CREATION METHOD FOR CHARACTERS/WORDS AND THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SERVICE METHOD THEREBY

• US 20160320965A1
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neopad Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neopad Inc.
• Inventors: Chung, Heesung
• Granted Patent: US 10,203,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

This invention rotates to a method for entering characters into a small keypad with a limited number of keys or information appliances with a liquid crystal panel such as PDA. The object of the present invention is to provide a character entry method to ensure the efficiency of letter entry, the expandability and adaptability of information services, and the information and communication service method thereby, which substantially obviates problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the multi-tap and single-tap method. The distinctive features of the present invention are representative character keys, a virtual keypad, and virtual key entry method on the virtual keypad mode, in entering multiple characters by means of a keypad with about 12 keys. Moreover, the present invention provides a character entry method ensuring the input efficiency of various characters. The present invention can be utilized as an interface in the mobile info-communication services.

Claims

1. A character input system comprising:

a software keypad including a plurality of multi-tap character keys;

a touch screen configured to display information and the software keypad;

a memory unit configured to store a plurality of characters and representative characters, the representative characters being characters representing a group of characters among the plurality of characters; and

a control unit configured to;

operate a real keypad input mode for inputting a key on the software keypad;

receive a user selection of the key from the plurality of multi-tap character keys on the software keypad in the real keypad input mode;

in response to the user selection of the key, on which one of the representative characters is marked, change the real keypad input mode into a virtual keypad input mode and display, on the touch screen, the one of the representative characters and a group of characters represented by the one of the representative characters;

receive a user selection of an input character from the group of characters represented by the one of the representative characters by using the plurality of multi-tap character keys on the software keypad, in the virtual keypad input mode; and

generate the selected input character on the touch screen.

2. The character input system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of characters include characters, signs or symbols associated with a given language.

3. The character input system according to claim 1, wherein each character from the group of characters represented by the one of the representative characters is positioned at different predetermined locations on the touch screen.

4. The character input system according to claim 1, wherein the software keypad is configured to select each character from the group of characters represented by the one of the representative characters on the touch screen.

5. The character input system according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined locations include a right side, a left side, a top side, and a bottom side of a position where the one of the representative characters is positioned.

6. A character input method using a system comprising a software keypad including a plurality of multi-tap character keys, a touch screen configured to display information and the software keypad, and a memory unit configured to store a plurality of characters and representative characters, the representative characters being characters representing a group of characters among the plurality of characters, the method comprising:

allocating the representative characters and the plurality of characters to the keys on the software keypad;

selecting, by a user, the key from the plurality of multi-tap character keys on the software keypad in a real keypad input mode;

changing the real keypad input mode into a virtual keypad input mode in response to the user selection of the key, on which one of the representative characters is marked;

displaying, on the touch screen, the one of the representative characters and a group of characters represented by the one of the representative characters;

receiving a user selection of an input character from the group of characters represented by the one of the representative characters by using the plurality of multi-tap character keys on the software keypad, in the virtual keypad input mode; and

generating the selected input character on the touch screen.

7. The character input method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of characters include characters, signs or symbols associated with a given language.

8. The character input method according to claim 6, wherein each character from the group of characters represented by the one of the representative characters is positioned at different predetermined locations on the touch screen.

9. The character input method according to claim 6, wherein the software keypad is configured to select each character from the group of characters represented by the one of the representative characters on the touch screen.

10. The character input method according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined locations include a right side, a left side, a top side, and a bottom side of a position where the one of the representative characters is positioned.