METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INPUTTING CHARACTERS IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

• US 20080284744A1
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Won Joo, Kim, Yu Ran, Park, Mi Jung
• Granted Patent: US 9,176,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus which efficiently inputs characters through a touch screen in a mobile communication terminal is provided. The method, for inputting characters through a touch screen in a mobile communication terminal, includes displaying a virtual keyboard including a plurality of keyboard keys on the touch screen in response to a character input request, inputting an input signal through the touch screen; and inputting a corresponding character, if the input signal is a click signal. If the input signal is a drag signal, the virtual keyboard is moved. Therefore, the character input method and apparatus display a virtual keyboard that is greater than the touch screen and thus reduce the user character input errors.

Claims

1. A method for inputting characters through a touch screen in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a keyboard including a plurality of keys on the touch screen in response to a character input request;

detecting an input signal received through the touch screen;

inputting a corresponding character if the detected input signal is a click signal; and

moving the keyboard if the detected input signal is a drag signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the keyboard comprises displaying a part of the keyboard on the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the keyboard comprises blank areas which are spaces between the keys.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the keys of the keyboard are displayed having the same size on the touch screen.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the keyboard comprises a QWERTY keyboard.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyboard is displayed having a cylindrical shape and the keys are displayed having different sizes depending on their location on the touch screen.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the keys located near the center of the touch screen are more prominently displayed than the keys located at either side of the touch screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying of the keyboard comprises displaying the entire keyboard on the touch screen.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying of the keyboard comprises displaying a part of the keyboard on the touch screen.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the keyboard comprises a QWERTY keyboard.

11. An apparatus for inputting characters in a mobile communication terminal having a touch screen, comprising:

a key input determining unit for detecting an input signal through the touch screen and for determining whether the input signal is a character input signal for inputting characters or a keyboard movement signal for moving a keyboard; and

a keyboard processing unit for displaying the keyboard on the touch screen in response to a character input request, and for inputting characters or moving the keyboard according to the determination of the key input determining unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the key input determining unit determines that the input signal is the keyboard movement signal if the input signal is a drag signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the keyboard comprises:

a plurality of keyboard keys; and

blank areas filling with the spaces between the keys.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the keyboard processing unit generates the keyboard to have a greater size than the touch screen and displays part of the keyboard on the touch screen.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the keyboard processing unit displays the entire keyboard on the touch screen and the keys are displayed in various sizes according to their location on the touch screen.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the keyboard is displayed having a cylindrical shape.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the keys are displayed in such a way that the keys located at the center of the touch screen are more prominently displayed.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the keyboard comprises a QWERTY keyboard.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the keyboard is displayed three-dimensionally on the touch screen.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the keys are displayed in such a way that the keys located at the center of the touch screen are magnified.