Emoticon input method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a display;
a first input key; and
operating logic associated with the first input key to display on said display one or more emoticons for selection by a user, responsive to a selection of said first input key, when the apparatus is operating in a text mode;
wherein said operating logic is designed to place a current focus on one of the one or more emoticons displayed for selection;
wherein said operating logic is further designed to automatically select the emoticon with the current focus upon occurrence of a selected one of elapse of a predetermined amount of time after the first input key was last selected, and selection another input key.
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Abstract
An apparatus, such as a communication device, is provided with emoticon input logic associated with an input key to improve the ease-of-use of the apparatus for entering emoticons, e.g. into a text message, while the apparatus is operating e.g. in a text mode. Responsive to a selection of the associated input key, one or more emoticons are displayed for selection. A user may “scroll” through the one or more displayed emoticons to “select” an emoticon. In one embodiment, current focus is placed on one of the displayed emoticons, and the emoticon with the current focus is automatically selected upon elapse of a predetermined amount of time after the current focus was placed.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a display;
a first input key; and
operating logic associated with the first input key to display on said display one or more emoticons for selection by a user, responsive to a selection of said first input key, when the apparatus is operating in a text mode;
wherein said operating logic is designed to place a current focus on one of the one or more emoticons displayed for selection;
wherein said operating logic is further designed to automatically select the emoticon with the current focus upon occurrence of a selected one of elapse of a predetermined amount of time after the first input key was last selected, and selection another input key. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A communication device comprising:
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a display;
a first input key; and
operating logic associated with the first input key to display on said display one or more emoticons for selection by a user, including placing a current focus on a first of the displayed one or more emoticons, responsive to a selection of said first input key, and to automatically select the emoticon having the current focus upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time since the current focus was placed. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method comprising:
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displaying one or more emoticons for selection responsive to a selection of an input key;
placing a current focus on a first of the displayed one or more emoticons; and
automatically selecting the emoticon with the current focus upon elapse of a predetermined amount of time after the current focus was placed. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification