Method and system for efficiently navigating a text entry cursor provided by a mobile device

• US 6,587,132 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Smethers, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muhebbullah, Sajeda
• Application Number:
  US09/611,426
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 345/856, 345/857, 345/858, 345/864, 345/160, 707/531
• US Class Current: 715/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

Improved approaches are disclosed for efficiently navigating a cursor to an edit location within previously entered text so that the text can be edited. These improved approaches enable users to position a cursor within previously entered text more quickly and with greater ease than conventionally possible. These approaches are particularly well suited for small scale mobile devices having reduced size displays and limited keys such as mobile phones (e.g., cellular phones), two-way pagers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), or other two-way mobile communication devices.

Claims

1. A method for navigating through text being displayed on a display of a mobile device, said method comprising:

receiving a cursor navigation input that requests movement of a cursor in a particular direction with respect to the text;

determining whether the cursor is within a word of the text;

advancing the cursor to a next character of the text in the particular direction when said determining determines that the cursor is within a word of the text; and

advancing the cursor to a next word of the text in the particular direction when said determining determines that the cursor is not within a word of the text.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining is influenced by the particular direction of the cursor navigation input.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining determines whether the cursor is within the word based on whether the next character of the text in the particular direction is a word delimiter.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the word delimiter is a space.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone having the display and a keypad, and where the display has a limited size, and the cursor navigation input is provided via the keypad.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein said advancing of the cursor to the next word comprises selecting the next word.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a two-way mobile communication device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of:

personal digital assistant, cellular phone and two-way pager.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile device has a keypad, and where the keypad includes at least a first arrow button and a second arrow button, and

wherein the cursor navigation input results from pressing one of the first arrow button and the second arrow button.

10. A method for navigating a cursor through text displayed on a display of a mobile device, the mobile device having a keypad, said method comprising:

receiving a navigation input via the keypad;

determining whether the navigation input requests movement of the cursor in a forward or backward direction with respect to the text;

when said determining determines that the navigation input requests movement of the cursor in the forward direction,

determining whether a next character in the text in the forward direction from the cursor is a word delimiter;

advancing the cursor one character in the forward direction when said determining determines that the next character in the text in the forward direction from the cursor is not a word delimiter; and

advancing the cursor in the forward direction until just before a next word delimiter or the end of the text, whichever occurs first, when said determining determines that the next character in the text in the forward direction from the cursor is a word delimiter; and

when said determining determines that the navigation input requests movement of the cursor in the backward direction,

determining whether a next character in the text in the backward direction from the cursor is a word delimiter;

advancing the cursor one character in the backward direction when said determining determines that the next character in the text in the backward direction from the cursor is not a word delimiter; and

advancing the cursor in the backward direction until just before a next word delimiter or the beginning of the text, whichever occurs first, when said determining determines that the next character in the text in the backward direction from the cursor is a word delimiter.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the word delimiter is a space.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the keypad includes at least a backward button and a forward button, and

wherein the navigation input is at least one of a left key press and a right key press.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone having the display and the keypad, and where the display has a limited size, and the cursor navigation input is provided via the keypad.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein when advancing the cursor in the backward or forward direction until just before a next word delimiter, a next word is selected and distinguishably displayed on the display.

15. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for navigating a cursor through text displayed on a display of a mobile device, the mobile device having a keypad, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving a navigation input via the keypad, the navigation input requesting movement of the cursor in a particular direction with respect to the text;

computer program code for determining whether a next character in the text in the particular direction from the cursor is a word delimiter;

computer program code for advancing the cursor one character within the text in the particular direction when said computer program code for determining determines that the next character in the text in the particular direction from the cursor is not a word delimiter; and

computer program code for advancing the cursor within the text in the particular direction until just before a subsequent word delimiter when said computer program code for determining determines that the next character in the text in the particular direction from the cursor is a word delimiter.

16. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone having the display and the keypad, and where the display has a limited size, and the cursor navigation input is provided via the keypad.

17. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the word delimiter is a space.

18. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the keypad comprises a left arrow key and a right arrow key, and wherein the navigation input results from at least one of a left arrow key press and a right arrow key press.

19. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the subsequent word delimiter is a next word delimiter.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

a display configured to display text entered by a user;

a keypad to facilitate text entry by the user; and

a processor configured to control operation of said mobile device, said processor being configured to provide assisted navigation through the text being displayed on said display by operating to receive a cursor navigation input that requests movement of a cursor in a particular direction with respect to the text, to determine whether the cursor is within a word of the text, to advance the cursor to a next character of the text in the particular direction when it is determined that the cursor is within a word of the text; and

to advance the cursor to a next word of the text in the particular direction when it is determined that the cursor is not within a word of the text.

21. A mobile device as recited in claim 20, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone.