Portable terminal

Abstract

To provide a configuration capable of automatically adjusting the display range of an operation icon so as not to overlap the display range of an input operation acceptance field, without requiring manual operation by the user.SOLUTION: A control unit 21 performs processing according to an operation icon 30 displayed movably on a display screen 25a of a touch panel 25 when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon 30, and performs a display adjustment process of adjusting the display range of the operation icon 30 so that the display range of the operation icon 30 does not overlap the display range of an input operation reception field 40 in a case where the display range of one or two or more input operation reception fields 40 overlaps the display range of the operation icon 30 after screen transition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a touch panel type mobile terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] In touch-panel mobile terminals such as handheld terminals, in addition to hard keys (physical keys) such as trigger keys located on the side of the housing, operation icons displayed on the touch panel screen can be prepared, and tapping on these operation icons can be used to start reading, etc. When alternating between screen operations such as input operations and selection operations and reading operations, using trigger keys, etc., requires changing the grip, making operation difficult, so many users are using operation icons (software triggers) for input instructions that allow the operation position on the touch panel to be changed.

[0003] For example, in the electronic device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, by tapping and moving an item displayed on a touch panel, the item moves within the screen according to the amount of movement. This allows the user to fine-tune the display position of the item with good operability. By performing the above-mentioned processing on the operation icon, the display position on the touch panel can also be fine-tuned. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-092958 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, since the position of the operation icon on the display screen of the touch panel can be freely changed, there are cases where the operation icon overlaps with other input operation acceptance fields on the display screen, such as input fields or selection fields, etc. In such cases, the user must manually change the display position of the operation icon to a position where it does not overlap with the input operation acceptance field.

[0006] However, since the position of the input operation reception field may differ for each screen transition, when performing work that requires many screen transitions, there is a problem that the operation of manually moving the display position of the operation icon to a position that does not overlap with the input operation reception field occurs frequently.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a configuration that can automatically adjust the display range of the operation icon so that it does not overlap the display range of the input operation reception field, without requiring manual operation by the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a touch panel (25) having a display screen (25a) on which a tap operation is performed; a processing unit (21) that performs processing in response to a tap operation performed on the display screen; a display control unit (21) for controlling the display state of the display screen; A mobile terminal (10) comprising: the processing unit performs processing corresponding to an operation icon (30) displayed on the display screen in a moveable manner when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon; The display control unit is characterized in that, when the display range of one or more input operation reception fields (40, 40a to 40f) overlaps with the display range of the operation icon after a screen transition, it performs a display adjustment process to adjust the display range of the operation icon so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation reception field.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a touch panel (25) having a display screen (25a) on which a tap operation is performed; a processing unit (21) that performs processing in response to a tap operation performed on the display screen; a display control unit (21) for controlling the display state of the display screen; A mobile terminal (10) comprising: the processing unit performs processing corresponding to an operation icon (30) displayed on the display screen in a moveable manner when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon; The display control unit is characterized in that, when a specific tap operation is performed on the display screen on which the operation icon is displayed, it performs a display position change process to change the display position of the operation icon to the position where the specific tap operation was performed.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is a touch panel (25) having a display screen (25a) on which a tap operation is performed; a processing unit (21) that performs processing in response to a tap operation performed on the display screen; a display control unit (21) for controlling the display state of the display screen; a determination unit (21) that determines whether a predetermined operation different from the operation on the display screen has been performed; A mobile terminal (10) comprising: the processing unit performs processing corresponding to an operation icon (30) displayed on the display screen in a moveable manner when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon; The display control unit is characterized in that when a tap operation is performed on the display screen on which the operation icon is displayed, the determination unit determines that the specified operation has been performed, and performs a display position change process to change the display position of the operation icon to the position where the tap operation was performed. The symbols in parentheses above indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments to be described later. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the present invention, when a tap operation is performed on an operation icon displayed on the display screen of the touch panel in a manner that allows it to be moved, the processing unit performs processing according to the operation icon, and when the display range of one or more input operation acceptance fields overlaps with the display range of the operation icon after the screen transition, the display control unit performs display adjustment processing to adjust the display range of the operation icon so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation acceptance field.

[0012] As a result, the display range of the operation icon that overlaps the display range of the input operation acceptance field after the screen transition is automatically adjusted so that it does not overlap the display range of the input operation acceptance field. Therefore, it is possible to realize a mobile terminal that can automatically adjust the display so that the display range of the operation icon does not overlap the display range of the input operation acceptance field without requiring manual operation by the user.

[0013] In the display adjustment process, a lower limit size is set for the display adjustment that reduces the size of the display range of the operation icon, and if display adjustment is required to reduce the size below that lower limit size, the display control unit does not need to perform the display adjustment process.

[0014] This prevents the operation icons from becoming too small during the display adjustment process, and makes it possible to maintain the operability of the operation icons.

[0015] The display control unit may not perform the display adjustment process when the number of taps on the operation icon counted by the counting unit is less than a predetermined number of times.

[0016] Even when a new input operation acceptance field is displayed due to a screen transition, there are cases where users want to use the operation icon that was displayed before the screen transition with priority. In such cases, by adjusting the display range of the operation icon after tapping the operation icon the required number of times (the above-mentioned predetermined number of times), the operation icon can be used in a position that is easy to operate, and the display range of the operation icon can be adjusted at the timing when the required number of tapping operations has been completed.

[0017] The display control unit may not perform the display adjustment process if the input operation acceptance field is not in an input operation enabled state after the screen transition, and may perform the display adjustment process when the input operation acceptance field is in an input operation enabled state.

[0018] Even when an input operation acceptance field is displayed after a screen transition, priority can be given to operations using operation icons by not performing a display adjustment process until the input operation acceptance field is made available for input operation by a user operation. On the other hand, when the input operation acceptance field is made available for input operation by a user operation, the display adjustment process is performed so as not to interfere with input operations into the input operation acceptance field, thereby improving the operability of the input operation acceptance field.

[0019] The display control unit does not need to perform the display adjustment process from the time when the operation icons start to be displayed on the display screen until the screen transition occurs.

[0020] When the display of the operation icon starts without a screen transition, the user intends to perform an operation using the operation icon, so it is possible to prevent unnecessary display adjustment processing from being performed against the user's intention.

[0021] In the display adjustment process, when moving an operation icon up, down, left, or right on the display screen, the direction of movement that minimizes the distance traveled to a position where the operation icon does not overlap with the display range of the input operation reception field without changing the size of the operation icon is found, and the operation icon is moved in that direction, thereby adjusting the display range of the operation icon so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation reception field.

[0022] The display control unit may perform a display adjustment process to adjust the display range of the operation icon according to a pre-specified designated position when the display range of the operation icon displayed before the screen transition overlaps with the display range of the input operation reception field after the screen transition.

[0023] Some users may wish to move an operation icon to a pre-specified position. Furthermore, not all input operation acceptance fields are necessarily used, and it may be acceptable to move the operation icon to an input operation acceptance field that is not being used. In such cases, by moving the operation icon to a pre-specified position designated by the user, the operability of the operation icon can be improved so as to reflect the user's intention.

[0024] In the present invention, when a tap operation is performed on an operation icon that is displayed on the display screen of the touch panel in a manner that allows it to be moved, the processing unit performs processing corresponding to the operation icon, and when a specific tap operation is performed on the display screen on which the operation icon is displayed, the display control unit performs display position change processing that changes the display position of the operation icon to the position where the specific tap operation was performed.

[0025] For example, when an operation icon is used as a trigger for reading an information code, the way the mobile device is held changes when reading an information code displayed in various states, and the screen display position of the operation icon suitable for that holding position also changes. For example, the way the mobile device is held changes when reading an information code attached to an object placed high versus when reading an information code attached to an object placed low, and the screen display position of the operation icon suitable for each operation also changes. That is, there is a screen display position of the operation icon suitable for each information code reading task, and when there are a large number of information codes to be read, the number of operations to change the screen display position of the operation icon inevitably increases. Furthermore, in tasks that require frequent screen transitions, an operation to move the operation icon is required each time the operation icon overlaps with an input operation acceptance field or predetermined display information after a screen transition. Similar problems arise not only when reading information codes but also in other tasks when the way the mobile device is held changes.

[0026] Conventionally, a user can change the display position of an operation icon to a desired position by moving the operation icon while touching it. However, this method requires not only visual confirmation of the position of the operation icon to be moved while touching it, but also the user must hold the mobile device with one hand while touching the operation icon to be moved with the other, which means both hands are unavailable, resulting in poor operability.

[0027] Therefore, when a specific tap operation is performed on the display screen on which the operation icon is displayed, the display position of the operation icon is changed to the position where the specific tap operation was performed. As a result, the display position of the operation icon can be changed to the position where the specific tap operation was performed without visually checking the operation icon displayed on the screen. In particular, by performing a specific tap operation with one hand holding the mobile device, not only can the display position of the operation icon be easily changed, but the other hand can also be used to perform another task. Furthermore, if the specific tap operation can be performed on the right or left side of the display screen, even a user with relatively small hands can easily change the display position of the operation icon with one hand holding the mobile device, even when working with a mobile device with a large screen. Therefore, a mobile device can be realized in which the display position of the operation icon can be changed by operation with one hand holding the mobile device, without visually checking the operation icon displayed on the screen.

[0028] The specific tap operation may be a series of consecutive tap operations, which allows the specific tap operation to be easily performed while clearly distinguishing the specific tap operation from other tap operations.

[0029] In the present invention, when a tap operation is performed on an operation icon that is displayed on the display screen of the touch panel in a manner that allows it to be moved, the processing unit performs processing corresponding to the operation icon, and when a tap operation is performed on the display screen on which the operation icon is displayed, the judgment unit determines that a predetermined operation has been performed, and the display control unit performs display position change processing that changes the display position of the operation icon to the position where the tap operation was performed.

[0030] Even in this way, the display position of the operation icon can be changed to the position where the tap operation is performed without visually checking the operation icon displayed on the screen. In particular, by performing the above-mentioned predetermined operation together with the tap operation with one hand holding the mobile device, not only can the display position of the operation icon be easily changed, but also another task can be performed with the other hand.

[0031] The predetermined operation may be a pressing operation on a predetermined hard key, whereby the display position of the operation icon can be changed as described above by pressing the predetermined hard key together with a tap operation with one hand holding the mobile device.

[0032] The predetermined operation may be an operation in which a predetermined attitude or movement of the mobile device is measured based on a measurement result of a sensor including at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a proximity sensor. In this way, by performing a tap operation with one hand holding the mobile device and putting the held mobile device into a predetermined attitude or movement, the display position of the operation icon can be changed as described above.

[0033] The predetermined operation may be an operation in which the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor becomes equal to or less than a predetermined illuminance threshold. In this way, the display position of the operation icon can be changed as described above by tapping with one hand holding the mobile device and covering and darkening the measurement range of the illuminance sensor of the mobile device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic example of the electrical configuration of the mobile terminal of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an operation icon management process performed by a control unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of adjusting the position of the display range of an operation icon, where FIG. 4A shows the screen display state before the screen transition, and FIG. 4B shows the screen display state after the screen transition with the display adjustment. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of adjusting the size of the display range of an operation icon, where FIG. 5A shows the screen display state before the screen transition, and FIG. 5B shows the screen display state after the screen transition with display adjustment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an operation icon management process performed by a control unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an operation icon management process performed by a control unit in the third embodiment. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of display adjustment of operation icons in the fifth embodiment, where FIG. 8A shows the screen display state before the screen transition, and FIG. 8B shows the screen display state after the screen transition with display adjustment. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a display position change process performed by a control unit in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of changing the display position of an operation icon in the sixth embodiment, where FIG. 10A shows the screen display state before the continuous tap operation, and FIG. 10B shows the screen display state after the continuous tap operation in which the display position has been changed. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a display position change process performed by a control unit in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 12] 12A and 12B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of changing the display position of an operation icon in the seventh embodiment, in which FIG. 12A shows the screen display state before a predetermined operation, and FIG. 12B shows the screen display state after the display position has been changed in response to a tap operation and a predetermined operation. [Figure 13]13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of changing the display position of an operation icon in a first variant of the seventh embodiment, in which FIG. 13A shows the screen display state before a predetermined operation, and FIG. 13B shows the screen display state in which the display position has been changed in response to a tap operation and the predetermined operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] [First embodiment] A first embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment is configured as a touch panel type information processing terminal that optically reads information codes such as barcodes and QR codes (registered trademark).

[0036] 1, housing 11 constituting the outer shell of mobile terminal 10 is formed in a generally thin plate shape, and a display screen 25a of touch panel 25 enlarged to have a narrow frame (narrow bezel) is disposed on front surface 12. Trigger keys 26a and 26b are disposed on left and right sides 13a and 13b of housing 11, respectively, as hard keys (physical keys) to be pressed. A reading port (not shown) is provided on one longitudinal side of the rear surface of housing 11 to allow reflected light from an information code illuminated by illumination light to enter housing 11.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 10 includes a control unit 21 that is responsible for overall control, a memory unit 22 consisting of a semiconductor memory or the like, an imaging unit 23 configured as a camera, an illumination unit 24 that irradiates illumination light onto the imaging field of view of the imaging unit 23, a touch panel 25 having a display screen 25a whose display content is controlled by the control unit 21, an operation unit 26 that outputs signals to the control unit 21 in response to touch operations including tap operations on the display screen 25a and key operations such as trigger keys 26a and 26b, a motion sensor 27 that can measure the attitude and movement of the mobile terminal 10 (housing 11), an illuminance sensor 28 that can measure the ambient illuminance, a communication unit 29 for communicating with higher-level devices, etc., a power supply unit, a battery, etc. (not shown).

[0038] In the mobile terminal 10 configured in this manner, when the information code becomes optically readable, an information code reading process is performed on the image of the information code captured by the imaging unit 23 at the time the user performs a reading operation, in order to decode and read the information recorded in the information code.

[0039] Furthermore, a predetermined application program for inventory work (hereinafter also referred to as inventory app) is installed in the mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment. By starting this inventory app, the inventory management process performed by the control unit 21 reads the information code attached to each item to be inventoryed by the information code reading process described above, and then performs a process for managing the inventory work status and the like using the read result.

[0040] Furthermore, an application program (hereinafter also referred to as an operation icon app) for displaying a square-shaped operation icon 30 that can be moved on the display screen 25a of the touch panel 25 is installed in the mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment. The operation icon 30 functions as a software trigger that outputs a preset operation signal as an input operation instruction to the control unit 21 when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon 30, and in this embodiment, a tap operation on the operation icon 30 is preset as the above-mentioned reading operation.

[0041] In the operation icon management process performed by the control unit 21 by starting the operation icon app, not only is a process of accepting a tap operation on the operation icon 30 as the reading operation, but also a process of moving the display position of the operation icon 30 in accordance with the movement of the finger touching the operation icon 30 along the display screen 25a. This allows the user to move the operation icon 30, which functions as the reading operation, to any position on the display screen 25a. Note that the control unit 21, which performs processing according to the operation icon 30 when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon 30, can correspond to an example of a "processing unit."

[0042] In particular, in the operation icon management process in this embodiment, a process for automatically adjusting the display range of the operation icon 30 is performed by a display adjustment process that is performed when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Specifically, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, each time a screen transition occurs (Yes in S101), a determination process in step S102 is performed to determine whether or not a display overlap state occurs in which the operation icon 30 that was displayed before the screen transition overlaps with the input operation acceptance field 40 that is newly displayed after the screen transition. Specifically, for example, whether or not a display overlap state occurs can be determined based on the coordinates of the four corners of the operation icon 30 and the coordinates of the four corners of the input operation acceptance field 40.

[0043] If there is no display overlap state or if there is no input operation reception field 40, the determination of No is repeated in step S102. Then, if the display overlap state occurs in which the operation icon 30 that was displayed before the screen transition overlaps with the input operation reception field 40 that is newly displayed after the screen transition (Yes in S102), a display adjustment process shown in step S103 is performed to adjust the display range of the operation icon 30 so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation reception field 40.

[0044] The input operation acceptance field 40 in this embodiment may be a field with a rectangular or square display range, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and may include an input field 41 for accepting characters entered, a selection field 42 for "BACK" to revert the process, and a selection field 43 for "NEXT" to proceed with the process.

[0045] The display adjustment process (S103) performed by the control unit 21 when it is determined that the display overlap state exists will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The control unit 21 that performs the display adjustment process can correspond to an example of a "display control unit."

[0046] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4(A), if the display range of one input operation acceptance field 40a that is newly displayed after a screen transition overlaps with the display range of the operation icon 30, the length dx in the X direction (horizontal direction of the screen) and the length dy in the Y direction (vertical direction of the screen) of the overlapping range are calculated, and the operation icon 30 is moved so that the shorter of dx and dy becomes 0.

[0047] That is, in the display adjustment process, when moving the operation icon 30 up, down, left, or right on the display screen 25a, the movement direction that moves the operation icon 30 the shortest distance to a position where it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation acceptance field without changing the size of the operation icon 30 is found, and the display range of the operation icon 30 is adjusted by moving the operation icon 30 in that movement direction so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation acceptance field. In Figure 4(A), since dx>dy, the operation icon 30 is moved downward on the screen by a length of approximately dy.

[0048] As a result, as shown in Fig. 4(B), the display range of the operation icon 30 can be automatically moved so as not to overlap with the display range of the input operation reception field 40a. Note that in Fig. 4(A), the area where the display range of the input operation reception field 40a and the display range of the operation icon 30 overlap is hatched.

[0049] 5(A), if a plurality of new input operation reception fields 40b, 40c, and 40d are displayed after a screen transition, causing the display range of at least a portion (in the example of FIG. 5(A), the input operation reception fields 40b and 40c) to overlap with the display range of the operation icon 30, and if there is no space to move the operation icon 30 so that the overlap does not occur, a display adjustment is made to reduce the size of the operation icon 30 in a similar manner. Specifically, when the length in the X direction and the length in the Y direction are shortened to avoid a display overlap state, the shorter length (the length in the Y direction in the example of FIG. 5(A)) is used as a reference, and the display adjustment is made to reduce the size of the operation icon 30 in a similar manner.

[0050] As a result, as shown in Fig. 5(B), the display range of the operation icon 30 can be automatically resized so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation acceptance fields 40b and 40c. Note that in Fig. 5(A), the area where the display range of the input operation acceptance fields 40b and 40c and the display range of the operation icon 30 overlap is hatched.

[0051] Note that a lower limit size may be set for the display adjustment that reduces the size of the display range of the operation icons 30 in the display adjustment process, and if display adjustment below the lower limit size is required, the display adjustment process may not be performed. This prevents the operation icons 30 from becoming too small during the display adjustment process, and makes it possible to maintain the operability of the operation icons 30.

[0052] Furthermore, in the display adjustment process for reducing the size of the display range of the operation icon 30, the display adjustment is not limited to reducing the size of the operation icon 30 similarly, but the ratio of size reduction may be changed between the X direction and the Y direction. For example, in the example of Fig. 5(A), the size may be changed so that only the Y direction is shortened.

[0053] As described above, in the mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment, when a tap operation is performed on an operation icon 30 that is displayed so as to be movable on the display screen 25a of the touch panel 25, the control unit 21 performs processing according to the operation icon 30, and if the display range of one or more input operation acceptance fields 40 overlaps with the display range of the operation icon 30 after the screen transition (Yes in S102), a display adjustment process is performed to adjust the display range of the operation icon 30 so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation acceptance field 40 (S103).

[0054] As a result, the display range of the operation icon 30 that overlaps the display range of the input operation acceptance field 40 after the screen transition is automatically adjusted so that it does not overlap the display range of the input operation acceptance field 40. Therefore, it is possible to realize the mobile terminal 10 that can automatically adjust the display so that the display range of the operation icon 30 does not overlap the display range of the input operation acceptance field 40 without requiring manual operation by the user.

[0055] The display range of the operation icon 30 is not limited to being set to a square shape, and may be set to be, for example, a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape. Similarly, the display range of the input operation reception field 40 is not limited to being set to a rectangular shape or a square shape, and may be set to be, for example, a circular shape or an elliptical shape.

[0056] Even in such a case, the display adjustment process that is performed when it is determined that the display is overlapping can achieve the above-mentioned effect by finding the movement direction that will result in the shortest movement distance when the operation icon 30 is moved to a position where it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation reception field 40 without changing the size of the operation icon 30, and adjusting the operation icon 30 to move in that movement direction.

[0057] Specifically, for example, if the display range is set to a rectangle, the coordinates (X, Y) of the four vertices are obtained as (maximum value, maximum value), (maximum value, minimum value), (minimum value, minimum value), (minimum value, maximum value) clockwise from the top right vertex. Furthermore, for example, when the display range is set to a circular shape, the coordinates (X, Y) of the circumference are acquired as (arbitrary value, (√(radius × radius - X × X)), radius = (maximum X value - minimum X value) / 2. However, the arbitrary value is within the range from the minimum value to the maximum value of X. The values included in the range from the minimum value to the maximum value for the acquired coordinates (X, Y) are within the display range. If there are coordinates that match between the coordinates that fall within the display range of the operation icon 30 and the coordinates that fall within the display range of the input operation acceptance field 40, it is determined that there is a display overlap state, and if there are no coordinates that match, it is determined that there is no display overlap state. When it is determined that there is a display overlap state, the difference between the minimum X value of the operation icon 30 at the matching coordinate and the maximum X value of the input operation acceptance field 40, The difference between the minimum X value of the force operation acceptance field 40, the difference between the minimum Y value of the operation icon 30 at the matching coordinates and the maximum Y value of the input operation acceptance field 40, and the difference between the maximum Y value of the operation icon 30 at the matching coordinates and the minimum Y value of the input operation acceptance field 40 are calculated, and the operation icon 30 is moved one unit (e.g., one pixel) in the direction of the shortest difference among the four differences. Thereafter, the coordinates that will be within the display range of the operation icon 30 after the movement and the coordinates that will be within the display range of the input operation acceptance field 40 are obtained as described above, and if it is determined that there are matching coordinates and therefore a display overlap state exists, the process of calculating the four differences again and moving one unit in the direction of the shortest difference is repeated. If no matching coordinates are found by this repeated process and therefore it is determined that there is no display overlap state, the position to move the display range of the operation icon 30 is determined.

[0058] Furthermore, when there is no space to move the operation icons 30 without overlapping, the above effect can also be achieved by adjusting the display to reduce the size of the operation icons 30 as described above.

[0059] In addition, in the operation icon management process, if the display range of the input operation reception field 40 that is newly displayed by the screen transition after the display adjustment process is performed does not overlap with the display range of the operation icon 30 before the display adjustment process is performed, a process may be performed to return the display range of the operation icon 30 to the range before the display adjustment process was performed.

[0060] Specifically, for example, when a further screen transition is made from the display state of Figure 4(B), if the display range of the input operation reception field 40 after the screen transition does not overlap with the display range of the operation icon 30 in Figure 4(A), processing may be performed to return the display range of the operation icon 30 to the position in Figure 4(A).

[0061] That is, each time a screen transition is performed, it is determined whether or not there is a display overlap state based on the display range of the original operation icon 30 (the operation icon 30 that has been manually moved and operated) for which the display adjustment process has not been performed, and if there is no display overlap state, the display adjustment process is not performed, and if there is a display overlap state, the display adjustment process is performed based on the display range of the original operation icon 30.

[0062] [Second embodiment] Next, a mobile terminal according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the display adjustment process is not immediately started even when a display overlap state occurs after a screen transition. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0063] Even when a new input operation acceptance field 40 is displayed due to a screen transition, there are cases where it is desired to give priority to using the operation icons 30 that were displayed before the screen transition. Specifically, for example, there are cases where the number of information codes to be read is fixed, and it is desired to give priority to using the operation icons 30 until these information codes are read.

[0064] For this reason, in the operation icon management process performed by the control unit 21 in this embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, the number of tap operations that have successfully read an information code is counted as the tap count N, and if the tap count N is less than a predetermined number Nth (e.g., 10 times), the display adjustment process is not performed (No in S104), and if the tap count N is equal to or greater than the predetermined number Nth (Yes in S104), the display adjustment process is performed (S103). Specifically, in the example of FIG. 4, if the tap count N is less than the predetermined number Nth, the display state of FIG. 4(A) is maintained, and if the tap count N is equal to or greater than the predetermined number Nth, the display is adjusted to the display state of FIG. 4(B). Note that the control unit 21 that performs the process of counting the number of tap operations on the operation icon 30 as the tap count N after a screen transition may correspond to an example of a "counting unit."

[0065] In such a case, by adjusting the display range of the operation icon 30 after tapping the operation icon 30 the required number of times (the above-mentioned predetermined number Nth), the operation icon 30 can be used in a position that is easy to operate, and the display range of the operation icon 30 can be adjusted at the timing when the required number of tapping operations has been completed.

[0066] [Third embodiment] Next, a mobile terminal according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the display adjustment process is not performed until the input operation acceptance field displayed after the screen transition becomes available for input operation. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, and their description will be omitted.

[0067] 7, in the operation icon management process of this embodiment, even if a display overlap state occurs after a screen transition (Yes in S102), the input operation acceptance field 40 becomes an input operation available state by a focus operation such as a tap operation (Yes in S105), and the display adjustment process is performed (S103), and if the input operation acceptance field 40 is not in an input operation available state (No in S105), a state in which the display adjustment process is not performed is maintained. Specifically, in the example of Fig. 4, if the input operation acceptance field 40 is not in an input operation available state because a focus operation has not been performed, the display state of Fig. 4(A) is maintained, and if a focus operation is performed and the input operation acceptance field 40 becomes an input operation available state, the display is adjusted to the display state of Fig. 4(B).

[0068] As a result, even when the input operation acceptance field 40 is displayed after a screen transition, the display adjustment process is not performed until the input operation acceptance field 40 is brought into an input operation-enabled state by a user operation, thereby giving priority to operations using the operation icon 30. On the other hand, when the input operation acceptance field 40 is brought into an input operation-enabled state by a user operation, the display adjustment process is performed so as not to interfere with input operations into the input operation acceptance field 40, thereby improving the operability of the input operation acceptance field 40.

[0069] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a mobile terminal according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the display adjustment process is not performed from the time when the operation icons 30 start to be displayed on the display screen 25a until the screen transition occurs. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0070] When the display of the operation icon 30 begins without any screen transition, i.e., when the operation icon 30 is displayed on the display screen 25a for the first time in response to the launch of the operation icon app, it is assumed that the user intends to perform an operation using the operation icon 30.

[0071] Therefore, in the operation icon management process of this embodiment, the display adjustment process is not performed from the time the operation icon 30 starts to be displayed on the display screen 25a until the screen transition occurs, thereby preventing the display adjustment process from being performed unnecessarily against the user's intention.

[0072] [Fifth embodiment] Next, a mobile terminal according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The fifth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a display adjustment process is performed to adjust the display range of the operation icon 30 according to a designated position designated in advance by the user. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0073] Some users may want to move the operation icon 30 to a pre-specified position when moving the operation icon 30 due to overlapping display. Also, not all input operation acceptance fields 40 are necessarily used, and there are cases where the operation icon may be moved onto an input operation acceptance field 40 that is not being used.

[0074] Therefore, in this embodiment, in the display adjustment process performed when the display is in an overlapping state, the position to which the operation icon 30 should be moved is assumed to be specified in advance by the user, and processing is performed to adjust the display range of the operation icon 30 in accordance with this specified position.

[0075] Specifically, for example, if the designated position 30a is set in advance as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 8(A), when the display overlaps with the input operation reception field 40e after the screen transition, the display position of the operation icon 30 is adjusted to move to the designated position 30a as shown in Fig. 8(B) as an example. In particular, because the user intentionally designated the operation icon 30, even in the display overlapping state where the operation icon 30 overlaps with another input operation reception field 40f, the operation icon 30 is displayed at the designated position 30a. Note that in Fig. 8(B), the display position of the operation icon 30 before moving to the designated position 30a is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0076] In this way, when a display overlap state occurs after a screen transition, the operation icon 30 can be moved to a designated position 30a previously designated by the user, thereby reflecting the user's intention and improving the operability of the operation icon 30.

[0077] [Sixth embodiment] Next, a mobile terminal according to the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The sixth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the display position of the operation icon is manually changed in response to a specific tap operation by the user. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] For example, when the operation icon 30 is used as a trigger for reading an information code, the way the mobile terminal 10 is held changes when reading an information code displayed in various states, and therefore the screen display position of the operation icon 30 suitable for operation with that holding position also changes. For example, the way the mobile terminal 10 is held changes depending on whether an information code attached to an object placed in a high position is being read or an information code attached to an object placed in a low position, and the screen display position of the operation icon 30 suitable for each operation also changes.

[0079] That is, there is a screen display position of the operation icon 30 suitable for the reading operation for each information code, and when there are a large number of information codes to be read, the number of operations to change the screen display position of the operation icon 30 inevitably increases. Also, in operations in which screen transitions occur frequently, an operation to move the operation icon 30 is required each time the operation icon 30 overlaps with the input operation acceptance field 40 after the screen transition or predetermined display information, etc. Similar problems arise not only in the operation of reading information codes but also in other operations when the way the mobile terminal 10 is held changes.

[0080] Conventionally, the display position of the operation icon 30 can be changed to a desired position by an operation method of moving the operation icon 30 while touching it. However, not only is it necessary to visually check the position of the operation icon 30 to be moved while touching it, but it is also necessary to hold the mobile terminal 10 with one hand while touching the operation icon 30 to be moved with the other hand, which means that both hands cannot be used, which is problematic and can lead to poor operability.

[0081] For this reason, the present embodiment aims to realize a mobile terminal 10 that allows the display position of the operation icon 30 to be changed by an operation with one hand holding the mobile terminal 10, without the need to visually check the operation icon 30 displayed on the screen. Specifically, in the operation icon management process performed by the control unit 21 in this embodiment, when a specific tap operation is performed on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed, a display position change process is performed so that the display position of the operation icon 30 is changed to the position where the specific tap operation was performed, without taking into account screen transitions, display overlap states, etc. The control unit 21 that performs the display position change process can correspond to an example of a "display control unit."

[0082] 9, when a tap operation is performed on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed (Yes in S201), if the tap operation is not a continuous tap operation, it is determined that the tap operation is not a specific tap operation (No in S202), and a normal operation corresponding to the tap operation is performed (S203). On the other hand, when a continuous tap operation is performed, it is determined that the tap operation is a specific tap operation (Yes in S202), and a movement process is performed to move the operation icon 30 to the position where the last tap operation was performed (S204).

[0083] For example, by performing a continuous tap operation on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed as illustrated in FIG. 10(A), the operation icon 30 moves to the position where it was last tapped, as illustrated in FIG. 10(B).

[0084] As described above, in the mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment, when a specific tap operation is performed on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed, the display position of the operation icon 30 is changed to the position where the specific tap operation was performed by the display position change process performed by the control unit 21.

[0085] This allows the display position of the operation icon 30 to be changed to the position where a specific tap operation has been performed, without visually checking the operation icon 30 displayed on the screen. In particular, by performing a specific tap operation with one hand holding the mobile terminal 10, not only can the display position of the operation icon 30 be easily changed, but the other hand can also be used to perform another task. Furthermore, when the specific tap operation is performed on the right or left side of the display screen 25a, even when a user with relatively small hands is working with a mobile terminal 10 with a large screen, the display position of the operation icon 30 can be easily changed with one hand holding the mobile terminal 10.

[0086] In particular, since a series of tap operations is adopted as the specific tap operation, the specific tap operation can be easily performed while clearly distinguishing the specific tap operation from other tap operations.

[0087] Note that the specific tap operation is not limited to a continuous tap operation, and other tap operations that are easy for the user to operate may be adopted, or the specific tap operation may be changed for each user.

[0088] [Seventh embodiment] Next, a mobile terminal according to the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The seventh embodiment differs from the sixth embodiment in that when a tap operation is performed on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed, it is determined that a predetermined operation has been performed, and the display position of the operation icon 30 is changed to the position of the tap operation. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the sixth embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0089] In the display position change process of this embodiment, when a tap operation is performed on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed, it is determined that a predetermined operation different from the operation on the display screen 25a has been performed on the mobile terminal 10, and the display position of the operation icon 30 is changed to the position where the tap operation was performed.

[0090] In this embodiment, the predetermined operation is a press operation of either the trigger key 26a or the trigger key 26b, and when a tap operation is performed on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed (Yes in S201), a determination process in step S205 determines whether or not the predetermined operation has been performed, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 11. The trigger key 26a and the trigger key 26b correspond to an example of a "predetermined hard key," and the control unit 21 that performs the determination process in step S205 can correspond to an example of a "determination unit."

[0091] Here, if neither the trigger key 26a nor the trigger key 26b has been pressed, it is determined that a predetermined operation has not been performed (No in S205), and a normal operation corresponding to the tap operation is performed (S203). On the other hand, if either the trigger key 26a or the trigger key 26b has been pressed when a tap operation is performed, it is determined that a predetermined operation has been performed (Yes in S205), and a movement process is performed to move the operation icon 30 to the tapped position (S204).

[0092] For example, by performing a tap operation and pressing the trigger key 26b almost simultaneously on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed as illustrated in FIG. 12(A), the operation icon 30 moves to the position where it was tapped, as illustrated in FIG. 12(B).

[0093] As described above, in the mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the display position change process performed by the control unit 21 determines that the above-mentioned specified operation has been performed when a tap operation is performed on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed (Yes in S205), and changes the display position of the operation icon 30 to the position where the tap operation was performed.

[0094] In this way, as in the sixth embodiment, the display position of the operation icon 30 can be changed to the position where the tap operation is performed without visually checking the operation icon 30 displayed on the screen. Furthermore, by performing the predetermined operation together with the tap operation with one hand holding the mobile terminal 10, not only can the display position of the operation icon 30 be easily changed, but also another task can be performed with the other hand.

[0095] Since a pressing operation on the trigger key 26a and the trigger key 26b is adopted as the predetermined operation, the display position of the operation icon 30 can be changed as described above by pressing the trigger key 26a or the trigger key 26b together with a tap operation with one hand holding the mobile terminal 10. Note that a pressing operation on a hard key other than the trigger key 26a and the trigger key 26b may also be adopted as the predetermined operation.

[0096] As a first modification of this embodiment, the predetermined operation may be an operation in which a predetermined attitude or movement of the mobile terminal 10 is measured based on the measurement result of the motion sensor 27. As the motion sensor 27, at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a proximity sensor, and the like may be used.

[0097] Assuming that the predetermined posture or movement is, for example, a posture in which the mobile terminal 10 is tilted so that the upper portion thereof is moved away from the user, as shown in Fig. 13(A), by tilting the upper portion of the mobile terminal 10 so that the upper portion thereof is moved away from the user while tapping on the display screen 25a on which the operation icon 30 is displayed, it is determined that the predetermined operation has been performed (Yes in S205), and the operation icon 30 moves to the position where the tap operation was performed, as shown in Fig. 13(B).

[0098] As a result, by performing a tap operation with one hand holding the mobile terminal 10 and putting the held mobile terminal 10 into a predetermined posture or movement, the display position of the operation icon 30 can be changed as described above.

[0099] In the determination process of step S205 in the present first modified example, the determination may be made based on the attitude or movement of the mobile terminal 10 immediately after the tap operation, or based on a change in the attitude or movement of the mobile terminal 10 before and after the tap operation. Furthermore, the predetermined attitude or movement serving as the determination criterion in the determination process of step S205 is not limited to a posture in which the mobile terminal 10 is tilted so that the upper part thereof is away from the user, but may also be another attitude or movement of the mobile terminal 10, such as a posture in which the upper part of the mobile terminal 10 is tilted so that the upper part thereof is closer to the user, a movement in which the mobile terminal 10 is moved vigorously, a movement in which the mobile terminal 10 is shaken from side to side, or the like. Furthermore, for example, when a proximity sensor is used as the motion sensor 27, a movement in which the mobile terminal 10 is brought closer to some object such as a packaging box may be used as the predetermined attitude or movement.

[0100] As a second modification of this embodiment, the predetermined operation may be an operation that causes the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 28 to become equal to or less than a predetermined illuminance threshold value.

[0101] This allows the display position of the operation icon 30 to be changed as described above by tapping with one hand holding the mobile terminal 10 and covering and darkening the measurement range of the illuminance sensor 28 of the mobile terminal 10 that is being held.

[0102] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be embodied as follows, for example. (1) The present invention is not limited to being applied to the display adjustment processing and display position change processing of the operation icon 30 when the inventory app is launched, but may also be applied to the display adjustment processing and display position change processing of the operation icon 30 when, for example, an app for another task is launched.

[0103] (2) The present invention is not limited to being applied to a mobile terminal 10 that optically reads information codes, but may also be applied to a mobile terminal that also has the function of reading wireless tags such as RFID tags via contactless communication, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 10 Mobile devices 21 control unit (processing unit, display control unit) 25 Touch Panel 25a display screen 26a, 26b Trigger key (predetermined hard key) 27 Motion Sensor (Sensor) 28 Illuminance sensor 30 Operation Icons 40, 40a~40f Input operation reception column 41 Input field (input operation acceptance field) 42,43 Selection column (input operation acceptance column)

Claims

1. a touch panel having a display screen on which a tap operation is performed; a processing unit that performs processing in response to a tap operation performed on the display screen; a display control unit that controls a display state of the display screen; A mobile terminal comprising: the processing unit performs processing corresponding to an operation icon when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon displayed on the display screen in a moveable manner, The mobile terminal is characterized in that the display control unit performs a display adjustment process to adjust the display range of the operation icon so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation acceptance field when the display range of one or more input operation acceptance fields overlaps with the display range of the operation icon after a screen transition.

2. The mobile terminal described in claim 1, characterized in that a lower limit size is set for display adjustment that reduces the size of the display range of the operation icon in the display adjustment process, and if display adjustment is required to reduce the size below the lower limit size, the display control unit does not perform the display adjustment process.

3. a counting unit that counts the number of tap operations on the operation icon after a screen transition as the number of taps; The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit does not perform the display adjustment process when the number of taps counted by the counting unit is less than a predetermined number.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the display control unit does not perform the display adjustment process if the input operation acceptance field is not in a state where input operation is possible after a screen transition, and performs the display adjustment process when the input operation acceptance field is in a state where input operation is possible.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit does not perform the display adjustment process from when the operation icon starts to be displayed on the display screen until a screen transition is performed.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, characterized in that the display adjustment process, when moving the operation icon up, down, left, or right on the display screen, finds a movement direction that will result in the shortest movement distance when the operation icon is moved to a position where it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation acceptance field without changing the size of the operation icon, and moves the operation icon in that movement direction, thereby adjusting the display range of the operation icon so that it does not overlap with the display range of the input operation acceptance field.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the display control unit performs the display adjustment process so as to adjust the display range of the operation icon according to a pre-specified designated position when the display range of the operation icon displayed before the screen transition overlaps with the display range of the input operation reception field after the screen transition.

8. a touch panel having a display screen on which a tap operation is performed; a processing unit that performs processing in response to a tap operation performed on the display screen; a display control unit that controls a display state of the display screen; A mobile terminal comprising: the processing unit performs processing corresponding to an operation icon when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon displayed on the display screen in a moveable manner, The mobile terminal is characterized in that the display control unit performs a display position change process to change the display position of the operation icon to the position where the specific tap operation was performed when a specific tap operation is performed on the display screen on which the operation icon is displayed.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 7 , wherein the specific tap operation is a series of tap operations.

10. a touch panel having a display screen on which a tap operation is performed; a processing unit that performs processing in response to a tap operation performed on the display screen; a display control unit that controls a display state of the display screen; a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined operation different from the operation on the display screen has been performed; A mobile terminal comprising: the processing unit performs processing corresponding to an operation icon when a tap operation is performed on the operation icon displayed on the display screen in a moveable manner, The mobile terminal is characterized in that the display control unit performs a display position change process to change the display position of the operation icon to the position where the tap operation was performed when the judgment unit determines that the specified operation has been performed when a tap operation is performed on the display screen on which the operation icon is displayed.

11. Equipped with predetermined hard keys, 11. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined operation is a pressing operation on the predetermined hard key.

12. a sensor including at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a proximity sensor; The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined operation is an operation in which a predetermined attitude or movement of the mobile terminal is measured based on the measurement result of the sensor.

13. Equipped with an illuminance sensor, 11. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined operation is an operation in which the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor becomes equal to or less than a predetermined illuminance threshold value.

Images