Alphanumeric keyboard input system using a game controller

• US 7,171,498 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tu, Edgar Allan, Rimon, Noam, Reitmeyer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin; Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/340,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 345/177, 341/22, 379/433.07, 400/489, 710/22, 710/29, 710/67, 710 72- 73, 711/4, 711/114, 711/133, 711/152, 711/162, 714/1, 714/767
• US Class Current: 710/73
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items

Abstract

An invention is provided for an alphanumeric keyboard input system using a controller, such as a game controller. A plurality of cells is provided, where each cell includes a plurality of characters. A user is allowed to select any character using only two commands. In particular, a first command is used to select a particular cell of the plurality of cells, and a second command is used to select a particular character of the plurality of characters within the selected cell.

Claims

1. A method for character selection, comprising the operations of:

providing a plurality of cells, each cell including a plurality of characters;

receiving a first command to select a particular cell of the plurality of cells, the first command being initiated through a directional control that enables the selection of the particular cell; and

receiving a second command to select a particular character of the plurality of characters within the selected cell, the second command being initiated by a specific button of a set of buttons, each of the set of buttons corresponds to specific ones of the plurality of characters contained within the selected cell so that the second command that is initiated by the specific button defines the selection of one character;

whereby the directional control is different from the set of buttons.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second command is received from an input device that includes the set of buttons.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of the plurality of cells are arranged in a three by three grid.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of cells further includes at least one side cell, the side cell being outside the three by three grid.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the side cell is accessed using a button.

4. A method for character selection, comprising the operations of:

providing a plurality of cells, each cell including a plurality of characters;

receiving a first command to select a particular cell of the plurality of cells, the first command being initiated through a directional control that enables the selection of the particular cell; and

receiving a second command to select a particular character of the plurality of characters within the selected cell, the second command being initiated by a specific button of a set of buttons, each of the set of buttons corresponding to specific ones of the plurality of characters within the selected cell so that the second command that is initiated by the specific button defines the selection of one character;

selecting a center cell of a three by three grid prior to receiving the first command;

whereby the directional control is a separate control from the set of buttons.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the first command indicates a move to a cell at most one cell away from the center cell.

8. A system for character selection, comprising:

logic that provides a plurality of cells, each cell including a plurality of characters; and

an input device having a plurality of controls, wherein the plurality of controls include a plurality of control buttons, each control button corresponding to a particular character of the plurality of characters within a cell,

wherein the input device is capable of transmitting a first command to select a particular cell of the plurality of cells, the first command being initiated through a directional control of the input device that enables the selection of the particular cell, and wherein the input device is further capable of sending a second command using a control button to select a corresponding character of the plurality of characters within the selected cell, such that initiation of the control button causes the corresponding character to be selected;

wherein the directional control is different from the control button.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein a portion of the plurality of cells are arranged in a three by three grid.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein a center cell of the three by three grid is selected prior to receiving the first command.

11. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the first command indicates a move to a cell at most one cell away from the center cell.

12. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of cells further includes at least one side cell, the side cell being outside the three by three grid, wherein the side cell is accessed using a button.

13. A system as recited in claim 8, further comprising logic that inserts an estimation extension after each character entered, the estimation extension including a plurality of characters that forms a word when combined with the characters previously entered.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the estimation extension is generated by examining a sorted list having a plurality of words sorted based on usage frequency.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the usage frequency refers to word occurrence frequency in selected articles.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the selected articles are related to a particular subject.

17. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for character selection, comprising:

program instructions that provide a plurality of cells, wherein each cell includes a plurality of characters;

program instructions that receive a first command to select a particular cell of the plurality of cells, the first command being initiated through a directional control that enables the selection of the particular cell; and

program instructions that receive a second command to select a particular character of the plurality of characters within the selected cell, the second command being initiated by a specific button of a set of buttons, each of the set of buttons corresponding to specific ones of the plurality of characters within the selected cell so that the second command that is initiated by the specific button defines the selection of one character;

whereby the directional control is different from the set of buttons.

18. A computer program as recited in claim 17, wherein the second command is received from the set of buttons of an input device, and the first command is received from a joystick of the input device, the joystick providing the directional control.

19. A computer program as recited in claim 17, wherein a portion of the plurality of cells are arranged in a three by three grid.

20. A computer program as recited in claim 19, further comprising program instructions that select a center cell of the three by three grid prior to receiving the first command.

21. A computer program as recited in claim 20, wherein the first command indicates a move to a cell at most one cell away from the center cell.

22. A computer program as recited in claim 19, wherein the plurality of cells further includes at least one side cell, the side cell being outside the three by three grid.

23. A computer program as recited in claim 22, wherein the side cell is accessed using a button.

24. A computer program as recited in claim 17, further comprising program instructions that insert an estimation extension after each character entered, the estimation extension including a plurality of characters that forms a word when combined with the characters previously entered.

25. A computer program as recited in claim 24, wherein the estimation extension is generated by examining a sorted list having a plurality of words sorted based on usage frequency.

26. A computer program as recited in claim 25, wherein the usage frequency refers to word occurrence frequency in selected articles.

27. A computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein the selected articles are related to a particular subject.

28. A system for enabling character selection, comprising:

a display screen, the display screen presenting a three-by-three grid of cells that includes the characters necessary for character selection, each cell of the three-by-three grid of cells including two or more characters;

an input device for providing commands that are executed and presented on the display screen, the input device including,

a directional control for enabling selection of one cell of the three-by-three grid of cells, the direction control initiating selection from a central starting position that is a center cell in the three-by-three grid of cells; and

a set of buttons, each of the set of buttons having an arrangement location that corresponds to an arrangement location of the two or more characters in a cell of the thee-by-three grid of cells, and selection of one of the set of buttons initiates selection of one character that is part of the cell;

whereby directional selection of any one of the cells in the three-by-three grid of cells is at most one cell away from a cell of the central starting position.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the directional control is one of a joystick or second set of buttons, and the set of buttons are arranged in a set four, the set of four having a top button, a bottom button, a left button, and a right button.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the three-by-three grid of cells includes one or more side cells.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the characters necessary for character selection of a particular language are displayed within the three-by-three grid of cells or within three-by-three grid of cells plus the one or more side cells.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the input device is a controller for interfacing with a computing device.

33. A method for character selection to compose one or more characters or words of a language, comprising the operations of:

(a) displaying a plurality of cells, each cell including a two or more characters and the plurality of cells containing a listing of characters for the language;

(b) enabling a first command to select a particular cell of the plurality of cells; and

(c) enabling a second command to select a particular character of the plurality of characters within the selected cell, the second command being initiated by a specific button that corresponds to the particular character within the selected cell; and

(d) repeating (b) and (c) until one or more characters or words of the language are input.