Cellular phone set

This invention is associated with a cellular phone set having a plurality of operation keys and one display device on a panel surface. This cellular phone set includes a touch sensor keyboard which can detect that a finger of a user touches each of the operation keys, a key analyzing section which generates a key event on the basis of the detection result from the keyboard, a screen control section which controls display of the screen on the basis of the key event, a screen display section which includes a display device such as an LCD which executes display under the control of the screen control section, and a memory which stores screen forming data. With this arrangement, display control on a function explanation corresponding to a key can be done in accordance with user operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cellular phone set which facilitates key operation and, more particularly, to a cellular phone set which can perform display control on a function explanation according to each key in accordance with user operation.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In a conventional cellular phone set, a plurality of functions are assigned to one key as the phone set becomes multifunctional. In order to prevent a user from becoming confused about operation, it is preferable to make proper function explanations. For this purpose, function explanations by means of popup windows are prepared. More specifically, the user displays icons associated with functions and a cursor frame for the selection of an icon on the screen of a display window. The user then moves the cursor frame to an icon corresponding to a function for which a function explanation is to be displayed by using the cursor key, thereby displaying the function explanation.

The following problems arise in the above conventional technique.

The first problem is that special operation is required to display a function explanation.

This is because the function of displaying function explanations must be limited due to the limitation of the amount of information that can be displayed on the screen, and hence the user needs to perform operation for the selection of a function.

The second problem is that a function explanation cannot be displayed depending on the input screen.

This is because user operation for the selection of a function for which a function explanation is to be made contends with user operation on a currently displayed screen in some cases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems in the prior art, and has as its object to provide a new cellular phone set which can display a function explanation corresponding to each operation key at a proper timing while allowing a user to operate keys in a conventional manner.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cellular phone set having a plurality of operation keys and one display device on a panel surface, comprising:

first control means for detecting a state wherein a finger touches the key and controlling display of the cellular phone set in a first state on the basis of the detected state;

second control means for detecting a state wherein the finger is moved away from the key and controlling display of the cellular phone set in a second state on the basis of the detected state;

third control means for detecting a state wherein the key is pressed after the finger touched the key and controlling display of the cellular phone set in a third state on the basis of the detected state; and

fourth control means for detecting a state wherein the finger is moved away from the key after the key was pressed and controlling display of the cellular phone set in a fourth state on the basis of the detected state.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first control means in the first aspect controls to display a function explanation corresponding to the operation key on the display device and make indications displayed on the display device on the basis of the second, third, and fourth control means differ from an indication displayed on the basis of the first control means.

According to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, each of the plurality of operation keys is a touch sensor key or two-stroke press key.

As described above, according to the present invention, since a plurality of touch sensor keys or similar keys are used for a keyboard, each key which the user intends to press can be detected, and an explanation of a function associated with the key is displayed on a popup window before it is pressed. In this manners display control on a function explanation corresponding to each key can be done in accordance with user operation.

As is obvious from the respective aspects, the cellular phone set according to the present invention has the following effects.

First, since the cellular phone set is designed to display an explanation of a function associated with a key which the user intends to operate immediately before the operation, operation errors caused by the user can be reduced.

Second, since the cellular phone set is designed such that a key which the user intends to operate is detected by a touch sensor, and an explanation of a function associated with the key is automatically displayed, the user can refer to the explanation of the function without performing any special operation.

The above and many other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become manifest to those skilled in the art upon making reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments incorporating the principle of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Cellular phones according to several preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

Referring toFIG. 1, a cellular phone set according to the present invention is comprised of a keyboard101having a plurality of touch sensor keys each of which can detect the touch of a finger of a user, a key analyzing section102for generating a key event on the basis of the detection result from the keyboard101, a screen control section103for controlling the display of a screen on the basis of a key event, a screen display section104which includes a display device such as an LCD and executes display under the control of the screen control section103, and a memory105which stores data that forms a screen.

As is obvious fromFIG. 1, the cellular phone set according to the present invention has the keyboard101having a plurality of touch sensor keys. When the touch sensor of each key of the keyboard101detects the touch of a user's finger on the key, the key analyzing section102generates a predefined key event in accordance with the detection result. The screen control section103controls to display a function explanation corresponding to the key touched by the user on a popup window202. The screen display section104displays display data from the memory105on the popup window202on a screen201on the basis of this control. When the user moves his/her finger off the key, this action is detected, and the popup window202disappears. In this manner, display control on function explanations can be done in accordance with user operation.

The above operation in each section will be described next.

The key analyzing section102generates a key event on the basis of a detection result from the keyboard101.

The screen control section103instructs the screen display section104to display or not to display a popup window in accordance with the generated key event.

The screen display section104forms a display screen by using screen forming data stored in the memory105in advance and displays it on a display screen formed by an LCD or the like.

FIG. 2shows a display example of the popup window202on the screen201of the screen display section104.

FIG. 3shows an arrangement of the respective portions on the panel surface of the cellular phone set according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3, reference numeral300denotes a cellular phone set;300aand300b, a receiver and a transmitter;301, a display screen formed by an LCD or the like;302, a cursor key;303to308, function selection keys; and309, ten keys and the like.

The overall operation of the first embodiment will be described in detail next with reference toFIGS. 1,4, and5.

When one key is operated by the user, the key analyzing section102generates a key event constituted by a predefined key ID and factor ID shown inFIG. 4on the basis of the key operation (step S501). The control branches to corresponding processing for each factor ID in accordance with the generated key event (step S502).

Subsequently, processing for each factor ID is performed after branching (steps S503to S508).

It is finally checked whether the input operation is terminated, and the flow waits for the next key input if necessary (step S509).

Processing for each factor ID will be described next.

When the factor ID is Key_Touch (a state wherein the key is touched), a function explanation corresponding to the key is displayed on the display screen201in accordance with the key ID of the key event, and the display state of the function explanation corresponding to the key is stored in the memory105. With this operation, the popup window202is displayed on the display screen201(step S503).

When the factor ID is Key_Release (a state wherein the key is released without being pressed), if the function explanation is displayed on the display screen201, the function explanation is made to disappear in accordance with the display state stored in the memory105(step S504), and the display state of the function explanation corresponding to the key in the memory105is updated.

When the factor ID is Key_Down (a state wherein the key is pressed), all function explanations that are being displayed disappear, and at the same time, the display is updated to display the function explanation corresponding to the pressed state of the key (step S505). Subsequently, a function associated as processing at the time of key pressing with the key is executed as processing at the time of key pressing (step S507).

When the factor ID is Key_Up (a state wherein the key is released after it is pressed), processing at the time of key releasing is executed (step S508).

The first operation example in the first embodiment of the present invention in a case wherein abbreviated dialing is to be performed from a standby screen as shown inFIGS. 6A to 6Ewill be described next by using a display screen (LCD).

First of all, the flow waits for key input done by the user while the standby screen is displayed (a screen601inFIG. 6A).

If the user touches the “1 ()” key, the keyboard101detects that the user touched the key, and the key analyzing section102then generates a key event (step S501). Assume that at this time, a key ID is defined by a unique value representing the “1 ()” key. The factor ID becomes Key_Touch, and the screen control section103instructs the screen display section104to display a function explanation corresponding to the key in accordance with the factor ID of the generated key event. The screen display section104forms a function explanation screen corresponding to the “1 ()” key from screen forming data corresponding to the “1 ()” key on the standby screen which is stored in the memory105, and displays the screen on the LCD. The screen display section104also stores this display state in the memory105. In this case, a function explanation having contents explaining that “1 ()” is input is displayed on the popup window202(step S503; a screen612inFIG. 6B). Since the input operation is not terminated, the flow waits for the next key operation (step S509).

If the user presses the “1 ()” key, pressing of the “1 ()” key is detected, and the key analyzing section102generates a key event having a key ID corresponding to the “1 ()” key and a factor ID corresponding to Key_Down (step S501) The screen control section103checks the factor ID of the generated key event (step S502). The screen control section103then instructs the screen display section104to stop displaying all currently displayed function explanations and update the display state of all the function explanations (step S505). Subsequently, predetermined processing corresponding to the “1 ()” key, which is defined separately, is performed. In this case, the processing of inputting “1 ()” is executed (step S507; a screen613inFIG. 6C). Since the input operation is not terminated, the flow waits for the next key input (step S509).

Assume that the user then takes his/her finger off the “1 ()” key. At this time, the keyboard101detects that the user has taken his/her finger off the “1 ()” key, and the key analyzing section102generates a key event having a key ID corresponding to the “1 ()” key and a factor ID corresponding to Key_Up (step S501).

Subsequently, the screen control section103checks the factor ID of the generated key event (step S502). The screen control section103performs processing to be performed when the user takes his/her finger off the “1 ()” key after pressing it, which is defined separately. In this case, no special processing is executed (step S508; the screen613inFIG. 6C). The flow waits for the next key input again (step S509).

Assume that the user touches the “talk” key303afterward. Upon detection of this action, the key analyzing section102generates a key event having a key ID corresponding to the “talk” key and a factor ID corresponding to Key_Touch (step S501). The screen control section103instructs the screen display section104to display a function explanation on the basis of the factor ID of the generated key event (step S502). The screen display section104forms a function explanation screen corresponding to the “talk” key303from screen forming data corresponding to the “talk” key303on the standby screen which is stored in the memory105in advance, and displays it on the LCD. The screen display section104also stores this display state in the memory105. In this case, a function explanation having contents explaining that the number registered to abbreviated dial1is displayed on the LCD (step S503; a screen614inFIG. 6D). In this case as well, since the input operation is not terminated, the flow waits for the next key input (step S509).

If the user pressed the “talk” key303, the keyboard101detects pressing of the “talk” key303, and the key analyzing section102generates a key event having a key ID corresponding to the “talk” key and a factor ID corresponding to Key_Down (step S501). The screen control section103checks the factor ID of the generated key event (step S502). The screen control section103then instructs the screen display section104to stop displaying all currently displayed function explanations and update the display state by displaying a function explanation at the time of key pressing on the LCD (step S505). Subsequently, processing to be done when the “talk” key303is pressed, which is defined separately, is done. In this case, origination processing is executed. Since the input number is 1, origination is executed (step S507). The flow then waits for the next key input again (step S509inFIG. 5).

When it is detected that the user has taken his/her finger off the “talk” key303, the key analyzing section102generates a key event having a key ID corresponding to the “talk” key and a factor ID corresponding to Key_Up (step S501). The screen control section103performs processing to be done when the user takes his/her finger off the “talk” key303, which is defined separately, on the basis of this key event. In this case, the processing of indicating that origination is being done is executed. A screen indicating that “origination” is being done to the number registered to abbreviated dial1is displayed on the LCD (step S508; a screen615inFIG. 6E).

Assume that key events corresponding to a single key occur consecutively in a short period of time. In this case, a screen formed at the time of processing the last key event is used as a display screen. Therefore, rendering processing may be optimized by skipping screen update processing in processing the remaining key events during this period.

Note that the cellular phone set according to the present invention may be used for character input operation shown inFIGS. 7A to 7F, menu selection on a menu screen shown inFIGS. 8A to 8D, data processing shown inFIGS. 9A to 9C, and the like.

Second Embodiment

The second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail next with reference toFIG. 10.

As is obvious fromFIG. 10, the second embodiment of the present invention uses an arrangement in which the respective keys of the keyboard101are changed from touch sensor keys to two-stroke press keys that can be pressed in two strokes. The arrangement of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for this.

By changing the assignment of events to be generated by a key analyzing section102into the “two-stroke press key” array inFIG. 10, the same effects as those obtained in the case of the touch sensor keyboard in the first embodiment can be obtained.