Multilingual input method editor for ten-key keyboards

• US 7,263,658 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charisma Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Charisma Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Chou, Eric Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Queler; Adam M
• Application Number:
  US10/977,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 715/535, 715/536, 715/816
• US Class Current: 715/262
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/129 Handling non-Latin characters, e.g. kana-to-kanji conversion

Abstract

A system and method is shown that is used to input multilingual text into an electronic device comprising a numerical keypad, or equivalent. The system comprises a language input method editor that accesses a character database. Asian and non-Asian languages can be intermingled within a line of text using the language input method editor and displayed on a text window of the electronic device. Words, or characters, of Asian languages are selected from character databases using a special decimal code of four or more digits and characters of non-Asian languages are selected using a two-digit decimal code. The special decimal code for Asian languages provides a means for alphabetizing all characters of the Asian languages.

Claims

1. A system for multiple language input into an electronic device, comprising:

a) an electronic device with an embedded operating system (OS), a general user interface (GUI) a numerical keypad, control keys and a display screen;

b) a character pattern data base with an index to allow access to character patterns contained within said character pattern database, the character pattern data base comprising Chinese Characters;

c) a language input editor;

d) a user application; and

e) said user application accesses said character pattern data base through said language input editor using the numerical keypad and control keys to display a selected language character on said display screen;

wherein said Chinese characters are accessed with a five digit decimal code;

wherein said five digit decimal code further comprises;

a) a first digit for defining a consonant of said Chinese characters;

b) a second digit defining a rhyme of said Chinese characters;

c) a third digit defining an intonation of said Chinese characters; and

d) a fourth digit defining a shape of said Chinese characters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a mobile phone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a personal data assistant having at least a virtual numerical keypad.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a personal computer or a larger computing system comprising a mainframe, a server and a supercomputer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said control keys comprise a language mode key that allows characters from a plurality of languages to be interspersed in a line of text by selecting a different language at any position of a text cursor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said five digit decimal code further comprises a fifth digit defining a unit of said Chinese characters.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said five decimal code further comprises a two-digit decimal word defining a unit of said Chinese characters.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said unit of the Chinese characters comprises said decimal word containing one or more decimal digits.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said language editor provides a visual image of said Chinese characters associated with any one digit of said five digit decimal code to allow a user to select an appropriate code number to input into said electronic device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said language input editor provides a text window to display characters that have been chosen and a first control key to select an input window to display digits of a decimal code that is being entered with a second control key that allows a review window to be accessed to allow visual selection of a character that is associated with a position of a cursor location in the input window.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said application is text messaging using a mobile phone.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said text messaging is multilingual.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said application is a text entry into a personal data assistant.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said text entry is multilingual.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said application is a text entry into a personal computer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said text entry is multilingual.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said application is a multilingual text entry into said electronic device.