Electronic device, input method and program

Abstract

To realize a software keyboard with good operability even on a small screen.SOLUTION: An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention displays, on an input screen, an input area for inputting a character, a dial keyboard on which multiple characters for performing input into the input area are annularly arranged, and a movement button for moving a position for inputting the character in the input area. The dial keyboard sequentially displays each of the multiple characters as a selected character in response to an operation by an operator, and inputs an arbitrary character string into the input area by displaying the selected character at the position for inputting the character indicated by the movement button in the input area when the selected character is selected by the operator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, an input method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, software keyboards are known that are keyboards used for character input that are realized by software on a computer screen. For example, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of software keys are arranged and displayed in a horizontal or nearly vertical spiral on the display device screen of a terminal. Then, by dragging the display area of ​​the software keys or the software keyboard, the entire displayed software keys can be rotated in the arrangement direction. When the desired key is found, the key can be input by touching it again. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, in Patent Document 1, the screen for displaying the software keyboard needs to be of a certain size. In other words, there is a concern that the operability of the software keyboard in Patent Document 1 may decrease on a small screen.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize a software keyboard that is easy to operate even on a small screen. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention displays on an input screen an input area for inputting characters, a dial keyboard on which a plurality of characters to be input into the input area are arranged in a ring, and a movement button for moving the position in the input area where the characters are to be input, and the dial keyboard sequentially displays each of the plurality of characters as a selected character in response to operation by an operator, and when the selected character is selected by the operator, the selected character is displayed at the position in the input area indicated by the movement button for inputting the character, thereby inputting an arbitrary character string into the input area. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The present invention makes it possible to realize a software keyboard that is easy to operate even on a small screen. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a main configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an omnidirectional imaging device that is an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing functional blocks of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of input processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is an example of an input screen (input) displayed on the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram for explaining characters arranged in a ring according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen (characters displayed when a cursor is moved) displayed on an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]13 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen (delete) displayed on the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 4 is an example of an input screen (input) displayed on the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram for explaining characters arranged in a ring according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 12] 13 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen (delete) displayed on the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0009] <Terminology explanation> In this specification, a software keyboard on which a plurality of characters are arranged in a ring shape is referred to as a "dial keyboard." This "dial keyboard" sequentially displays each of the plurality of characters in response to an operation by an operator. For example, when this "dial keyboard" is displayed on a touch panel, each of the plurality of characters is sequentially displayed in response to an operation such as a swipe on the touch panel by the operator. The operator can select a character that the operator wishes to input from among the plurality of characters sequentially displayed by the dial keyboard. Note that "characters" are, for example, alphabets, numbers, symbols, etc., but are not limited to these.

[0010] In this specification, the case where a password for connecting a digital camera to a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) router is entered into the digital camera is described as an example, however, the present invention can be applied to the case where any character string is entered into any electronic device.

[0011] <Hardware configuration> 1 is a diagram for explaining the main configuration of an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) / RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, a display panel 13, and a touch panel 14. The touch panel 14 is disposed on the display panel 13. Each of these components will be described below.

[0012] The CPU 11 manages and controls the internal information of the electronic device 1 .

[0013] The ROM / RAM 12 stores the control program and working data.

[0014] In order to display an operation screen according to the state of the electronic device 1, the CPU 11 determines the display contents from multiple screens possessed by the electronic device 1 and transmits the display screen to the display panel 13. When an input is made by an operator to the touch panel 14, an electric signal is transmitted from the touch panel 14 to the CPU 11. The CPU 11 determines the next operation, and when the display contents are to be changed, generates a new display screen and transmits the display screen to the display panel 13. The screen may display, for example, a shooting process, a transition to a camera setting menu, or a display of a captured image.

[0015] <<Examples of electronic devices>> The electronic device 1 is, for example, a digital camera, but is not limited to this, and may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. The electronic device 1 may also be an image forming device such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral / Printer / Product), an output device such as a PJ (Projector), an IWB (Interactive White Board: a white board with an electronic blackboard function capable of mutual communication), a digital signage, etc., a HUD (Head Up Display) device, an industrial machine, an imaging device, a sound collecting device, a medical device, a network home appliance, an automobile (Connected Car), a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a mobile phone, a game machine, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a wearable PC, a desktop PC, etc.

[0016] 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of an omnidirectional imaging device 1, which is an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The omnidirectional imaging device 1 includes a display unit 117. The display unit 117 functions as the display panel 13 and the touch panel 14 in FIG.

[0017] In the following, the omnidirectional imaging device 1 is assumed to be an omnidirectional (all-directional) imaging device using two imaging elements, but the number of imaging elements may be any number greater than or equal to two. Also, it is not necessarily required to use a device dedicated to omnidirectional imaging, and a normal digital camera, smartphone, or the like may be provided with an omnidirectional imaging unit as a retrofit, so that it has substantially the same functions as the omnidirectional imaging device 1.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the omnidirectional imaging device 1 is made up of an imaging unit 101, an image processing unit 104, an imaging control unit 105, a microphone 106, a sound processing unit 107, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 109, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 110, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) 111, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 112, an operation unit 113, an external device connection I / F 114, a communication unit 115, an antenna 115a, an acceleration / direction sensor 116, and a display unit 117.

[0019] Of these, the imaging unit 101 includes wide-angle lenses (so-called fisheye lenses) 102a and 102b each having an angle of view of 180° or more for forming a hemispherical image, and two imaging elements 103a and 103b provided corresponding to each wide-angle lens. The imaging elements 103a and 103b include an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor that converts an optical image by the fisheye lenses 102a and 102b into image data of an electrical signal and outputs it, a timing generation circuit that generates horizontal or vertical synchronization signals and pixel clocks for the image sensors, and a group of registers in which various commands and parameters necessary for the operation of the imaging elements are set.

[0020] The imaging elements 103a and 103b of the imaging unit 101 are each connected to the image processing unit 104 via a serial I / F bus. Meanwhile, the imaging elements 103a and 103b of the imaging unit 101 are connected to the imaging control unit 105 via a serial I / F bus (such as an I2C bus). The image processing unit 104, the imaging control unit 105, and the sound processing unit 107 are connected to the CPU 109 via a bus 108. In addition, the ROM 110, the SRAM 111, the DRAM 112, the operation unit 113, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 114, a communication unit 115, an acceleration / direction sensor 116, and the like are also connected to the bus 108.

[0021] The image processing unit 104 takes in the image data output from the image sensors 103a and 103b via a serial I / F bus, performs predetermined processing on each piece of image data, and then synthesizes the image data to create equirectangular projection image data.

[0022] The imaging control unit 105 generally sets commands and the like in the register groups of the imaging elements 103a and 103b using an I2C bus, with the imaging control unit 105 acting as a master device and the imaging elements 103a and 103b acting as slave devices. Necessary commands and the like are received from the CPU 109. The imaging control unit 105 also uses the I2C bus to retrieve status data and the like from the register groups of the imaging elements 103a and 103b, and send it to the CPU 109.

[0023] Furthermore, the imaging control unit 105 instructs the imaging elements 103a and 103b to output image data when the shutter button of the operation unit 113 is pressed. Some omnidirectional imaging devices 1 have a preview display function or a function corresponding to video display on a display (for example, a smartphone display). In this case, the image data is output from the imaging elements 103a and 103b continuously at a predetermined frame rate (frames / minute).

[0024] As will be described later, the imaging control unit 105 also functions as a synchronization control means that cooperates with the CPU 109 to synchronize the output timing of image data from the imaging elements 103a and 103b.

[0025] The microphone 106 converts sound into sound (signal) data. The sound processing unit 107 takes in the sound data output from the microphone 106 via the I / F bus, and performs a predetermined process on the sound data.

[0026] The CPU 109 controls the overall operation of the omnidirectional imaging device 1 and executes necessary processing. The ROM 110 stores various programs for the CPU 109. The SRAM 111 and the DRAM 112 are work memories, and store programs executed by the CPU 109, data in the middle of processing, and the like. In particular, the DRAM 112 stores image data in the middle of processing by the image processing unit 104 and data of a processed equirectangular projection image.

[0027] The operation unit 113 is a general term for operation buttons such as a shutter button, etc. A user operates the operation unit 113 to input various shooting modes, shooting conditions, and the like.

[0028] The external device connection I / F 114 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external device is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a PC (Personal Computer). The data of the equirectangular projection image stored in the DRAM 112 is recorded on an external medium via the external device connection I / F 114, or transmitted to an external terminal (device) such as a smartphone via the external device connection I / F 114 as necessary.

[0029] The communication unit 115 communicates with an external terminal (device) such as a smartphone by short-range wireless communication technology such as Wi-Fi, NFC (Near Field Communication), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) via an antenna 115a provided in the omnidirectional imaging device 1. The communication unit 115 can also transmit data of the equirectangular projection image to an external terminal (device) such as a smartphone.

[0030] The acceleration and orientation sensor 116 calculates the orientation of the omnidirectional imaging device 1 from the earth's magnetism, and outputs orientation information. This orientation information is an example of related information (metadata) according to Exif, and is used for image processing such as image correction of the captured image. The related information also includes data on the capture date and time of the image and the data capacity of the image data. The acceleration and orientation sensor 116 is a sensor that detects angle changes (roll angle, pitch angle, yaw angle) accompanying the movement of the omnidirectional imaging device 1. The angle changes are an example of related information (metadata) according to Exif, and are used for image processing such as image correction of the captured image. The acceleration and orientation sensor 116 is a sensor that detects acceleration in three axial directions. The omnidirectional imaging device 1 calculates the attitude (angle with respect to the direction of gravity) of its own device (the omnidirectional imaging device 1) based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration and orientation sensor 116. The accuracy of image correction is improved by providing the acceleration and orientation sensor 116 to the omnidirectional imaging device 1.

[0031] <Function block> 3 is a diagram showing functional blocks of electronic device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Electronic device 1 can include a position determination unit 1001, a character type determination unit 1002, a character determination unit 1003, a confirmation unit 1004, a deletion unit 1005, a display unit 1006, and a character storage unit 1007. By executing a program, electronic device 1 can function as position determination unit 1001, character type determination unit 1002, character determination unit 1003, confirmation unit 1004, deletion unit 1005, and display unit 1006. Each of these units will be described below.

[0032] A position determination unit 1001 determines a position where characters are to be input in response to an operation on the touch panel (specifically, an operation of a movement button that moves a cursor indicating a position where characters are to be input).

[0033] The character type determination unit 1002 determines the character type (e.g., alphabet, numbers, symbols, etc.) of the characters to be input in response to an operation on the touch panel (specifically, an operation of a switching button for switching the character type). Note that, when there is no operation on the touch panel, the character type determination unit 1002 may determine a predetermined character type (default character type) as the character type of the characters to be input.

[0034] The character determination unit 1003 determines a character to be input in response to an operation on the touch panel (specifically, an operation on a dial keyboard). Specifically, the character determination unit 1003 determines, as the character to be input, a character selected by the operator from among a plurality of characters sequentially displayed on the dial keyboard in response to an operation on the touch panel (for example, an operation such as swiping).

[0035] A confirmation unit 1004 confirms (eg, saves) the character string selected by the dial keyboard in response to an operation on the touch panel (specifically, pressing the confirmation button), and ends the input process.

[0036] The deletion unit 1005 deletes input characters in response to an operation on the touch panel (specifically, pressing a delete button). Specifically, the deletion unit 1005 deletes characters for which an operator has instructed the deletion on the touch panel.

[0037] The display unit 1006 displays a screen for inputting a character string having a plurality of characters (hereinafter also referred to as an input screen) on the display panel of the electronic device 1. Specifically, the input screen includes an input area for displaying input characters (characters already input), movement buttons for moving a cursor indicating a position to input characters in the input area, a dial keyboard, a switching button for switching character types of the dial keyboard, a confirmation button, and a delete button. Details will be described later.

[0038] The character storage unit 1007 stores, for each character type, information about the characters of each character type and the order in which the characters are arranged in a circle.

[0039] <Processing method> FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of input processing according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] In step 1 (S1), the position determination unit 1001 determines a position where a character is to be input in response to an operation on the touch panel.

[0041] In step 2 (S2), the character type determination unit 1002 determines the character type of the characters to be input in response to an operation on the touch panel.

[0042] In step 3 (S3), the character determination unit 1003 determines a character to be input in response to an operation on the touch panel. Specifically, the character determination unit 1003 determines, as a character to be input, a character selected by the operator from among a plurality of characters displayed in sequence on the dial keyboard in response to an operation on the touch panel. In other words, the operator can input the character determined in step 3 (S3) from among the character types determined in step 2 (S2) at the position where the character determined in step 1 (S1) is to be input.

[0043] In step 4 (S4), the confirmation unit 1004 judges whether or not a confirmation instruction has been given by the operator on the touch panel. If a confirmation instruction has been given (specifically, pressing the Confirm button), the character string input in S1 to S3 is confirmed and the input process is terminated. On the other hand, if a confirmation instruction has not been given, the process returns to S1.

[0044] In this manner, the operations of determining the position where a character is to be input, determining the character type of the character to be input, and determining the character to be input (that is, the operations S1 to S3) are repeated the number of times equal to the number of characters in the character string.

[0045] Note that, although the above describes the case where the number of characters to be entered is arbitrary, if the number of characters to be entered is predetermined, pressing the Confirm button is not mandatory, and character entry may be terminated when the predetermined number of characters has been entered in step 3 (S3).

[0046] <User Interface> Fig. 5 is an example of a screen displayed on the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, a screen for inputting a character string having a plurality of characters (input screen) is displayed on a display panel of a smartphone, which is an example of the electronic device 1. Although the description will be given using the display panel of a smartphone, the electronic device provided with the display panel is not limited to a smartphone, and may be, for example, an imaging device such as the above-mentioned omnidirectional imaging device 1, a compact digital camera, or a single-lens reflex digital camera, or may be any of the electronic devices exemplified in <<Examples of electronic devices>>.

[0047] A screen (input screen) for inputting a character string having a plurality of characters will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 6 to Fig. 12. The description will be divided into a <first embodiment> and a <second embodiment>.

[0048] <First embodiment> FIG. 6 is an example of an input screen (input) displayed on the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the input screen has a dial keyboard 1-1 for the operator to select characters, an input area (i.e., an area for entering characters) 1-2 that displays characters that have already been entered, a switch button 1-3 for switching character types, movement buttons (right movement button for moving to the right and left movement button for moving to the left) 1-4 for moving the position where characters are entered, a confirmation button 1-5 that confirms the character string selected by the dial keyboard and gives an instruction to proceed to the next process (i.e., a button that confirms the selected character displayed on the dial keyboard as the last character to be entered into the input area; for example, a button that initiates a connection between digital camera 1 and a Wi-Fi router), and a delete button 1-6 that gives an instruction to delete characters that have already been entered.

[0049] In FIG. 6, the position where characters are input is indicated by a cursor, and the movement button 1-4 moves the position where characters are input by moving the cursor. FIG. 6 shows an input screen for inputting a horizontally written character string as an arbitrary character string. The left side of the input area 1-2 shown in FIG. 6 is the input start side, and the right side is the input end side. By operating the movement button 1-4 arranged on the left side of the page out of the two movement buttons 1-4 shown in FIG. 6, the position where characters are input moves to the input start side, and by operating the movement button 1-4 arranged on the right side of the page out of the two movement buttons 1-4, the position where characters are input moves to the input end side. Note that although the case of horizontally written character input has been described in this specification, the present invention can also be applied to vertically written character input.

[0050] <<Dial keyboard>> The characters displayed by the dial keyboard 1-1 have a circular structure as shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the characters (alphabet (uppercase letters), alphabet (lowercase letters), numbers, and symbols) arranged in a circle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] For example, if the character type is the alphabet, the characters are arranged in the order A to Z, with A following Z. On the input screen, a total of about 5 to 7 characters are displayed, including the character selected by the operator (selected character) and the characters before and after the selected character. When the operator operates the touch panel by rotating the dial keyboard up and down, the characters are displayed in the order A to Z, and then A is displayed again. When the operator rotates the dial keyboard in the opposite direction, Z to A is displayed, and then Z is displayed again.

[0052] Also, for example, when the character type is a number, the characters are arranged in the order of 0 to 9, and 0 follows 9. The same applies when the character type is a symbol.

[0053] The method for the operator to select the character to be input is to bring the desired character, i.e., the selected character, to the center of the display by touching the dial keyboard 1-1 and sliding it along the display of the dial. At this time, it is desirable to clearly indicate to the operator which character is currently selected by displaying the selected character in bold, changing the display color, enlarging the display size, etc.

[0054] In this way, the dial keyboard 1-1 is configured to display only a portion of the characters arranged in a circle, so the display area is small. Therefore, it can be displayed even if the screen size of the display panel 13 is small. If only the selected character is displayed, rather than displaying the characters before and after the selected character with the selected character at the center, the display area can be further reduced.

[0055] <<An input area that displays characters that have already been entered>> The input area 1-2 for displaying characters that have already been input displays characters that have already been input by the dial keyboard 1-1. Furthermore, the input area 1-2 displays the character currently selected by the dial keyboard 1-1. The currently selected character is displayed at the position of the cursor.

[0056] <<Character type switching button>> When the operator presses the switch button 1-3 for switching the character type, the character type of the characters to be input can be switched. For the convenience of the operator, it is desirable that the order in which the character types are switched be the order displayed on the switch button (in the example of FIG. 6, the order is alphabet (uppercase), alphabet (lowercase), numbers, and symbols). For the convenience of the operator, it is also desirable that when the character type is changed between uppercase and lowercase alphabets, only the relationship between uppercase and lowercase of the same alphabet is changed.

[0057] By providing the switch button 1-3 for switching the character type selected on the dial keyboard 1-1, it is not necessary to display the dial keyboard 1-1 for the number of character types, and the display area can be reduced.

[0058] <<Movement and Confirmation Buttons>> When the operator moves the cursor using the left or right button, the character currently selected by dial keyboard 1-1 is confirmed (i.e., character determination unit 1003 confirms the character; also referred to as "marking as already input"). When the operator presses the Confirm button, the operator can confirm (e.g., save) a character string consisting of the character string already input by dial keyboard 1-1 and the character currently selected by dial keyboard 1-1. Below, an example of a screen when confirming a character and a character string will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0059] In step 11 (S11) shown in FIG. 6(a), assume that a character (the first character "C" in the example of FIG. 6(a)) is selected using dial keyboard 1-1. Next, assume that the cursor is moved using the right movement button. Then, the character selected in S11 (i.e., the first character "C") is confirmed. In other words, the character selected in S11 has been input, and the state transitions to step 12 (S12) shown in FIG. 6(b).

[0060] In step 12 (S12) shown in Fig. 6(b), characters are input in the same manner as in S11. After this, character input is repeated, and the state becomes step 13 (S13) shown in Fig. 6(c). Step 13 (S13) shown in Fig. 6(c) is a state in which input of all characters has been completed by the character input operation described above, that is, input of a character string has been completed.

[0061] In step 13 (S13) shown in FIG. 6(c), it is assumed that the Confirm button (the "Connect" button in the example of FIG. 6(c)) is pressed. Then, the confirmation unit 1004 confirms the character string "CC012345678ABC" consisting of the input character string and the currently selected character.

[0062] <<Characters displayed when moving the cursor>> Hereinafter, the characters displayed when the cursor is moved will be described with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 6, in one embodiment of the present invention, when a character is confirmed and the next character is to be input, if the position after the cursor is moved is blank, the dial keyboard 1-1 displays the same character as the previous time at the position after the cursor is moved. In the example of Fig. 6, when the cursor is moved to the right in the state of S11 (i.e., "C"), it becomes the state of S12 (similar to S11, "C").

[0064] As shown in FIG. 8, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the cursor is moved to a character that has already been input, the dial keyboard 1-1 places the input character in the center of the dial keyboard 1-1 and sets it to a selected state.

[0065] FIG. 8 is an example of an input screen (characters displayed when the cursor is moved) displayed on an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] In step 21 (S21) shown in FIG. 8(a), it is assumed that the left movement button 2-2 for moving the cursor to the left is pressed.

[0067] 8(b), the cursor in the input area 1-2, which displays the input character, moves to the left. Since the input character at the position after the cursor is moved is "B," the dial keyboard 1-1 displays "B."

[0068] In step 23 (S23) shown in Fig. 8(c), suppose that the left movement button 2-2 for moving the cursor to the left is pressed, and the character type of the input character changes to another character type (from alphabet to numbers in the example of Fig. 8). In this case, the dial keyboard 1-1 changes the character type to the same character type as the input character type (numbers in the example of Fig. 8).

[0069] <<Delete button>> The operator can delete characters that have already been input by pressing the delete button 1-6 for deleting characters. When the delete button 1-6 is pressed, the delete unit 1005 deletes the character at the cursor position and moves the cursor to the previous character (the character to the left in the case of horizontal writing). An example of the screen when deleting characters will be described below with reference to FIG. 9.

[0070] FIG. 9 is an example of an input screen (delete) displayed on the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] Assume that the delete button is pressed in step 31 (S31) shown in Fig. 9(a) and the cursor is at the "C" position.

[0072] In step 32 (S32) shown in FIG. 9(b), the character (i.e., "C") at the position where the cursor was located in S31 is deleted. That is, in the first embodiment, the deletion unit 1005 deletes the character that is one position from the cursor position. The deletion unit 1005 moves the character string that is located after the deleted character (the character string on the right in the case of horizontal writing) forward by the amount of the deleted character (to the left in the case of horizontal writing).

[0073] In this way, the operator inputs any character string into the input area (character input area) 1-2, which displays characters that have already been input, using the dial keyboard 1-1 for selecting characters and the movement button 1-4 for moving the position where the characters are input. The dial keyboard 1-1 is configured so that a small display area is required. As a result, even if the size of the display panel of the electronic device 1 is small and the screen displaying the software keyboard is small, a character string of any number of digits can be input easily and with good operability.

[0074] <Second embodiment> The second embodiment will be described below, focusing mainly on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0075] <<Dial keyboard>> Characters displayed by the dial keyboard 1-1 have a circular structure as shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining characters (alphabet (uppercase), alphabet (lowercase), numbers, and symbols) arranged in a circle according to one embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the first embodiment, a blank space is arranged between the last character and the first character of the character candidates on the dial keyboard 1-1. For example, when the character type is alphabet, the characters are arranged in the order of A to Z, and A is connected after Z with a blank space in between. Also, when the character type is numbers, the characters are arranged in the order of 0 to 9, and 0 is connected after 9 with a blank space in between. The same applies when the character type is a symbol.

[0076] <<Characters displayed when moving the cursor>> Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 10, the characters displayed when the cursor is moved will be described. In the second embodiment, when a character is confirmed and the input of the next character is to be started, if the position after the cursor is moved is blank (i.e., when a character is added to the end of a character string), the dial keyboard 1-1 displays a blank space at the position after the cursor is moved. In the example of FIG. 10, when the cursor is moved to the right in the state of step 41 (S41) (i.e., "C") shown in FIG. 10(a), it becomes the state of step 42 (S42) (blank space) shown in FIG. 10(b). Note that when this blank space is selected, no character meaning a space is added.

[0077] <<Delete button>> In the first embodiment, the deletion unit 1005 deletes the character located one position from the cursor position, but in the second embodiment, the deletion unit 1005 deletes the character located two positions from the cursor position (the character to the left in the case of horizontal writing). An example of a screen when deleting characters will be described below with reference to FIG. 12.

[0078] Assume that the delete button is pressed in step 51 (S51) shown in Fig. 12(a) and the cursor is at the "C" position.

[0079] 12(b), the character (i.e., "B") located at the second position from the cursor position in S51 is deleted. The deletion unit 1005 moves the character string located after the deleted character (the character string on the right in the case of horizontal writing) forward (to the left in the case of horizontal writing) by the amount of the deleted character.

[0080] The first and second embodiments can be selected based on the user interface of the product. The first embodiment has the advantage that it is easy to delete the last character, and the second embodiment has the advantage that it provides the operator with an operational feeling similar to that of the backspace key on a personal computer or the delete button on a general software keyboard on a smartphone.

[0081] <Effects> In this way, the present invention can realize a software keyboard that allows easy and efficient input of a character string of any number of digits even if the display panel of the electronic device 1 is small and the screen displaying the software keyboard is small. For example, when inputting a password for connecting a digital camera to a Wi-Fi router, the password can be input with ease even if the display panel of the digital camera is small and the screen displaying the software keyboard is small.

[0082] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and a device such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or a conventional circuit module designed to execute each function described above.

[0083] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Electronic equipment 11 CPU 12 ROM / RAM 13 Display Panel 14 Touch Panel 101 Imaging unit 102a,b lens 103a, b Image sensor 104 Image Processing Unit 105 Imaging control unit 106 Mike 107 Sound Processing Unit 108 Bus 109 CPU 110 ROM 111 SRAM 112 DRAM 113 Operation section 114 External device connection interface 115 Communications Department 115a Antenna 116 Acceleration and orientation sensor 117 Display section 1001 Position determination section 1002 Character type determination unit 1003 Character determination unit 1004 Determined part 1005 Deleted part 1006 Display section 1007 Character storage [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0085] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5070606

Claims

1. an input area for inputting characters; a dial keyboard on which a plurality of characters to be input into the input area are arranged in a circular manner; two movement buttons for moving a position where characters are input in the input area; Display on the input screen, The dial keyboard sequentially displays each of the plurality of characters as a selected character in response to operation by an operator, the plurality of characters being displayed in a row, each character of the plurality of characters being adjacent to not more than two other characters among the plurality of characters, the two movement buttons being respectively located on either side of the plurality of characters being displayed in a row, and when the selected character is selected by the operator, the selected character is displayed at a position in the input area where the character indicated by one of the two movement buttons is to be entered, thereby inputting an arbitrary character string into the input area.

2. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when the position in the input area where the character is to be input is moved by the movement button, the character displayed as the selected character at that time on the dial keyboard is confirmed as the character input at the position in the input area where the character was to be input before the movement.

3. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when the movement button is used to move the position at which the character is to be input to a position of an already-inputted character in the input area, the dial keyboard displays, as a selected character, a character that is the same as the already-inputted character at the position indicated by the movement button.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising a switch button for switching a character type of characters displayed by the dial keyboard, the switch button being further displayed on the input screen.

5. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a confirmation button on the input screen for confirming a selected character displayed on the dial keyboard as a final character to be input into the input area.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a delete button for deleting input characters at a position in the input area indicated by the move button, the delete button being displayed on the input screen.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the input area is an area for inputting a horizontally written character string, and the movement button moves a position in the input area where the character is to be input to the left or right.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the character string input in the input area is a password.

9. A method implemented by an electronic device, comprising: an input area for inputting characters; a dial keyboard on which a plurality of characters to be input into the input area are arranged in a circular manner; two movement buttons for moving a position where characters are input in the input area; Display on the input screen, The dial keyboard sequentially displays each of the plurality of characters as a selected character in response to operation by an operator, the plurality of characters being displayed are displayed in a row, each character of the plurality of characters is adjacent to not more than two other characters among the plurality of characters, the two movement buttons are respectively located on either side of the plurality of characters being displayed in a row, and when the selected character is selected by the operator, the selected character is displayed at a position in the input area where the character indicated by one of the two movement buttons is to be input, thereby inputting an arbitrary character string into the input area.

10. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, when the position in the input area where the character is to be input is moved by the movement button, the character displayed as the selected character at that time on the dial keyboard is confirmed as the character input at the position in the input area where the character was to be input before the movement.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein when the position for inputting the character is moved to a position of an already-inputted character in the input area by the movement button, the dial keyboard displays, as a selected character, a character that is the same as the already-inputted character at the position indicated by the movement button.

12. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of displaying, on the input screen, a switching button for switching a character type for characters displayed by the dial keyboard.

13. 13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising displaying, on the input screen, a confirmation button for confirming a selected character displayed on the dial keyboard as a final character to be input into the input area.

14. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising displaying, on the input screen, a delete button for deleting an input character at a position in the input area indicated by the move button.

15. Electronic devices an input area for inputting characters; a dial keyboard on which a plurality of characters to be input into the input area are arranged in a circular manner; two movement buttons for moving a position where characters are input in the input area; on the input screen, The dial keyboard sequentially displays each of the plurality of characters as a selected character in response to operation by an operator, the plurality of characters being displayed in a row, each character of the plurality of characters being adjacent to not more than two other characters among the plurality of characters, the two movement buttons being located on either side of the plurality of characters being displayed in a row, and when the selected character is selected by the operator, the selected character is displayed at a position in the input area where the character indicated by one of the two movement buttons is to be entered, thereby inputting an arbitrary character string into the input area.

16. 16. The program according to claim 15, wherein when the position in the input area where the character is to be input is moved by the movement button, the character displayed as the selected character at that time on the dial keyboard is confirmed as the character input at the position in the input area where the character was to be input before the movement.

17. 17. The program according to claim 15 or 16, wherein when the position for inputting the character is moved to a position of an already input character in the input area by the movement button, the dial keyboard displays, as a selected character, a character that is the same as the already input character at the position indicated by the movement button.

18. 18. The program according to claim 15, further comprising a switch button for switching the character type of characters displayed by the dial keyboard, which is displayed on the input screen.

19. 19. The program according to claim 15, further comprising a confirmation button on the input screen for confirming a selected character displayed on the dial keyboard as a final character to be input into the input area.

20. 20. The program according to claim 15, further comprising: a delete button for deleting input characters at a position in the input area indicated by the move button, the delete button being displayed on the input screen.

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