This application is based on Japanese Patent Application NO. 2011-184034 filed on Aug. 25, 2011, with the Japan Patent Office, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to an electronic information terminal device and an area setting control program, and specifically relates to an electronic information terminal device that is provided with a touch panel and an area setting control program for controlling operations for establishing an area on the touch panel.
In recent years, there have been increasingly proliferated in the market various kinds of electronic information terminal devices, each of which is provided with a touch panel mounted over a display section, such as a smartphone, a tablet type terminal device, etc. This kind of electronic information terminal device makes it possible for the user to conduct various kinds of operations by making his finger touch onto the touch panel and/or slide on the touch panel. Specifically, an electronic information terminal device, provided with such a touch panel that is capable of detecting a user's multi touching operation (hereinafter, referred to as a multi-touchable touch panel), allows the user to conduct operations more complicated than ever, by employing two fingers for performing touch panel actions.
With respect to the multi-touchable touch panel abovementioned, for instance, Tokuhyo 2002-501271 (Japanese Patent Publication) sets forth a method for pursuing and detecting (identifying) a contact point of the user's hand in the consecutive near value images so as to support the operations for interpreting various kinds of configurations and actions in regard to typing actions, chordal actions of plural freedom degrees and handwriting actions, the method including the steps of dividing each of near value images into groups of electrodes indicating significant near values; extracting various kinds of parameters in regard to a total value of the near values, a position, a shape, a size and a direction from each of the electrode groups; pursuing a group of paths that pass through the continuous near value images, including the step of detecting a final path point from which the contact section lifts off after touched down; calculating a velocity vector and a filtering processed positional vector along each of the paths; allotting identities of user's hands and fingers to each of the contact section paths, by taking the relative path position and velocity, the feature of individual contact section and the previously estimated values of the positions of the hand and finger, into account; and maintaining the estimated values of the hand and finger based on the locus of the path currently allotted to the finger.
Further, with respect to the technology for depicting a figure by using the touch panel, for instance, Tokkai 2011-022964 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication) sets forth a touch panel system that is provided with: a touch panel that is constituted by line electrodes and column electrodes, which are intersects with each other; a detecting section to detect a designated position and a moving path, both of which are performed on the touch panel by using a designation means, wherein, on the figure displayed on the touch panel concerned, the detecting section detects a designation start position designated by the designation means, a moving locus on which the designation means has moved from the designation start position, and a designation stop position at which the designation means stops moving; and a control section to deform the figure above-depicted, based on the information representing the designation start position, the moving locus and the designation stop position, which are detected by the detecting section.
When an area is to be established on the touch panel, employed is such a method that the user moves a single finger from a start point to a stop point in a diagonal direction so as to establish a rectangular area, the diagonal line of which is set as the line depicted from the start point to the stop point, or otherwise, the user moves two fingers so as to establish a rectangular area, the diagonal line of which is set as the line residing between the stop points of the two fingers. However, this method is merely employable for establishing a rectangular-shaped area, and therefore, this method has been inconvenient for the user, since it has been impossible to establish an area having an arbitral shape.
Further, as another method for establishing an area, employed is such a method that the user depicts a closed curved line with his single finger, so as to establish an area surrounded by the closed curved line. However, according to the abovementioned method, since it is impossible to make use of the multi touching function and it is impossible to speedily and simply establish the area concerned, this method has been also inconvenient for the user.
To overcome the abovementioned drawbacks in conventional electronic information terminal devices, it is one of objects of the present invention to provide an electronic information terminal device and an area setting control program, each of which makes it possible to establish an area having an arbitral shape only by performing a simple action on a multi-touchable panel provided therewith.
Accordingly, at least one of the objects of the present invention can be attained by any one of the electronic information terminal devices and the non-transitory computer readable storage medium described as follows.
Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are numbered alike in several Figures, in which:
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As described in the “BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION”, when an area is to be established on the touch panel, conventionally employed is such the method that the user moves a single finger from a start point to a stop point in a diagonal direction so as to establish a rectangular area, the diagonal line of which is set as the line depicted from the start point to the stop point, or such the other method that the user moves two fingers so as to establish a rectangular area, the diagonal line of which is set as the line residing between the stop points of the two fingers, or such still the other method that the user depicts a closed curved line with his single finger, so as to establish an area surrounded by the closed curved line. However, the method for establishing a rectangular-shaped area cannot be employed for establishing an area having an arbitral shape, and the other method for depicting the closed curved line cannot be employed for making use of the multi touching function so as to speedily and simply establish the area concerned. Accordingly, every one of above-cited methods has been inconvenient for the user.
Specifically, since the operation for establishing an area becomes important at the time when a figure is depicted by using the touch panel, the abovementioned problems significantly emerge as inconvenience factors for the user.
For instance, when erasing a part of a figure, if the user could establish an area having an arbitral shape so as to erase a part of the figure depicted within the area established by the user, it would be convenient for the user. However, according to the conventional methods indicated in the schematic diagrams shown in
Further, by establishing an area, it may be possible for the user to depict a figure having an arbitral shape and/or a line having an arbitral thickness. However, according to the conventional methods indicated in the schematic diagrams shown in
To overcome the abovementioned problems inherent to the conventional methods, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in an electronic information terminal device that is provided with a multi-touchable touch panel, when plural positions residing within the multi-touchable touch panel are touched, and then, at least one of the touched positions is moved, an area is established on the basis of the moving locus of the line segments connecting the plural positions touched. Then, with respect to the area above-established, information included in the area concerned is erased, or new information is added to the area concerned so as to display the new information.
Accordingly, the electronic information terminal device, embodied in the present invention, makes it possible to establish an area only by performing a simple action on the multi-touchable touch panel, so as to conduct the information erasing/adding operations onto the area established. Specifically, by applying the abovementioned method to the operation for depicting a figure, it becomes possible for the user to partially erase the figure, to depict a figure having an arbitral shape and to depict a line having an arbitral shape, resulting in improvements of usability and convenience of the user.
In order to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail, referring to
In this connection, although the method of the present invention is applicable for overall operations for establishing an area onto the multi-touchable touch panel, such the case that the method of the present invention is specifically applied to the operations for erasing and depicting lines and figures will be detailed in the following.
As shown in
The CPU 11 executes various kinds of programs read from the storage section 12, so as to serve as a control section to control various kinds of operations to be conducted in each of the sections. The electronic information terminal device 10, embodied in the present invention, is provided with two operation modes including an erasing operation mode and a depicting operation mode, and the control section controls the operations to be conducted in each of the sections, corresponding to one of the two operation modes, currently established in the electronic information terminal device 10 concerned.
The storage section 12 is constituted by a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., so as to store various kinds of programs to be executed by the CPU 11, setting information for controlling the operations to be conducted in the electronic information terminal device 10, various kinds of data (including data representing relationships between velocity differences and density differences, other data representing relationships between stop times and bleeding amounts, both detailed later), etc., therein.
The display section 13 is constituted by any one or any combination of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an EL (Electroluminescence) display device, an EPD (Electrophoretic Display), etc., so as to display a line, a figure, etc., depicted by the user, thereon. In this connection, the EPD is so constituted that both black colored toner having an electro-conductive property, and white colored toner having an electro-insulation property, are enclosed into a gap formed between a pair of transparent film substrates, onto an inner surface of each of which a transparent and electro-conductive electrode are formed, so that, when a voltage is applied to the gap formed between the two transparent film substrates concerned, the black colored toner moves and switches positions with the white colored toner so as to change the total color thereof.
The operating section 14 is defined as a touch panel employing the electrostatic capacitance method, etc., in which transparent electrodes are arranged in a lattice pattern and which is disposed onto either the front surface or the rear surface of the display section 13, so as to transmit an electric signal outputted from a specific transparent electrode, onto which the user touches with his finger or the like, to the CPU 11 and the area setting control section 17. In this connection, the touch panel, which is to be employed for the present embodiment, is defined as the multi-touchable touch panel that is capable of simultaneously processing the signals outputted from the plural transparent electrodes at the same time (in other words, that is provided with the multi touching function, as it is called).
The communication section 15 is constituted by a NIC (Network Interface Card), a modem, etc., and communicates with a computerized apparatus and/or a server, which are coupled to each other through a network in either a wired or a wireless communication mode, so as to conduct data transmitting and receiving operations with them.
The buttery 16 serves as a secondary buttery, etc., which supplies an electric power to the various kinds of sections included in the electronic information terminal device 10.
The area setting control section 17 processes the signals outputted from the operating section (touch panel) 14, and, when plural positions residing within the multi-touchable touch panel are touched, and then, at least one of the touched positions is moved, the area setting control section 17 establishes an area on the basis of the moving locus of the line segments connecting the plural positions touched. For instance, when the user performs such an action that simultaneously moves the two touched positions, the area setting control section 17 establishes an area, which is surrounded by a line connecting the two initial positions touched at the time when starting the action, moving locus lines of the two touched positions and another line connecting the two final positions touched at the time when stopping the action, as a designated area. Otherwise, when the user performs such an action that moves only one of the two touched positions while the other one of the two touched positions is fixed, the area setting control section 17 establishes an area, which is surrounded by a line connecting the two initial positions touched at the time when starting the action, a moving locus line of the moved one of the two touched positions and another line connecting the two final positions touched at the time when stopping the action, as a designated area. Then, the area setting control section 17 erases the information (representing a figure, an image, a character, etc.) displayed within the designated area, when the erasing operation mode is established as the current operation mode, while, adds information to the designated area (in other words, displays a frame indicating the border of the designated area, or paints allover the designated area, etc.) so as to depict a line and/or a figure thereon, when the depicting operation mode is established as the current operation mode. Incidentally, it is applicable that the area setting control section 17 is configured as either, hardware or a program (area setting control program) to be executed by the CPU 11 (control section) so as to make the CPU 11 serve as the area setting control section 17.
In this connection, it is needless to say that the configuration of the electronic information terminal device 10, shown in
Next, referring to the drawings, an area setting control method, embodied in the present invention, will be detailed in the following. Incidentally, although the method, embodied in the present invention, is also applicable for such a case that the user touches three or more points, only such a case that the user touches two points will be detailed in the following as the present embodiment, in order to simplify the contents of the explanations.
Initially, referring to the schematic diagrams shown in
The schematic diagrams, shown in
In this connection, as the method for erasing the figure residing within the area designated, either the method for overwriting a separate figure thereon, or the other method for erasing the figure itself therefrom, can be cited. The schematic diagram shown in
As well as shown in
As well as shown in
As aforementioned and as shown in
Referring to the flowchart shown in
Initially, the user operates the operating section 14 so as to establish the current operation mode of the electronic information terminal device 10 at the erasing operation mode. Then, when the user touches the touch panel, the area setting control section 17 determines whether the user touches a single position or two positions on the touch panel, based on the signals outputted by the operating section (touch panel) 14 (Step S100). When determining that the user touches a single position, the area setting control section 17 detects the moving locus of the touched position concerned (Step S110), and establishes an area created by depicting the moving locus with the line thickness established in advance, so as to erase a part of the figure residing within the area concerned (Step S120), as well as the conventional operations.
On the other hand, when determining that the user touches two positions, the area setting control section 17 detects the moving locus of each of the touched points (Step S130), and establishes an area based on the moving locus of the line segment connecting the two points, so as to erase a part of the figure residing within the area concerned (Step S140).
As abovementioned, by touching the two points and by making the touched points move, it becomes possible for the user to speedily establish an area in an easy operating way, and accordingly, it becomes possible for the user to erase an arbitral part of the figure concerned.
Next, referring to the schematic diagrams shown in
At first, as shown in
Further, as shown in
Referring to the flowchart shown in
Initially, the user operates the operating section 14 so as to establish the current operation mode of the electronic information terminal device 10 at the depicting operation mode. Then, when the user touches the touch panel, the area setting control section 17 determines whether the user touches a single position or two positions on the touch panel, based on the signals outputted by the operating section (touch panel) 14 (Step S200). When determining that the user touches a single position, the area setting control section 17 detects the moving locus of the touched position concerned (Step S210), and paints the moving locus with a line thickness established in advance and a color determined in advance, so as to depict the figure concerned (Step S220), as well as the conventional operations.
On the other hand, when determining that the user touches two positions, the area setting control section 17 detects the moving locus of each of the touched points (Step S230), and establishes an area based on the moving locus of the line segment connecting the tow points, and then, depicts the frame indicating the border of the above-established area and paints allover the above-established area with a color determined in advance, so as to depict the figure concerned (Step S240).
As abovementioned, by touching the two points and by making the touched points move, it becomes possible for the user to speedily establish an area in an easy operating way, and accordingly, it becomes possible for the user to depict a figure having an arbitral shape.
Although the methods for depicting a figure, such as a polygonal shaped figure, a semicircular shaped figure, etc., have been described in the foregoing, while referring to the schematic diagrams and the flowchart shown in
Incidentally, when a curved bold line is depicted by using a brush soaked in sumi (Japanese solid ink), since the moving velocity of the brush at the outer side area of the curved bold line becomes faster than that at the inner side area, the color of the outer side area becomes more blurred and thinner than that of the inner side area. Accordingly, in order to make it possible to represent the bold line as if it were written by using the brush soaked in sumi, it is also possible to change the color density of the area corresponding to the moving velocity of the touched position as shown in
In the above case, the data representing the relationship between the density difference and the moving velocity difference of the touched positions, as shown in
Further, in the case that a bold line is depicted by using the brush soaked in sumi, when the brush is made to stop at a stopping position, the sumi oozes from the stopping position so as to generate a bleeding area around it. Accordingly, when the bold line is depicted by moving the two fingers as shown in
As described in the foregoing, according to the electronic information terminal device (or the area setting control program) embodied in the present invention, when plural positions on the touch panel are touched and an operation for moving at least one of the plural positions is performed, since the controlling operations for establishing an area based on the moving locus of the line segment connecting the plural positions, erasing information displayed within the above-established area, and/or adding information into the above-established area, are conducted, it becomes possible for the user to erase the figure, to depict a figure, to draw a line, etc., as desired by the user, only by performing an easy operation.
In this connection, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the foregoing. Modifications and additions made by a skilled person without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention shall be included in the scope of the present invention.
For instance, although the controlling operations to be conducted in the embodiments described in the foregoing have been applied to such the cases that the user touches two points, it is needless to say that the controlling operations, embodied in the present invention, can be applied to such a case that the user touches three or more points, as well. For instance, when the user touches three or more points, it is possible to establish an area based on line segments, each of which is formed by connecting any two points among the three or more points, or based on a moving locus of an area created by connecting the three or more points.
Further, although the controlling operations for erasing or depicting the figure have been described in the foregoing as the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is also applicable for such a case, as well, that characters, displayed within a predetermined area, is to be erased, and/or characters are added to the predetermined area so as to display the characters thereon, in the state that the document concerned is currently displayed.
The present invention is available for an apparatus that is provided with a display section including a touch panel and a program to be executed in the apparatus concerned.
According to an electronic information terminal device and/or an area setting control program embodied in the present invention, it becomes possible for the user to established an area having an arbitral shape only by performing a simple action on the multi-touchable panel.
This is because, when the user simultaneously touches a plurality of positions and moves at least one of the plurality of positions, the electronic information terminal device (area setting control program) establishes an area based on the moving locus of the line segment connecting the plural touched positions with each other, and conducts controlling operations for either erasing information residing within the area above-established, or adding information into the area above-established.
Further, by applying the abovementioned controlling operations to an operation for depicting a figure, it becomes possible for the user to easily erase a figure in a desirable manner or to depict a figure in an easy way.
While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific term, such description is for illustrative purpose only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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2011-184034 | Aug 2011 | JP | national |
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Entry |
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Office Action (Notice of Reasons for Refusal) issued by the Japanese Patent Office on Oct. 22, 2013 in corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-184034 and an English translation of the Official Action. (6 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20130050111 A1 | Feb 2013 | US |