Touch Keypad Input Prioritization to Prevent Mobile Key Errors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communications terminals with touch-type keypads face issues with key input errors due to narrow key intervals, leading to unintended key functions and difficulties in miniaturization, as excessive force is applied to the user's finger and unintended keys are easily activated.
Innovation Solution
A method for detecting key inputs in mobile communication terminals with touch-type keypads involves determining the priority of keys based on their position, adjusting sensitivity levels, and measuring signal characteristics such as time and gradient to accurately identify the intended key input, thereby preventing errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If touch-type keys are arranged at narrow intervals to enable miniaturization, then the terminal size is reduced, but key input errors increase due to unintended key activation
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-assigns priority levels to each key based on its position and function before input occurs. When multiple keys are simultaneously activated, the controller uses these pre-established priorities to determine which key was intentionally pressed, preventing input errors without requiring larger key spacing
Solution Approach 2:
Different priority levels are assigned to different keys based on their specific positions and functions on the keypad. This localized differentiation allows the system to distinguish between intentional and unintentional key presses even when keys are arranged at narrow intervals, maintaining input accuracy while enabling miniaturization
2Ease of operation
If touch-type keypad is used to reduce force applied to user's finger, then ease of operation is improved, but unintended key input increases due to low activation threshold
Solution Approach 1:
Priority assignments are established in advance for all keys based on their positions and functions. When multiple keys are activated simultaneously, the controller resolves the input by selecting the key with the highest pre-assigned priority, thereby preventing unintended inputs while maintaining the low-force advantage of touch-type keys
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors which keys are activated and uses the priority information to determine the intended input. This feedback mechanism allows the system to correct for unintended activations that occur due to the low activation threshold, maintaining both ease of operation and input accuracy
3Volume of moving object
If keys are arranged at narrow intervals to miniaturize the terminal, then device compactness is improved, but key input error prevention becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The controller pre-assigns priority levels to each key based on position and function before any input occurs. This preliminary configuration simplifies the error prevention process by establishing clear decision rules in advance, allowing compact key arrangement without increasing operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of key priority assignment based on key position and function. By varying priority parameters across different keys rather than using uniform sensitivity, the system achieves error prevention in a compact layout without requiring complex additional mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile communications terminal and a method for preventing an input error of a key input unit are provided. The mobile communications terminal includes a touch sensor unit for sensing a key that is input by touching a keypad region in order to output a key input signal corresponding to the key and a controller adapted to determine a key input according to either a priority between multiple keys from which key signals are received or whether a received key signal was generated inadvertently.