Input information correction method and information terminal

Abstract

According to the input information correction method and the information terminal, the input information can be corrected with less touch times. In the input information correction method, a sentence is displayed on a touch panel display, the sentence comprises character objects corresponding to a plurality of pieces of input character information, when it is judged that one character object is touched, the touched character object is recognized as a correction object, soft keyboard type information is read, and the correction object is corrected according to the read soft keyboard type information. The soft keyboard type information is stored as characteristic information of character information when the character information is input through the soft keyboard, indicates one or more types of the soft keyboard for inputting the character information, and displays correction candidate objects around and adjacent to a touched character object. The correction candidate object is different from the touched character object and is selected based on the soft keyboard type information, and when it is determined that one of the displayed correction candidate objects has been touched, the touched character object is replaced with the touched correction candidate object.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the international application number PCT / JP2017 / 047199 and the application number 201780095488.2 which entered the Chinese national phase on March 31, 2020. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to an input information correction method and an information terminal, and more particularly to a method for correcting input information using a soft keyboard on a touch panel widely used in mobile phones, tablet PCs (Personal Computers), and the like. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, information terminal devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, and tablet terminals have become increasingly popular. Such information terminal devices are not only used for calls, but also include various functions such as e-mail, SNS (Social Networking Service) communication, notes, web searches, and schedule management. As a method of inputting characters required for these functions, a soft keyboard that performs character input on a touch panel display keyboard is widely used. Because the soft keyboard is displayed on the touch panel when character input is required, unlike a hardware keyboard, there is no need to ensure a place to set up the keys. Therefore, with the miniaturization of devices and the multifunctionality of input methods, the number of devices using soft keyboards is gradually increasing. However, when the display screen for displaying the soft keyboard is small, the detection area for detecting touch operations of each key on the soft keyboard is narrow, and erroneous input caused by erroneous operation of adjacent keys is prone to occur. At that time, there is a burden on correcting the erroneously input characters. Therefore, it is required to invent a technology that is not complicated in structure, does not reduce the input speed of characters, and can easily correct erroneous characters.

[0004] As an example, Patent Document 1 below describes a technique for displaying candidate correction characters around a delete key on a soft keyboard when deleting a correction character. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a technique for displaying candidate correction characters around a deleted key on a soft keyboard when deleting a correction character.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-183485

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-103533 Summary of the Invention

[0009] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0010] The technology described in Patent Document 1 prioritizes candidate characters for correction on a soft keyboard based on the relationship between the character being corrected and the arrangement of the soft keyboard. These characters are then displayed around the delete button according to the priority order, thereby reducing the burden of character correction. However, to correct a character, the cursor must first be moved by touching between the characters to be corrected, and then the delete button must be pressed. This operation procedure is still complex.

[0011] The technology described in Patent Document 2 reduces the burden of character correction by enlarging and displaying adjacent characters in the soft keyboard's character array around the deleted correction character. However, to correct a character, as in Patent Document 1, one must first touch between the characters to be corrected to move the cursor and then press the delete button. This operation procedure still presents a problem of complex correction procedures. Thus, the correction and correction procedures for input information represented by characters remain complex, necessitating the invention of a technology to address this issue.

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide an input information correction method and an information terminal capable of correcting input information with fewer touches than in the conventional art.

[0013] Technical solutions to solve problems

[0014] As a solution to the above-mentioned problem, the technology described in the scope of claims is used.

[0015] As an example, the input information correction method of the present invention is an input information correction method, characterized in that: a sentence is displayed on a touch panel display, the sentence contains character objects corresponding to multiple character information input through a soft keyboard, and when it is determined that one of the character objects has been touched, the touched character object is identified as a correction object, and soft keyboard type information is read, the soft keyboard type information is stored as characteristic information of the character information when the character information is input through the soft keyboard, and indicates one or more types of soft keyboards used to input the character information, and correction candidate objects are displayed on the touch panel display around the touched character object and at adjacent positions thereof, the correction candidate objects are different from the touched character object and are selected based on the soft keyboard type information, and it is determined whether one of the displayed correction candidate objects has been touched, and when it is determined that one of the displayed correction candidate objects has been touched, the touched character object is replaced with the touched correction candidate object.

[0016] Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, input information can be corrected with fewer touches than in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is an external view of the information terminal of the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2A It is a block diagram of the information terminal of the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2B It is a software structure diagram of the information terminal of the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a touch panel display according to an embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 This is an example of inputting an e-mail text according to the embodiment.

[0023] Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram of the touch detection area of ​​the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 This is an example of displaying correction candidate characters according to the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a display example when the correction character of the embodiment is long pressed.

[0026] Figure 8A This is a flowchart of the character correction process of the embodiment.

[0027] Figure 8B This is a flowchart of the character correction process of the embodiment.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a correction candidate character selection processing subroutine of the embodiment.

[0029] Figure 10 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating selection of correction candidate characters according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described using the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In addition, parts of the embodiments described below may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, the following description will be given using the case where a user corrects a character object as an example, but for example, it can also be applied to the case where input information of an input object other than characters represented by numbers, symbols, and codes is corrected. In addition, it is not limited to the case where the correction is made to the erroneous input of the above-mentioned input object, but can also be applied to the case where the above-mentioned input object is corrected. That is, in the following embodiments, "correction" can be changed to "correction".

[0031] [Example]

[0032] Figure 1 The figure shows the appearance of the information terminal 100 of this embodiment. The figure shows an example of an information terminal device such as a smart phone. Figure 1 (A) is a front view of the information terminal 100. Figure 1 (B) is a back view (rear view) of the information terminal 100. Illustrations of the left and right side surfaces, top and bottom surfaces, etc. are omitted. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the third image input unit 125 and the display unit 121 are located on the same surface (surface), and the first image input unit 123 and the second image input unit 124 are located on the opposite surface (back surface) of the display unit 121. In addition, the flash memory unit 129 is arranged at a position adjacent to the first image input unit 123 and the second image input unit 124. Hereinafter, the third image input unit 125 located on the same surface as the display unit 121 is sometimes referred to as an "internal camera", and the first image input unit 123 and the second image input unit 124 located on the opposite surface to the display unit 121 are sometimes referred to as "external cameras". In addition, the positions of the first image input unit 123 and the second image input unit 124 are arranged on the back surface in this embodiment, but they can also be on the same surface as the display unit 121. In addition, the first image input unit 123 and the second input unit 124 can also be configured as an integral whole.

[0033] Figure 2A This is a block diagram of the information terminal 100 of this embodiment. The information terminal 100 includes a main control unit 101, a system bus 102, a memory unit 104, a storage unit 110, an image processing unit 120, an audio processing unit 130, an operation unit 140, a communication processing unit 150, a sensor unit 160, and an expansion interface (I / F) unit 170.

[0034] The information terminal 100 may be a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet computer, or the like with a camera function, in addition to a digital camera. Furthermore, it may be a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a notebook computer (Personal Computer), a video camera capable of recording, a portable game console, or other portable digital device.

[0035] The main control unit 101 is a microprocessor unit that controls the entire information terminal 100 according to a predetermined program. The system bus 102 is a data communication path for transmitting and receiving data between the main control unit 101 and various components within the information terminal 100.

[0036] The memory unit 104 serves as a program area for executing basic operating programs and other application programs, and a temporary storage area for temporarily storing data as needed when executing various application programs. The memory unit 104 may also be integrated with the main control unit 101.

[0037] The storage unit 110 stores various operational settings for the information terminal 100 and information about the user of the information terminal 100. Furthermore, the storage unit 110 can store still image data and moving image data captured by the information terminal 100. Furthermore, the information terminal 100 can expand its functionality by downloading new applications from an application server via the Internet. In this case, the downloaded new applications are stored in the storage unit 110. The main control unit 101 expands the new applications stored in the storage unit 110 into the memory unit 104 and executes the expanded new applications, thereby enabling the information terminal 100 to implement various new functions.

[0038] The storage unit 110 needs to retain stored information even when power is not supplied to the information terminal 100. Therefore, a device such as a flash ROM, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or an HDD (Hard Disc Drive) is used.

[0039] The display unit 121 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, and provides the user of the information terminal 100 with the image data processed by the image signal processing unit 122 .

[0040] The video processing unit 120 includes a video signal processing unit 122 , a first video input unit 123 , a second video input unit 124 , and a third video input unit 125 .

[0041] The audio processing unit 130 includes an audio output unit 131, an audio signal processing unit 132, and an audio input unit 133. The audio output unit 131 is a speaker that provides the audio signal processed by the audio signal processing unit 132 to the user of the information terminal 100. The audio input unit 133 is a microphone that converts the user's voice, etc., into audio data for input. Alternatively, the audio input unit 133 may be provided separately from the information terminal 100 and connected to the information terminal 100 via wired or wireless communication.

[0042] The operation unit 140 is an instruction input unit for inputting operational instructions to the information terminal 100. In this embodiment, it includes a touch panel display 140t arranged overlapping the display unit 121 and an array of operation keys. Alternatively, an array of operation keys may not be provided. Furthermore, the information terminal 100 may be operated using a keyboard connected to the expansion interface unit 170 (described later), or using another information terminal device connected via wired or wireless communication. Furthermore, the touch panel function may also include the display unit 121.

[0043] The communication processing unit 150 includes a LAN (Local Area Network) communication unit 151, a mobile telephone network communication unit 152, and a short-range wireless communication unit 153. The LAN communication unit 151 connects to a wireless communication access point on the Internet via wireless communication to transmit and receive data. The mobile telephone network communication unit 152 performs telephone network communication (calls) and transmits and receives data via wireless communication with a base station of the mobile telephone network communication network. The short-range wireless communication unit 153 performs wireless communication when it is close to the corresponding reader / writer. The LAN communication unit 151, the mobile telephone network communication unit 152, and the short-range wireless communication unit 153 each include an encoding circuit, a decoding circuit, an antenna, etc. They may also include an infrared communication unit, etc.

[0044] The sensor unit 160 is a sensor group used to detect the status of the information terminal 100. In this embodiment, it includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 161, an accelerometer 162, a gyroscopic sensor 163, a geomagnetic sensor 164, an illumination sensor 165, and a proximity sensor 166. This sensor group can detect the position, movement, tilt, and orientation of the information terminal 100, as well as the surrounding brightness and the proximity of surrounding objects. Other sensors may also be included.

[0045] The expansion interface unit 170 is an interface group used to expand the functionality of the information terminal 100. In this embodiment, it is composed of a video and audio interface, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, and a memory interface. The video and audio interface inputs and outputs video and audio signals from an external video and audio output device. The USB interface connects a keyboard and other USB devices. The memory interface connects to a memory card and other storage media to transmit and receive data.

[0046] Figure 2B 1 is a software configuration diagram of the information terminal 100 according to this embodiment, showing the software configurations of the memory unit 104 and the storage unit 110 .

[0047] Control is performed by the application execution unit 104b, voice recognition execution unit 104c, character input control execution unit 104d, and basic operation execution unit 104a, which are composed of an application program 110b, a voice recognition program 110c, and a character input control program 110d stored in the storage unit 110 and executed by the main control unit 101 after being expanded in the memory unit 104. Alternatively, the information terminal 100 of this embodiment may further include hardware modules that implement the same operations as the application execution unit 104b, voice recognition execution unit 104c, and character input control execution unit 104d in hardware, and these hardware modules control the operation of the information terminal 100 in place of the application execution unit 104b, voice recognition execution unit 104c, and character input control execution unit 104d. The application described here is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, applications used for text input operations, such as email applications, text writing applications, and presentation applications, are envisioned.

[0048] in addition, Figure 2A 、 2B The illustrated configuration of the information terminal 100 also includes a number of components not required for this embodiment, such as a portion of the communication processing unit 150 and a portion of the sensor unit 160. The advantages of this embodiment are not impaired even if these components are omitted. Furthermore, components not shown in the figure, such as digital television broadcasting and reception functions and electronic money settlement functions, may also be incorporated.

[0049] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a touch panel display 140 t according to the present embodiment.

[0050] The touch panel display 140t includes a display unit 121 and a detection unit 140a. The display unit 121 displays text such as emails, an operation screen such as a pre-arranged soft keyboard, and various other information on the screen through the image processing unit 120. The detection unit 140a is, for example, a touch sensor using a resistive film, surface acoustic wave, infrared, electromagnetic induction, or electrostatic capacitance method, which detects user touch operations on the touch panel display 140t, which is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display unit, by detecting each key on the displayed soft keyboard. The touch panel control unit 140b extracts the position coordinates of the designated point detected by the detection unit 140a as the point of contact or proximity with the user's finger or the like, and outputs them to the main control unit 101. The main control unit 101 determines the object selected by the user's touch based on the positional relationship between the designated point's position coordinates on the touch panel display 140t and the displayed positions of various objects. For example, a character object touched on the soft keyboard is used for character input in a text. The operating unit 140 is composed of the detection unit 140a and the touch panel control unit 140b, but the operating unit 140 is not limited to this structure and may also include key switches, etc. Furthermore, operation by voice input may be included.

[0051] Figure 4 This is an example of email text input in this embodiment. Information terminal 100 displays the English email text "I have no casg cards, but I have not been in trouble in particular" entered via the software keyboard on touch-panel display 140t. In this text, the user mistakenly touches "h" instead of "g" when intending to enter "cash," thereby mistakenly entering "casg."

[0052] Figure 5 The touch detection area of ​​this embodiment is shown in FIG. Figure 4The part of "casg" in the line "I have no casg..." of the email article is highlighted. In addition, the frame surrounding the English letters represents the character area, but the frame line is not displayed on the actual display screen. Similarly, the line representing the line is only used for explanation and is not displayed on the display screen. In addition, the character area is set according to the font and character size of the character, and the position of the character area within the line is set according to the line size, the configuration within the line, and the designation of the space between characters. Here, when the area ta of the width direction range of the character area representing the English letter "c" is touched, it is judged to be the character area and recognized as the character "c". In addition, when the area tb of the range between characters is touched, it is judged to be the inter-character area between the characters "a" and the character "s". For example, the length of ta is 0.6 times the horizontal length of the character area of ​​"c" set with equal length from the center of the character area. In addition, tb is the range obtained by subtracting 0.5 times ta of each character from the center distance between each adjacent character area. This allows for appropriate detection of character areas and inter-character areas, regardless of differences in font size between characters or the enlargement or reduction of the entire text. While ta and tb are set here as ta = character area length × 0.6 and tb = distance between the centers of adjacent character areas - ta (character a) × 0.5 - ta (character s) × 0.5, these values ​​can be appropriately set as setting variables, and there is no limitation to this, and other methods can also be used.

[0053] The following describes the operation of the information terminal 100 of this embodiment. Figure 2B As shown, the operation of the information terminal 100 of this embodiment is mainly controlled by the character input control program 110 d stored in the storage unit 110 being developed in the memory unit 104 and executed by the main control unit 101 .

[0054] Figure 8A 、 8B This is a flowchart showing the character correction process of the information terminal 100. Figure 4 The following describes an example of a case where characters are incorrectly input in the English e-mail text shown.

[0055] First, in step 801, the application 110b displays an article.

[0056] Then, in step 802, application 110b reads the keyboard type used when creating the article. Furthermore, the keyboard type used when creating the article is stored as an attribute of each article. For example, when inputting English letters as one of the character objects, the keyboard type may be an object arrangement such as QWERTY or Dvorak. Furthermore, when inputting Japanese, the keyboard type may be an object arrangement such as JIS or telephone-type input. Such a two-dimensional arrangement of character objects can be recognized. Furthermore, the process described here is for opening an article, but is not limited to this process. It can also be for creating a new article. In this case, the keyboard type used when the article was newly created can be used.

[0057] In step 803, the user inputs Figure 4 After reading the text shown, the user notices that "cash" has been mistakenly entered as "casg", and in order to correct the character, the touch panel display 140t accepts a touch operation.

[0058] In step 804, the character input control program 110d determines whether the object touched by the user is a character object. Figure 5 It is determined whether the touch position in the row of the displayed article is in the ta area.

[0059] When the character input control program 110d determines that the touched object is a character object (step 804: Yes), it selects a plurality of correction candidate characters from the touched character in step 805. The method of selecting the plurality of correction candidate characters will be described later.

[0060] Next, in step 806 , the character input control program 110 d identifies a word including the character touched by the user, replaces the touched character with one of the correction candidate characters, and performs a spell check.

[0061] In step 807, the character input control program 110d determines whether a meaningful word has been formed based on the result of the spell check. If the character input control program 110d determines that a meaningful word has been formed in step 807 (step 807: Yes), in step 808, the background color of the corresponding correction candidate character is set.

[0062] Although a background color is set here, this is not limiting; any correction candidate character may be emphasized. For example, the character color may be changed, the character may be made bold, or the character size may be changed. Furthermore, if the character input control program 110d determines in step 807 that a meaningful word is not formed (step 807: No), it proceeds to step 809 without performing any action.

[0063] Next, in step 809, the character input control program 110d determines whether a spell check has been performed on all the correction candidate characters selected in step 805. If it is determined that a spell check has not been performed on all the correction candidate characters (step 809: No), the process returns to step 806 to continue. On the other hand, if it is determined that a spell check has been performed on all the correction candidate characters (step 809: Yes), the process proceeds to step 810.

[0064] In step 850 , if the character input control program 110 d determines in step 804 that the touched object is not a character object (step 804 : No), it further determines whether the touched object is an inter-character area.

[0065] In step 851, if the character input control program 110d determines in step 850 that the area is an inter-character area (step 850: Yes), the cursor is moved to the corresponding inter-character area and the soft keyboard is displayed. This enters the character input waiting state, which is the normal input mode, and the process ends. In step 850, if the character input control program 110d determines in step 850 that the area is not an inter-character area (step 850: No), the process ends without doing anything.

[0066] Next, proceed to Figure 8B In step 810, the character input control program 110d displays the correction candidate characters in the same arrangement as the read soft keyboard type around the character that is the correction target touched in the article and displays the clearing object for interrupting the process. Specifically, Figure 6 As shown, the character input control program 110d maintains the positional relationship of the keyboard arrangement of the surrounding characters of the soft keyboard type (in the case of QWERTY arrangement) around the corrected character g, and displays t, y, f, h, and v in an enlarged manner (the enlargement ratio is preset), and displays the outer side of y, which is one of the surrounding characters (in the case of QWERTY arrangement). Figure 6In the figure, the clearing object cl is configured. In addition, because the word when the character is changed from g to t and h is cast or cash, which is judged to be a meaningful word in the spelling check, the character input control program 110d sets the background color display for the characters of t and h. In addition, if the clearing object is outside the candidate correction characters, the configuration position is not particularly limited. However, for example, it can also be configured based on information indicating the user's characteristics such as the dominant hand and the habit of key input. This information is pre-stored in the memory unit 104 or the storage unit 110, or is determined based on statistics of past key inputs (for example, the number of times the clearing object configured at a certain position is touched is greater than the number of times the clearing object configured at other positions is touched, etc.). In this way, by configuring the clearing object outside the candidate correction characters configured around the above-mentioned correction characters and at a position taking the characteristics of the user into consideration, the ease of use can be further improved.

[0067] Next, in step 811, the character input control program 110d determines whether the correction candidate characters displayed around the correction character are touched by the user.

[0068] In step 812 , when the character input control program 110 d determines that the correction candidate character has been touched in step 811 (step 811 : Yes), the correction character is replaced with the touched correction candidate character, correction is performed, and the process ends.

[0069] In step 852 , when the character input control program 110 d determines in step 811 that the correction candidate character has not been touched (step 811 : No), it determines whether a clearing object has been touched.

[0070] In step 853 , when the character input control program 110 d determines in step 852 that the clearing object has not been touched (step 852 : No), it determines whether a predetermined elapsed time exceeds a preset value 1 to perform time monitoring.

[0071] When the character input control program 110d determines in step 853 that the predetermined elapsed time has not exceeded the set value 1 (step 853: No), the program returns to step 811 to continue processing and wait for the user's operation.

[0072] In step 854 , if the character input control program 110 d determines in step 852 that the clearing object is touched (step 852 : Yes) or in step 853 that the prescribed elapsed time exceeds the set value 1 (step 853 : Yes), the display of the correction candidate characters is stopped.

[0073] Next, in step 855, the character input control program 110d is as follows Figure 7As shown, the cursor is moved to the character space next to the correction character touched by the user in step 803 (depending on the language, at the adjacent position on the right or the adjacent position on the left) and the soft keyboard is displayed. This is to switch to the character input waiting state as the normal input mode when the appropriate correction candidate character among the correction candidate characters is not displayed or when the correction character is touched incorrectly, and continue processing. In addition, the character input control program 110d can also return to step 803 and display the correction candidate characters again by the user touching the correction object again here. In addition, in this embodiment, the normal input mode is switched to by touching the clear object. However, the character input control program 110d does not display the clear object but determines whether the correction character is long pressed for more than a preset time. In the case where it is determined that the correction character is touched for more than a preset time, it can also switch to the normal input mode.

[0074] In addition, Figure 8A In step S803 and step S804, the character input control program 110d determines whether a touch operation on a character object or between characters has been accepted for the purpose of correcting the character, and determines whether the user has touched the correction candidate character displayed around the correction character in step S811. However, for example, in steps S803 and S804, the character input control program 110d determines whether a touch operation on the touched character object has been accepted for a specified time (for example, long press), and determines the touched character as the correction character if it is determined that the specified time has passed. Thereafter, the character input control program 110d determines whether the user's finger has been released and the touch operation has not been accepted. If it is determined that the touch operation has not been accepted, the correction candidate character may be selected and displayed in step S805.

[0075] Furthermore, when the character input control program 110d accepts a touch operation on the above-mentioned character object, or accepts a touch operation on the above-mentioned character object and determines that the above-mentioned specified time has passed, it determines the touched character as a correction character, and then determines whether the user's finger slides. When it is determined that the finger has slid, the character object at the sliding destination can also be selected and displayed as a correction candidate character in step S805.

[0076] (Modification of Correcting Candidate Character Selection)

[0077] exist Figure 8A 、 8BIn the embodiment, the processing is performed by a touch operation, and the processing can also be performed by a click operation. Specifically, when it is detected that the finger has not left the touch panel display before a prescribed time has passed after touching the correction character, the character input control program 110d displays the correction candidate character. After detecting that the correction candidate character is selected by directly sliding the finger, the character input control program 110d detects that the finger has left the correction candidate character, thereby determining the selection of the correction character. A series of operations can be performed continuously in this way, and the correction character can be replaced with the correction candidate character operation with a smaller number of touch operations. In addition, when the time of touching the correction character is longer than the set value (long press), the display of the correction candidate character is terminated, the cursor is moved to the character space next to the touched correction character (according to the language, to the adjacent right side or the adjacent left side), and the soft keyboard is displayed to transition to the above-mentioned normal input mode.

[0078] Then, according to Figure 9 The flowchart of FIG. 8 illustrates a method for selecting multiple correction candidates for the touched character (step 805 ).

[0079] Character input using a soft keyboard is characterized by the high likelihood of incorrectly inputting characters by accidentally touching objects surrounding the character being input. Specifically, the likelihood of incorrectly inputting characters by accidentally touching characters surrounding a correction character when entering a text is high.

[0080] Therefore, in step 901, the character input control program 110d obtains the key arrangement used for input by reading the keyboard type used when creating the article (character input). Figure 10 As shown, the character arrangement around the correction character g is acquired.

[0081] Next, in step 902, the character input control program 110d obtains the distance between the center of the corrected character and the centers of the surrounding characters on the key array.

[0082] In step 903, the character input control program 110d divides the distance calculated in step 902 by the distance between the center of key g and the center of the keys adjacent to either the left or right side of key g in the key arrangement, thereby calculating a normalized distance, where the distance between the centers of the adjacent keys on either side is set to "1." The center-to-center distance can be a single distance, that is, the distance between the center of key g and the centers of the keys adjacent to its left and right sides, or it can be a value obtained by adding the distances between the centers of key g and its left and right sides and dividing by 2. While normalization is performed using the center-to-center distance of the adjacent keys, this is not limiting; any method can be used as long as the relative distance between the keys in the arrangement can be calculated independently of keyboard enlargement and reduction.

[0083] Next, in step 904 , the character input control program 110 d determines whether the normalized distance between the surrounding keys obtained in step 903 is less than a preset value of 2 for each surrounding character.

[0084] In step 905, if the character input control program 110d determines in step 904 that the normalized distance between the surrounding keys is less than the set value 2 (step 904: Yes), the character is selected as a correction candidate character. On the other hand, if the character input control program 110d determines in step 904 that the normalized distance between the surrounding keys is not less than the set value 2 (step 904: No), the process ends without any action.

[0085] The selection of surrounding keys with a larger range than the set value 2 as the correction candidate characters is determined. Figure 10 In the QWERTY arrangement soft keyboard of type (1), by setting "1.4" in setting value 2, t, y, f, h, and v drawn on the background are selected as correction candidate characters. Whether to include c and b or r and u is determined by the value of setting value 2. In addition, although it is also arranged as QWERTY, it is arranged closer to the arrangement of the hard keyboard. Figure 10 In a QWERTY soft keyboard of type (2), when setting value 2 is set to "1.4", t, y, f, h, v, and b, which are painted on the background, are selected as correction candidate characters. Whether r, u, c, and n are further included is determined based on the value of setting value 2. In addition, since the key arrangement of the setting value varies depending on the keyboard type, it is preferable to set setting value 2 for each keyboard type.

[0086] In this embodiment, a method for correcting erroneous input in an English article is described, and it can also be applied to correcting erroneous input in a Japanese article. Specifically, when a key representing a kana character in a Japanese article that is a mixed text of Kanji and Kana is touched, the character input control program 110d 1) displays the Roman alphabet symbol when the soft keyboard type is a Roman alphabet input type. For example, when the touched kana character is "か", the character input control program 110d displays "ka", and then touches k, thereby displaying correction candidate characters based on the key arrangement around k. In addition, although the character input control program 110d displays correction candidate characters around a when a is touched, the correction candidate characters are not arranged according to the key, but are displayed based on the characters that constitute the か row. That is, the character input control program 110d displays i, u, e, and o, which are equivalent to the vowel parts of か, き, く, け, and こ. By taking multiple steps in this way, it can be applied in the same way as the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0087] Furthermore, the character input control program 110d 2) displays correction candidate characters based on the key arrangement around the touched character when the soft keyboard is in the single-touch kana input type. For example, if the character "か" is touched, the character input control program 110d displays え、お、す、ん、は、き as correction candidate characters around the character "か".

[0088] Furthermore, the character input control program 110d 3) displays the key arrangement surrounding the corrected character rather than the corrected character around the touched character when the soft keyboard uses a multi-touch input mode, for example. For example, when the corrected character is "か," the character input control program 110d displays the key arrangement surrounding the corrected character in the あ row, the さ row, and the な row, and then displays the か row at the corrected character. More specifically, when correcting "か" to "に," the key arrangement surrounding the corrected character is touched twice, thereby correcting "か" to "に."

[0089] Furthermore, when a Chinese character is touched in a Japanese article that is a mixture of Chinese characters and kana, the character input control program 110d converts the Chinese character back to the kana display before the kana-kanji conversion in a single Chinese character or an idiom or phrase and displays it. This display is performed before the kana-kanji conversion in consideration of the user's convenience, but it is preferably displayed in an easily understandable manner. Next, when the correction object character in the kana before the kana-kanji conversion is touched, the character input control program 110d performs the same processing as the case of touching the kana character in the Japanese article described above, performs the kana-kanji conversion, and ends the processing. Furthermore, when a Chinese character is touched in order to perform the kana-kanji conversion and the kana before the kana-kanji conversion is displayed, the character input control program 110d preferably displays the soft keyboard at the same time in consideration of the user's convenience.

[0090] Thus, according to this embodiment, Figure 8A 、 8B As shown, the application execution unit 104b (application program 110b) reads information about the arrangement of input objects displayed on the display unit when input information is input, and the character input control execution unit 104d (character input control execution program 110d) determines whether the input object of the input information displayed on the display unit has been touched. If it is determined that the input object has been touched, the touched input object is identified as a correction object, and correction candidate objects based on the arrangement of the input objects are displayed around the correction object. If it is determined that the correction candidate object has been touched, the correction object is replaced with the touched correction candidate object. This allows correction of characters in the input information to be performed with fewer touches. In addition, a text that has been incorrectly input can be quickly and accurately corrected to a correct input.

[0091] In addition, if Figure 8A As shown in steps S806, S807, etc., the above-mentioned character input control execution unit 104d determines whether the corrected object including the correction candidate object is a meaningful structure. When it is judged that the corrected object is a meaningful structure, the correction candidate object judged to be a meaningful structure is emphasized, so that the user can easily view the correction candidate and reduce accidental touching of the correction candidate object.

[0092] In addition, if Figure 8A As shown in step S851, the character input control execution unit 104d determines whether the input objects are touched. When it is determined that the input objects have been touched, the arrangement of the input objects is read and the input information is put into an input waiting state. Therefore, even if the user touches the input objects that have already been touched, the next input can be quickly prepared.

[0093] In addition, if Figure 8B As shown in step S810 and the like, the character input control execution unit 104d displays a clearing object outside the correction candidate object when the correction candidate object is displayed, so that the user can easily perform a clearing operation on the touched correction candidate object.

[0094] In addition, if Figure 8B As shown in step S810 and the like, the character input control execution unit 104d arranges the erase targets based on the characteristics of the user who inputs the input information, thereby improving the convenience for each user in the erase operation.

[0095] In addition, if Figure 8B As shown in step S855, the character input control execution unit 104d determines whether the displayed correction candidate object has not been touched for a specified time. If it is determined that the correction candidate object has not been touched for a specified time, the display of the correction candidate object is terminated and the input information is put into an input waiting state. Therefore, even if the user terminates the correction using the correction candidate object, the next input can be quickly prepared.

[0096] While the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment and various modifications are contemplated. For example, the background color of a correction candidate character may be set when a correction candidate character replaces a correction character in a spelling check of a word, which has a meaningful meaning. However, this is not limiting. For example, by storing a history of correction character combinations that replace correction characters, a background color may be set for correction candidate characters with a high error rate. Furthermore, the numerical values ​​shown in the text and figures are merely examples, and different numerical values ​​may also be used.

[0097] The above functions can also be implemented in part or in whole by designing hardware, for example, using integrated circuits. Furthermore, microprocessor units can be implemented in software by interpreting and executing programs that implement their respective functions. A combination of hardware and software is also possible.

[0098] Description of Reference Signs

[0099] 100: Information terminal, 140t: Touch panel display, 140: Operation unit, 140a: Detection unit, 140b: Touch panel control unit, 120: Image processing unit, 121: Display unit, 101: Main control unit, 104: Memory unit, 110: Storage unit.

Claims

1. A method for correcting input information, characterized in that: displaying a sentence on the touch panel display, the sentence including character objects corresponding to a plurality of character information input through the soft keyboard, When it is determined that one of the character objects has been touched, the touched character object is identified as a correction object. reading soft keyboard type information, the soft keyboard type information being stored as characteristic information of the character information when the character information is input through the soft keyboard and indicating one or more types of soft keyboards used to input the character information, On the touch panel display, displaying a correction candidate object around the touched character object and at adjacent positions thereof, the correction candidate object being different from the touched character object and being selected based on the soft keyboard type information, determining whether one of the displayed correction candidate objects has been touched, When it is determined that one of the displayed correction candidate objects has been touched, the touched character object is replaced with the touched correction candidate object.

2. The input information correction method according to claim 1, wherein: Before determining whether one of the displayed correction candidate objects is touched, When the correction object is replaced with a specific correction candidate object, it is determined whether the specific correction candidate object has a meaningful structure. If it is determined that the specific candidate correction object has a meaningful structure, the specific candidate correction object is highlighted and displayed.

3. The input information correction method according to claim 1, wherein: If it is determined that the character object is not touched, it is determined whether the character objects are touched. When it is determined that a touch has been made between character objects, an input object is displayed on the display and a state of waiting for input of character information is set.

4. The input information correction method according to claim 1, wherein: The clearing objects are displayed outside the displayed correction candidate objects.

5. The input information correction method according to claim 4, wherein: The clearing objects are arranged based on the characteristics of the user who inputs the character information.

6. The input information correction method according to claim 1, wherein: Determine whether the displayed candidate correction object has not been touched for a predetermined time, If it is determined that the displayed candidate correction object has not been touched for a predetermined time, the display of the candidate correction object is stopped. An input object is displayed on the display and an input waiting state for input information is set.

7. The input information correction method according to claim 1, wherein: The soft keyboard type information is associated with key arrangement information of a soft keyboard used for inputting character information.

8. The input information correction method according to claim 7, wherein: Selecting a specific revision candidate from the revision candidates, displaying the candidate objects for correction and emphasizing the specific candidate object for correction, The specific candidate correction objects are selected based on the key distances between the touched object and each candidate correction object calculated according to the key arrangement information.

9. The input information correction method according to claim 1, wherein: The soft keyboard is of QWERTY, Dvorak, JIS or telephone type.

10. An information terminal including a controller, characterized in that: the controller, displaying a sentence on the touch panel display, the sentence including character objects corresponding to a plurality of character information input through the soft keyboard; When it is determined that one of the character objects has been touched, the touched character object is identified as a correction object. reading soft keyboard type information, the soft keyboard type information being stored as characteristic information of the character information when the character information is input through the soft keyboard and indicating one or more types of soft keyboards used to input the character information; On the touch panel display, displaying a correction candidate object around the touched character object and at adjacent positions thereof, the correction candidate object being different from the touched character object and being selected based on the soft keyboard type information, Determine whether one of the correction candidates has been touched, When it is determined that one of the candidate correction objects has been touched, the touched character object is replaced with the touched candidate correction object.

11. The information terminal according to claim 10, wherein: Before determining whether one of the displayed correction candidate objects is touched, When the correction object is replaced with a specific correction candidate object, the controller determines whether the specific correction candidate object has a meaningful structure. When it is determined that the specific candidate correction object has a meaningful structure, the controller highlights and displays the specific candidate correction object.

12. The information terminal according to claim 10, wherein The controller determines whether the character objects are touched. When it is determined that the character objects have been touched, the controller displays an input object on the display and sets an input waiting state for the character information.

13. The information terminal according to claim 10, wherein The controller displays the clearing object outside the displayed correction candidate object.

14. The information terminal according to claim 13, wherein: The controller arranges the clearing objects based on characteristics of a user who inputs character information.

15. The information terminal according to claim 10, wherein The controller determines whether a predetermined time has passed since the displayed candidate correction object was not touched. The controller stops displaying the candidate correction object when it is determined that the displayed candidate correction object has not been touched for a predetermined time. The controller displays an input object on the display and sets an input waiting state for input information.

16. The information terminal according to claim 10, wherein: The soft keyboard type information is associated with key arrangement information of a soft keyboard used for inputting character information.

17. The information terminal according to claim 16, wherein: the controller, Selecting a specific revision candidate from the revision candidates, displaying the candidate objects for correction and emphasizing the specific candidate object for correction, The specific candidate correction objects are selected based on the key distances between the touched object and each candidate correction object calculated according to the key arrangement information.

18. The information terminal according to claim 10, wherein: The soft keyboard is of QWERTY, Dvorak, JIS or telephone type.

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