Split on-screen keyboard

• US 20050141770A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Marila, Juha, Lantz, Vuokko
• Application Number:
  US10/749,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141770A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A device and method for inputting information is disclosed. The device comprises a display, such as a touch-sensitive display, and a memory. The memory comprises a first set of characters, said first set of characters comprising at least two characters, and a second set of characters, said second set of characters comprising at least two characters. The characters in the first set of characters are statistically more likely to be selected in successive order than the characters in the second set of characters. The display is adapted to display, for selection of which character to input, the first set of characters.

Claims

1. A device for inputting information, comprising:

a display; and

a memory comprising a first set of characters, said first set of characters comprising at least two characters, and a second set of characters, said second set of characters comprising at least two characters,

wherein the characters in the first set of characters are statistically more likely to be selected in successive order than the characters in the second set of characters, and

wherein said display is adapted to display, for selection of which character to input, the first set of characters.

2. The device of claim 1 adapted to select any desired one of the displayed characters if said desired character exists in the displayed first set of characters.

3. The device of claim 1 adapted to replace, on the display for selection, the first set of characters with the second set of characters if a desired character does not exist in the displayed first set of characters.

4. The device of claim 3 adapted to select any desired one of the displayed characters if said desired character exists in the displayed second set of characters.

5. The device of claim 1 comprising a character set switch for replacing the currently displayed set of characters with another set of characters.

6. The device of claim 1 adapted to cluster, on the display for selection, characters within the first set of characters, so that characters that are statistically more likely to be selected in successive order appear closer to each other than characters that are statistically less likely to be selected in successive order.

7. The device of claim 1 adapted to display the characters in the first set of characters on the display in QWERTY-format.

8. The device of claim 1 adapted to display the characters in the first set of characters on the display in alphabetical order.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said display is a touch-sensitive display.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first set of characters and the second set of characters are based on a specific language used for inputting information.

11. The device of claim 1, embodied as a mobile terminal for a mobile telecommunications system.

12. A method for inputting information using a display, the method comprising:

defining a first set of characters comprising at least two characters;

defining a second set of characters comprising at least two characters,

wherein the characters of the first set of characters are statistically more likely to be selected in successive order than the characters of the second set of characters; and

displaying, for selection of which character to input, the first set of characters on the display.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising:

selecting any desired one of the displayed characters if said desired character exists in the displayed first set of characters.

14. The method of claim 12 comprising:

replacing, on the display for selection, the first set of characters with the second set of characters if a desired character does not exist in the displayed first set of characters.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising:

selecting any one of the displayed characters if the desired character exists in the displayed second set of characters.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of defining the first set of characters and the second set of characters are based on a specific language used for inputting information.

17. The method of claim 12 comprising:

clustering, on the display for selection, characters within the first set of characters, so that characters that are statistically more likely to be selected in successive order appear closer to each other than characters that are statistically less likely to be selected in successive order.

18. The method of claim 12 comprising

displaying the characters in the first set of characters on the display in QWERTY-format.

19. The method of claim 12 comprising

displaying the characters in the first set of characters on the display in alphabetical order.

20. The method of claim 12 performed in a mobile terminal for a mobile telecommunications system.

21. A software product stored in a memory for generating a virtual keyboard on a display, the software product comprising:

software code for defining a first set of characters comprising at least two characters;

software code for defining a second set of characters comprising at least two characters,

wherein the characters of the first set of characters are statistically more likely to be selected in successive order than the characters of the second set of characters; and

software code for displaying, for selection of which character to input, the first set of characters on the display.

22. The software product of claim 21 comprising:

software code for selecting any desired one of the displayed characters if said desired character exists in the displayed first set of characters.

23. The software product of claim 21 comprising:

software code for replacing, on the display for selection, the first set of characters with the second set of characters if a desired character does not exist in the displayed first set of characters.

24. The software product of claim 23 comprising:

software code for selecting any one of the displayed characters if the desired character exists in the displayed second set of characters.

25. The software product of claim 21 comprising:

software code for clustering, on the display for selection, characters within the first set of characters, so that characters that are statistically more likely to be selected in successive order appear closer to each other than characters that are statistically less likely to be selected in successive order.

26. The software product of claim 21 comprising:

software code for displaying the characters in the first set of characters on the display in QWERTY-format.

27. The software product of claim 21.comprising:

software code for displaying the characters in the first set of characters on the display in alphabetical order.

28. The software product of claim 21 stored in a memory in a mobile terminal for a mobile telecommunications system.