METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING CHARACTER INPUT INTERFACE

• US 20120313858A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Ji Hoon, PARK, Sung Wook, Park, Se Hwan, Lee, Ji Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 an apparatus for providing a character input interface are provided. The method for providing a character input interface in a terminal having a touchscreen, includes simultaneously displaying a first keyboard on a first region and a second keyboard including second keyboard language selection keys on a second region by the touchscreen in a character inputting mode; and changing a language of the second keyboard to a language corresponding to a second touched keyboard language selection key touched while maintaining a language of the first keyboard when input touching the second keyboard language key is received.

Claims

1. A method for providing a character input interface in a terminal having a touchscreen, the method comprising:

simultaneously displaying a first keyboard on a first region of a screen and a second keyboard including second keyboard language selection keys on a second region of the screen by the touchscreen in a character inputting mode; and

changing a language of the second keyboard to a language corresponding to a second touched keyboard language selection key touched while maintaining a language of the first keyboard when an input is received by touching the second keyboard language key.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching the positions of the first keyboard and the second keyboard with each other when a drag input from a preset position in the first keyboard to a preset position in the second keyboard is detected.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the preset position in the first keyboard is a position of a language selection key of the first keyboard, and the preset position in the second keyboard is a position of a language selection key of the second keyboard.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a boundary region between the first region and the second region; and

terminating display of the first keyboard and enlarging and displaying the second keyboard on a region including the first region, the second region, and the boundary region when drag input from a preset position of the boundary region to the first region is detected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein simultaneously displaying a first keyboard and a second keyboard by the touchscreen comprises:

displaying the first keyboard including the first keyboard language selection keys;

displaying the second keyboard including the second keyboard language selection keys; and

switching positions of the first keyboard language selection key and the second keyboard language selection key with each other, and controlling selection of a language of the second keyboard through the first keyboard language selection key and selection of a language of the first keyboard through the second keyboard language selection key when drag input from the first keyboard language selection key to the second keyboard language selection key is detected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein simultaneously displaying a first keyboard and a second keyboard by the touchscreen comprises:

displaying the first keyboard including first keyboard language selection keys corresponding to a first language;

displaying the second keyboard including second keyboard language selection keys corresponding to a second language; and

displaying a language selection interface of the second keyboard including language selection items corresponding to the first language and the second language when drag input from the first keyboard language selection key to the second keyboard language selection key is detected and then selection of the second keyboard language selection key is detected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first keyboard is a main language input keyboard, and the second keyboard is an assistant language input keyboard.

8. A terminal for providing a character input interface through a touchscreen including a touch sensor and a display unit, the terminal comprising:

the touchscreen simultaneously displaying a first keyboard on a first region and a second keyboard including second keyboard language selection keys on a second region by the touchscreen in a character inputting mode; and

a controller controlling the touchscreen to change a language of the second keyboard to a language corresponding to a second touched keyboard language selection key touched while maintaining a language of the first keyboard when input touching the second keyboard language key is received by the touchscreen.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the touchscreen switches positions of the first keyboard and the second keyboard to each other when a drag input from a preset position in the first keyboard to a preset position in the second keyboard is detected.

10. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the preset position in the first keyboard is a position of a language selection key of the first keyboard, and the preset position in the second keyboard is a position of a language selection key of the second keyboard.

11. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the touchscreen further displays a boundary region between the first region and the second region;

and

the touchscreen terminates display of the first keyboard, and enlarges and displays the second keyboard on a region including the first region, the second region, and the boundary region when drag input from a preset position of the boundary region to the first region is detected.

12. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the first keyboard comprises first keyboard language selection keys;

and

the touchscreen switches positions of the first keyboard language selection key and the second keyboard language selection key to each other, and controls selection of a language of the second keyboard through the first keyboard language selection key and selection of a language of the first keyboard through the second keyboard language selection key when drag input from the first keyboard language selection key to the second keyboard language selection key is detected.

13. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the first keyboard includes first keyboard language selection keys corresponding to a first language, and the second keyboard including second keyboard language selection keys corresponding to a second language;

and

the touchscreen displays a language selection interface of the second keyboard including language selection items corresponding to the first language and the second language when drag input from the first keyboard language selection key to the second keyboard language selection key is detected and then selection of the second keyboard language selection key is detected.

14. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the first keyboard is a main language input keyboard, and the second keyboard is an assistant language input keyboard.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for providing a character input interface in a terminal having a touchscreen, the method comprising:

simultaneously displaying a first keyboard on a first region of a screen and a second keyboard including second keyboard language selection keys on a second region of the screen by the touchscreen in a character inputting mode; and

changing a language of the second keyboard to a language corresponding to a second touched keyboard language selection key touched while maintaining a language of the first keyboard when an input is received by touching the second keyboard language key.