006-236988A discloses a capacitive touch panel. If an operator performs a stylus operation or a tap operation with his or her finger on a touch screen of this kind of device, the device detects the stylus or touch position of the operator's finger and selects or inputs a menu button or a key of a software keyboard at the detected touch position. SUMMARY [5] In general, a touch screen includes an input candidate area for an input candidate, such as a suggested word candidate expected from entered characters or context or a corrected word candidate estimated from mistakenly entered characters, in addition to a keyboard area (i.e., an input operation area) where such a software keyboard as a QWERTY keyboard is arranged. The input candidate is typically displayed on an upper side of the keyboard area. In this case, an operator may need to select an input candidate by means of, for example, a tap operation in an area other than the keyboard area while inputting characters by means of, for example, a tap operation in the keyboard area. [6] In general, the keyboard area is designed to take up most of a space for an operator's finger to be moved as easily as possible. This causes the operator performing an input operation to carry a heavy burden when the operator moves his or her finger to an area other than the keyboard area to select an input candidate. In order to allow the operator to easily select the input candidate, the input candidate may be placed in an area for the operator's finger to be moved as easily as possible by making the keyboard area smaller. In this case, however, since each button or each key in the keyboard area also needs to be made smaller accordingly, the operator makes frequent mistakes in pressing each button or each key and has difficulties inputting each button or each key correctly. [7] To deal with this problem, there is a need for an information processing apparatus and an input control method and program of the information processing apparatus, enabling the operator to easily select the input candidate without laying a burden on the operator performing the input operation by providing an appropriate size of input operation area in the touch screen. [8] Accordingly, there is provided an apparatus for modifying an input area, comprising a memory and a processor executing instructions stored in the memory. The processor executes instructions stored in the memory to display a first input area on a device. The processor further executes instructions stored in the memory to detect a user input in a second input area. The processor still further executes instructions stored in the memory to perform, if the user input comprises a first operation, an input function; and modify, if the user input comprises a second operation, the first input area. [9] In a second aspect, there is provided a method for modifying an input area. The method comprises displaying a first input area. The method further comprises detecting a user input in a second input area. The method still further comprises performing, if the user input comprises a first operation, an input function; and modifying, if the user input comprises a second operation, the first input area. [10] In a third aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method of modifying an input area. The method comprises displaying a first input area. The method further comprises detecting a user input in a second input area. The method still further comprises performing, if the user input comprises a first operation, an input function; and modifying, if the user input comprises a second operation, the first input area. [11] As described above, according to the present technology, it is possible to easily select an input candidate without laying a burden on an operator performing an input operation by providing an appropriate size of input operation area in a touch screen. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [12] FIG 1 is a view illustrating operation example 1 for a software keyboard of an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a view illustrating operation example 2 for a software keyboard of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 3 is a view illustrating operation example 3 for a software keyboard of an electronic device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 4 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device according to the first and third embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG 5 is a flow chart illustrating an input control process according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 6 is a transition view of a display screen corresponding to an input control according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 7 is a flow chart illustrating an input control process according to modified example 1 of the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 8 is a transition view of a display screen corresponding to an input control according to the modified example 1 of the first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 9 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 10 is a flow chart illustrating an input control process according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 11 is a transition view of a display screen corresponding to an input control according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 12 is a flow chart illustrating an input control process according to modified example 2 of the second embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 13 is a transition view of a display screen corresponding to an input control according to the modified example 2 of the second embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG 14 is a flow chart illustrating an input control process according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG 15 is a transition view of a display screen corresponding to an input control according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) [13] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the appended drawings. Note that, in this specification and the appended drawings, structural elements that have substantially the same function and structure are denoted with the same reference numerals, and repeated explanation of these structural elements is omitted. The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in the following order: [Operation example 1 of a software keyboard of an electronic device] [Operation example 2 of a software keyboard of an electronic device] [Operation example 3 of a software keyboard of an electronic device] [2-1. Functional structure of an electronic device] [2-2. Operation of an electronic device] (Input control process) [2-3. Modified example 2] (Input control process) The operation examples 1 to 3 of a software keyboard in a touch panel or touch pad will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, respectively, using three types of electronic devices according to the first to third embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, an electronic device 10 includes a touch panel (not shown) and a touch screen 10a which is provided on the rear side of the touch panel. The electronic device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is an example of an information processing apparatus which allows an operator to perform an input operation (i.e., user input) through a touch on the touch screen 10a. The electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 2 is an example of an information processing apparatus which allows an operator to perform an input operation through a touch or press on the touch screen 10a. Examples of the information processing apparatus may include personal computers (PCs), mobile phones, smart phones, handheld music players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), game machines or digital electrical appliances. [16] Examples of the touch screen 10a may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic electroluminescence display (OELD). [17] [Operation example 1 of a software keyboard of an electronic device] Initially, the operation example 1 of a software keyboard will be described with reference to FIG 1. In FIG 1, the touch screen 10a of the electronic device 10 includes an input operation area, an input candidate area, and an input display area, which are arranged in this order from the bottom of the screen. In the input operation area, there is a software keyboard, such as a QWERTY keyboard. In the input candidate area, there are input candidates (i.e., objects), such as suggested word candidates expected from entered characters or context or corrected word candidates estimated from mistakenly entered characters. In the input display area, a character or context entered through the input operation is displayed. [18] In the operation example 1 of a software keyboard, an operator performs a tap operation within the input operation area. For example, a touch panel (not shown) of the touch screen 10a is of a capacitive type and detects a touch position of the operator's finger (i.e., an operating member). Based on the detected touch position, a key (i.e., an object) at the detected touch position is input. In FIG 1, if the operator's finger touches a key 'e' on the software keyboard, the character 'e' is entered and displayed (i.e., an input function is performed) in the input display area. This tap operation is a pattern of reference input operation (key input operation) in the input operation area, which is referred to as 'pattern a'. [19] The key input is performed through a finger touch on the screen in FIG. 1, but is not limited to this operation. That is, like a remote control of a personal computer or a television, the key input may be performed by a remote-controlled tap input when the touch pad and the display screen are positioned at a distant location. In this case, the touch pad may detect the operator's finger located in close proximity. Accordingly, by displaying a position of the detected adjacent finger on the display screen with a cursor, a point may be selected by the tap input. [20] [Operation example 2 of a software keyboard of an electronic device] Next, the operation example 2 of a software keyboard will be described with reference to FIG 2. In FIG 2, the touch screen 10a of the electronic device 10 also includes an input operation area, an input candidate area, and an input display area, which are arranged in this order from the bottom of the screen. [0021] In the operation example 2 of a software keyboard, the operator performs a press operation within the input operation area. A pressure sensor (not shown) is provided directly beneath the touch screen 10a. The pressure sensor includes a pressure-sensitive conductive rubber. The operator touches or presses the input operation area of the touch screen 10a with his or her finger to correspond to the software keyboard displayed on the touch screen 10a. The touch panel detects a position of the finger touched on the touch screen 10a. Further, if the pressure- sensitive conductive rubber is deformed due to the pressure of the finger on the touch screen 10a, the pressure sensor detects the pressure by sensing conduction of the deformed part, thereby performing the input of the pressed key. For example, referring to FIG 2, when the operator's finger is touched on a key 'e' of the software keyboard, the character 'e' is popped up. Subsequently, when the operator's finger further presses down on the key, the character 'e' is entered and displayed in the input display area. This one-point press operation is a pattern of reference input operation (key input operation) in the input operation area, which is referred to as 'pattern b'. [22] Also in this operation example 2, the key input may be performed by both the input operation by means of a touch on the screen and the input operation by means of a remote control. Further, instead of directly detecting a pressure applied on the touch screen 10a as described above, the pressure may be detected by a hard switch provided directly beneath the touch panel or touch pad. [23] [Operation example 3 of a software keyboard of an electronic device] Next, the operation example 3 of a software keyboard will be described with reference to FIG 3. In FIG 3, like an operation in a typical note PC, by operating a mouse cursor on the display screen (input display area) using the touch pad 10b in the input operation area and pressing a button 10c in the input operation area, a character pointed by the cursor is input. [24] In FIG 3, a touch position of the operator's finger on the touch pad 10b of the touch screen 10a is detected. Based on the detection result, the mouse cursor is moved to a corresponding position 'e' on the software keyboard. In this case, when the operator's another finger presses the button 10c with the mouse cursor placed on the key 'e', the key 'e' is input and the character 'e' is displayed in the input display area. Such a series of tap and button-press operations is a pattern of reference input operation (key input operation) in the input operation area, which is referred to as 'pattern c'. [25] As can be seen from the examples of the electronic device 10 in FIGS. 1 to 3, the input candidate area is typically provided apart from the input operation area on the touch screen. Accordingly, while performing a typical input operation in the input operation area, the operator selects an input candidate by moving the operator's finger or the cursor to the input candidate area located apart from the input operation area and performing a tap operation, for example. In this manner, the operator frequently moves his or her fingers or the cursor between the input operation area and the input candidate area while performing the input operation. The input operation area takes up most of a space for the operator's finger to be moved as easily as possible. This causes the operator selecting an input candidate to carry a heavy burden since the operator has to move his or her finger to the input candidate area where it is difficult for the operator's finger to be easily moved. [26] Next, an input control method will be described, which enables an operator to easily select an input candidate without laying a burden on the operator performing an input operation by providing an appropriate size of input operation area in a touch screen 10a using an electronic device 10 according to first to third embodiments. [27]

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