WO2010087657A9 - Input system and method using touch screen - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and a method for inputting characters, symbols and commands by using a device such as a touch screen, tablet etc., which has a coordinate system. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and a method for inputting characters, symbols, commands etc., fast and easily in an efficient manner by using a touch screen comprised in compact type terminals such as cell phones or PDAs. According to the present invention, an input code value can be determined depending not only on a touched key, but on a touch-and-move form and direction. That is to say, an input value of a character or symbol or of a command can be determined depending on a first touch position, a touch's moving path, a last touch position, a combination of direction vectors of the first and last touch positions, a combination of keys having been touched after the first touch while moving, an intersect position and direction between the boundary of a key or split region and the touched track, etc. Particularly, even for a small screen like a cell phone or PDA touch screen for example, one can input desired characters, symbols, command codes or code strings much faster and much more accurately than a simple touch keyboard type input method as key regions or split regions obtained by splitting an input region and a touch-and-move track thereon are interpreted and combined based on the split regions. Because a touch input on split regions is interpreted, even if a number of codes or commands are to be inputted, an input method can still be designed to find out the user's purpose of inputting easily and accurately. When applied to a touch keyboard, the keyboard for the input of characters and commands might occupy a lesser portion of a given screen to employ a broader screen as an application program screen such as a display of character strings.

Description

Input system and method using touch screen

The present invention relates to a system and method for efficiently inputting characters or commands using a touch screen in a small terminal such as a mobile phone or a PDA. The present invention includes a system and method for efficiently inputting characters or commands in an input device having a coordinate system even if the input device is not a touch screen type.

 Currently, in order to enter text when using the touch screen in PDA and mobile phone, you can use the existing input method that presses one key several times by using a number of characters corresponding to the numeric keys of the mechanical keyboard phone or use the character keys like a computer keyboard. One-to-one correspondence is displayed on the screen and an input method is used to touch it. The first method is the same as the method of inputting characters in a conventional mechanical keyboard mobile phone. The method of inputting characters varies depending on how many times the same key position is touched. This method requires a long time to touch the touch screen to enter a single character, it takes longer to enter characters compared to numeric input. In addition, when a character must be continuously input from the same key, the input time is longer because it is necessary to press another key to stop inputting the current key or stop the input for a while. The second method is to display all the text keys that can be input on the screen, and touch the text keys that you want to input. This is like moving a keyboard to a touch screen. In this method, you can input the desired character by touching the touch screen only once, and if you use the electronic pen, you can press the correct position. However, if the screen is small, it is difficult to press the correct position with your finger or pen. There is a disadvantage that it does not work well, and if the screen is large, the input is not very efficient because the user has to move a lot of hands to select a character key to input with one hand.

In contrast, there is a method of inputting a character using an online recognition technology on a touch screen. As technology advances, the recognition rate is increased to recognize and input online input characters at approximately 95% or more, and even higher levels of input are possible if the user adapts and inputs. However, the handwriting character input method is not only inferior in accuracy to input a single character but also takes much more time than the key input method. Sometimes it is convenient when typing with one hand, but it takes a lot of time and effort to accurately convey the user's intention to a computer.

 The present invention improves the shortcomings of the conventional methods that require multiple touches or many hand movements when inputting a character or command using the touch screen to minimize the touch and movement and reduce the touch or movement to a character or command. Provided are an apparatus and a method for inputting a back light.

 In addition, the present invention is applied to a problem that cannot be handled due to the difficulty of automatic recognition in the field of gesture input or character input using an online stroke, thereby providing a solution for judging a command or an input character by a very simple movement or longitudinal. do.

In addition, the present invention has a large number of character keys or commands to be entered on a small screen when entering a command, characters, symbols, etc. in a variety of applications, including games, problems that are difficult to place or handle at once, and intuitive to the string or command Provided are a method and a system for solving a problem in which input is difficult or time consuming.

 Touch and movement (Touch-and-Move) based character and command input system is a feature of the present invention for achieving the technical problem of the present invention,

 A partition area setting unit 200 for designing and dividing an input area or setting a key area so that a user's input intention can be easily and quickly transmitted; A touch signal processor 300 for processing a touch signal input by a user with a finger or an electronic pen; Analyzes the type of touch signal input by the user to the partition set up for the input, and the first touched key and the direction vector moved after the touch, the order of the keys touched while moving, the intersection position and direction of the partition boundary line and the touch trajectory A touch longitudinal analyzer 400 analyzing the back and the like; And an input code determiner 500 which finally determines an input code or a code string intended by a user according to the analyzed result value and the first touched start key or the attributes of a series of touched partitions. Alternatively, instead of the touch longitudinal analyzer 400 and the input code determiner 500, a segment-based touch signal analyzer 600 that generates a code string according to a result of combining the segment information and the touch longitudinal may be included. It may be.

 To achieve the technical problem of the present invention, another feature of the present invention is a touch-and-move-based character and command input method.

 A partition area setting step (S100) of designing and dividing an input area or setting a key area so that a user's input intention can be easily and quickly transmitted; Processing a touch signal input by a user with a finger or an electronic pen (S110); Analyzes the type of touch signal input by the user to the partition set up for the input, and the first touched key and the direction vector moved after the touch, the order of the keys touched while moving, the intersection position and direction of the partition boundary line and the touch trajectory Touch longitudinal analysis step (S120 ~ S106) for analyzing the back; And an input code determination step (S170 ˜ S180) of finally determining an input code or a code string intended by the user according to the analyzed result and the first touched start key or the attributes of a series of touched partitions.

 According to the present invention, when entering a plurality of alphabets or characters, such as English, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, etc. using a touch screen, a large number of characters on the screen without having to arrange a large number of keys or touch the same key repeatedly Can be entered quickly and conveniently. That is, since a plurality of characters can be input with a single touch and movement combination even with a small number of keys, the accuracy and speed of the input is much higher than that of the conventional method.

 In addition, the input character according to the analysis result combining the partition region and the touch trajectory information such as the direction vector of the position where the touch is terminated as well as the position of the touch point where the touch screen is pressed by the finger or the electronic pen, the intersection point of the partition region and the touch longitudinal point, and the like. By determining the number of input keys and reducing the number of input key areas, the area of the key area can be designed to be large enough to be touched. Therefore, when the key area is small, it is possible to reduce a problem of incorrect input caused by inaccurate touch of the key or a problem of increasing the accuracy of the input. Compared to traditional keyboard-type input methods, more input characters or codes can be entered quickly and easily in less input space, and users can enter the desired input characters or codes more accurately and faster than online pen input methods. .

 1 is a structure diagram of a character and command input system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 2 is a flowchart illustrating a text and command input method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

 3 is a structural diagram of a keyboard key area screen output unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

 4 is a structural diagram of a touch signal processor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

 5 is a structural diagram of a touch longitudinal analysis unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

 6 is a structural diagram of an input code determiner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are layout diagrams of keyboard key regions according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 13 and 35 illustrate examples of a key area or a partition area designed for partitioning an input area according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 15 and 16 illustrate a method of selecting a character through touch-and-move according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 17, 18, 19 and 20 are exemplary diagrams of key longitudinal shapes and analysis results according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

 21, 22, 23, and 24 are diagrams illustrating examples of detecting a direction angle code and a touch key sequence according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 25, 26 and 27 are diagrams illustrating a direction angle code and a selection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 28 is a structure diagram of a character and command input system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 29, 30, 31, and 32 are diagrams illustrating an input viewpoint determination method and a direction vector determination method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 33 and 34 illustrate examples of selecting an input code when a section boundary line passes through a division line according to an embodiment of the present invention, and selecting 'b' or '1b' in FIG. 34 shows an example of selecting '3' or 'A3'.

 35 is a view illustrating a key area and a display method for selecting a command and a menu according to an embodiment of the present invention.

36 and 37 illustrate examples of a Chinese input keyboard according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein a divided region is divided into a consonant part and a vowel part, and an input method by touch is changed for each group. The consonant part can be input only in the first touched area, but the vowel part is defined to enable connection input according to a boundary line or touch area continuously moving after touching. In addition, it is defined in a specific area so that the tone can be input by a simple operation.

38 is a structure diagram of a character and command input system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

39 is an example of setting an input section by lines for inputting characters and commands according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

 Throughout the specification, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, it means that it can further include other components, without excluding other components unless specifically stated otherwise. In addition, the terms "~ unit", "~ base", "~ module" described in the specification means a unit for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. Can be. The term "code" described in the specification refers not only to a character code but also to a semantic unit that a user can select for input such as a command or a menu. The partitions or key regions described in the specification are divided by setting boundaries in the input region, and even though only one is mentioned, they encompass the same meaning or include both.

 Hereinafter, a character and command input system and method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

 1 is a structure diagram of a character and command input system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 As shown in FIG. 1, the character and command input system 100 includes a partition setting unit 200, a touch signal processing unit 300, a touch longitudinal analysis unit 400, and an input code determination unit 500. . In brief, the divided region setting unit 200, the touch signal processor 300, and the divided region-based touch signal analyzer 600 may be represented as illustrated in FIG. 28. Here, the text and command input system 100 may be implemented in a device that requires text and command input, such as various types of terminals and computers including a mobile phone and a PDA.

 The division area setting unit 200 divides an input area into key areas or divides areas as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14. It is responsible for defining partitions. The defined partition may be dynamically output to the screen of the terminal or fixed in advance as the user selects an input method. As shown in FIG. 3, the partition setting unit includes a partition boundary display unit 210, a code division configuration unit 220 for each partition, and a code set screen output unit 230 for each partition. The divided region boundary display unit 210 displays the divided region or the boundary of the key region in the same meaning and outputs the boundary. The partition area should be designed to make the touch input easy and fast and to accurately determine the user's intention of the touch. As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, the form or button Displayed using shapes, or just borders that separate areas. The code set configuration unit 220 for each partition configures a set of codes, characters, commands, and the like for each partition in order to correspond to a plurality of characters, codes, and commands for each partition as necessary. The code set for each partition is a concept introduced to allow easy selection and input of multiple codes or characters in a single key or partition. For example, the character set corresponding to the 'J' key in the middle of FIG. 8 is 'J', 'K', 'L', and the character set corresponding to the 'A' key is 'A', 'B' , 'C'. For example, the character set corresponding to the key 'ㄱ' is 'ㄱ', 'ㄴ', 'ㅋ' and the character set corresponding to the vowel 'ㅣ' key is 'ㅣ', 'TT', 'ㅓ' to be. In order to input characters belonging to a character set corresponding to one key, first, the corresponding key area must be touched. Next, the desired character can be selected according to the movement after the touch. One of the easiest ways to select individual characters within a character set is to touch your key and move your finger or pen in the direction of the character you want to select. In addition to this method, based on the order combination of the partitions in which the first one of the partitions or keys is touched and moved while touching and continuously touching, or the shape of the touch type continuously moved after the touch is based on the properties of each partition. Select specific characters within the code set for each partition, select new characters or commands by input combinations regardless of the character set of individual partitions, or select multiple characters or code strings at once. Can be entered. Simple gestures or vertical shapes can be defined in advance, and the required parts can be applied differently for each partition, and the partition application and interpretation can be different depending on the size of the touch trajectory.

 The code set screen output unit 230 for each partition is for showing a character, a code, or a command belonging to a character set defined in each key to the user. In FIG. 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 Print or arrange multiple characters per key as needed. At this time, the character is output to the key area or the appropriate direction and position so that the user can intuitively easily understand and select what character is selected and input in the character set according to the position, direction, and type of touch. For example, in FIG. 11, after pressing the 3 key on the left side to input 1, the user must move upward, to the left to input 2, to the right to enter 4, and to move down to enter 5. To enter 3, you can exit the touch without leaving the key area or moving less. Similarly, in FIG. 12, when the user presses 1 and exits the area or ends the touch with less movement, 1 is input, 2 when moving to the lower left, 3 when moving vertically downward, and 4 when moving to the lower right. In this case, the upward direction is an example of not assigning letters in consideration of the inconvenience of hand movement. FIG. 16 is a diagram for describing a process of inputting each character in a key including a representative character A and a character set A, B, and C. Referring to FIG. Move the finger to the lower left while touching the button or key and enter B when moving out of the key area, and enter C when moving to the lower right in the touch state, and enter A when ending the touch without leaving the key area. do. When outputting a code set for each partition on the screen, it is not necessary to output all the characters of the code set to the key area, and characters corresponding to a specific direction or gesture may not be output for the user's convenience. FIG. 15 shows an input area for the key of FIG. Referring to FIG. 15, four codes can be input using this key, and the contents are A, B, C, and Delete. If too many character sets are assigned to one key, the input efficiency may be reduced, so the number of characters per key may be reduced as shown in FIG. In addition, in consideration of the relatively dull finger movement, the upward direction may be a downward direction as shown in FIG. 16, and instead, an upward direction may be arranged as necessary. For example, you can assign and use Delete code to handle wrong input in the same direction above all keys, and these keys do not need to be displayed in the key area because they are not difficult to get used to.

 The touch signal processor 300 of FIGS. 1 and 4 processes a signal input through a touch screen. The input signal consists of a touch state and a touched coordinate value. The touch state and coordinate value signal processor 310 transmits a signal touched by a user with a finger or a pen in a sequential touch state and coordinate value format. In addition, it may serve to store the touched longitudinal. The input reference time determiner 320 is responsible for determining a time point for generating a character code by analyzing an input signal. The first method of determining the input reference time point is to set the time point at which the touch ends. The last character until the end of the touch is stored and after the end the entire character can be analyzed to determine the input character code. This method may feel like the input response is slow. The second method is to determine as the input reference time even when the touch leaves the first start key region (time b of FIG. 29). That is, when the touch leaves the start key region or when the touch ends, the input signal is analyzed and determined. The third method is a method of determining an input signal when a distance is deviated from the touched position by a predetermined distance or when the touch is terminated (see FIGS. 17 and 18). Here, the predetermined distance may be smaller or larger than the key area. Of course, instead of simply setting the input reference time point, the first method may be used. For example, an analysis of a longitudinal point at the end of a touch may be performed, but the analysis of the longitudinal point may be different based on the expected endpoint when the three methods described above are applied.

 The method of determining an input time point or determining an analysis criterion of an input signal may be applied in various ways. When the reference is made based on each divided area, a time when a touch intersects a boundary line of each divided area may be determined as an input reference time point. The input code to be selected for each partition may be determined by analyzing a location, a trajectory, and a direction where touch enters and exits for each partition. 33 illustrates an example of selecting 'b' or '1b' as an input because a line segment corresponding to 'b' has passed after being touched. FIG. 34 is an example in which '3' or 'A3' may be selected using an analysis result of passing a line segment corresponding to '3' (a line segment of a divided region boundary line) from the inside to the outside after touching. Using this method, a string, a code, or a combination thereof can be easily input to a touch that has passed through several partitions in one touch with only one touch and movement. At this time, if all of the continuous touches are converted into codes and inputted in all partitions, input may be inconvenient or unintentional. In order to prevent such inconvenience, an attribute may be defined for each partition and it may be determined which input is allowed according to the attribute of the partition. In the input areas illustrated in FIGS. 36 and 37, input methods are different for each partition group, and colors are displayed differently according to groups for each partition area. After defining a partition group, it is possible to limit input by continuous touch only within the same group, specify whether continuous input is possible by group, define an attribute for each partition, and continuously touch according to each partition attribute value. May be allowed or disallowed, and continuous input after a specific partition is touched may be stopped. As described above, the input method through the continuous touch can be diversified according to how the attributes of the respective partitions are assigned, and the user can prevent the input unintentionally. In this way, various input code values can be easily mapped by using the touched direction, the trajectory, the divided region, and the intersection information with the boundary line. That is, it is possible to enter more information easily and quickly.

 When generalizing the input method by crossing the boundary line, as shown in FIG. 39, the input section may be displayed in the input area, and the input may be coded according to the direction in which the touch trace intersects each line section. . The line section may be defined as any line section as well as between the points where the region division lines intersect. One or more codes may be assigned to each section to facilitate input processing. As such, when the input area is divided into a divided area or a boundary line or a line section is defined in the input area, the touch moving information can be quantized to easily input.

 36 and 37 show examples of input regions designed for inputting Chinese phonetic symbols. The five orange partitions on the left of FIG. 36 and the upper part of FIG. 37 are key areas for pronunciation input corresponding to Chinese consonants, and the remaining partitions are key areas for pronunciation input corresponding to vowels. Consonants must be entered one at a time, so it is necessary to specify attributes so that continuous input is not allowed in the consonant key area. On the contrary, since vowels can be consecutively pronounced, it is efficient to allow continuous input in the vowel key area. In the case of Chinese vowels, 'e', 'a', and 'o' may appear in a certain combination, followed by 'u' and 'i'. In order to input such a phonetic symbol, in FIG. 36, a code is selected using a direction vector between a point passing through an area boundary line and a key region midpoint, and in FIG. 37, a touch trajectory is selected to select a code according to a passage section of a boundary line segment. It was. 37 shows an example of input by continuous touch in a key area allowing continuous input. As shown in the figure, if the touch starts in the 'u-i' area and ends in the 'n-ng' area through 'a' and 'o', the input can be changed according to defining the attributes of each partition. have. In the vowel area, the 'e', 'a', and 'o' key areas are defined so that both start and continuous inputs are possible, and the 'u-i' or 'n-ng' areas are used for continuous touches. Therefore, you can define an input to be determined. According to the touch trajectory of FIG. 37, 'i' + 'a' + 'o' + 'ng' are selected and can be interpreted as iaong-> yaong is input. 'i' and 'ng' may take a method of selecting when crossing an area boundary line, or may be implemented to vary according to the touched key area value. By defining various selection methods like this and designing how to select each partition, more efficient input is possible. In this case, 'e', 'a', and 'o' are designed to select the same code in the same direction when passing through the boundary of each partition. The trajectory of the times can be input.

  The touch longitudinal analysis unit 400 analyzes the point where the touch starts, the movement path, the key to which the end point belongs, the shape of the touched longitudinal or the combination of the direction vector between the starting point of the touch, and the like, thereby determining the input code. The touch longitudinal analysis may be configured by being included in the input code determining unit 500 and may not be independent, but are separately arranged for convenience of description. 5 is a diagram illustrating an implementation example of the touch longitudinal analysis unit. An example of implementation has been described herein, and the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the actual internal configuration may be different. The start key detection unit 410 detects the key where the touch is first started for the touch longitudinal analysis. The start key detection is necessary because the analysis of the touch start key may be different or the character set may be different. Of course, as described above, it is not necessary to separately detect the start key in order to select a code to be input continuously by analyzing the entry and exit of the touch for each partition, or to select an input code by a combination of the touched partitions (key areas). . The touched key longitudinal shape analyzer 420 serves to analyze the shape of the key longitudinal and prepare to map it to one of the predefined codes. 17, 18, 19 and 20 show simple longitudinal shape analysis examples. FIG. 17 shows an example of a method in which any one of 'A', 'B', 'C', 'a', 'b' and 'c' can be inputted with one key through longitudinal analysis. In this case, if the moving direction after the touch is directed to the lower left, but within a certain distance indicated by a dotted line, the lowercase letter 'b' is input. If the touched length is longer, the uppercase letter 'B' is entered. In addition, when the touch is in the key area, the lowercase letter 'a' may be inputted, and after exiting the key area and entering the area again, the uppercase letter 'A' may be entered. Similarly, in FIG. 18, when the touch is shortly out of the key region to the lower left, 'TT' may be input, and if it is longer than a certain distance, the input may be 'ㅠ'. As another method, as shown in FIG. 19, vectors may be analyzed when the species leave and leave the key area, respectively, to select input characters according to the results. For example, if the vector up to the input point where the species leaves the key area is 'a' in FIG. 20 and the direction vector at the end of the vertical field is 'b', the input character is selected according to the direction of the 'a' vector. Depending on the direction of the 'b' vector, the case can be determined. When the method of FIG. 20 is applied to FIG. 17, if the touched direction is the lower right direction, the lower part 'c' is selected if the end part is the lower right direction, and the uppercase 'C' is selected if the end of the touch is upward. Can be.

 The direction vector generator 430 between the touch start point and the end point calculates a direction vector connected by using the input start point as an end point from the touch start point. 29 illustrates various methods of calculating a direction vector according to a method of determining an input time point as an example. If the touch endpoint is generated as shown in FIG. 29, the vector connecting the starting point a and the end point c of the touch is calculated as shown in FIG. 30, or the vector is calculated considering only the b position when leaving the key region as shown in FIG. The subsequent motion may be ignored, or a method may be used to calculate in which direction the position b which meets the boundary line of the key area is located in the key center as shown in FIG. 32. The longitudinal code converter 440 may determine the input intended by the user by combining the calculated direction vector or the analyzed longitudinal shape. In other words, it can be said that the input signal is changed into a quantized code value according to the analysis result. That is, the process of extracting meaning from the input signal. 21 is an example of a direction vector code obtained by dividing a direction vector evenly into eight directions.

 Instead of analyzing the shape of the key species, it is possible to extract the meaning according to the sequence combination of keys passed by the touch. The touched key order detection unit 450 extracts the order of the keys in the longitudinal direction through which the touch has passed, as shown in FIG. If only the key value of the start point and the end point is used, the order of 5 and 9 is as shown in FIG. 23, and if all the moving paths are considered, the values are 5, 6 and 9 as shown in FIG. When a combination of these sequences occurs in one touch, the combination is coded and given meaning to the encoded result, allowing the user to enter the desired character.

 The input code determiner 500 determines a character code determined to be intended by the user as an input code in consideration of the start key based on the analyzed touch longitudinal result. If necessary, the input code determiner may be configured as one module together with the above-described touch longitudinal analyzer. In determining the input code, the input code is determined according to the touch type for each start key (510), or the input code is determined according to the direction code of the input time point for each start key (520), or the input code according to the touched key sequence. A method 530 of determining is possible. In addition, there are several combinations of methods for determining the code of input characters.

 25 shows an example of encoding a direction vector. Codes can be assigned by dividing the angles in a constant direction or codes can be given differently in consideration of the convenience and precision of hand movement. In this case, the code is assigned, not an actual code value, but a quantization of consecutive sections so that different steps can be taken for each section. For example, as shown in FIG. 26, if the lower two sections are coded and moved to the lower right side, the character or command at the lower right side is interpreted as selected.

 If the touch longitudinal analysis unit 400 and the input code determination unit 500 are implemented differently, the touch region analysis unit 400 may be configured as a partition-based touch signal analyzer 600 that analyzes the partition information and the touch input signal comprehensively and interprets the touch signal. have. The partition-based touch signal analyzer 600 may input a plurality of code combinations at once by converting the divided area information and the touch and trajectory information moved after the touch into a continuous code value. It can be implemented in many different ways, but only a representative configuration will be described here.

  The partition-based touch signal analysis unit 600 divides the touched area by the section of the input area by using the partition boundary line and the area information, and analyzes the entry, exit direction, and trajectory based on the partition area information. Analysis unit 610, a partition information-based input code determination unit 620 for determining the input code according to the combination of the trajectory touched by each partition area and the neighboring touch area, the code sequentially selected for each partition in advance An input code string generator 630 according to a code combining rule that converts the input code string into a series of input code strings according to the defined combination rule, and if necessary, one character cannot be determined by touch input or a partial code string is converted into a character or a string. If necessary, the final input character (column) determination or selection unit (64) can be used to select a candidate string using a word dictionary or the like. 0).

 2 is a flowchart illustrating a text and command input method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

 As shown in FIG. 2, in the method of inputting a character and a command according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a keyboard key area division and a key for dividing an input area into a plurality of partitions or key areas and outputting key letters on a screen as necessary. The character screen output step S100 begins. Subsequently, the user looks at the screen and acquires a signal input through a touch screen or a pad using a finger, a pen, a mouse, and the like, and transmits a touch state and a coordinate value to a computer (S110).

 When a signal for starting a touch comes in, a start key is determined through a step S130 of checking a key area to which a touch start point belongs as needed. If it is a continuous touch, the start key detection step is omitted. For reference, the start key detection step is helpful when using a simple input method, but generally, it is not necessary to go through the start key detection step for input signal processing combining the partition information and the touch signal information. When the continuous touch continues, the length of the input signal is stored (S140) to prepare for analyzing the length when the input reference time point is reached. It is determined whether the continuous touch input signal is continuously coming in without removing the touch (S150), and the input signal type is stored, and as described above, when the continuous touch input is terminated or when a predetermined input reference time point is reached, The sequence of touched keys or the direction vector analysis of the starting point is performed (S160). Next, the analyzed touch longitudinal result is combined and interpreted based on the partition information or converted into a character code determined to be an input intended by the user according to the start key (S170). As a final step, the determined input code or command is determined and output based on the analysis result (S180).

 Detailed description of the flowchart of the method for inputting characters and commands according to an embodiment of the present invention is omitted since it overlaps with the above description. In addition, the text only illustrates a method of selecting a character, but selecting a command or menu instead of a character follows a similar step, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted. When configuring a menu or command according to the present invention, the same or similar functions are grouped together in a single button, and detailed functions are displayed on the up, down, left, and right sides so that they can be easily selected or input by the moving direction or distance after the touch. Just do it. An example for configuring a menu or command is briefly shown in FIG. 35. For example, after pressing the 'File' button in FIG. 35 and moving to the left in the touch state and ending the touch, executing 'New', and pressing the 'File' button to the right and ending the touch. The system can be configured to run 'Open'. This method has the advantage that the touch key area is wider than the method of dividing each menu to select a corresponding position, so that there is less concern about mistakes, and the input is faster than the pop-up menu. In particular, it is much more advantageous than conventional methods in terms of precision, speed, and convenience when inputting a touch screen using a finger.

 The embodiments of the present invention described above are not implemented only through the apparatus and the method, but may be implemented through a program or a medium on which the program is recorded to realize a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention. Such an implementation can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains based on the description of the above-described embodiments.

 Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present invention defined in the following claims are also provided. It belongs to the range.

See above

The present invention is likely to be used as a character input device of a small mobile device equipped with a touch screen. The present invention is also easy to enter a large number of alphabet letters or a series of characters with a single touch quickly and easily, so in addition to a small mobile device for the purpose of improving the convenience of input in a variety of devices using a touch screen Can be used.

none

Claims (36)

 In the input system using a touch screen,  A division region setting unit that divides an input region into a plurality of input regions or sets the input region as a divided input key region;  A touch signal processor for acquiring a touch state and a series of touched coordinate values; And  Partition-based touch signal analysis unit that analyzes and interprets input signals and converts them into codes using a combination of partition information and touch-and-move  Input system comprising  In the input system using a touch screen,  A partition code set unit for assigning a code set for each partition so as to selectively input one or more codes, characters, or commands in the one key area or partition area;  A partition output unit for displaying a partition or a key area on a screen;  A touch signal processor for acquiring a touch state and a series of touched coordinate values; And  Partition-based touch signal analysis unit that analyzes and interprets input signals and converts them into codes using a combination of partition information and touch-and-move  Input system comprising  The method according to claim 1 or 2,  In determining the input code in the partition-based touch signal analysis unit  A touch start key detector for detecting a key where a touch is started; And  From the set of codes belonging to the partition where the touch is started, the specific code value is determined as the final input code according to the vector value connecting the start point and the end point of the touch, or the input code is determined according to the combination of the touch start key and the vector value. Or a partition-based touch signal analysis unit for determining an input code based on a combination of a quantized result of analyzing a touch start key and a touch longitudinal shape.  Input system comprising  The method according to claim 1 or 2,  In determining the input code in the partition-based touch signal analysis unit  Partition-based touch signal analysis unit that determines the input code value by the combination of the key belonging to the start point of the touch and the key belonging to the end point  Input system comprising  The method according to claim 1 or 2,  In determining the input code in the partition-based touch signal analysis unit  A partition-based touch signal analysis unit that determines a code value by an order combination in which a key belonging to a start point of a touch and a key included in a path through the touch and a key belonging to an end point are touched  Input system comprising  The method according to claim 1 or 2,  In determining the input code in the partition-based touch signal analysis unit  Partition-based touch that quantizes the partition boundary line by section to convert the point and intersection direction where the touched trace intersects the boundary line of the partition into the input code, and determines the input code value according to the intersection position with the touch trace. A signal analyzer;  Alternatively, the partition-based touch signal analyzer determines an input code value based on a point at which the touched trajectory intersects the boundary line of the partitioned area or a direction vector value connecting the touch end point and the center point of the partitioned area;  Alternatively, a partition-based touch signal analyzer for determining an input code value according to a combination of a direction vector and a partition region boundary section when the touched trajectory passes through the boundary line of the partition region;  Input system comprising  The method according to claim 1 or 2,  In determining the input code in the partition-based touch signal analysis unit  An input reference time point that determines an input reference time point according to a time when a touch is out of a touch distance from a touch start point by a touch state, a time when a touch ends (off), a time out of a touch start part, or a time when entering or exiting each part. Decision unit; And  At the input reference point determined in the previous step, the combination of the direction vector connecting the touch start point and the end point and the touched partition, and the quantized value of the direction vector connecting the reference point at the center point and the intersection point for each partition included in the touch trace Partition based touch signal analyzer to determine input code values  Input system comprising  The method according to claim 1 or 2,  In determining the input code in the partition-based touch signal analysis unit  Generates quantized input codes according to the entry and exit intersection points of the touch trajectories for each partition, sorts the selected codes in order according to the order in which the partitions are touched, and sets the selected string of strings according to the conversion rule. Partition-based touch signal analysis unit that processes multiple codes, characters and commands with a single touch  Input system comprising  The method of claim 8,  In determining the input code in the partition-based touch signal analysis unit  In order that input by continuous touch does not cause inconvenience due to unintentional touch of the divided region, and that the input method can be changed when the continuous touch is performed for each divided region as necessary, the divided regions can be grouped or individually for each divided region. Partition attribute processing unit that selects attributes to select whether to allow continuous input from previous touch, whether to allow continuous touch within the same group, or allow continuous input after touching a specific partition.  Input system comprising  The method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9,  The direction vector obtained through the start point and the end point, the intersection point, and the input reference point of the illustrated touch may be mapped to one of the quantized direction angle codes by setting the direction angle sections differently for each segment for convenience, or only the direction angle. In addition, the direction angle code mapping unit for each key region that maps to the quantized code including the magnitude (distance) of the direction vector; And  A partition area based touch signal analyzer for determining an input code value by combining a partition area with the obtained direction angle code or direction angle distance code.  Input system comprising  According to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,  In the partition setting unit for dividing an input area into a plurality of distinct areas or setting a key area,  A partition boundary display unit for indicating a boundary of a partition region or a key region on a keyboard; And  In order to receive more than one code or command in one partition or key area, one or more codes are displayed on each screen as necessary.  In order to display not only a representative code for selecting when the touch is completed in the partition area, but also a code or character that can be selected according to the direction vector or various input trajectories obtained at the touch end or the determined input reference time point, each partition or A code set screen output section for each partition, which arranges codes to be input at appropriate appropriate positions in a two-dimensional space in accordance with the direction of a vector code, etc. in and around the key area.  Input system comprising  According to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,  In generating the direction vector code for each partition  Segmentation based touch signal analysis using non-uniform directional vector code that improves input convenience by defining the direction code segment for more precise movement in consideration of the characteristics of hand muscle movement, and broadly defining code segment for the slow motion part  Input system comprising  According to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12  Special key processing unit that allows you to easily handle special commands or special characters by pre-assigning frequently used commands or special characters such as deletion or cancellation to a specific direction vector code of two or more keys or all keys for easy input.  Input system comprising  In the input method using a touch screen,  A division region setting step of dividing an input region into a plurality of input regions or setting the input region as a divided input key region;  A touch signal processing step of obtaining a touch state and a series of touched coordinate values; And  A partition-based touch signal analysis step of analyzing and interpreting an input signal into a code by combining partition information and touch-and-move  Input method including  In the input method using a touch screen,  Partitioning code set configuration step of allocating a code set for each partition so as to selectively input one or more codes, characters, or commands in the one key area or partition area;  A partition region output step of showing a partition region or a key region on a screen;  A touch signal processing step of obtaining a touch state and a series of touched coordinate values; And  A partition-based touch signal analysis step of analyzing and interpreting an input signal into a code by combining partition information and touch-and-move  Input method including  The method according to claim 14, 15,  In determining the input code in the partition based touch signal analysis step  A touch start key detecting step for detecting a key on which a touch is started; And  From the set of codes belonging to the partition where the touch is started, the specific code value is determined as the final input code according to the vector value connecting the start point and the end point of the touch, or the input code is determined according to the combination of the touch start key and the vector value. Or a partition-based touch signal analysis step of determining an input code based on a combination of a quantized result of analyzing a touch start key and a touch longitudinal shape.  Input method including  The method according to claim 14, 15,  In determining the input code in the partition based touch signal analysis step  Partition-based touch signal analysis step of determining input code value by order combination of key belonging to start point of touch and key belonging to end point  Input method including  The method according to claim 14, 15,  In determining the input code in the partition based touch signal analysis step  A partition-based touch signal analysis step of determining a code value by an order combination in which a key belonging to a start point of a touch and a key included in a path through which the touch passes and a key belonging to an end point are touched  Input method including  The method according to claim 14, 15,  In determining the input code in the partition based touch signal analysis step  Partition-based touch that quantizes the partition boundary line by section to convert the point and intersection direction where the touched trace intersects the boundary line of the partition into the input code, and determines the input code value according to the intersection position with the touch trace. Signal interpretation step;  Alternatively, a partition-based touch signal analysis step of determining an input code value according to a point at which the touched trajectory intersects a boundary line of the partitioned area or a direction vector value connecting a touch endpoint and a center point of the partitioned area;  Alternatively, a partition-based touch signal analysis step of determining an input code value according to a combination of a direction vector and a partition region boundary line when the touched trajectory passes through the boundary line of the partition region;  Input method including  The method according to claim 14, 15,  In determining the input code in the partition based touch signal analysis step  An input reference time point that determines an input reference time point according to a time when a touch is out of a touch distance from a touch start point by a touch state, a time when a touch ends (off), a time out of a touch start part, or a time when entering or exiting each part Determining step; And  At the input reference point determined in the previous step, the combination of the direction vector connecting the touch start point and the end point and the touched partition, and the quantized value of the direction vector connecting the reference point at the center point and the intersection point for each partition included in the touch trace Partition-based touch signal analysis step of determining input code value according to  Input method including  The method according to claim 14, 15,  In determining the input code in the partition based touch signal analysis step  Generates quantized input codes according to the entry and exit intersection points of the touch trajectories for each partition, sorts the selected codes in order according to the order in which the partitions are touched, and sets the selected series of codes according to the conversion rule. Partition-based touch signal analysis step that processes multiple code, character and command inputs with a single touch by converting  Input method including  The method of claim 21,  In determining the input code in the partition based touch signal analysis step  In order that input by continuous touch does not cause inconvenience due to unintentional touch of the divided region, and that the input method can be changed when the continuous touch is performed for each divided region as necessary, the divided regions can be grouped or individually for each divided region. Partition attribute processing step of defining attributes to select whether to allow continuous input from previous touch, whether to allow continuous touch within the same group, or allow continuous input after touching a specific partition.  Input method including  The method of claim 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22,  The direction vector obtained through the start point and the end point, the intersection point, and the input reference time point of the illustrated touch may be mapped to one of the quantized direction angle codes by setting the direction angle sections differently for each segmented area, or the direction angle only. In addition, the direction angle code mapping step for each key region including the size (distance) of the direction vector to map to the quantized code; And  A segmentation based touch signal analysis step of determining an input code value by combining a segmentation area and the obtained direction angle code or direction angle distance code  Input method including  According to claim 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,  In the partition setting step of dividing an input area into a plurality of distinct areas or setting a key area,  A partition boundary display step for indicating a boundary of a partition region or a key region on a keyboard; And  In order to receive more than one code or command in one partition or key area, one or more codes are displayed on each screen as necessary.  In order to display not only a representative code for selecting when the touch ends in the partition area, but also a code or a character that can be selected according to the direction vector or various input trajectories obtained at the end of the touch or the determined input reference time point, each partition or Step of outputting the code set screen for each partition, which arranges the code to be input at the appropriate position in the two-dimensional space in accordance with the direction of the vector code, etc. around the key area  Input method including  According to claim 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,  In generating the direction vector code for each partition  Segmentation-based touch signal analysis using non-uniform directional vector code that improves input convenience by defining the direction code segment for more precise movement in consideration of the characteristics of hand muscle movement, and broadly defining code segment for slow motion. step  Input method including  According to claim 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,  Special key processing steps, such as deleting or canceling frequently used commands or special characters, are pre-assigned to specific direction vector codes of two or more keys or all keys for easy input.  Input method including  In the input system using a touch screen,  The method of claim 1, wherein  As shown in FIG. 9, consonants and vowels for Hangul input are arranged to determine consonant inputs with one touch and movement, and vowels with one or two touches and movements. Key area screen output unit arranged to process keys for inputting a key, or partition based touch signal analysis unit for determining an input code in this manner  Input system comprising  In the input system using a touch screen,  The method of claim 1, wherein  As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, the alphabets are collected and arranged for each character set for input of the English alphabet, and the input characters are determined by one touch and movement (Touch-and-Move). Key area screen output to enable building, or partition based touch signal analysis to determine the input code in this way  Input system comprising  In the input system using a touch screen,  The method of claim 1, wherein  As shown in FIG. 10, a key area screen output unit for collecting input characters by the same consonant character set for inputting Japanese characters so that input characters can be determined by one touch and movement (Touch-and-Move), or input in such a manner Partition based touch signal analysis unit for determining codes  Input system comprising  In the input system using a touch screen,  The method of claim 1, wherein  As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, a key area for grouping numbers for input of numbers and collecting and arranging them in a character set to determine input characters with one touch and movement in a small number of keys. A screen output unit or a partition-based touch signal analyzer for determining an input code in this manner  Input system comprising  In the input method using a touch screen,  The method of claim 14, wherein  As shown in FIG. 9, consonants and vowels for Hangul input are arranged to determine consonant inputs with one touch and movement, and vowels with one or two touches and movements. Key area screen output unit arranged to process keys for inputting a key, or partition based touch signal analysis step of determining an input code in this manner  Input method including  In the input method using a touch screen,  The method of claim 14, wherein  As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, the alphabets are collected and arranged for each character set for input of the English alphabet, and the input characters are determined by one touch and movement (Touch-and-Move). Key area screen output to enable building, or partition based touch signal analysis step of determining input code in this way  Input method including  In the input method using a touch screen,  The method of claim 14, wherein  As shown in FIG. 10, a key area screen output unit for collecting input characters by the same consonant character set for inputting Japanese characters so that input characters can be determined by one touch and movement (Touch-and-Move), or input in such a manner Partition-Based Touch Signal Analysis Step to Determine Code  Input method including  In the input method using a touch screen,  The method of claim 14, wherein  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a group of numbers for input of numbers and grouped into a set of characters are arranged so that the input character can be determined by a single touch-and-move on a small number of keys. Partition-based touch signal analysis step of determining output code or input code in this way  Input method including  In the input system using a touch screen,  A line-based input section setting unit configured to set the input region as one or more straight line or curve quantized input sections;  A touch signal processor for acquiring a touch state and a series of touched coordinate values; And  Line section-based touch signal analysis unit extracting an input code based on sequential information of the crossed sections when the touch longitudinals intersect each input section expressed by connecting lines or segments having both endpoints.  Input system comprising  In the input method using a touch screen,  A line-based input section setting step of setting the input region as one or more linear or curved quantized input sections;  A touch signal processing step of obtaining a touch state and a series of touched coordinate values; And  Line section-based touch signal analysis step of extracting input code according to sequential information of intersecting section when touch vertical crosses each input section represented by connecting lines or line segments with both end points  Input method including

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