Device and method for inputting characters or drawings in a mobile terminal using a virtual screen

• US 20060077188A1
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Byun, Joon-Ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386

Abstract

Disclosed is a device and method for inputting characters or drawings on a mobile terminal using a virtual screen. To input characters or drawings through a virtual screen, the mobile terminal includes an electronic pen, a virtual screen generator, a position detector for detecting the electronic pen position, and a character recognition algorithm for recognizing a trail as a character. When a signal is input from the electronic pen, the mobile terminal detects the originating position of the signal and its trail. The mobile terminal recognizes the detected trail as a character and generates a virtual screen with the recognized character.

Claims

1. A device for inputting characters or drawings on a mobile terminal, comprising:

a user input means for sending input signals;

a virtual screen generator for generating a virtual screen;

a position detector for detecting originating positions of the input signals on the virtual screen; and

a control section for detecting trails corresponding to the originating positions of the input signals, outputting the detected trails to a preview window and storing trail information.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a user input sensor for detecting the input signals and inputting the detected signals to the control section.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said user input means includes a signal transmitter for transmitting any of infrared signals and ultrasonic signals.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control section recognizes the trails as characters or symbols.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control section outputs the trails and the recognized characters or symbols to the virtual screen.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said virtual screen generator comprises at least one beam projector or laser diode.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said position detector comprises at least one sensor for detecting the originating position of an input signal.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing character recognition data including characters and symbols, a recognition algorithm used to recognize the trails corresponding to the originating positions of the input signals detected by the position detector as characters or symbols of the character recognition data, and virtual screen data used to generate a virtual screen from the virtual screen generator.

9. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said user input means further includes a switch for driving the signal transmitter.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said switch is a contact sensor capable of detecting a contact.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said user input means is in a pen shape.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said user input means further includes a transmitter for transmitting any of infrared signals and ultrasonic signals and a contact sensor for detecting a contact.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said user input means has the contact sensor at a tip thereof to drive the transmitter when detecting a contact.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said virtual screen includes:

a word key for generating a virtual word screen to enable a user to input characters or symbols with the user input means; and

a drawing board key for generating a virtual drawing board to enable the user to draw with the user input means.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said virtual word screen is in form of an opened notebook.

16. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said virtual word screen includes:

a user input window for receiving trails corresponding to the originating positions of the signals input by the user with the user input means; and

a preview window for outputting characters or symbols recognized as corresponding to the trails.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said virtual screen generator outputs the trails to the user input window so that the user can directly confirm the input of the trails.

18. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said virtual word screen further includes page keys for moving to a page selected by the user.

19. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein virtual word screen further includes a horizontal scroll bar and a vertical scroll bar to move to a specific location on a page.

20. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said virtual word screen further includes a save key for storing characters output to the preview window in a data format selected by the user.

21. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said data format includes TXT and MS Word.

22. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said virtual drawing board includes:

a user drawing input window for inputting trails with the user input means; and

a color selection menu for selecting a color of the trails.

23. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said virtual drawing board further includes a load key for loading previously stored picture data.

24. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said virtual drawing board further includes a horizontal scroll bar and a vertical scroll bar to move to a specific location on the drawing board.

25. A method for inputting characters or symbols on a mobile terminal, which comprises the steps of:

generating a virtual word screen for inputting characters or symbols through a user input means sending input signals;

when input signals are received, detecting originating positions of the input signals;

detecting trails corresponding to the originating positions of the input signals;

recognizing the trails as characters or symbols; and

outputting the recognized characters or symbols to the virtual word screen.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said detection of trails includes outputting the detected trails in a form visible to the user.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said virtual word screen includes:

a user input window for inputting the trails as characters or symbols with the user input means; and

a preview window for outputting the characters or symbols recognized as corresponding to the trails.

28. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said virtual word screen further includes function keys that include:

page keys for moving to a page selected by the user; and

a save key for storing the characters or symbols output to the preview window.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said output of the detected trails includes outputting the trails to the user input window.

30. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said output of the detected trails includes outputting the characters or symbols recognized as corresponding to the trails to the preview window.

31. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein said detection of trails further includes:

when one of the function keys is selected, performing a function corresponding to the selected function key.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said performance of a function includes:

when one of the page keys is selected, moving to a page previous or next to the current page of the preview window and the user input window.

33. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein said performance of a function includes:

when the save key is selected, outputting a list of available data formats and storing the characters or symbols output to the preview window in a data format selected by the user.

34. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said detection of trails further includes:

when one of the characters or symbols output to the preview window is selected by the user with a trail of the user input mean, correcting the selected character or symbol.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said correction of the selected character or symbol includes:

placing a cursor on the selected character or symbol in the preview window;

placing another cursor on the trail corresponding to the selected character or symbol in the user input window;

deleting the character or symbol and trail highlighted with the cursors in the preview window and the user input window;

inputting a new trail to the same position of the deleted trail in the user input window when a new signal is transmitted from the user input means;

recognizing the new trail as a new character or symbol; and

inputting the recognized new character or symbol to the same position of the deleted one in the preview window and outputting the newly input character or symbol to complete the correction.

36. A method for inputting a drawing on a mobile terminal, which comprises the steps of:

generating a virtual drawing board for inputting a drawing through a user input means sending input signals;

when input signals are received, detecting originating positions of the input signals;

detecting trails corresponding to the originating positions of the input signals;

recognizing the trails corresponding to the originating positions; and

outputting the recognized trails to the virtual drawing board.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein said output of the trails includes selecting a color of the trails.

38. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein said virtual drawing board includes a load key for loading previously stored picture data.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38, wherein said generation of a virtual drawing board includes:

when a previously stored drawing is loaded, generating the virtual drawing board with the loaded drawing.

40. The method as claimed in claim 36, further comprises the step of storing the trails input to the virtual drawing board in an image file format.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein said image file format includes BMP, JPEG and GIF.