Method and apparatus for entering text using an input device having a small number of keys

• US 5,543,818 A
• Filed: 06/01/1995
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Sony Transcom Incorporated (Rockwell International Corporation), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Scott, Ed
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US08/457,807
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 345/146, 345/145, 345/156, 345/160, 345/168, 345/169, 345/171, 345/172, 178/18, 178/19, 341/22, 273/148 B
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

A method and apparatus for entering alphanumeric or other text to a computer system using an input device having a small number of keys. The computer system includes a processor programmed to display a character selection menu (including displayed groups of characters), to move a displayed cursor from one group to another in response to actuation of at least one cursor movement key on the input device, and to select a character within a group in response to actuation of one of at least two selection keys on the input device. The invention reduces the maximum number of keystrokes required conventionally to select a character from a character set, and enables character selection from a larger set of displayed characters using no more keystrokes than required conventionally to select the same character from a smaller set. In preferred embodiments, the input device has A cursor movement keys and B selection keys, where each of A and B is a integer less than twelve, and the character selection menu includes C groups of B characters (where C is a positive integer). Preferably, A=B=4, and C=16. The inventive system can be interfaced with a passenger information network, for example to enable a passenger to manipulate a hand-held controller having few keys to enter a mailing address for a product purchased by the passenger.

Claims

1. A method for entering text into a computer system using an input device having keys, including the steps of:

(a) displaying on a display device a character selection menu which includes simultaneously displayed groups of character representations, each of said groups including representations of B characters, where B is a positive integer not less than two and where the characters within each group are arranged in a pattern;

(b) highlighting a selected one of the groups in response to actuation of a first set of the keys; and

(c) selecting a character representation within the selected one of the groups in response to actuation of one of a second set of the keys, where said second set of the keys consists of B of the keys and where said second set of the keys is separate from the display device and is arranged in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the characters within each group.

2. The method of claim 1, also including the step of:

(d) displaying a second character selection menu including displayed groups of character representations, each of said groups including representations of B characters, in response to actuation of a shift key of the input device.

3. The method of claim 2, also including the step of:

(c) displaying a third character selection menu including displayed groups of character representations, in response to another actuation of said shift key of the input device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of the keys has at least one cursor movement key and the second set of the keys includes a set of at least two selection keys, wherein step (b) includes the step of highlighting the selected one of the groups in response to actuation of said at least one cursor movement key, and wherein step (c) includes the step of selecting said character representation within said selected one of the groups in response to actuation of one of the selection keys.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of at least two selection keys consists of four selection keys.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes the step of:

moving a displayed cursor to the selected one of the groups in response to actuation of the first set of the keys.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the character selection menu displays the groups as an array of columns and rows of said groups, and wherein step (b) includes the steps of:

(d) highlighting a first one of the groups in one of the columns and in an uppermost one of the rows in response to actuation of the first set of the keys; and

(e) after step (d), actuating one of the first set of the keys to execute a cursor roll around operation, thereby highlighting a second one of the groups in said one of the columns but in a lowermost one of the rows.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the character selection menu displays the groups as array columns and rows of said groups, and wherein step (b) includes the steps of:

(d) highlighting a first one of the groups in one of the rows and in a leftmost one of the columns in response to actuation of the first set of the keys, and

(e) after step (d), actuating one of the first set of the keys to execute a cursor roll around operation, thereby highlighting a second one of the groups in said one of the rows but in a rightmost one of the columns.

9. A system for entering text into a computer system, including:

a processor;

a display device connected to the processor; and

an input device connected to the processor, said input device including keys, wherein the processor is programmed with software for displaying on the display device a character selection menu including simultaneously displayed groups of character representations, each of said groups including representations of B characters, the characters within each group arranged in a pattern, highlighting a selected one of the groups in response to actuation of a first set of the keys, and selecting a character representation within the selected one of the groups in response to actuation of a one of a second set of the keys, where said second set of the keys consists of B of the keys, where B is a positive integer not less than two, and where said second set of the keys is separate from the display device and is arranged in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the characters within each group.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first set of the keys consists of at least one cursor movement key and the second set of the keys consists of B selection keys, and wherein the processor is programmed with software for highlighting the selected one of the groups in response to actuation of the at least one cursor movement key, and selecting said character representation within said selected one of the groups in response to actuation of one of the selection keys.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein B=4.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first set of the keys consists of four cursor movement keys, and wherein the processor is programmed with software for moving a displayed cursor to the selected one of the groups in response to sequential actuation of the cursor movement keys.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the input device includes a shift key, and wherein the processor is programmed with software for displaying a second character selection menu in response to actuation of the shift key, wherein the second character selection menu includes displayed groups of character representations, each of said groups consisting of representations of B characters.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the character selection menu includes displayed groups of representations of lower case characters, and the second character selection menu includes displayed groups of representations of upper case characters.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is programmed with software for moving a displayed cursor to the selected one of the groups in response to actuation of the first set of the keys.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein B=4.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the input device has less than twelve keys.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor includes means for communicating with a passenger information and entertainment network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor includes means for sending alphanumeric text that has been entered into said computer system to the passenger information and entertainment network.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the text is alphanumeric text.