Keyboard arrangement

• US 7,048,456 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Keinonen, Turkka, Wikberg, Harri, Silfverberg, Miika
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crenshaw, Marvin P.
• Application Number:
  US09/750,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20010006587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 400/484, 400/485, 400/489, 400/495, 400/490, 400/480, 400/494
• US Class Current: 400/495
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/078 Different operating parts on a bigger one

Abstract

The invention relates to a keyboard arrangement and a method for detecting an input character. In particular the invention relates to a method and arrangement for reducing the number of keys in a QWERTY-keyboard (20) or the like. One idea of the invention is to provide keys (210) with several characters and to provide alternative ways to press the key for entering a selected one of the alternative characters. The keys are preferably triangular or have three arms, and one of three characters can be selected by pressing the corresponding corner/arm of the key. The keyboard may preferably be formed of interlaced rows of keys. Linguistic disambiguation is advantageously used in addition to said mechanical disambiguation. The invention is well suited for mobile station keyboards.

Claims

1. A keyboard arrangement including several keys for inputting characters by pressing the keys, the keyboard arrangement comprising:

at least one key actuable in at least two different ways depending on a pressure distribution thereon;

a detector for detecting the pressure distribution on the at least one key, wherein predetermined characters are related to each of the at least one keys, and at least one of the predetermined characters of a pressed key is first selected on the basis of a sectional pressure distribution of the pressed key; and

a processor operable to perform a first comparison of a combination of previously inputted characters and the at least one first selected characters to a storage of words of a defined language, and to accept one of the at least one first selected characters as a desired character if the first comparison is successful,

wherein the processor is further operable to automatically perform a second comparison of a combination of previously inputted characters and at least one character that is related to the pressed key and not one of the first selected characters and not indicated by said sectional pressure distribution to the storage of words if and only if the first comparison is unsuccessful.

2. The keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first and second comparisons include performing linguistic disambiguation.

3. The keyboard arrangement of claim 1, further comprising substantially a QWERTY-keyboard.

4. The keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein the detector includes at least two pressure sensitive and/or touch sensitive detectors attached to different locations of the key.

5. The keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein the detector includes a movement sensitive detector attached to the key.

6. The keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one key is triangular in shape or has three arms.

7. The keyboard arrangement of claim 6, wherein the detector includes means for detecting the pressure of the alternative corners/arms of the key.

8. A keyboard arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the keys form two rows of keys and the keys of the two rows are interlaced.

9. A keyboard arrangement in accordance with claim 8, characterised in that the keys form a first row of keys and a second row of keys, the two rows of keys comprising three rows of characters marked on the keys, wherein the upmost row of characters is marked to the first row of keys, the middle row of characters is marked alternately to the first and the second row of keys and the lowest row of characters is marked to the second row of keys.

10. A keyboard in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that it is a keyboard of a mobile station.

11. A keyboard in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that it is a keyboard of a computer.

12. A method for inputting characters with a keyboard comprising:

relating predetermined characters to each of one or more keys;

first selecting at least one of the predetermined characters on the basis of a sectional pressure distribution of a pressed key;

comparing a combination of previously inputted characters and the at least one first selected characters to a set of stored words;

accepting one of the at least one first selected characters as a desired character if the comparison of a combination of that character and previously inputted characters to the set of stored words is successful;

automatically selecting a second character that is one of the predetermined characters related to the pressed key and not one of the first selected characters and not indicated by said sectional pressure distribution if and only if the comparison of the combinations of previously inputted characters and the first selected characters to the set of stored words is unsuccessful, and performing a comparison of a combination of previously inputted characters and said second character to the set of stored words.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the pressure distribution is provided by pressing alternative corners or arms of a key.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein comparing the combination of previously inputted characters and the at least one first selected characters to the set of stored words comprises applying an algorithm based on comparison with at least one of known vocabulary, probability of successive characters, frequency of words in language, sentence structure, topic or paragraph context.

15. The method of claim 12 applied with a QWERTY-keyboard.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the key is on a mobile station.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the key is on a computer.

18. A method for recognizing a character from a pressed key on a keyboard comprising:

recognizing the pressed key based on pressure on the pressed key;

suggesting a first character from a plurality of characters assigned to the pressed key as a result of a pressure distribution on the pressed key;

performing a first comparison of the suggested character to a character string to determine if the identified character is suitable with a previously selected character string;

performing a second comparison of the suggested character to the character string and to words and rules of a language to determine if the suggested character is suitable with the previously selected character string and the words and rules of the language;

performing a third comparison of the suggested character to at least one of sentence context, syntax, structure and language to determine if the suggested character is suitable with the at least one of sentence context, syntax, structure and language; and

automatically accepting the suggested character as the recognized character on the basis of the recognition of the pressed key, the pressure distribution of the pressed key, and the first, second, and third comparisons.