Patent ID: 9348424
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. An input device comprising: a storage unit configured to store a plurality of keyboard screens each corresponding to a set of a plurality of characters or symbols, each keyboard screen being designed to show the set of the plurality of characters or symbols that can be input on a screen and to receive a user's selection of a character or a symbol; a display unit configured to read one of the plurality of keyboard screens from the storage unit and to display the read keyboard screen on the screen; an input receiving unit configured to receive the selection of the character or the symbol selected by the user from among the plurality of characters or symbols; and a switching control unit configured to cause, when a first user control input to switch the keyboard screen is received while the display unit is showing one of the plurality of keyboard screens on the screen and while the input receiving unit receives selection of the character or the symbol from the plurality of characters or symbols included in the keyboard screen displayed on the screen, the input device to make a transition to a switching mode to switch the keyboard screen, to read the plurality of keyboard screens including the keyboard screen displayed on the screen from the storage unit, and to display the read keyboard screens on the screen as selection candidates, the switching control unit being further configured to switch the selection candidate being selected from among the plurality of keyboard screens, when a second user control input to switch the selection candidate of the keyboard screen is received in the switching mode, wherein, when the switching control unit receives a third user control input to confirm the candidate being selected by the user in the switching mode, the display unit displays the keyboard screen selected as the candidate on the screen, and the input receiving unit receives the character or the symbol selected by the user from among the plurality of characters or symbols included in the displayed keyboard screen, wherein at least one of the plurality of keyboard screens has a basic screen for entering the character and a sub-screen for entering the symbol or a numeral, and wherein the switching control unit prohibits the switching mode while the sub-screen is being displayed.