Mechanism and method for entering data

• US 20060114235A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Larom, David Lee
• Application Number:
  US10/989,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114235A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods

Abstract

Described are methods and mechanisms for entering data using a limited keyboard. Very generally stated, the invention envisions a mechanism and method for entering data on a keypad having a limited number of buttons. Each of several characters is mapped to a two-button pairing on the input device. A first button represents a group of characters, and a second button represents a position within that group of the desired character.

Claims

1. A mechanism for entering data into a device, comprising:

a keypad with a plurality of collections of buttons, at least one of the buttons having an associated set of characters, each collection of buttons having a position relative to the other collections of buttons; and

a keypad control device configured to;

recognize a signal indicating a selection of a first button, the first button being associated with a first collection within the collections of buttons,

recognize a signal indicating a selection of a second button, the second button having an associated set of characters, each character in the associated set of characters having a position relative to the other characters in the associated set of characters, and

identify a selected character as the character within the associated set of characters that has a same position relative to the other characters as the position of the first collection relative to the other collections of buttons.

2. The mechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the collections of buttons comprise columns of buttons.

3. The mechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the keypad is capable of recognizing simultaneous button presses.

4. The mechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the first button and the second button comprise an ordered pair, and the selected character is mapped to the ordered pair.

5. The mechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the keypad control device is configured to associate a first button press with the signal indicating the selection of the first button, and to associate a second button press with the signal indicating the selection of the second button.

6. The mechanism recited in claim 5, wherein the second button press begins prior to the first button press being released.

7. The mechanism recited in claim 5, wherein the second button press begins subsequent to the first button press being released.

8. The mechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the keypad control device is configured to associate a first button press with the signal indicating the selection of the second button, and a second button press with the signal indicating the selection of the first button.

9. The mechanism recited in claim 8, wherein the second button press begins prior to the first button press being released.

10. The mechanism recited in claim 8, wherein the second button press begins subsequent to the first button press being released.

11. A mechanism for entering data into a device, comprising:

means for providing a signal indicative of a button press;

means for recognizing a signal indicating a selection of a first button, the first button being associated with a first collection in a plurality of collections of buttons, each collection of buttons having a position relative to the other collections of buttons;

means for recognizing a signal indicating a selection of a second button, the second button having an associated set of characters, each character in the associated set of characters having a position relative to the other characters in the associated set of characters; and

means for identifying a selected character as the character within the associated set of characters that has a same position relative to the other characters as the position of the first collection relative to the other collections of buttons.

12. On a device having a keypad with a plurality of collections of buttons, at least one of the buttons having an associated set of characters, each collection of buttons having a position relative to the other collections of buttons, a method of identifying a character, comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a selection of a first button, the first button being associated with one of the collections of buttons;

receiving another signal indicating a selection of a second button, the second button having an associated set of characters, each character in the associated set of characters having a position relative to the other characters in the associated set of characters; and

identifying a selected character by selecting the character within the associated set of characters that has a same position relative to the other characters as the position of the collection of buttons that includes the first button relative to the other collections of buttons.

13. The mechanism recited in claim 12, wherein the first button and the second button comprise an ordered pair, and the selected character is mapped to the ordered pair.

14. The mechanism recited in claim 12, wherein the signal indicating the selection of the first button is received prior to the signal indicating the selection of the second button.

15. The mechanism recited in claim 12, wherein the signal indicating the selection of the first button is received subsequent to the signal indicating the selection of the second button.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for identifying a character, comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a selection of a first button of a keypad, the first button being associated with one collection of a plurality of collections of buttons, each collection of buttons having a position relative to the other collections of buttons;

receiving another signal indicating a selection of a second button, the second button having an associated set of characters, each character in the associated set of characters having a position relative to the other characters in the associated set of characters; and

identifying a selected character by selecting the character within the associated set of characters that has a same position relative to the other characters as the position of the collection of buttons that includes the first button relative to the other collections of buttons.

17. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 16, wherein the first button and the second button comprise an ordered pair, and the selected character is mapped to the ordered pair.

18. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 16, wherein the signal indicating the selection of the first button is received prior to the signal indicating the selection of the second button.

19. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 16, wherein the signal indicating the selection of the first button is received subsequent to the signal indicating the selection of the second button.

20. On a device having a keypad with a limited number of buttons, a method of identifying a character, comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a selection of a position button;

receiving another signal indicating a selection of a group button; and

determining a desired character by referring to mapping information that maps characters to two-button pairings where the position button is used as one button in the two-button pairings, and the group button is used as the other button in the two-button pairing.

21. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the position button identifies a position of the position button relative to other buttons on the keypad.

22. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the group button is associated with a set of characters, each character in the associated set of characters having a character position relative to the other characters in the associated set of characters.

23. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the position button is associated with a relative position of the desired character with respect to other characters in a group of characters.

24. The method recited in claim 23, wherein the group button identifies the group of characters from among a plurality of groups of characters.

25. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the signal indicating the selection of a position button comprises the selection of the group button and releasing of the group button without a selection of another button.

31. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the signal indicating the selection of a position button comprises the selection of the group button and releasing of the group button without a selection of another button.

26. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for identifying a character, comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a selection of a position button;

receiving another signal indicating a selection of a group button; and

determining a desired character by referring to mapping information that maps characters to two-button pairings where the position button is used as one button in the two-button pairings, and the group button is used as the other button in the two-button pairing.

27. The computer-readable recited in claim 26, wherein the position button identifies a position of the position button relative to other buttons on the keypad.

28. The computer-readable recited in claim 26, wherein the group button is associated with a set of characters, each character in the associated set of characters having a character position relative to the other characters in the associated set of characters.

29. The computer-readable recited in claim 26, wherein the position button is associated with a relative position of the desired character with respect to other characters in a group of characters.

30. The computer-readable recited in claim 29, wherein the group button identifies the group of characters from among a plurality of groups of characters.