Method and system for entering accented and other extended characters

• US 20030014239A1
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: JDI Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JDI Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Ichbiah, Jean D., Ichbiah, Emmanuel, Turbe, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/877,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014239A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method of and system for entering extended characters. The method includes detecting, on a touch screen, a touch on a character and a slide away from the character; determining the direction of the slide; matching the direction of the slide with a stored set of extended characters each associated with a corresponding different slide direction; and displaying the extended character which corresponds to the determined slide direction.

Claims

1. A method of entering extended characters, the method comprising:

detecting, on a touch screen, a touch on a character and a slide away from the character;

determining the direction of the slide;

matching the direction of the slide with a stored set of extended characters each associated with a corresponding different slide direction; and

entering the extended character which corresponds to the determined slide direction.

2. The method of claim 1 further including initially entering the touched character and then replacing the touched character with the corresponding extended character after the slide.

3. The method of claim 1 further including modifying an on-screen keyboard to change the touched character to the extended character.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the stored set of extended characters includes accented characters and, for each character, the character marked with a grave, a dot, the umlaut, the acute, and the circumflex, each said accent corresponding to a slide in a different direction.

5. The method of claim 1 further including determining the length of the slide.

6. The method of claim 5 including a first stored set of extended characters corresponding to slides of a first length and a second stored set of extended characters corresponding to slides of a second, different length.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the second length is longer that the first length.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the second stored set of extended characters are upper case versions of the first stored set of extended characters.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of displaying the stored set of extended characters and their corresponding slide directions and allowing the user to replace an extended character with a different character, a sequence of characters, or an action.

10. The method of claim 1 in which there are at least five slide directions, each said slide direction corresponding to a different extended character.

11. A method of entering extended characters, the method comprising:

detecting, on a touch screen, a touch on a character and a slide away from the character;

determining the direction of the slide;

matching the direction of the slide with a stored set of extended characters each associated with a corresponding different slide direction;

entering the extended character which corresponds to the determined slide direction; and

displaying a stored set of extended characters and their corresponding slide directions and allowing the user to replace a stored extended character with a different character, a sequence of characters, or an action.

14. The computer program of claim 13 in which the output routine initially enters and displays the touched character and then replaces the touched character with the extended character after the slide.

15. The computer program of claim 13 in which the output routine modifies an on-screen keyboard to change the touched character to the extended character.

16. The computer program of claim 13 in which the stored set of extended characters includes accented characters and, for each character, the character marked with the grave, the dot, the umlaut, the acute, and the circumflex, each said accent corresponding to a slide in a different direction.

17. The computer program of claim 13 in which the input routine is further configured to determine the length of the slide.

18. The computer program of claim 17 in which the stored set of extended characters includes a first set corresponding to slides of a first length and a second set corresponding to slides of a second, different length.

19. The computer program of claim 18 in which the second set of extended characters are upper case versions of the first stored set of extended characters.

20. The computer program of claim 13 further including a customization routine which displays the stored set of extended characters and their corresponding set of slide directions and allows the user to replace a stored extended character with a different character, a sequence of characters, or an action.

21. The computer program of claim 13 in which there are at least five slide directions, each said direction corresponding to a different extended character.

12. A method of entering accented characters, the method comprising:

detecting on a touch screen a touch on a character and a slide away from the character;

determining the direction of the slide;

matching the direction of the slide with a stored set of accented characters each associated with one of at least five different slide directions; and

entering the accented character which corresponds to the determined slide direction.

13. A computer program for entering extended characters, the program comprising:

a stored set of extended characters each corresponding to a different slide direction;

an input routine which determines which character was touched and the direction of a slide away from the touched character;

a lookup routine which matches the touched character and the direction of the slide with the corresponding stored extended character; and

an output routine which enters the corresponding stored extended character.

22. A computer program for entering extended characters, the program comprising:

a stored set of extended characters each corresponding to a different slide direction;

an input routine which determines which character was touched and the direction of a slide away from the touched character;

a lookup routine which matches the touched character and the direction of the slide with a corresponding stored extended character;

an output routine which enters the corresponding extended character; and

a customization routine which displays the stored set of extended characters and the corresponding set of slide directions and which allows the user to replace a stored extended character with a different character, a sequence of characters, or an action.

25. The method of claim 24 further including providing a set of default entries including a set of accented characters assigned to each character and each corresponding to a different slide direction.

26. The method of claim 24 further including the step of displaying a touched character and replacing the touched character with the action performed.

27. The method of claim 24 further including determining the length of the slide .

28. The method of claim 27 in which the assigned entries correspond to slides of different lengths.

29. The method of claim 27 in which there are at least five slide directions each said direction corresponding to a different entry.

23. A computer program for entering accented characters, the program comprising:

a stored set of accented characters each corresponding to one of at least five different slide directions;

an input routine which determines which character was touched and the direction of a slide away from the touched character;

a lookup routine which matches the touched character and the direction of the slide with the corresponding stored accented character; and

an output routine which enters of the corresponding accented character.

24. A method of customizing input for an electronic device with a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying, on a touch screen, a set of slide directions and allowing the user to assign an entry to a slide direction representing an action for a plurality of characters, icons, or buttons;

storing each entry with its corresponding slide direction and the assigned character, icon, or button;

detecting, on the touch screen, a touch at a location representing a character, icon, or button and a slide away from the touched location;

determining the direction of the slide;

matching the location and the direction of the slide with the corresponding entry; and

performing the action represented by the corresponding entry.

30. A system for customizing input for an electronic device with a touch screen, the system comprising:

a customization routine which displays to a user a set of slide directions and allows the user to assign entries representing actions to a slide direction for a plurality of characters, icons, or buttons;

an input routine which determines a touch location on the touch screen representing a character, icon, or button and the direction of a slide away from the touch location;

a lookup routine which matches the touch location and the direction of the slide with the corresponding assigned entry; and

an output routine which performs the action represented by the corresponding entry.