CHARACTER INPUT DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20010040517A1
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Mobile Communications Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: INOUE, NOBUHIRO, RILEY, JOHN, NOSE, TOSHIRO, NANNICHI, TOSHIHIKO, SASAKI, KATSUNARI, IWAKI, JITSU, KISAICHI, KAZUHIRO
• Granted Patent: US 6,525,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision

Abstract

Texts including required message are entered with a small number of keys such as those of a cellular telephone. In this case, a conversion table is unnecessary and the number of key operations is reduced. The number of input characters or input character strings composed by sequentially selecting one from a plurality of alphabets distributed to sequentially entered keys is relevant to the number of operation keys (N) raised to the number of distributed character (M) power (−NM) including meaningless characters or character strings and, with respect to these, character conversion is executed by referring to a dictionary means, through the operation of the conversion/next candidate key.

The dictionary means stores numeric strings and words of meaningful characters or character strings among the said characters and character strings.

Claims

1. A character input device comprising:

dictionary means for storing input character or input character string and candidate character corresponding to the input character or candidate character string corresponding to the input character string;

input means for entering characters or character string including a plurality of keys to which a plurality of characters are distributed, a conversion/next candidate key for designating character conversion and a decision key for deciding the designated conversion;

output means for at least displaying and outputting candidate character or candidate character string obtained as the result of conversion; and

character conversion means for obtaining candidate character or candidate character string by retrieving said dictionary leans, with respect to the input character or input character string entered from said input means, and for transmitting this candidate character or candidate character string to said output means.

3. A character input device claimed in

claim 1

or

2

comprising:

code sending means for detecting a code corresponding to a key of the input means to which characters are distributed if said key is operated, and for transmitting said code to the output means.

5. A character input device of

claim 1

or

2

wherein:

said dictionary means stores candidate characters or candidate character strings in a prescribed order, and

when a key of said input means to which characters are distributed is operated, said character conversion means retrieves said dictionary means to obtain a first candidate character or candidate character string, and transmits this candidate character or candidate character string to said output means.

6. A character input device claimed in any one of

claims 1

to

3

, wherein:

said character conversion means retrieves said dictionary means for obtaining candidate character or candidate character string and, if a plurality of candidate characters or candidate character strings is found, transmits these candidate characters or candidate character strings to said output means by a predetermined number for display, and

the device further comprises a candidate selection means for selecting one of the plurality of candidate characters or candidate character strings displayed on said output means.

7. A character input device of

claim 1

comprising:

a touch panel provided in the display area of the candidate character or candidate character string output by said output means;

position detection means for detecting the input operation position on this touch panel; and

decision means for confirming the conversion result based on the corresponding relation between the result detected by this position detection means and the display position of candidate character or candidate character string.

8. A character input device claimed in

claim 1

comprising:

modification means for modifying the input character or input character string, when candidate character or candidate character string can not be obtained in the processing of said character conversion means.

9. A character input device of

claim 8

wherein:

the modification means deletes a final character of the input character string so that the input character string is modified.

10. A character input device of

claim 8

wherein:

said modification means comprises a candidate table of keys which might be operated erroneously during the key operation and modifies the input characters or input character strings according to said candidate table.

11. A character input device claimed of

claim 1

comprising:

transmission means for transmitting the confirmed characters or character strings, and

range information acquisition means for obtaining range information of character codes which can be processed by a party to be called,

wherein said character conversion means retrieves said dictionary leans based on the range information of the receiving party terminal obtained from the said range information acquisition means.

12. A character input device claimed of

claim 1

comprising:

transmission means for transmitting the confirmed character or character string, and

range information table for correlating identification information of a party to be called to the range information of the character codes which can be processed,

wherein the dictionary means is retrieved by the character conversion means based on the range information obtained from said range information table according to the identification information of the party.

2. A character input device comprising:

dictionary means for storing input numeral or input numeral string and candidate character corresponding to the input numeral or candidate character string corresponding to the input numeral string;

input means for entering characters or character string including a ten key to which a plurality of characters is distributed, a conversion/next candidate key for designating character conversion and a decision key for deciding the designated character conversion;

output means for at least displaying and outputting candidate character or candidate character string obtained as the result of conversion, and

character conversion means for obtaining candidate character or candidate character string by retrieving said dictionary means, with respect to the input numeral or input numeral string entered from said input means, and for transmitting this candidate character or candidate character string to said output means.

4. A character input device of

claim 2

wherein:

when a key of the input means to which characters are distributed is operated, said character conversion means retrieves said dictionary means to obtain candidate character or candidate character string corresponding to the numeral entered, and transmits this candidate character or candidate character string to said output means.

13. A character input device comprising:

dictionary means storing the correspondence of input character or input character string corresponding to candidate character or candidate character string obtained as a result of conversion and attribute information thereof;

input means for entering characters or character strings and necessary information including a plurality of keys to which a plurality of characters are distributed, a conversion/next candidate key for designating character conversion and a decision key for confirming the conversion result;

output means for at least displaying and outputting the candidate character or candidate character string as a result of conversion; and

attribute specification means for specifying the attribute of input character or input character strings based on information to be entered from the said input means; and

character conversion means for obtaining the candidate characters or candidate character strings corresponding to the specified attribute information specified by said attribute specification means by retrieving the dictionary means, and for supplying said output means with the obtained candidate character or candidate character string, with respect to one of characters corresponding to keys entered by said input means and to character string corresponding to a plurality of keys.

14. A character input device of

claim 13

comprising:

instruction content memory for storing the correspondence of a plurality of modes and the instruction content for obtaining the attribute,

wherein the attribute specification means detects the mode in process, and obtains the instruction content corresponding to the detected mode from said instruction content memory, thereby for obtaining the attribute of characters or character strings concerned with the input base on said concerned instruction content.

15. A character input device of

claim 13

or

14

comprising:

a cursor displays means for displaying on said output means a cursor position indicating the position of character or character string being input during the input t of character or character string;

a cursor position memory storing correlated attribute information of characters or character strings corresponding to the cursor position; and

wherein said attribute specification means obtains the attribute of the characters or character strings based on the cursor display position displayed on said cursor display means and the content of said cursor position memory.

16. A character input device claimed in any one of

claims 13

to

15

wherein:

said attribute specification means obtains the attribute of the input characters or character strings in accordance with the instruction content of the attribute of the characters or character strings entered from the input means.

17. A character input device comprising:

input means for inputting a character code, and provided with a plurality of keys to which one or more characters is allocated;

sentence head distinction means for distinguishing a sentence head based on code arrangement corresponding to keys entered from said input means;

capitalization means for converting a Provided character code into a capital character code and for outputting the converted character code;

output means for at least displaying and outputting the characters corresponding to a provided character code; and

switching means for selecting one of outputting the converted character code to said output means through the said capitalization means and outputting the provided character code based on the distinction result from said sentence head distinction means.

19. A character input device of

claim 17

wherein:

when one or more space code exists ahead of a character or a period code exists ahead of a return code, the sentence head distinction means determines the character to be the sentence head character.

18. A character input device comprising:

dictionary means for storing input characters or input character strings and candidate characters corresponding to the input characters or candidate character strings corresponding to the input character strings;

input means for entering characters or character strings including a plurality of keys to which a plurality of characters are distributed, a conversion/next candidate key for designating character conversion and a decision key for confirming the designated character conversion;

character conversion means for obtaining candidate characters or candidate character strings by retrieving the said dictionary means, with respect to the input characters or input character strings;

sentence head distinction means for distinguishing the sentence head based on code arrangement corresponding to keys entered from said input means and code arrangement in response to said character conversion means;

capitalization means for converting the obtained character code into a capital character code;

output means for at least displaying and outputting the characters corresponding to the obtained character code; and

switching means for selecting one of outputting the converted character code to said output means through the said capitalization means and outputting the obtained character code, depending on the distinction result of said sentence head distinction means.