Rich character set entry from a small numeric keypad

• US 6,016,142 A
• Filed: 02/09/1998
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Shun-Hwa, Withington, Alan Henry, Paiva, Joseph V. R.
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/020,625
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 345/334, 345/339, 345/348, 345/349, 345/352, 345/353, 345/354, 345/146, 345/156, 345/168, 345/171, 345/172, 345/173, 400/485, 400/486, 708/145, 708/131, 708/142, 341/22, 341/23
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items

Abstract

A processor is connected to a display screen to generate a screen display of individual characters in groups together with the selector indication. Such characters typically belong in a language set, e.g., English, Japanese, Greek, etc. The processor receives from the numeric keypad a user selection of a number "1-9" that is associated with a particular one of the individual characters in a group highlighted by the selector indication. An index-and-fetch mechanism, typically implemented as a computer program sub-routine, provides for an indexed fetch of a digital data representation in a font memory of a character indexed according to the number "1-9". The fetched digital data is then available for more general use by a larger computer system, for example in the form of an "ASCII" output character.

Claims

1. A method for generating alphabetical characters in ASCII-text streams from a numerical keypad with keypads representing "0-9", "*", and #, the method comprising the steps of:

representing every constituent character of an alphabet in corresponding spaces in a set of three side-by-side three-by-three matrices on a display screen connected to a microcomputer;

presenting a "move-left", "move-right", and "page" control button on said display screen near said set of three side-by-side three-by-three matrices;

indicating a "selection choice" for said user by highlighting on said display screen only one of said set of three side-by-side three-by-three matrices;

scanning with said microcomputer a four-by-three numerical keypad with individual keypads representing "0-9", "*", and "#" for any user depression of a keypad, wherein said "*" corresponds to said "page" control button, said "0" corresponds to said "move-left" control button, and said "*" corresponds to said "move-right" control button;

if any keypad was detected as being depressed, testing to see if such keypad represents a "move-left" or "move-right" selection choice by said user, and if so, causing said selection choice to correspondingly move left or right to highlight another one of said three side-by-side three-by-three matrices;

if any keypad was detected as being depressed, testing to see if such keypad represents a "page" selection choice by said user, and if so, causing a different alphabet to be displayed in corresponding spaces in a new set of three side-by-side three-by-three matrices on said display screen; and

if any keypad was detected as being depressed, testing to see if such keypad represents a "1-9", and if so, serially outputting from said microcomputer an ASCII-text stream representing a corresponding one of nine alphabet characters displayed in a highlighted one of said three side-by-side three-by-three matrices on said display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of serially outputting includes using an index-and-fetch mechanism, implemented as a computer program sub-routine, which provides for an indexed fetch of a digital data representation in a font memory of a character indexed according to a number "1-9", and sending a fetched digital data to a larger computer system.