SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INPUTTING CHARACTERS IN TOUCH-BASED ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20130033444A1
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Se Hwan, Lee, Ji Hoon, Kim, Ji Hoon, Park, Sung Wook
• Granted Patent: US 9,696,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A character input system and method is provided that enables a user to input and edit block characters via a touch-based electronic device, with a limited number of input motions. The character input method includes receiving a first interaction, displaying a first character in response to the first interaction, receiving a second interaction successively after the first interaction, identifying a second character that is formed by combining the first character with a character according to the second interaction, and displaying the second character instead of the first character.

Claims

1. A character input method comprising:

receiving a first interaction;

displaying a first character in response to the first interaction;

receiving a second interaction successively after the first interaction;

identifying a second character that can be formed by combining the first character with a character according to the second interaction; and

displaying the second character by replacing the first character with the second character.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first interaction comprises a touch interaction input to a particular character area on a touch keypad; and

the second interaction comprises at least one of;

a draw interaction created when the first interaction occurs and then drags in a first direction without releasing a touch, a draw-and-backtrack-flick interaction created when the draw interaction drags a distance in a second direction, and moves in a direction opposite to the second direction and then moves back a shorter distance in the opposite direction, and a draw-and-backtrack-drag interaction created when the draw interaction moves a distance in a third direction, and then drags back greater than a preset distance in a direction opposite to the third direction.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

creating, when the draw interaction is input, the second character by combining the first character with a character mapped to the draw interaction; and

replacing the first character with the second character on the display area.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

creating, when the draw-and-backtrack-flick interaction is input, a first combined character by combining the first character with a character mapped to the draw interaction of the draw-and-backtrack-flick interaction, and creating the second character by combining the first combined character with a character mapped to the backtrack-flick interaction of the draw-and-backtrack-flick interaction; and

replacing the first character with the second character on the display area.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

creating, when the draw-and-backtrack-drag interaction is input, a first combined character by combining the first character with a character mapped to the draw interaction of the draw-and-backtrack-drag interaction, creating a second combined character by combining the first character with a character mapped to the backtrack interaction of the draw-and-backtrack-drag interaction, and creating the second character by combining the second combined character with a character mapped to the backtrack-drag interaction of the draw-and-backtrack-drag interaction; and

replacing the first character with the second character on the display area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an interaction to correct the second character corresponding to the second interaction;

identifying a third character that is formed by combining the second character with a character corresponding to the correction interaction; and

replacing the second character with the third character on the display area.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

restoring, when an additional correction interaction is created, the third character to the second character and displaying the second character on the display area in place of the third character.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, when an additional correction interaction is created, whether an input according to the additional correction interaction is performed within a preset time period.

9. A touch-based electronic device comprising:

a touch screen for displaying a touch input area and a display area, wherein the touch input area receives touches for characters and the display area displays the input characters; and

a controller for displaying, when a first interaction is input to a particular character area in the touch input area, a first character, allocated to the character area, on the display area, creating, when a second interaction occurs successively after the first interaction, a second character that is formed by combining the first character with a character according to the second interaction, replacing the first character with the second character, and displaying the second character on the display area.

10. The touch device of claim 9, wherein:

the first interaction comprises a touch interaction input to the particular character area on a touch keypad; and

the second interaction comprises at least one of;

a draw interaction created when the first interaction occurs and then drags in a first direction without releasing a touch, a draw-and-backtrack-flick interaction created when the draw interaction drags a distance in a second direction, and moves in a direction opposite to the second direction and then moves back a shorter distance in a direction opposite to the second direction, and a draw-and-backtrack-drag interaction created when the draw interaction moves a distance in a third direction, and then drags back greater than a preset distance in a direction opposite to the third direction.

11. The touch device of claim 10, wherein the controller performs the following:

creating, when the draw interaction occurs successively after the touch interaction, a third character by combining the first character with a character mapped to the draw interaction, and replacing the first character with the third character on the display area;

creating, when a backtrack-flick interaction occurs successively after the draw interaction, a fourth character by combining the third character with a character mapped to the backtrack-flick interaction of the draw-and-backtrack-flick interaction, and replacing the third character with the fourth character on the display area; and

creating, when a backtrack-drag interaction occurs successively after the draw interaction, a fifth character by combining the fourth character with a character mapped to the backtrack-drag interaction of the draw-and-backtrack-drag interaction, and replacing the fourth character with the fifth character on the display area.

12. The touch device of claim 10, wherein the controller receives an interaction to correct the second character corresponding to the second interaction, identifies a character that is formed by combining the second character with a character corresponding to the correction interaction, replaces the second character with the combined character, and displays the combined character on the display area.