1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an information input apparatus provided with what is called a touchscreen, and configured to enable input of various information such as text characters, for example, by user operations on the touchscreen.
2. Description of Related Art
In the case of a conventional keypad-type character input method implemented in mobile phone devices, the 26 characters of the alphabet and several other symbols are severally grouped under respective numerals, with one key being assigned to each of these groups, for example.
With the keypad-type character input method, as a first step, the user first presses a key assigned to the group to which belongs the character, etc. that he or she wants to input. Next, as a second step, if the user repeatedly presses that key, the characters, etc. in the group assigned to the key are switched in order and become selectable according to the number of key presses. Then, as a third step, the user stops pressing the key when the switched in, selectable character has become the desired character. In so doing, input of a desired alphabetic character or a desired symbol becomes possible.
In the case of this character input method, multiple key press operations become necessary in order to select a character the user wants to input, and the user must conduct the vexing work of repeated key press operations.
For this reason, a character input method enabling input of single characters by single key operation actions is proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-238171 (Patent Citation 1), for example.
In the case of the character input method disclosed in the above patent application publication, the 26 characters of the alphabet and several other symbols, for example, are severally grouped under respective numerals, with one key being assigned to each of these groups, similarly to the conventional keypad-type character input method.
Then, with a character input sequence for this character input method, as a first step, the user first presses a key assigned to a group to which belongs the character, etc. that he or she wants to input. Next, as a second step, if the user keeps holding down that key, the characters, etc. in the group assigned to the key are switched in order at a fixed time interval and become selectable according to the amount of time the key is continuously held down. The user stops pressing the key and removes his or her finger, etc. from the key when the desired character is reached. In so doing, input of a desired alphabetic character or a desired symbol becomes possible.
In so doing, input of a desired alphabetic character or a desired symbol becomes possible.
Meanwhile, in the case where Japanese characters are input with the character input method disclosed in the above patent application publication, the respective characters in an individual “column” under an individual “row” of the gojuon syllabary are formed into a single group, with one key being assigned to each “row”. Then, in a first step, the user presses a key assigned to a group of the “row” to which belong the character, etc. that he or she wants to input. Next, as a second step, if the user keeps holding down that key, the characters in each “column” in the “row” group assigned to the key are switched in order at a fixed time interval and become selectable according to the amount of time the key is continuously held down. The user stops pressing the key and removes his or her finger, etc. from the key when the desired character is reached. In so doing, a Japanese character is input.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds