# US 2014/0198045 A1 · Electronic equipment, letter inputting method and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0198045 A1 - Document ID: US20140198045A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/739,698 - Filed: 2013-01-11 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-11 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Inventors: Sho NISHIYAMA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140198045A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/02: Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials - G06F 3/0202: {Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device} - G06F 3/0233: {Character input methods} - G06F 3/04895: Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An electronic device comprises a display unit that displays a letter/character; a touch pressing input unit including a plurality of keys arrayed in a matrix; the touch pressing input unit allowing touch-inputting a letter/character corresponding to a key touched by a user's finger; the touch pressing input unit allowing pressing-inputting a letter/character corresponding to a key pressed; and a control unit that manages control to cause the letter/character input by the touch pressing input unit to be displayed on the display unit; the control unit managing control so that, if a key is touched and pressed at the touch pressing input unit with the user's finger, a letter/character corresponding to the key pressed is displayed on the display unit, and so that, if a key is touched and released without being pressed by the user's finger at the touch pressing input unit, a letter/character corresponding to a key displaced at a position from which the user's finger has been released is displayed on the display unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising a display unit that displays a letter/character; a touch pressing input unit including a plurality of keys arrayed in a matrix; the touch pressing input unit allowing touch-inputting a letter/character corresponding to a key touched by a user's finger; the touch pressing input unit allowing pressing-inputting a letter/character corresponding to a key pressed; and a control unit that manages control to cause the letter/character input by the touch pressing input unit to be displayed on the display unit; the control unit managing control so that, if a key is touched and pressed at the touch pressing input unit with the user's finger, a letter/character corresponding to the key pressed is displayed on the display unit, and so that, if a key is touched and released without being pressed by the user's finger at the touch pressing input unit, a letter/character corresponding to a key disposed at a position from which the user's finger has been released is displayed on the display unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, upon initiation of an input operation at the touch pressing input unit, the control unit sets an input mode to a pressing input mode if the key is touched and pressed by the user's finger at the touch pressing input unit; the control unit setting the input mode to a touch input mode if the key is touched and released without being pressed by the user's finger at the touch pressing input unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein, the control unit secures the input mode to the pressing input mode or to the touch input mode until an input letter/character is finally determined or until an application being used comes to a close. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, a pre-set one or ones of the plurality of keys is transversely elongated in shape as compared to the other keys. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a touch input unit arranged at a pre-set location at a periphery of the touch pressing input unit; the touch input unit being able to touch-input a corresponding letter/character when the touch-input unit is touched by the user's finger; the control unit managing control to display a corresponding letter/character on the display unit when the user's finger has touched and released the touch input unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein, the touch pressing input unit includes a display element to display a letter/character from one key to another; the touch input unit including another display element to display a letter/character; the control unit managing control so that, when a user's finger has touched a key for a pre-set time, an input navigation corresponding to the key touched will be displayed on the corresponding display element and on the other display element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, the control unit is set to one out of the pressing input mode and the touch input mode depending on an application being used. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, while the display unit displays a standby display picture, the control unit sets a telephone number input mode when a user's finger has pressed a key in the touch pressing input unit; the control unit setting an address book searching mode or a Web searching mode when the user's finger has touched and then released the key in the touch pressing input unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising: a touch input unit arranged at a pre-set location at a periphery of the touch pressing input unit; the touch input unit being able to touch-input a corresponding letter/character when the touch-input unit is touched by the user's finger; the control unit managing control to display a corresponding letter/character on the display unit when the user's finger has touched and released the touch input unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising: a touch input unit arranged at a pre-set location at a periphery of the touch pressing input unit; the touch input unit being able to touch-input a corresponding letter/character when the touch-input unit is touched by the user's finger; the control unit managing control to display a corresponding letter/character on the display unit when the user's finger has touched and released the touch input unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein, the touch pressing input unit includes a display element to display a letter/character from one key to another; the touch input unit including another display element to display a letter/character; the control unit managing control so that, when a user's finger has touched a key for a pre-set time, an input navigation corresponding to the key touched will be displayed on the corresponding display element and on the other display element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein, the touch pressing input unit includes a display element to display a letter/character from one key to another; the touch input unit including another display element to display a letter/character; the control unit managing control so that, when a user's finger has touched a key for a pre-set time, an input navigation corresponding to the key touched will be displayed on the corresponding display element and on the other display element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein, while the display unit displays a standby display picture, the control unit sets a telephone number input mode when a user's finger has pressed a key in the touch pressing input unit; the control unit setting an address book searching mode or a Web searching mode when the user's finger has touched and then released the key in the touch pressing input unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein, while the display unit displays a standby display picture, the control unit sets a telephone number input mode when a user's finger has pressed a key in the touch pressing input unit; the control unit setting an address book searching mode or a Web searching mode when the user's finger has touched and then released the key in the touch pressing input unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, the touch pressing input unit comprises: from one key to another, a key member arranged on a substrate via a hinge exhibiting repellant elasticity, a dome-shaped contact, a fixed contact and a tactile sensor; wherein the dome-shaped contact and the fixed contact come into contact with each other when the key member is pressed such as to detect the pressing of the key, and the tactile sensor is mounted on the key member to detect touching by the user's finger. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5, 15) The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein, the touch input unit comprises: another tactile sensor different from the tactile sensor mentioned in claim 15 to detect touch pressure by the user's finger. ### Claim 17 A method for inputting a letter/character using an electronic device that comprises: a display unit that displays a letter/character; a touch pressing input unit including a plurality of keys arrayed in a matrix; the touch pressing input unit allowing touch-inputting a letter/character corresponding to a key touched by a user's finger; the touch pressing input unit allowing pressing-inputting a letter/character corresponding to a key pressed; and a control unit that manages control to cause the letter/character input by the touch pressing input unit to be displayed on the display unit; the method comprising: displaying, when a key is touched and pressed at the touch pressing input unit by a user's finger, a letter/character corresponding to the key pressed on the display unit, and displaying, when a key is touched and released without being pressed by the user's finger at the touch pressing input unit, a letter/character corresponding to a key disposed at a position from which the user's finger has been released on the display unit. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executed by an electronic device that comprises: a display unit that displays a letter/character; a touch pressing input unit including a plurality of keys arrayed in a matrix; the touch pressing input unit allowing touch-inputting a letter/character corresponding to a key touched by a user's finger; the touch pressing input unit allowing pressing-inputting a letter/character corresponding to a key pressed; and a control unit that manages control to cause the letter/character input by the touch pressing input unit to be displayed on the display unit; the program allowing executing: displaying, when a key is touched and pressed at the touch pressing input unit by a user's finger, a letter/character corresponding to the key pressed on the display unit, and displaying, when a key is touched and released without being pressed by the user's finger at the touch pressing input unit, a letter/character corresponding to a key disposed at a position from which the user's finger has been released on the display unit.