CHARACTER INPUT DEVICE AND CHARACTER INPUT METHOD

• US 20110163962A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: IDA, Tomotaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,302,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42214 using alphanumerical characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42216 for quick navigation, e.g. through an EPG

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a character input device is configured as follows. Based on a key operation on a remote controller, any of alphabetic characters displayed on a screen is selected and input. A plurality of graphemes present for the alphabetic character selected based on the key operation on the remote controller are displayed on the screen. Any of the plurality of graphemes displayed on the screen is selected and input.

Claims

1. A character input device comprising:

an input module configured to display a plurality of alphabetic characters on a screen and to select and input any of the plurality of alphabetic characters displayed on the screen, based on a key operation on a remote controller; and

a controller configured to display, on the screen, a plurality of graphemes associated with the selected alphabetic character, and to select and input any of the plurality of graphemes displayed on the screen, based on a key operation on the remote controller.

2. The character input device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display, on the screen, a plurality of graphemes, the plurality of graphemes being associated with the alphabetic character input by the input module, and to select and input any of the plurality of graphemes displayed on the screen, based on a key operation on the remote controller.

3. The character input device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to sequentially and selectively display a plurality of graphemes for the alphabetic character selected by the input module, on the screen when a first key on the remote controller is operated, and to input the grapheme displayed on the screen when a second key on the remote controller is operated.

4. The character input device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display a plurality of graphemes for the selected alphabetic character on the screen in a list based on operation of the first key on the remote controller and to select and input any of the plurality of graphemes displayed on the screen in the list, based on a key operation on the remote controller.

5. The character input device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to disregard an operation of the first key on the remote controller if the selected alphabetic character has no grapheme.

6. The character input device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to remove an operation guide for the first key on the remote controller from the screen if the selected alphabetic character has no grapheme.

7. The character input device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured such that if the selected alphabetic character has no grapheme, the control section displays, on the screen, a warning indicating that the alphabetic character has no grapheme.

8. The character input device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured such that if the alphabetic character selected by the input section has no grapheme, the control section displays only the character in the list.

9. A character input method comprising:

based on a key operation on a remote controller, displaying a plurality of alphabetic characters on a screen and selecting and inputting any of the plurality of alphabetic characters displayed on the screen; and

based on a key operation on the remote controller, displaying a plurality of graphemes associated with the selected alphabetic character on the screen, and selecting and inputting any of the plurality of graphemes displayed on the screen.