Dynamic Discriminating Regions for Touch Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing character input methods on touch panels, such as smartphones, often result in incorrect character selection due to the reliance on fixed discriminating regions, leading to user discomfort and inefficiency, especially when the touch detection point is outside the intended region or when representative characters are not set.
Innovation Solution
A character input device that dynamically sets discriminating regions based on the touch detection point within the character key, ensuring the representative character's region always includes the touch point, and adjusts the size and position of these regions to accurately select characters based on the user's input gesture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fixed discriminating regions are used for character selection, then the character input method is simple to implement, but incorrect character selection occurs when the touch detection point is outside the intended region
Solution Approach 1:
The discriminating region is changed from a fixed static area to a dynamic area that moves and resizes based on the touch detection point position. When a touch is detected, the discriminating region is positioned to include the touch detection point, allowing the region to adapt dynamically to different touch locations and prevent incorrect character selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The discriminating region is adjusted locally based on the touch detection point position. Instead of using a uniform fixed region for all touches, the region is positioned and sized according to the specific local area where the touch occurred, ensuring accurate character selection for each touch location.
2Reliability
If the discriminating region is set in a wide range to include all possible touch points, then no incorrect character selection occurs, but large flick gestures are required to select different characters
Solution Approach 1:
The discriminating region dynamically adjusts its size and position based on the touch detection point. Instead of using a large fixed region that requires large flick gestures, the region is positioned to include the touch point and sized appropriately, allowing users to select characters with small, precise flick movements.
3Measurement precision
If the discriminating region size is reduced to improve precision, then character selection becomes more accurate, but the region may not include the touch detection point when touched at certain locations
Solution Approach 1:
The discriminating region is positioned to include the touch detection point while maintaining an appropriate size for precision. The region dynamically adjusts its position based on where the touch occurred, ensuring both precision (by keeping the region compact) and reliability (by including the touch point).
Data Source
AI summary
A character input device that sets a keyboard image and an input character display area on a touch panel, the keyboard image including a plurality of character keys and that receives operation on the keyboard image. The character input device identifies a subregion including a touch detection point from among subregions set based on the defining information relating a character key detected to be touched, and sets a plurality of discriminating regions so that the discriminating regions are distributed based on the identified subregion. Each of the plurality of discriminating regions corresponds to the plurality of characters assigned to the character key. When a touch release is detected, a character that corresponds to the discriminating region including the detection point of the touch release is selected as an input character. The character is then displayed on the input character display area of the touch panel.