Method and Handheld Electronic Device for Displaying and Selecting Diacritics

• US 20160077602A1
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Nanda Gilani, Parul, Griffin, Jason Tyler, Langlois, Michael George, Lee, John Jong-Suk, Mujkic, Alen, Bocking, Andrew Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 10,146,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

A handheld electronic device includes a keypad having a plurality of keys and a selection member; a display component; and a processor cooperating with the keypad and the display component to provide a display at the display component. The display includes a first representation of a plurality of the keys, and at least one of: (a) a second representation of an activated one of the input members, (b) a third representation including a plurality of diacritics disposed about an activated one of the input members, and (c) a fourth representation including a plurality of diacritics disposed about an activated one of the input members, and a direction of selection between the activated one of the input members and one of the diacritics. The processor cooperates with the selection member to adjust the direction of selection, and select one of the diacritics for display by the display component.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device comprising:

an input component comprising a plurality of input members and a selection member;

a display component; and

a processor structured to cooperate with said input component and said display component to display at said display component;

a first representation of a plurality of said plurality of input members, and

at least one of;

(a) a second representation of an activated one of said plurality of input members, (b) a third representation including a plurality of diacritics disposed about an activated one of said plurality of input members, and (c) a fourth representation including a plurality of diacritics disposed about an activated one of said plurality of input members, and a direction of selection between the activated one of said plurality of input members and one of said plurality of diacritics,

wherein said processor is further structured to cooperate with said selection member to adjust said direction of selection, and to select one of said plurality of diacritics for display by said display component.

2. The held electronic device of claim 11 wherein said third representation is a selection window displayed on said display component.

3. The handheld electronic device of claim 2 wherein said selection window has a circular shape.

4. The handheld electronic device of claim 2 wherein said selection window includes a representation of a portion of a keypad or touchpad as said first representation, and also includes said second representation and said fourth representation.

5. The handheld electronic device of claim 4 wherein said fourth representation is a direction of selection or spatial reference corresponding to the selected one of said plurality of diacritics.

6. The handheld electronic device of claim 2 wherein said selection window is a circular selection window having a center and a circular edge;

wherein said second representation is disposed at about the center of said circular selection window;

wherein each of said plurality of diacritics is disposed at a different position proximate the circular edge of said circular selection window; and

wherein said fourth representation is disposed between the center of said circular selection window and said selected one of said plurality of diacritics.

7. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein a member of said plurality of diacritics are accented characters.

8. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein in addition to said plurality of diacritics, said display component displays a number of marks, each of said number of marks having a logical connection to a character represented by said second representation.

9. The handheld electronic device of claim 8 wherein said number of marks are selected from the group consisting of:

$, ®

, ©

, , &

, and @.

10. The handheld electronic device of claim 8 wherein said number of marks are selected from the group consisting of a currency mark, and a punctuation mark.

11. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein said display component includes a selection window having a representation of a portion of a keypad or touchpad, a designation of a selected character, and a direction of selection corresponding to the directionality of the selected one of said plurality of diacritics.

12. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein the selected one of said plurality of diacritics is selected from the group consisting of a first character having an upper acute accent placed above and to the right of the second representation, a second character having an upper grave accent placed above and to the left of the second representation, and a third character having an upper circumflex or hacek placed above the second representation.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein the selected one of said plurality of diacritics does not have a logical placement corresponding to a selected character represented by said second representation of the activated one of said plurality of input members.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 13 wherein said selected one of said plurality of diacritics is a character including an upper tilde, umlaut, dieresis, or diaeresis.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 13 wherein said selected one of said plurality of diacritics is ©

.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein the selected one of said plurality of diacritics is selected from the group consisting of a first character having a forward slash placed below and to the left of the second representation, a second character having an upper diacritic placed above the second representation, and a third character having a lower diacritic placed below the second representation.

17. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein said input component is a full keypad;

wherein said plurality of input members are a plurality of keys of said keypad; and

wherein said selection member is a track ball.

18. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein said input component is a full keypad;

and wherein said second representation of an activated one of said plurality of input members includes one character.

19. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein said input component is a reduced keypad;

and wherein said second representation of an activated one of said plurality of input members includes a number of characters.

20. A method of selecting diacritics for a handheld electronic device including an input component having a plurality of input members and a selection member, a display component, and a processor cooperating with said input component and said display component, said method comprising:

displaying a first representation of a plurality of said plurality of input members;

displaying at least one of;

(a) a second representation of an activated one of said plurality of input members, (b) a third representation including a plurality of diacritics disposed about an activated one of said plurality of input members, and (c) a fourth representation including a plurality of diacritics disposed about an activated one of said plurality of input members, and a direction of selection between the activated one of said plurality of input members and one of said plurality diacritics;

adjusting said direction of selection;

selecting one of said plurality of diacritics; and

displaying the selected one of said plurality of diacritics.