Japanese text input method using a keyboard with only base kana characters

• US 5,999,950 A
• Filed: 08/11/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Neeson, Kevin Daniel, Krueger, Mark Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, David Yiuk
• Application Number:
  US08/909,178
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-542
• US Class Current: 715/263
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/246 of ideographic or arabic-like characters

Abstract

A Japanese character processing system containing an on-screen keyboard which includes an array of base Japanese kana characters of a first kana character set. The first selection of a character key causes the display of the character in base kana form. A second consecutive selection of the same key causes the display of the character in a first variant form. Subsequent consecutive selections of the character cause the display of the character in further variant forms. Variant forms may include voiced, aspirated, or subscripted versions of the base character. A further variant form may include the display of the character in an alternate kana character set.

Claims

1. An apparatus for entering Japanese text comprising:

a processor;

a display device coupled to said processor;

a cursor control device coupled to said processor;

a keyboard coupled to said processor, said keyboard containing Japanese kana character keys representing base kana characters of a kana character set, a subset of said Japanese base kana characters capable of being displayed in one or more variations, said keyboard configured such that

a first selection of a character key of said Japanese kana character keys causes the display on said display device of a base kana character corresponding to said character key, and

a subsequent consecutive selection of said character key causes the display on said display device of a variant form of said base kana character.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said variant form of said base kana character may include one of the following variations of said base character:

a voiced form, an aspirated form, or a subscripted form.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said voiced form is represented by said base kana character displayed with a Japanese nigori mark;

and said aspirated form is represented by said base kana character displayed with a Japanese maru mark.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said variant form of said base kana character includes representation of said base kana character in an alternate kana character set.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said kana character set is the hiragana character set, and said alternate kana character set is the katakana character set.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said kana character set is the katakana character set, and said alternate kana character set is the hiragana character set.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein selection of a base kana character in said alternate kana character set causes a first selection of the next character selected from said kana character set to be displayed in said alternate character set form.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said keyboard is an on-screen keyboard displayed on said display device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said cursor control device is a remote control device remotely coupled to said processor, said remote control device containing direction keys for the control of said cursor on said on-screen keyboard.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said on-screen keyboard comprises a screen image displayed through an interactive display environment including World-Wide Web content.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said on-screen keyboard is a Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) object.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said display device is a television.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said on-screen keyboard comprises a graphic image stored in a memory coupled to said processor.

14. The apparatus of claim 4, further including a conversion button selectable by said cursor control device, selection of said conversion button causing said processor to convert said Japanese character from a character in said kana character set into a corresponding Japanese kanji character.

15. A method of displaying Japanese characters on a display device, said display device coupled to a processor, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a keyboard, said keyboard containing Japanese kana character keys representing base kana characters of a kana character set, a subset of said Japanese base kana characters capable of being displayed in one or more variations, said keyboard configured such that

a first selection of a character key of said Japanese kana character keys causes the display on said display device of a base kana character corresponding to said character key, and

a subsequent consecutive selection of said character key causes the display on said display device of a variation of said base kana character;

receiving an input signal from said keyboard, said input signal specifying a Japanese kana character to be displayed; and

displaying said Japanese kana character on said display device.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said step of providing a keyboard comprises the step of displaying a text entry screen on said display device, said text entry screen containing an on-screen keyboard representing said keyboard.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of providing a cursor control device, said cursor control device being a remotely controlled device containing direction keys for the control of said cursor on said on-screen keyboard, and said input signal is produced by selection of one of said one or more direction controls by a user, said input signal causing the movement of a selection window on said on-screen keyboard, said selection window indicating a kana character which is to be entered.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein a character of said plurality of characters is selected by positioning said selection window over said character and activating an input button on said cursor control device.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein said text entry screen comprises a screen image displayed through an interactive display environment including World-Wide Web content.

20. In a client system in communication with at least one remote server system, an apparatus for displaying Japanese characters on a display device through an interactive display environment, the apparatus comprising:

means for displaying a text entry screen on said display device, said text entry screen containing an on-screen keyboard;

means for controlling a cursor on said text entry screen;

means for determining a first selection of a character on said on-screen keyboard, said first selection causing the display of said character in a base kana form;

means for determining a subsequent consecutive selection of said character on said on-screen keyboard, said subsequent consecutive selection causing the display of said character in a variant form of said base kana form; and

means for displaying said selected Japanese character on said display device.

21. A client system according to claim 20, wherein said on-screen keyboard contains Japanese kana character keys representing base kana characters of a kana character set, a subset of said Japanese base kana characters capable of being displayed in said variant form.

22. A client system according to claim 21, wherein said means for controlling a cursor control comprises a cursor control unit remotely coupled to said display device, said cursor control unit containing one or more direction controls, and wherein selection of one of said one or more direction controls causes a selection field to move on said keys of said on-screen keyboard.

23. A client system according to claim 22, wherein said variant form of said base kana character may include one of the following variations of said base character:

a voiced form, an aspirated form, or a subscripted form.

24. A client system according to claim 23, wherein said variant form of said base kana character includes representation of said base kana character in an alternate kana character set.

25. A client system according to claim 24, wherein said on-screen keyboard comprises a screen image displayed through an interactive display environment including World-Wide Web content.

26. A client system according to claim 25, wherein said on-screen keyboard is a Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) object.

27. A client system according to claim 26, wherein said display device is a television.

28. A client according to claim 24 wherein said on-screen keyboard comprises a graphic image stored in a memory coupled to said processor.

29. An article of manufacture embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to display Japanese characters on a display device coupled to said machine, the program of instructions including instructions for:

providing an on-screen keyboard, said keyboard containing Japanese kana character keys representing base kana characters of a kana character set, a subset of said Japanese base kana characters capable of being displayed in one or more variations, said keyboard configured such that

a first selection of a character key of said Japanese kana character keys causes the display on said display device of a base kana character corresponding to said character key, and

a subsequent consecutive selection of said character key causes the display on said display device of a variation of said base kana character;

receiving an input signal from said keyboard, said input signal specifying a Japanese kana character to be displayed; and

displaying said Japanese kana character on said display device.

30. An article of manufacture according to claim 29, wherein said program of instructions further includes instructions for receiving one or more direction controls, said direction controls produced by a cursor control device remotely coupled to said display device, and said direction controls causing the movement of a selection window on said on-screen keyboard.