Method for forming a character string, an electronic communication device and a charging unit for charging the electronic communication device

• US 6,052,070 A
• Filed: 03/19/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kivela, Seppo, Mort, Risto, Helle, Seppo, Thomas, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US08/820,782
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/22, 341/23, 341/26, 345/157, 345/160, 345/168, 379/368, 379/354
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation

Abstract

A method for forming a character string, an electronic communication device (31) and a charging unit (29) for charging the electronic communication device, wherein the communication device (31) does not comprise at all number/letter keys used for the selection of a phone number. The numbers or letters are selected from a display (39; 41) by means of selecting keys (32-38). The invention can be exploited, for example, in portable mobile phones.

Claims

1. A method for forming a character string in a communication device comprising the steps of:

a) displaying a two-dimensional array of characters;

b) displaying a selecting cursor that simultaneously refers to two characters in said two dimensional array of characters;

c) repeating the steps of;

c1) as a response to a first command, displaying a relative movement of said selecting cursor and said two-dimensional array of characters in a first direction; and

c2) as a response to a second command, displaying a relative movement of said selecting cursor and said two-dimensional array of characters in a second direction opposite to said first direction until the reception of a selection command corresponding to one of two allowed values;

d) depending on which one of the allowed values the selection command corresponded to, indicating one of the characters currently referred to by the selecting cursor as selected, and

e) repeating steps a) and d) until the reception of a character string completion indication.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said two-dimensional array of characters consists of an upper character row and a lower character row;

said selecting cursor refers to a column consisting of one character in said upper character row and an adjacent character in said lower character row;

in step c1, said relative movement corresponds to moving said selecting cursor leftward by one character and

in step c2, said relative movement corresponds to moving said selecting cursor rightward by one character.

3. A method according to claim 2, additionally comprising between steps d) and e) the step of d) displaying a relative movement of said selecting cursor and said two-dimensional array of characters that places said selecting cursor into a central position in relation to said two-dimensional array of characters that places said selecting cursor into a central position in relation to said two-dimensional array of characters.

4. A method according to claim 1, additionally comprising under step c) the substeps of

c3) as a response to a third command, displaying a relative movement of said selecting cursor and said two-dimensional array of characters in a third direction perpendicular to said first and second direction

c4) as a response to a fourth command, displaying a relative movement of said selecting cursor and said two-dimensional array of characters in a fourth direction opposite to said third direction.

5. A method according to claim 2, additionally comprising between steps a) and b) the step of

a'"'"') as a response to a character set change command, replacing the characters displayed in said two-dimensional array of characters with other characters.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein in step d) a character is indicated as selected by displaying a copy of it outside said two-dimensional array of characters.

7. A method for forming a character string in a communication device, comprising the steps of

a) establishing an organized list of allowable characters,

b) displaying an array of character spaces,

c) displaying a selecting cursor at a certain first character space,

d) repeating the steps of

d1) as a response to a first command, replacing the current contents of said first character space with a character, which character is obtained from said list of allowable characters by advancing into a first direction within said list of allowable characters and

d2) as a response to a second command, replacing the current contents of said first character space with a character, which character is obtained from said list of allowable characters by advancing into a second direction within said list of allowable characters, where said second direction is opposite to said first direction,

until the reception of selection command,

e) displaying a selecting cursor at a certain second character space adjacent to said first character space and

f) repeating steps d) and e) until the reception of a character string completion indication.

8. An electronic communication device for making and maintaining telephone connections, comprising

a display,

means for displaying a two-dimensional array of characters in said display,

means for displaying a selecting cursor in said display so that it simultaneously refers to two characters in said two-dimensional array of characters,

first command input means for causing a relative movement of said selecting cursor and said two-dimensional array of characters in a first direction,

second command input means for causing a relative movement of said selecting cursor and said two-dimensional array of characters in a second direction opposite to said first direction and

double-acting selection command input means for giving a selection command having selectively either a first allowed value for indicating a first character referred to by said selecting cursor as selected or a second allowed value for indicating a second character referred to by said selecting cursor as selected.

9. An electronic communication device according to claim 8, wherein said first command input means is a first horizontal arrow key and said second command input means is a second horizontal arrow key.

10. An electronic communication device according to claim 9 wherein said double-acting selection command in input means in a double-ended vertical arrow key.

11. An electronic communication device according to claim 9, wherein said double-acting selection command input means is a set of two adjacent vertical arrow keys in opposite directions.

12. An electronic communication device according to claim 8, additionally comprising a display reset key for resetting said display.

13. An electronic communication device according to claim 8, additionally comprising a character changing key for replacing the characters displayed in said two-dimensional array of characters with other characters.

14. An electronic communication devices according to claim 8, comprising a number of context-dependent softkeys and means for displaying in said display symbols for indicating the current function of said softkeys.

15. An electronic communication device according to claim 8, comprising a user interface unit and a radio communication unit separate from said user interface unit and equipped for establishing and maintaining a short-distance communication connection with it, wherein said display and said command input means are located in said user interface unit.

16. An electronic communication device according to claim 15, wherein said user interface unit comprises a strap for removably attaching it to a part of the body of a human user.