Graphical user interface

• US 20040021696A1
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Molgaard
• Original Assignee: John Molgaard
• Inventors: Molgaard, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An apparatus for selection of characters to be displayed on a display screen. Has input actuators with associated fields containing graphical symbols representing the characters. The user is guided during selection of a character via the display. The selection procedure is sufficiently simple to allow a user to memorise the steps needed in order to select a specific character. Uses a limited number of actuators, and a character is selected using a sequence of actuations. Actuations may e.g. be keystrokes or movement by tactile pointing means on a touch sensitive device. Preferably, a character is selected by drawing one or two linear segments on a touch sensitive device. The displayed graphical symbols are preferably rearranged upon actuation. Suitable for use in electronic devices, in particular hand held devices having a small display screen, such as communication equipment, such as portable phones, e.g. mobile phones, or computers.

Claims

1. An apparatus with an input device comprising a selector for selection of characters and having input actuators with associated fields containing first graphical symbols,

characterised in that

the apparatus further comprises

a display screen,

a symbol generator for displaying the fields containing the first set of graphical symbols in an arrangement on the display screen, and

a controller that is operatively connected to the symbol generator and the selector, and in that at least one of the first graphical symbols indicates a first set of alphabetic characters in alphabetic order and in that actuation of the corresponding input actuator results in allocation of each of the alphabetic characters in the first set of alphabetic characters to a specific input actuator so that actuation of that input actuator results in selection of the allocated alphabetic character, and in that the apparatus comprises means for guiding a user during selection of an alphabetic character, and in that selection of specific alphabetic characters is sufficiently simple to allow a user to memorise the selection procedure.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sound generator for generation of a specific sound upon actuation of a corresponding actuator.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selector comprises a keyboard with keys constituting the input actuators.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first graphical symbols are printed on the respective keys.

5. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is adapted to control the symbol generator to display a second set of graphical symbols in the fields in response to actuation of an actuator with an associated field with a symbol that indicates a first set of alphabetic characters in alphabetic order, the second set of graphical symbols comprising graphical symbols corresponding to the respective characters of the first set of alphabetic characters.

6. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the selector comprises a touch sensitive device, and wherein a specific directional movement on said touch sensitive device by a tactile pointing means corresponds to selection of a specific actuator.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, said apparatus being a hand held apparatus, wherein the touch sensitive device is positioned on a surface of the apparatus being opposite the surface exhibiting the display.

8. An apparatus according to any of claims 1-5, wherein the selector comprises a number of keys corresponding to the actuators, and wherein actuation of a specific key corresponds to actuation of the corresponding actuator, wherein said keys are positioned on a surface of the apparatus being opposite the surface exhibiting the display.

9. An apparatus according to any of claims 5-8, wherein the fields containing the first set of graphical symbols are displayed upon actuation of a specific actuator.

10. An apparatus according to any of claims 5-9, wherein at least one second symbol of the second set of symbols indicates a second set of alphabetic characters in alphabetic order and wherein the controller is further adapted to control the symbol generator to display graphical symbols in the fields corresponding to the respective characters of the second set of alphabetic characters in response to actuation of the actuator with the associated field containing the at least one second symbol.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second set of alphabetic characters is a case shifted version of the first set of alphabetic characters of the selected first symbol.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second symbol is displayed at the same relative position in the arrangement as the selected first symbol.

13. An apparatus according to any of claims 5-12, wherein the arrangement constitutes a 3 by 3 matrix.

14. An apparatus according to any of claims 5-13 as dependant on claims 2 or 3, wherein the arrangement of displayed symbols corresponds to a key matrix arrangement of the keyboard.

15. An apparatus according to any of claims 5-14, wherein the display is a touch sensitive display for selection of a graphical symbol by tactile interaction with the field containing the symbol.

16. An apparatus according to any of claims 5-15, wherein the selector comprises a moveable cursor that is displayed on the display screen, a cursor controller for manually controlling the position of the cursor on the display screen, and a click actuator for selection of the symbol at the current cursor position.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein symbols that upon selection result in display of fields containing a new set of symbols are selected simply by positioning of the cursor within the boundaries of the respective fields.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein symbols that upon selection result in display of fields containing a new set of symbols are selected by positioning of the cursor within a part of the area occupied by the respective field.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the part of the area occupied by the respective field is positioned outside a polygon, such as an octagon, that is larger than and covers a selectable field of the arrangement.

20. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a sound generator for generation of a specific sound upon actuation of a corresponding actuator to provide feedback to the user of the apparatus of the actual actuation.

21. An apparatus according to any of claims 16-20, wherein the cursor controller comprises a key for movement of the cursor one step in a specific direction in the matrix arrangement.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the key has a plurality of pressure sensitive regions for individual selection of the desired direction of cursor movement.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, further comprising 8 separate logic keys for moving the cursor one step to the “

east”

, “

south-east”

, “

south”

, “

south-west”

, “

west”

, “

north-west”

, “

north”

, and “

north-east”

respectively in the matrix arrangement.

24. An apparatus according to any of claims 15-23, wherein the moveable cursor, immediately upon selection of a symbol, is repositioned at a centre of the arrangement of the displayed set of symbols.

25. An apparatus according to any of claims 15-23, wherein the moveable cursor, immediately upon selection of a symbol, is maintained at the same relative position in the arrangement of the displayed set of graphical symbols as the position of the selected symbol in the arrangement of the previously displayed set of symbols.

26. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an input actuator for re-allocating the fields containing the first graphical symbols to the respective input actuators.

27. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least three consecutive actuations of one of the input actuators with associated fields containing first graphical symbols results in re-allocation of the fields containing the first graphical symbols to the respective input actuators.

28. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein selection of an individual character results in re-allocation of the fields containing the first graphical symbols to the respective input actuators.

29. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the fields containing graphical symbols and associated with respective input actuators remain unchanged upon activation of a specific input actuator.

30. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an input actuator for switching between a first graphical symbol and a second graphical symbol in a field.

31. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an input actuator with an associated field containing a string of characters for selection by actuation of the actuator.

32. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an input actuator with an associated field containing a string of control characters for selection by actuation of the actuator.

33. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein selected characters are appended successively in a string of characters that are input to the apparatus.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the string of selected characters is displayed on the display.

35. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the string is displayed upon selection of a character.

36. An apparatus according to claim 34 or 35, wherein the display may alternate between displaying the string of selected characters and the fields containing graphical symbols.

37. An apparatus according to any of claims 34-36, further comprising an edit cursor within the string of selected characters.

38. An apparatus according to claim 37, further comprising an input actuator with an associated field containing a symbol of a cursor control character for controlling the positioning of the edit cursor in the string of selected characters by actuation of the input actuator.

39. An apparatus according to claim 37 or 38, the input device of the apparatus comprising a pointing device, wherein the edit cursor is directly controlled by the pointing device.

40. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims that is adapted for use in a telephone.

41. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims that is adapted for use in a remote controller.

42. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims that is adapted for use in a remote controller for video equipment.

43. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims that is adapted for use in a WAP device or any kind of computer or microcomputer.

44. A method of inputting data to an apparatus with an input device comprising a selector for selection of characters and having input actuators with associated fields containing first graphical symbols, at least one of the first graphical symbols indicating a first set of alphabetic characters in alphabetic order, the apparatus further comprising a display screen, a symbol generator for displaying the fields containing the first set of graphical symbols in an arrangement on the display screen, and a controller that is operatively connected to the symbol generator and the selector, the method comprising the steps of:

actuation of an input actuator with an associated field containing a symbol indicating a first set of alphabetic characters in alphabetic order, and

allocation of each of the alphabetic characters in the first set of alphabetic characters to a specific input actuator so that actuation of that input actuator results in selection of the allocated alphabetic character,

the steps being performed in such a way that a user is guided by the apparatus during selection of an alphabetic character, and in such a way that selection of a specific alphabetic character is sufficiently simple to allow a user to memorise the selection procedure.

45. A method according to claim 44, further comprising a sound generator for generation of a specific sound upon actuation of a corresponding actuator.

46. A method according to claim 44 or 45, wherein the selector comprises a keyboard with keys constituting the input actuators.

47. A method according to claim 46, wherein the first graphical symbols are printed on the respective keys.

48. A method according to any of claims 44-47, further comprising the steps of

displaying the fields containing the first set of graphical symbols in an arrangement on the display screen,

displaying a second set of graphical symbols in the fields in response to actuation of an actuator with an associated field with a symbol that indicates a first set of alphabetic characters in alphabetic order, the second set of graphical symbols comprising graphical symbols corresponding to the respective characters of the first set of alphabetic characters.

49. A method according to claim 48, wherein the fields containing the first set of graphical symbols are displayed upon actuation of a specific actuator.

50. A method according to claim 48 or 49, wherein at least one second symbol of the second set of symbols indicates a second set of alphabetic characters in alphabetic order and further comprising the step of displaying graphical symbols in the fields corresponding to the respective characters of the second set of alphabetic characters in response to actuation of the actuator with the associated field containing the at least one second symbol.

51. A method according to claim 50, wherein the second set of alphabetic characters is a case shifted version of the first set of alphabetic characters of the selected first symbol.

52. A method according to claim 51, wherein the second symbol is displayed at the same relative position in the arrangement as the selected first symbol.

53. A method according to any of claims 48-52, wherein the arrangement constitutes a 3 by 3 matrix.

54. A method according to any of claims 48-53 as dependant on claims 46 or 47, wherein the arrangement of displayed symbols corresponds to a key matrix arrangement of the keyboard.

55. A method according to any of claims 44-54, further comprising the steps of displaying a moveable cursor on the display screen, manually controlling the position of the cursor on the display screen, and selecting the symbol at the current cursor position.

56. A method according to claim 55, wherein symbols that upon selection result in display of fields containing a new set of symbols are selected simply by positioning of the cursor within the boundaries of the respective fields.

57. A method according to claim 56, wherein symbols that upon selection result in display of fields containing a new set of symbols are selected by positioning of the cursor within a part of the area occupied by the respective field.

58. A method according to claim 57, wherein the part of the area occupied by the respective field is positioned outside a polygon, such as an octagon, that is larger than and covers a centre field of the arrangement.

59. A method according to any of claims 44-58, further comprising a sound generator for generation of a specific sound upon actuation of a specific actuator.

60. A method according to any of claims 55-59, further comprising the step of moving the cursor one step in a specific direction in the matrix arrangement using a key.

61. A method according to claim 60, wherein the key has a plurality of pressure sensitive regions for individual selection of the desired direction of cursor movement.

62. A method according to claim 60 or 61, further comprising the step of moving the cursor one step to the “

east”

, “

south-east”

, “

south”

, “

south-west”

, “

west”

, “

north-west”

, “

north”

, and “

north-east”

in the matrix arrangement using eight separate respective keys.

63. A method according to any of claims 55-62, further comprising the step of repositioning the moveable cursor, immediately upon selection of a symbol, at a centre of the arrangement of the displayed set of symbols.

64. A method according to any of claims 55-62, further comprising the step of maintaining the moveable cursor, immediately upon selection of a symbol, at the same relative position in the arrangement of the displayed set of graphical symbols as the position of the selected symbol in the arrangement of the previously displayed set of symbols.

65. A method according to any of claims 44-64, further comprising the step of re-allocating the fields containing the first graphical symbols to the respective input actuators upon actuation of a specific input actuator.

66. A method according to any of claims 44-65, further comprising the step of re-allocation of the fields containing the first graphical symbols to the respective input actuators upon three consecutive actuations of one of the input actuators with associated fields containing first graphical symbols.

67. A method according to any of claims 44-66, further comprising the step of re-allocation of the fields containing the first graphical symbols to the respective input actuators upon selection of an individual character.

68. A method according to any of claims 44-67, wherein at least one of the fields containing graphical symbols and associated with respective input actuators remain unchanged upon activation of a specific input actuator.

69. A method according to any of claims 44-68, further comprising the step of switching between a first graphical symbol and a second graphical symbol in a field upon actuation of a input actuator.

70. A method according to any of claims 44-69, further comprising the step of displaying a field containing a string of characters for selection.

71. A method according to any of claims 44-70, further comprising the step of displaying a field containing a string of control characters for selection.

72. A method according to any of claims 44-71, further comprising the step of appending selected characters successively in a string of characters that are input to the apparatus.

73. A method according to claim 72 as dependant on any of claims 48-71, further comprising the step of displaying the string of selected characters on the display.

74. A method according to claim 73, wherein the string is displayed upon selection of a character.

75. A method according to claim 73 or 74, wherein the display may alternate between displaying the string of selected characters and the fields containing graphical symbols.

76. A method according to any of claims 73-75, further comprising the step of displaying an edit cursor within the string of selected characters.

77. A method according to claim 76, further comprising the step of displaying a field containing a symbol of a cursor control character for controlling the positioning of the edit cursor in the string of selected characters.

78. An apparatus with an input device comprising a selector for selection of characters and having input actuators with associated fields containing graphical symbols, the apparatus further comprising a display screen and a symbol generator for displaying the fields containing the first set of graphical symbols in an arrangement on the display screen

characterised in that

the display is positioned on a first surface of the apparatus, and

the selector is positioned on a second surface of the apparatus, said second surface being arranged opposite said first surface.

79. An apparatus according to claim 78, wherein the selector comprises a touch sensitive device.

80. An apparatus according to claim 78 or 79, wherein the selector comprises a number of keys.

81. An apparatus according to any of claims 78-80, wherein a cursor is displayed on the display, said cursor indicating the operations performed by means of the selector.

82. An apparatus according to any of claims 78-81, wherein at least the display and the selector are made from a transparent material.

83. An apparatus according to any of claims 78-82 that is adapted for use in a hand held device.

84. An apparatus according to any of claims 78-83 that is adapted for use in a mobile phone.

85. An apparatus according to any of claims 78-83 that is adapted for use in a remote controller.