Device and method for previewing themes and categories of sequenced symbols

• US 20090150828A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prentke Romich Company
• Original Assignee: Semantic Compaction Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Baker, Bruce R., Hershberger, Dave H., McGrath, Thomas J. III, Dillon, Rob, Conti, Robert V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A computer device, such as a mobile phone or PDA for example, is able to output a message based upon selection of a corresponding sequence of symbol. Such symbols can be polysemous in nature and thus be associated with a plurality of different meanings depending upon other symbols sequenced therewith. By utilizing polysemous symbols, a relatively large number of sequences can be developed and associated with stored messages in the computer device. To aid a user in accessing a desired sequence or to aid in training the learning of stored sequences, for example, a category relating to at least two symbol sequences is fed back to the user upon pre-selecting a symbol; a theme relating to at least two symbol sequences is fed back to the user upon selecting a symbol and pre-selecting a next symbol; and/or a message associated with a sequence is fed back to the user upon selecting and/or pre-selecting at least one symbol completing a symbol sequence.

Claims

1. In a system for providing at least one of a message, command, and program in response to a selection of an associated symbol sequence, a method comprising:

receiving an indication of selection by a user of the system, of one of a plurality of displayed symbols;

receiving an indication of at least one of pre-selection and further selection by a user of the system, of one of the plurality of displayed symbols corresponding to a next symbol in at least two symbol sequences including the selected symbol and the at least one of pre-selected and further selected symbol, at least one of the selected, pre-selected and further selected symbols being polysemous; and

providing, in response to receiving the indication of at least one of pre-selection and further selection by a user of the system, feedback to the user corresponding to a category to which the at least two symbol sequences belong.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the selected and at least one of pre-selected and further selected symbols are polysemous.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback includes at least one of audible and visual feedback.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback includes display of the category in a display of the system, relating at least two messages, commands or programs respectively stored in association with the at least two symbol sequences.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein valid symbols for selection and pre-selection are differentiated from invalid symbols.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the category is displayed in a designated display area of a display of the system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of feedback includes displaying information not previously displayed, to the user via a display of the system, regarding the category.

8. In a system for providing at least one of a message, command and program in response to a selection of an associated symbol sequence, a method comprising:

receiving an indication of at least one of pre-selection and selection, by a user of the system, of a first symbol of at least two symbol sequences, from a plurality of displayed symbols; and

providing, in response to receiving the indication of at least one of pre-selection and selection of the first symbol by a user of the system, feedback to the user corresponding to a category to which the at least two symbol sequences belong, the first symbol being polysemous.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least two of the symbols of the two symbol sequences are polysemous.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the feedback includes at least one of audible and visual feedback.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the feedback includes display of the category on a display of the system, stored in association with the at least two symbol sequences.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein valid symbols for at least one of selection and pre-selection are differentiated from invalid symbols.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the category is displayed on a display of the system in a designated display area.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing of feedback includes displaying information not previously displayed, to the user via a display of the system, regarding the category.

15. A device for providing at least one of a message, command and program in response to a selection of an associated symbol sequence, comprising:

an input device, to permit selection by a user of the device, of a symbol from a plurality of displayed symbols, and to permit at least one of further selection and pre-selection by a user of the device, of a symbol from the plurality of displayed symbols, corresponding to a next symbol in at least two symbol sequences including a selected symbol and at least one of a further selected and pre-selected symbol; and

a feedback device to provide, in response to selection and at least one of pre-selection and further selection by a user of the system, feedback to the user corresponding to a category to which the at least two symbol sequences belong, at least one of the selected, pre-selected and further selected symbols being polysemous.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the feedback device includes a display.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the feedback device includes a device for providing at least one of audible and visual feedback.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the display displays the category, relating at least two messages, commands or programs respectively stored in association with the at least two symbol sequences.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the input device and feedback device are part of an integrated input and display.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the input device includes a touch panel display.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein valid symbols for selection and pre-selection are differentiated from invalid symbols on the input device.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the category is displayed in a designated display area of the display.

23. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a personal digital assistant.

24. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a mobile phone.

25. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a speech processing device.

26. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a remote control device.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the device is a remote control device for remotely controlling an electronic device.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the device is a remote control device for controlling, at least in part, a television.

29. The device of claim 15, wherein the input device is further useable to permit selection by a user, subsequent to selection of a second symbol, of a third symbol of a symbol sequence sequentially including the first, second and third selected symbols and wherein the feedback device is further useable to provide feedback corresponding to at least one of a message, program and command stored in association with the symbol sequence sequentially including the first, second and third symbol.

30. The device of claim 15, wherein at least two of the symbols are polysemous.

31. The device of claim 16, wherein the providing of feedback includes displaying information not previously displayed, to the user via the display, regarding the category.

32. A device for providing at least one of a message, command and program in response to a selection of an associated symbol sequence, comprising:

an input device, to permit at least one of pre-selection and selection, by a user of the system, of a first symbol of at least two symbol sequences, from a plurality of displayed symbols; and

a feedback device to provide, in response to at least one of pre-selection and selection of the first symbol by a user of the system, feedback to the user corresponding to a category to which the at least two symbol sequences belong, the at least one of selected and pre-selected symbols being polysemous.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the feedback device includes a display.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein the feedback device includes a device for providing at least one of audible and visual feedback.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein the display displays the category, relating at least two messages, commands or programs respectively stored in association with the at least two symbol sequences.

36. The device of claim 32, wherein the input device and feedback device are part of an integrated input and display.

37. The device of claim 32, wherein the input device includes a touch panel display.

38. The device of claim 32, wherein valid symbols for selection and pre-selection are differentiated from invalid symbols on the input device.

39. The device of claim 33, wherein the category is displayed in a designated display area of the display.

40. The device of claim 32, wherein the device is a personal digital assistant.

41. The device of claim 32, wherein the device is a mobile phone.

42. The device of claim 32, wherein the device is a speech processing device.

43. The device of claim 32, wherein the device is a remote control device.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein the device is a remote control device for remotely controlling an electronic device.

45. The device of claim 43, wherein the device is a remote control device for controlling, at least in part, a television.

46. The device of claim 32, wherein the input device is further useable to permit selection by a user, subsequent to selection of a first symbol, of a second symbol of a symbol sequence sequentially including the first and second selected symbols and wherein the feedback device is further useable to provide feedback corresponding to at least one of a message, program and command stored in association with the symbol sequence sequentially including the first and second symbol.

47. The device of claim 33, wherein the providing of feedback includes displaying information not previously displayed, to the user via the display, regarding the category.