APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INPUTTING CHARACTER USING TOUCH SCREEN IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20070229476A1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HUH, Jung-Chul
• Granted Patent: US 8,610,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/26 for modifying the character dimensions, e.g. double width, double height
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and method for inputting characters in a portable terminal. The method for inputting characters in a portable terminal includes the steps of: performing a soft keyboard when in a character input mode; recognizing a character touched on the soft keyboard; displaying the recognized character enlarged and displaying one or more recommended words formed by combining characters which have been touched so far in a predetermined screen area; and inputting the character displayed enlarged to a main screen area upon detecting the release of touch.

Claims

1. A method of inputting characters in a portable terminal, comprising the steps of:

displaying a soft keyboard in a character input mode;

recognizing a character touched on the soft keyboard;

displaying the enlarged recognized character;

displaying one or more recommended words formed by combining characters which have been touched so far in a predetermined screen area; and

inputting the enlarged displayed character to a main screen area upon detecting the release of touch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the character input mode is selected from a group comprising of a message editing mode, an e-mail editing mode, a Web browsing mode, and a messenger mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the soft keyboard is a QWERTY key board.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the release of touch is detected when a user'"'"'s finger or its equivalent is released from the soft keyboard, or when a next touch is detected, or when the touch is maintained over a predetermined length of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recognized character is enlargely displayed near its corresponding key button or in a predetermined portion of the main screen area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when one of the recommended words is selected, inputting the selected recommended word to the main screen area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the character displayed enlarged is input to the main screen area, generating a specific effect selected from a group comprising of a vibration effect, a sound effect, and a graphic effect.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable terminal is a pocket-sized communication terminal.

9. A method of inputting characters in a portable terminal, comprising the steps of:

displaying a soft keyboard in a character input mode;

inputting a character, which has been touched on the soft keyboard, to a main screen area;

predicting a next input character on the basis of characters which have been touched so far; and

displaying the predicted character.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the character input mode is selected from a group comprising of a message editing mode, an e-mail editing mode, a Web browsing mode, and a messenger mode.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the soft keyboard is a QWERTY key board.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the touched character is input to the main screen area at a touch start time or a touch end time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the release of touch is detected when a user'"'"'s finger or its equivalent is released from the soft keyboard, or when a next touch is detected, or when the touch is maintained over a predetermined length of time.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the recognized character is enlargely displayed near its corresponding key button or in a predetermined portion of the main screen area.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising, when the key button is touched, generating a specific effect selected from a group comprising of a vibration effect, a sound effect, and a graphic effect.

16. A method of inputting characters in a portable terminal, comprising the steps of:

displaying a soft keyboard in a character input mode;

selecting one or more characters by dragging on the soft key board; and

inputting the one or more characters to a main screen area upon detecting the release of touch.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

completing a word by combining the characters selected by dragging; and

inputting the word to the main screen area upon detecting the release of touch.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of selecting further comprises:

checking whether a key button is pressed while dragging; and

selecting a character corresponding to the pressed key button.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of selecting further comprises:

checking whether the key button is pressed over a predetermined length of time while dragging; and

selecting a character corresponding to a key button selected during the predetermined length of time.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating a specific effect selected from a group comprising of a vibration effect, a sound effect, and a graphic effect when the characters are input to the main screen area.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the character input mode is selected from a group comprising of a message editing mode, an e-mail editing mode, a Web browsing mode, and a messenger mode.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the soft keyboard is a QWERTY key board.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the portable terminal is a pocket-sized communication terminal.

24. A method of deleting an input of characters in a portable terminal, comprising the steps of:

displaying a soft keyboard in a character input mode;

inputting a characters by touching the soft keyboard;

displaying a character-to-be-deleted enlarged among the input characters when a delete key button is touched; and

deleting the character-to-be-deleted from a main screen area upon detecting the release of touch.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the character input mode is selected from a group comprising of a message editing mode, an e-mail editing mode, a Web browsing mode, and a messenger mode.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the character-to-be-deleted is displayed enlarged near its corresponding key button or in a main screen area.

27. An apparatus for inputting characters in a portable terminal, comprising:

a touch screen, having a soft keyboard displayed thereon, for generating a touch signal upon detecting a touch on the soft keyboard in a character input mode; and

a controller for recognizing, when a key button of the soft keyboard is touched, a character corresponding to the touched key button, displaying the character enlarged, displaying one or more recommended words formed by combining characters which have been touched so far in a predetermined screen area and inputting the enlarged character displayed to a main screen area upon detecting the release of touch.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the character input mode is selected from a group comprising of a message editing mode, an e-mail editing mode, a Web browsing mode, and a messenger mode.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the release of touch is detected when a user'"'"'s finger or its equivalent is released from the soft keyboard, or when a next touch is detected, or when the touch is maintained over a predetermined length of time.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the enlarged recognized character is displayed near its corresponding key button or in a predetermined portion of the main screen area.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the controller inputs the selected recommended word to the main screen area when one of the recommended words is selected.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the portable terminal is a pocket-sized communication terminal.

33. An apparatus for inputting characters in a portable terminal, comprising:

a touch screen, having a soft keyboard displayed thereon, for generating a touch signal upon detecting a touch on the soft keyboard in a character input mode; and

a controller for inputting, when a key button of the soft keyboard is touched, a character corresponding to the touched key button to a main screen area, predicting a next input character on the basis of characters which have been touched so far, and displaying the predicted character.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the character input mode is selected from a group comprising of a message editing mode, an e-mail editing mode, a Web browsing mode, and a messenger mode.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the touched character is input to the main screen area at a touch start time or a touch end time.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the release of touch is detected when a user'"'"'s finger or its equivalent is released from the soft keyboard, or when a next touch is detected, or when the touch is maintained over a predetermined length of time.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the recognized character is enlargely displayed near its corresponding key button or in a predetermined portion of the main screen area.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the portable terminal is a pocket-sized communication terminal.

39. An apparatus for inputting characters in a portable terminal, comprising:

a touch screen, having a soft keyboard displayed thereon, for generating a touch signal upon detecting a touch on the soft keyboard in a character input mode; and

a controller for selecting one or more characters by dragging on the soft keyboard and inputting the selected one or more characters to a main screen area detecting the release of touch.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the character input mode is selected from a group comprising of a message editing mode, an e-mail editing mode, a Web browsing mode, and a messenger mode.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the controller completes a word by combining the characters selected by dragging and inputs the word to the main screen area upon detecting the release of touch.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the portable terminal is a pocket-sized communication terminal.

43. An apparatus for inputting characters in a portable terminal, comprising:

a touch screen, having a soft keyboard displayed thereon, for generating a touch signal upon detecting a touch on the soft keyboard in a character input mode; and

a controller for inputting characters by touching the soft keyboard, displaying a character-to-be-deleted enlarged among the input characters upon touching a delete key button, and deleting the character-to-be-deleted from a main screen area upon detecting the release of touch.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the character input mode is selected from a group comprising of a message editing mode, an e-mail editing mode, a Web browsing mode, and a messenger mode.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the character-to-be-deleted is enlargely displayed near its corresponding key button or in the main screen area.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the portable terminal is a pocket-sized communication terminal.