Method for inputting characters in electronic device

• US 20060267931A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Korhonen, Hannu, Marila, Juha, Vainio, Janne, Vaittinen, Tuomas, Mikkola, Hannu J., Himanen, Sakari, Nieminen, Toni P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,495,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• 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 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

According to an aspect of the invention, an enhanced audible feedback solution has been invented for electronic devices using an input device facilitating navigation though a plurality of available user interface input options and confirmation of a selected input option. The electronic device is arranged to define, as a response to detecting a selection of a character on the basis of a detection of a first input to an input device of the electronic device, an audio segment specific to the character. The electronic device is arranged to output the defined audio segment via the audio output means prior to a confirmation by a second input to the input device, the second input being associated with a function adding the character as part of a character sequence entered by the user.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a control unit for controlling functions of the electronic device, audio output means, and a user input device for navigating though a plurality of available user interface input options and for confirming a selected input option, wherein the electronic device is configured to detect selection of a first input option on the basis of a first input to the input device and confirm the first input option as a response to detection of a second input to the input device, the first input option representing a character and the second input being associated with a function for adding the character as part of a character sequence entered by the user,

the control unit is configured to define, as a response to detecting a selection of the character on the basis of the detection of the first input to the input device, an audio segment specific to the character, and

the control unit is configured to cause an output of the defined audio segment via the audio output means prior to the confirmation.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to display on a display of the electronic device a list of available characters which may be navigated in horizontal and/or vertical direction on the basis of inputs detected to the input device, and the character represented by the first input option is highlighted on the basis of the detection of the first input to the input device.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input device is a multi-operation navigation key, whereby

the control unit is configured to detect the first input to one the following navigating regions by the navigation key, at least two of which are available in the button for navigating:

up, down, left, right, and

the control unit is configured to detect the second input to a specific confirmation button or to a portion of the navigation key associated with the confirmation of the first input option currently selected.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio segment is stored in the memory and associated with the character, and the control unit is configured to retrieve the audio segment from the memory and play the audio segment in response to detecting the first input.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to generate the audio segment by speech synthesis.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to select a second input option associated with an action relating to the character sequence as a response to detection of a third input to the input device,

the control unit is configured to cause an output of an audio segment specific to the action, and

the control unit is configured to initiate an action associated with an inputted character sequence as a response to detection of a fourth input following the third input to the input device.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the action is one of the following:

establish a call to a party represented by the character sequence, clear at least one character from the character sequence, providing audio feedback of the characters currently included in the character sequence, transmit the character sequence, copy the character sequence, store the character sequence, add a special character not available by the input options currently available by the input device, exit from a current input mode.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile communications device and the characters selectable to the character sequence include digits, and

the electronic device is configured to establish a call to a party represented by the character sequence.

9. A method for character input in an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a user input device for navigating though a plurality of available user interface input options and for confirming a selected input option, and being configured to provide audio feedback for the user, the method comprising:

detecting selection of a first input option on the basis of a first input to the input device, the first input option being confirmable as a response to detection of a second input to the input device, the first input option representing a character and the second input being associated with a function adding the character as part of a character sequence entered by the user, defining, as a response to detecting a selection of the character on the basis of the detection of the first input to the input device, an audio segment specific to the character, and

echoing the defined audio segment via the audio output means prior to the confirmation.

10. A method according to claim 9, the method comprising:

selecting a second input option associated with an action relating to the character sequence as a response to detection of a third input to the input device,

echoing an audio segment specific to the action, and

initiating an action associated with an inputted character sequence as a response to detection of a fourth input following the third input to the input device.

11. A method according to claim 10, the wherein the action is one of the following:

establish a call to a party represented by the character sequence, clear at least one character from the character sequence, providing audio feedback of the characters currently included in the character sequence, transmit the character sequence, copy the character sequence, store the character sequence, add a special character not available by the input options currently available by the input device, exit from a current input mode.

12. A computer program product operable on a processor of an electronic device comprising a user input device for navigating though a plurality of available user interface input options and for confirming a selected input option, the computer program product comprising:

computer program code for defining, as a response to detecting a selection of a character on the basis of detection of a first input to the input device, an audio segment specific to the character, and

computer program code for causing output of the defined audio segment via the audio output means prior to a confirmation of the character for adding the character as part of a character sequence, the character being confirmed as a response to detection of a second input to the input device.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12, the computer program product comprising:

computer program code for

selecting a second input option associated with an action relating to the character sequence as a response to detection of a third input to the input device,

computer program code for causing output of an audio segment specific to the action, and

computer program code for initiating an action associated with an inputted character sequence as a response to detection of a fourth input following the third input to the input device.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13, the wherein the action is one of the following:

establish a call to a party represented by the character sequence, clear at least one character from the character sequence, providing audio feedback of the characters currently included in the character sequence, transmit the character sequence, copy the character sequence, store the character sequence, add a special character not available by the input options currently available by the input device, exit from a current input mode.