Japanese text input method using a limited roman character set

• US 6,098,086 A
• Filed: 08/11/1997
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• 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): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, David Yiuk
• Application Number:
  US08/909,182
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168-179, 341/22-28, 707/1-542
• US Class Current: 715/263
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A Japanese character processing system containing a roman character keyboard containing a plurality of keys arranged in one or more rows. A first set of roman character consonants is provided in one row, a second set of roman character consonants is provided in a second row, and a set of roman character vowels is provided in a third row. The processing system converts a valid consonant-vowel combination into a corresponding Japanese character upon the entry of a valid consonant vowel combination and displays the Japanese character on a display device coupled to the processing system.

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 text input device coupled to said processor, said text input device comprising;

a first row of keys, each key of said first row of keys labeled with a roman letter;

a second row of keys, each key of said second row of keys labeled with a roman letter; and

a third row of keys, each key of said third row of keys labeled with a roman letter;

wherein said first, second, and third rows of keys are arranged such that any consonant key is no more than two keys distant in a vertical or horizontal direction from a vowel key.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and third rows of keys each comprise consonant letters.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said second row of keys include the vowel keys, A, I, U, E, and O, and said second row of keys is placed in between said first row of keys and said third row of keys.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further including a fourth row of keys, said fourth row of keys including keys to create the Japanese Ya, Yu, and Yo kana characters, and further including a key to display a selected character as a subscripted character.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein selecting a consonant key followed by a vowel key creates a combined consonant-vowel syllable, and wherein said selecting of said combined consonant-vowel syllable causes said processor to convert said combined consonant-vowel syllable into a corresponding Japanese character, said Japanese character displayed on said display device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said Japanese character is a hiragana character.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said Japanese character is a katakana character.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said text input device comprises an on-screen keyboard displayed on said display device, and said cursor control device is used to select said combined consonant-vowel syllable.

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 5, further including a conversion option button selectable by said cursor control device, selection of said conversion option button causing said processor to convert said Japanese character from a character in a first Japanese character set into a corresponding character in a second Japanese character set.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first Japanese character set comprises a hiragana character set, and wherein the second Japanese character set comprises a kanji character set.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first Japanese character set comprises a katakana character set, and wherein the second Japanese character set comprises a kanji character set.

17. 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 text entry device, said text entry device comprising a plurality of roman character keys arranged in one or more rows;

receiving an input signal from said text entry device, said input signal specifying a roman character to be processed by said processor;

converting a roman consonant-vowel combination into a corresponding Japanese character upon receipt of a valid roman consonant-vowel combination; and

displaying said Japanese character on said display device, wherein said step of providing a text entry device comprises the step of displaying a text entry screen on said display device, said text entry screen containing an on-screen keyboard, said on-screen keyboard containing said plurality of keys arranged in one or more rows, and wherein

a first row of said one or more rows contains a first set of roman character consonants;

a second row of said one or more rows contains a set of roman character vowels; and

a third row of said one or more rows contains a second set of roman character consonants.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising the step of displaying said roman consonant-vowel combination on said display device prior to displaying said Japanese character on said display device.

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

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein a key of said plurality of keys is selected by positioning said selection window over said key and activating an input button coupled to said processor.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein said text entry screen comprises a screen image displayed through an interactive display environment including World-Wide Web content.

22. 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 including World-Wide Web (WWW) content, 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 receiving an input signal from a remote input device;

means for determining based on said input signal a selection of a character on said on-screen keyboard;

means for converting one or more characters selected on said on-screen keyboard to a corresponding Japanese character; and

means for displaying said Japanese character on said display device.

23. A client system according to claim 22, wherein said on-screen keyboard comprises a plurality of keys, said plurality of keys arranged in one or more rows.

24. A client system according to claim 23, wherein said means for controlling a cursor comprises a cursor control unit remotely coupled to said display device, said cursor control unit containing one or more direction controls;

and wherein selecting one of said one or more direction controls causes a selection field to move on said plurality of keys on said on-screen keyboard.

25. A client system according to claim 24, wherein said one or more rows comprises:

a first row containing a first set of roman consonant keys;

a second row containing roman vowel keys; and

a third row containing a second set of roman consonant keys.

26. A client system according to claim 25, wherein said second row is positioned in between said first row and said third row.

27. A client system according to claim 26, wherein said selection field is moved from one key to a vertically or horizontally adjacent key by selecting said one or more direction controls, and said plurality of keys is arranged such that no consonant key is more than two positions distant from a vowel key.

28. A client system according to claim 22, wherein said on-screen keyboard comprises a screen image displayed through an interactive display environment including World-Wide Web content.

29. A client system according to claim 28, wherein said on-screen keyboard is a Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) object.

30. A client system according to claim 29, wherein said display device is a television.

31. A client system according to claim 22, wherein said on-screen keyboard comprises a graphic image stored in a memory accessible by said client system.

32. 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, said program of instructions including instructions for:

providing a text entry device, said text entry device comprising a plurality of roman character keys arranged in an arrangement of rows, said arrangement of rows comprising;

a first row containing a first set of roman consonant keys,

a second row containing roman vowel keys, and

a third row containing a second set of roman consonant keys;

receiving an input signal from said text entry device, said input signal specifying a roman character to be processed by said machine;

converting a roman vowel or consonant-vowel combination into a corresponding Japanese character upon receipt of a valid roman vowel or consonant-vowel combination; and

displaying said Japanese character on said display device.

33. An article of manufacture according to claim 32, 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.