Portable communication terminal having character font changing function and method for changing character font using the same

• US 20040109020A1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Song, Soo-Rim
• Application Number:
  US10/397,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109020A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a portable communication terminal having a character font changing function. The portable communication terminal comprises a storage unit for storing font information for changing of a font of character data, a font changing unit for changing the font of the character data inputted or to be inputted on the basis of the font information in response to in inputted control signal, a display unit for displaying the font information and the character data of the font changed by the font changing unit on a screen, a communication unit for communicating with a destination device, the communicating unit sending the character data changed in font by the font changing unit and displayed on the screen to the destination device in response to an inputted control signal, and a controller for controlling the font changing unit in response to a font change command to change the font of the character data, and controlling a display operation of the display unit and a sending operation of the communication unit.

Claims

1. A portable communication terminal for sending character data selected and displayed on a screen to a destination device in response to an inputted command, comprising:

storage means for storing font information for changing of a font of said character data;

font changing means for changing said font of said character data inputted or to be inputted on the basis of said font information in response to an inputted control signal;

display means for displaying said font information and said character data in a font changed by said font changing means on said screen;

communication means for communicating with said destination device and for sending said character data in the changed font to said destination device in response to an inputted control signal; and

control means for controlling said font changing means in response to a font change command to change said font of said character data, and controlling a display operation of said display means, and controlling a sending operation of said communication means.

2. The portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said font information includes at least one of font style information, font size information and font color information for said character data.

3. The portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 2, wherein said control means is adapted to receive additional font information provided from an external contents server for providing font information through said communication means and updating said font information stored in said storage means with the received additional font information,

wherein said font changing means is adapted to change said font of said character data on the basis of said stored font information including the updated additional font information.

4. The portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 3, wherein said control means is adapted to, upon receiving a character data processing command, convert said character data into standardized specification values including descriptions of said font which can be recognized, decoded and displayed between the portable communication terminal and the destination device.

5. The portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 4, wherein said control means is adapted to sequentially convert said character data into said specification values in the order of a font style, a font size, a font color and characters of a preset basic font.

6. The portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 5, wherein said font changing means is adapted to, if said font of said character data is not supportable by said font information, decode said font of said character data into said preset basic font,

wherein said control means is adapted to control said display means to display said character data of the decoded basic font on said screen.

7. The portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 5, wherein said control means is adapted to, if said font of said character data is not supportable by said font information, control said display means and voice processing means to output a request message for updating of said font information with said additional supportable font information from said contents server in at least one of a character and voice form, said voice processing means amplifying and outputting a voice signal.

8. The portable communication terminal as set forth in claim 7, further comprising key input means, said key input means including at least one of:

a short message function selection key for selecting a function of sending a short message to said destination device;

a character input key having a plurality of buttons for inputting characters;

a font setting key for changing a font of a character to be inputted or a font of an inputted character through said font changing means; and

a character processing key for selecting a command for at least one of sending to said destination and storing in said storage means an inputted character.

9. A method for changing a character font using a portable communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

a) determining whether a character has been inputted for sending character data to a destination device;

b) if the character is determined to have been inputted, displaying the inputted character on a screen in a preset font;

c) determining whether a font changing menu has been selected to change a font of said inputted character or a font of a character to be inputted;

d) if the font changing menu is determined to have been selected, displaying on said screen submenus of available fonts according to font information including information regarding available fonts;

e) if selection and change commands are determined to have been selected, changing the font of said inputted character or the font of the character to be inputted; and

f) displaying said inputted character on said screen in the changed font.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

g) while said inputted character is displayed in the changed font, determining whether a character sending menu has been selected to send said displayed character to said destination device;

h) if the character sending menu is determined to have been selected, converting said displayed character into specification values recognizable between the portable communication terminal and the destination device on the basis of said font information; and

i) sending to the destination device the converted specification values corresponding to the displayed character.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said font information includes at least one of font style information, font size information and font color information changeable for said character.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said step h) includes the step of sequentially converting said character into said specification values in the order of a font style, a font size, a font color and a character of a basic font.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the step

j) if said font of said character is a font selected in said submenus, which is not supportable, outputting a request message for updating of said font information with additional supportable font information in at least one of a character and voice form.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

k) upon receiving an additional supportable font information update command responsive to said update request message, accessing an external contents server for providing font information and receiving additional font information provided from the contents server;

l) updating said font information with the received additional font information; and

m) changing said font of said character on the basis of said font information including the updated additional font information.