METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING TEXT IN TERMINAL

• US 20120218272A1
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KOH, Myung Geun, MIN, Yi Kyu, LEE, Kyung Goo, SON, Byoung Il
• Application Number:
  US13/188,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218272A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/467
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for generating a text in a terminal are provided. The method includes displaying a soft key pad comprising soft keys on a text generating screen while in a text generating mode, the soft keys being elliptically arranged in a ring arrangement on the soft key pad, and generating a text comprising a character allotted to a soft key through a drag when the drag is determined to pass through the soft key. As the soft keys are elliptically arranged in the terminal, a terminal user may continuously and easily select soft keys to which desired characters are allotted.

Claims

1. A method for generating a text in a terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a soft key pad comprising soft keys on a text generating screen while in a text generating mode, the soft keys being elliptically arranged in a ring arrangement on the soft key pad; and

generating a text comprising a character allotted to a soft key through a dragging motion when a drag path of the dragging motion is determined to pass through the soft key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the soft key pad comprises separating and arranging soft keys into at least two rings in a form of concentric circles.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the soft key pad comprises spacing the soft keys apart from each other to provide a passing area of the drag path between the soft keys.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the text comprises generating the text comprising a character allotted to a selected soft key when a touch for selecting the soft key is detected from the soft key pad.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the text comprises generating a word comprising characters allotted to soft keys passed through on the drag path when a drop of the dragging motion occurs on the text generating screen;

and

repeating the generating of another text when another dragging motion occurs on the soft key pad.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the text comprises executing an additional function set corresponding to a moving direction of the drag path when the dragging motion moves in a center area of the soft key pad in a predetermined direction, wherein the additional function set comprises a spacing function, a backspace function, and a function for converting types of characters allotted to the soft keys.

7. An apparatus for generating a text in a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying a soft key pad comprising soft keys on a text generating screen while in a text generating mode, the soft keys being elliptically arranged in a ring arrangement on the soft key pad;

a touch panel for detecting a drag passing through at least one of the soft keys; and

a controller for generating a text comprising a character allotted to a soft key passed through by a drag.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display unit separates and arranges the soft keys into at least two rings in a form of concentric circles under control of the controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display unit spaces the soft keys apart from each other to provide a passing area for the drag between the soft keys.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller generates the text comprising a character allotted to a selected soft key when a touch for selecting the soft key is detected from the soft key pad.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller creates a word comprising characters allotted to soft keys passed through by the drag when a drop of the drag occurs on the text generating screen.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller executes an additional function set corresponding to a moving direction of the drag when the drag moves in a center area of the soft key pad in a predetermined direction, wherein the additional function set comprises a spacing function, a backspace function, and a function for converting types of characters allotted to the soft keys.