Operation terminal, operation method, and program

Abstract

On an operation terminal, a user performs a cursor deciding operation (tapping operation) on a display on the basis of a pressure change in a Z-axis direction. However, when the user uses the operation terminal for a long term, loaded pressures remain to cause a change in a sensor value of a touch panel, and the sensor value holds a certain value or higher even when the user is not touching the touch panel, which causes malfunction of input operations in some cases.　An operation terminal according to the present invention includes: a measurement unit that measures a pressure value indicating pressure to a touch sensor such as a touch panel; a calibration determination unit that, when a standard deviation of the pressure value measured by the measurement unit within a predetermined time period from a current time to a predetermined traced time is equal to or lower than, or below a first threshold value, calculates a calibration pressure value on the basis of the pressure value measured within the predetermined time period; and an initial value setting unit that sets the calibration pressure value as a new initial value when the calibration pressure value is equal to or higher than, or above a second threshold value.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation terminal, an operation method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] An operation terminal such as a smartphone is equipped with a display for display and a touch panel for inputting operations from the user. In addition, a three-axis pressure sensor is used for the touch panel. Therefore, based on the user's operation on the touch panel, the operation terminal measures the pressure value in the short direction (X-axis direction) on the surface of the touch panel, the pressure value in the long direction (Y-axis direction) on the surface of the touch panel, and the pressure value in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) on the surface of the touch panel (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] This allows the user to move a cursor on the display based on pressure changes in the X and Y axis directions, and to perform a cursor determination operation (tap operation) on the display based on pressure changes in the Z axis direction. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Jun Rekimoto and Carsten Schewsig, PreSenseII: Bi-directional Touch and Pressure Sensing Interactions with Tactile Feedback, CHI 2006 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems, pp.1253-1258, 2006. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if a user uses an operating terminal for a long period of time, the applied pressure remains, causing a change in the sensor value of the touch panel, and even when the user is not touching the touch panel, the sensor value may remain above a certain value, which may cause input operations to malfunction.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and has an object to automatically correct distortion of the initial value caused by residual pressure and reduce malfunctions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 1 is an operation terminal having a touch sensor, which measures a pressure value indicating a pressure applied to the touch sensor. and calculates a difference value between the pressure value and a preset initial pressure value. a calibration determination means for calculating a calibration pressure value based on the pressure values ​​measured within a predetermined time period from the current time to a predetermined time period going back, when the standard deviation of the pressure values ​​measured by the measurement means is equal to or less than a first threshold value, and an initial value setting means for setting the calibration pressure value as a new initial value, when the calibration pressure value calculated by the calibration determination means is equal to or more than a second threshold value. and an operation determination means for determining whether the pressure on the touch sensor is a tap operation based on the difference value calculated by the measurement means, and when the operation determination means determines that the pressure on the touch sensor is a tap operation, the calibration determination means calculates the calibration pressure value. The present invention is an operation terminal characterized by the above. Effect of the Invention

[0008] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically correct the distortion of the initial value caused by the residual pressure, thereby reducing malfunctions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of a smartphone. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an electrical hardware configuration of a smartphone. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a functional configuration diagram of a smartphone. [Diagram 5] 13 is a flowchart showing a process for a user operation. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing a process for a user operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [External appearance] First, the external configuration of the smartphone according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an external view of the smartphone according to the embodiment of the present invention. The smartphone 1 is an example of an operation terminal.

[0012] 1, the smartphone 1 of this embodiment is provided with an operation panel 3. Characters, symbols, images, and the like are displayed on the operation panel 3.

[0013] In FIG. 1, the short side direction with respect to the surface of the operation panel 3 is the X-axis direction, the long side direction with respect to the surface of the operation panel 3 is the Y-axis direction, and the perpendicular direction with respect to the surface of the operation panel 3 is the Z-axis direction.

[0014] In response to a user's operation on the touch panel 310, the smartphone 1 moves a cursor according to sensor values ​​(pressure values) in the X- and Y-axis directions, and performs a tap operation according to a sensor value (pressure value) in the Z-axis direction. The touch panel is an example of a touch sensor. In the case of a touch sensor, the short side direction and the long side direction with respect to the surface of the touch sensor are the first parallel direction and the second parallel direction (or the second parallel direction and the first parallel direction), respectively, with respect to the touch surface of the touch sensor.

[0015] [Hardware configuration] <Hardware configuration of smartphone> Next, the electrical hardware configuration of the smartphone 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the electrical hardware configuration of the smartphone.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the smartphone 1 includes a CPU 301 , a ROM 302 , a RAM 303 , an EEPROM 304 , a CMOS sensor 305 , and an acceleration / direction sensor 306 .

[0017] Among these, the CPU 301 controls the overall operation of the smartphone 1. The ROM 302 stores the CPU 301 and programs used to drive the CPU 301, such as the IPL. The RAM 303 is used as a work area for the CPU 301. The EEPROM 304 reads or writes various data, such as smartphone programs, under the control of the CPU 301. The CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 305 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an object or the like under the control of the CPU 301 to obtain image data. Note that instead of a CMOS sensor, imaging means such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor may also be used. The acceleration / direction sensor 306 is a variety of sensors, such as an electronic magnetic compass or gyrocompass that detects geomagnetism, and an acceleration sensor.

[0018] The smartphone 1 also includes a microphone 307, a speaker 308, an audio input / output I / F 309, a touch panel 310, a display 311, a GPS receiver 312, a communication circuit 314, and an antenna 314a of the communication circuit 314.

[0019] Among these, the microphone 307 is a built-in circuit that converts sound into an electric signal. The speaker 308 is a built-in circuit that converts an electric signal into a physical vibration to generate sound such as music or voice. The sound input / output I / F 309 is a circuit that processes input and output of sound signals between the microphone 307 and the speaker 308 under the control of the CPU 301. The touch panel 310 is a type of input means that operates the smartphone 1 when pressed by a user. The display 311 is a type of display means such as a liquid crystal or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) that displays an image of a subject, various icons, etc. The GPS receiver 312 receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite. The communication circuit 314 is a circuit that uses an antenna 314a to communicate with other devices and servers via a communication network such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0020] The smartphone 1 also includes a bus line 320. The bus line 320 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 301 shown in FIG.

[0021] <Operation panel configuration> Next, the configuration of the operation panel will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the operation panel. Note that the configuration shown in Fig. 3 is only an example, and the configuration need not be as described above.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the operation panel 3 is roughly composed of a touch panel 310 and a display 311.

[0023] A touch panel 310 is laminated on the display surface of the display 311. The touch panel 310 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular flat plate shape having the same size as the display 311. The touch panel 310 is a resistive film type touch sensor composed of a first resistive film 321, a second resistive film 322, and a dot spacer 323. The first resistive film 321, the second resistive film 322, and the dot spacer 323 are each formed of a transparent material.

[0024] The first resistive film 321 is adhered to and in close contact with the display surface of the display 311. The dot spacers 323 are provided on the other surface of the first resistive film 321 opposite to the surface that is in close contact with the display 311. A plurality of dot spacers 323 are provided on the first resistive film 321.

[0025] The second resistive film 322 is disposed opposite, with a gap therebetween, the other surface of the first resistive film 321 on which the dot spacers 323 are provided. The second resistive film 322 is made of a flexible material.

[0026] Furthermore, a flexible protective film 330 is laminated on the other surface of the second resistive film 322 opposite to the surface facing the first resistive film 321. The second resistive film 322 is protected by this protective film 330.

[0027] Between the first resistive film 321 and the second resistive film 322, insulating layers 331a and 331b are disposed.

[0028] With this configuration, when second resistive film 322 is pressed by a person's finger or a touch pen through protective film 330, second resistive film 322 and first resistive film 321 come into contact with each other, and touch panel 310 detects the input position (coordinates).

[0029] [Smartphone functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the smartphone will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a functional configuration diagram of the smartphone in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] 4, the smartphone 1 has an operation reception unit 10, a display control unit 11, a measurement unit 12, an initial value setting unit 13, a calibration determination unit 15, and an operation determination unit 16. These units are functions realized by commands from the CPU 301 in FIG. 2 based on a program. Furthermore, the smartphone 1 has an initial value storage unit 14 realized by the RAM 303 or HD 304 in FIG. 2.

[0031] <Each function configuration> Next, the functional configuration of the smartphone will be described with reference to FIG.

[0032] The operation reception unit 10 receives an operation by a user via the touch panel 310. In this case, the operation reception unit 10 acquires, from the touch panel 310, data of a position (coordinates) detected by the touch panel 310.

[0033] The display control unit 11 displays characters, symbols, videos (images), and the like, and displays the cursor 5 on the display 311.

[0034] The measuring unit 12 measures pressure values ​​indicating pressure in three axial directions (X-, Y-, and Z-axial directions) on the surface of the touch panel 310. The pressure values ​​in the three axial directions are a pressure value (first pressure value) indicating pressure in the short direction on the surface of the touch panel 310, a pressure value (second pressure value) indicating pressure in the long direction on the surface of the touch panel 310, and a pressure value indicating pressure in the vertical direction on the surface of the touch panel 310. The measuring unit 12 also calculates a difference value that is the difference between the pressure value indicating the pressure on the touch panel 310 and a preset initial value of pressure.

[0035] When the calibration pressure value calculated by the calibration judgment unit 15 is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) the second threshold value, the initial value setting unit 13 sets the calibration pressure value as a new initial value.

[0036] The initial value storage unit 14 stores the initial values.

[0037] When the standard deviation of the pressure values ​​measured by the measurement unit 12 within a predetermined time from the current time back to a predetermined time is equal to or less than the first threshold (or less), the calibration determination unit 15 calculates a calibration pressure value based on the pressure values ​​measured within the predetermined time. Furthermore, when the operation determination unit 16 determines that the operation is a tap operation, the calibration determination unit 15 calculates a calibration pressure value. Furthermore, the calibration determination unit 15 determines whether the standard deviation of the pressure values ​​measured by the measurement unit 12 within the predetermined time is equal to or less than the first threshold (or less). Furthermore, the calibration determination unit 15 determines whether the calibration pressure value is equal to or more than the second threshold (or greater).

[0038] Based on the difference value calculated by the measurement unit 12, the operation determination unit 16 determines whether the pressure on the touch panel 310 is a tap operation.

[0039] [Processing or Operation of the Embodiment] Next, the process or operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 6. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are flowcharts showing the process for the user operation. Note that, as an operation example, the following describes an example in which the user applies a certain amount of pressure or more to the touch panel 310 with his / her finger and removes the finger from the touch panel 310 after a certain time, which is regarded as a cursor determination operation (tap operation). Next, a specific process for calibrating the initial value of pressure when the user uses the smartphone 1 for a long period of time will be described below.

[0040] First, when a user operates the operation panel 3 (touch panel 310), the operation reception unit 10 receives the user's operation, and the measurement unit 12 acquires sensor values ​​in each of the X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions from the operation reception unit 10 (S10). Then, the measurement unit 12 measures a pressure value Fx in the X-axis direction, a pressure value Fy in the Y-axis direction, and a pressure value Fz in the Z-axis direction based on each sensor value (S11). As a result, the display control unit 11 displays characters and the like on the operation panel 3 (display 311) as shown in FIG.

[0041] Next, the measurement unit 12 calculates the difference between the sensor value set as the initial value stored in the initial value storage unit 14 and the sensor value measured in step S11 (S12).

[0042] Next, the operation determination unit 16 regards the difference value calculated by the measurement unit 12 as a measurement value, and determines whether the user operation is a tap operation or not based on this measurement value (S13). The user operation determined by the operation determination unit 16 may be of any type as long as it changes the sensor value of the pressure associated with touching the touch panel 310. In this case, the operation determination unit 16 may determine not only a binary value such as a tap operation, but also any type as long as it changes the sensor value of the pressure of the touch panel 310, such as a multi-value determination.

[0043] Next, the calibration determination unit 15 determines whether or not the measurement value (difference value) has fluctuated after the pressure change due to the user's operation, that is, whether or not the standard deviation of the pressure values ​​measured during a predetermined time D from the current time to a predetermined time going back is equal to or less than a first threshold value (S14). In this case, for example, the first threshold value is 0.2, and the predetermined time D is 10 seconds. Then, in step S14, if the standard deviation is equal to or less than the first threshold value (S14; YES), the calibration determination unit 15 calculates a calibration pressure value based on the measurement value (difference value) measured during the predetermined time D (S15). The calibration pressure value is, for example, the last measurement value, the average or the median of the last n measurement values ​​(n is a natural number) in a predetermined time D. On the other hand, in step S14, if the standard deviation is greater than (or equal to or greater than) the first threshold value (S14; NO), the process returns to step S10.

[0044] Next, after the above-mentioned step S15, the calibration judgment unit 15 judges whether the absolute value of the calibration pressure value is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) the second threshold value (S16). In this case, for example, the second threshold value is 0.1 [N]. If the absolute value of the calibration pressure value is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) the second threshold value (S16; YES), the calibration judgment unit 15 judges that a deviation in the sensor value occurs, and the initial value setting unit 13 stores the calibration pressure value as a new initial value in the initial value storage unit 14 (S17). As a result, the process returns to step S10, and the measurement unit 12 refers to the newly stored initial value in the initial value storage unit 14 and performs a process of calculating subsequent measurement values ​​(difference values). On the other hand, if the absolute value of the calibration pressure value is less than (or equal to) the second threshold value in step S16 (S16; NO), the process returns to step S10.

[0045] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, according to this embodiment, the smartphone 1 utilizes the fact that the sensor value usually becomes 0 after pressure application to the touch panel 310 ends, and determines whether or not a deviation in the initial pressure value due to pressure application has occurred after pressure application ends, and calibrates the value. This has the effect of automatically calibrating the distortion of the initial value due to residual pressure, thereby reducing malfunctions.

[0046] 〔supplement〕 The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may have the following configurations or processes (operations). (1) The smartphone 1 of the present invention can be realized by a computer and a program. This program can be recorded on a recording medium or provided via a communication network. (2) In the above embodiment, the smartphone 1 is shown as an example of the operation terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the operation terminal may be a tablet PC, a smart watch, a notebook computer, a game device, a game device controller, a wearable device (such as a finger ring controller), or a car navigation device. (3) In the above embodiment, a touch panel has been described as an example of a touch sensor, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a pointing stick provided in the approximate center of a keyboard, or a touch pad provided in front of the keyboard of a notebook computer may be used. (4) In the above embodiment, as long as pressure in at least the Z-axis direction can be detected, it is not necessary to detect pressure in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. (5) Each CPU 301 may be multiple, not just single. (6) In the processing of the pressure value fluctuation time measurement unit 15, a neural network may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Smartphone (an example of an operating device) 3 Operation Panel 10 Operation reception section 11 Display control unit 12 Measurement unit (an example of a measurement means) 13 Initial value setting unit (an example of an initial value setting means) 14 Initial value storage unit (an example of an initial value storage unit) 15 Calibration judgment unit (an example of a calibration judgment means) 16 Operation determination unit (an example of an operation determination means) 310 Touch panel (an example of a touch sensor) 311 Display

Claims

1. An operation terminal having a touch sensor, a measuring means for measuring a pressure value indicating a pressure applied to the touch sensor and calculating a difference value between the pressure value and a preset initial value of the pressure; a calibration determination means for calculating a calibration pressure value based on the pressure values ​​measured within a predetermined time from the current time to a predetermined time going back, when the standard deviation of the pressure values ​​measured by the measurement means is equal to or less than a first threshold value; an initial value setting means for setting the calibration pressure value calculated by the calibration determination means as a new initial value when the calibration pressure value is equal to or greater than a second threshold value; an operation determination means for determining whether the pressure on the touch sensor is a tap operation based on the difference value calculated by the measurement means; having When the operation determination means determines that the pressure on the touch sensor is a tap operation, the calibration determination means calculates the calibration pressure value.

2. The operation terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration determination means calculates the calibration pressure value as a last pressure value, an average value of last pressure values, or a median value, measured within the predetermined time period.

3. 2 . The operation terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration determination means determines whether a standard deviation of the pressure values ​​measured by the measurement means within the predetermined time period is equal to or less than a first threshold value.

4. 2. The operation terminal according to claim 1, wherein the calibration determination means determines whether the calibration pressure value is equal to or greater than a second threshold value.

5. 2. The operation terminal according to claim 1, wherein the operation terminal is a smartphone, a tablet PC, a smart watch, a notebook computer, a game device, a game device controller, a wearable device, or a car navigation device.

6. 2. The operation terminal according to claim 1, wherein the calibration determination means executes the process using a neural network.

7. An operation method executed by an operation terminal having a touch sensor, comprising: a measuring step of measuring a pressure value indicating a pressure applied to the touch sensor and calculating a difference value between the pressure value and a preset initial value of the pressure; a calibration determination step of calculating a calibration pressure value based on the pressure values ​​measured within a predetermined time from the current time to a predetermined time going back, when the standard deviation of the pressure values ​​measured by the measurement step is equal to or less than a first threshold value; an initial value setting step of setting the calibration pressure value as a new initial value when the calibration pressure value calculated by the calibration determination step is equal to or greater than a second threshold value; an operation determination step of determining whether the pressure on the touch sensor is a tap operation based on the difference value calculated in the measurement step; Run An operation method characterized in that, when the operation determination step determines that the pressure on the touch sensor is a tap operation, the calibration determination step includes a process of calculating the calibration pressure value.

8. A program causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 7.

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