Method and means for editing input text

• US 6,760,012 B1
• Filed: 12/27/1999
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Laurila, Kari A
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M.
• Application Number:
  US09/472,864
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 345/169, 345/170, 345/810, 710/67, 434/323, 705/30, 382/311
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items

Abstract

A string of symbols of a defined length from input text is arranged onto a display in a constellation, which corresponds to the configuration of the keys on a device'"'"'s keyboard. In order to edit the string displayed in the constellation, the symbol of the string to be corrected at any one time is selected by pressing once the key that corresponds to it according to locational correspondence between the constellation and the configuration of the keys on the keyboard. The selected symbol may also be replaced. In addition, with each new use of the key the symbol is replaced with one other symbol and in this way the desired symbol is selected with sequential presses of the key.

Claims

1. A method to edit input text by using an input device, which has a keyboard to input text and a display unit to display the input text, in which method

no more than a first amount of symbols from the input text, grouped in a defined first configuration is displayed on the display, wherein

said first amount of keys of the keyboard are grouped into editing keys in a defined second configuration;

a singular locational correspondence is formed between the symbols arranged into said first configuration and the locations of the editing keys grouped into said second configuration, where each editing key corresponds to one location of a grouped symbol; and

as a response to the use of an editing key, the location of a grouped symbol corresponding to the editing key is selected as an editing position, wherein

said input device is a button telephone and the keyboard is the number keyboard of a telephone.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said first configuration is a first matrix comprising X columns and Y rows;

said second configuration comprising X columns and Y rows is a second matrix corresponding the first matrix; and

said defined correspondence is defined by selecting from the first configuration the symbol that is on the same row and in the same column as the editing key in the second configuration.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

as a response to the use of an editing key the symbol in the editing position is additionally replaced with a correcting symbol, which is one of the following:

a symbol that in order follows the symbol to be edited in a same partial unit of the alphabet;

a symbol that in order preceeds the symbol to be edited in a same partial unit of the alphabet;

a symbol that follows the symbol to be edited in alphabetical order;

a symbol that preceeds the symbol to be edited in alphabetical order;

a symbol that preceeds the symbol to be edited in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) order;

a symbol that follows the symbol to be edited in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) order; and

a most probable symbol according to a defined rule.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the method comprises two modes, of which the first is an editing mode;

to select the symbol corresponding to the location of the corrected symbol and the other is an input mode to input text;

the initiation command of the editing mode given by the user is read;

as a response to the editing mode initiation command editing mode is initiated; and

the input mode is initiated as a response to the selection of said editing position, in order to allow the input of the symbol selected by the user to said editing position.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the user is allowed to scroll the symbols displaying the input text, grouped according to the first configuration, in order to extend the editing in to a larger part of the input text than the part being displayed at a time.

6. An input device that has a keyboard to input text and a display unit to display the input text, which input device comprises

first means to display no more than a first amount of symbols in the input text on the display unit grouped according to a defined first configuration, wherein

said keyboard comprises said first amount of keys grouped as editing keys according to a defined second configuration;

and that the input device comprises;

means for defining a singular correspondence between the symbols grouped according to said first configuration and the keys grouped according to said second configuration, where each key corresponds to the location of one grouped symbol;

means for selecting the location of the symbol corresponding to the editing key as the editing position, in response to the use a editing keys, wherein

said input device is a button telephone and the keyboard is a telephone'"'"'s number keyboard.

7. An input device according to claim 6, wherein

said first configuration is a first matrix comprising x columns and Y rows;

said second configuration is a second matrix corresponding to the first matrix comprising x columns and Y rows; and

said defined correspondence is a correspondence between the units defined by correspondence rows and columns in the configurations.

8. An input device according to claim 6, wherein

in the input comprises third means to replace the symbol in the editing position with a corresponding symbol in response to the use of an editing key, which correcting symbol is one of the following:

a symbol that in order follows the corrected symbol in the same partial unit of the alphabet;

a symbol that in order preceeds the corrected symbol in the same partial unit of the alphabet;

a symbol that follows the corrected symbol in alphabetical order;

a symbol that proceeds the corrected symbol in alphabetical order;

a symbol that proceeds the corrected symbol in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) order;

a symbol that follows the corrected symbol in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) order; and

a most probable symbol according to a defined rule.

9. An input device according to claim 6, wherein said means have at least two modes, an editing mode to select the symbol corresponding to the position of the corrected symbol and in input mode to input text;

input device comprises fourth means for giving the editing mode initiation command given by the user;

as a response to the issuing of said initiation command said first means have been arranged to enter editing mode to display said first amount of symbols; and

as a response the the selection of the editing position said embodiment means have been arranged to enter said input mode in order to allow the input of the user-selected symbol into the editing position.

10. A input device according to claim 6, wherein the input device comprises:

means for allowing to user to scroll the symbols of the input text arranged according to the first configuration in order to extend the editing to a large part of the text than the part displayed at a time.