Entering text into an electronic communications device

• US 7,385,531 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2003
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Daniel Yalin
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US10/508,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/28, 341/23, 345/171, 345/168, 704/2, 704/3
• US Class Current: 341/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

In a method of entering text into an electronic communications device by means of a keypad having a number of keys, each key representing a plurality of letters and/or phonetic symbols, entered text is displayed on a display on the device. Possible phonetic syllables corresponding to an activated key sequence are generated. These are compared with a stored vocabulary comprising syllables and corresponding characters occurring in a given language. Those stored syllables and corresponding characters that match the possible syllables are pre-selected; and a number of these are presented in a separate first graphical object arranged predominantly on the display. Characters corresponding to one of the syllables in the first object are simultaneously presented in a second graphical object. Thus, there is provided a way of entering text with characters having a phonetic representation by means of keys representing a plurality of letters or phonetic symbols, which may be easier to use even in the case where a phonetic syllable corresponds to several characters.

Claims

1. A method of entering text into an electronic communications device by means of a keypad having a number of keys, each key representing a plurality of letters and/or phonetic symbols, and wherein entered text is displayed on a display arranged on the electronic communications device, the method comprising:

activating a sequence of keys;

generating possible phonetic syllables corresponding to said activated key sequence;

comparing said possible syllables with a vocabulary stored in a memory, said vocabulary comprising syllables and corresponding characters occurring in a given language;

pre-selecting those of said stored syllables and corresponding characters that match said possible syllables; and

presenting a number of the pre-selected characters on said display, wherein a number of said pre-selected phonetic syllables are presented on the display in a separate first graphical object arranged predominantly on the display, and wherein characters corresponding to at least one of the syllables presented in the first graphical object are simultaneously presented in a second graphical object.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

indicating distinctly one of the syllables presented in said separate first graphical object, wherein the characters presented in the second graphical object correspond to the syllable distinctly indicated.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

rank ordering the pre-selected phonetic syllables according to their frequency of use in said language, and

indicating distinctly as default the most commonly used phonetic syllable in said separate first graphical object.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

allowing a user to indicate distinctly a different one of said pre-selected phonetic syllables.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

allowing a user to select one of the characters corresponding to the indicated phonetic syllable, and

adding the selected character to the text displayed on the display.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

removing said first separate graphical object from the display when a character has been selected.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing said separate first graphical object from the display when a predefined period of time has elapsed since the last activation of a key.

8. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

arranging said number of pre-selected phonetic syllables vertically in said separate first graphical object.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein allowing a user to indicate distinctly a different one of said pre-selected phonetic syllables comprises:

allowing the user to navigate between individual pre-selected phonetic syllables by activating an upwards-key for indicating a phonetic syllable presented just above the phonetic syllable presently indicated; and

activating a downwards-key for indicating a phonetic syllable presented just below the phonetic syllable presently indicated.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

allowing the user, in the case where not all pre-selected phonetic syllables are presented in said separate first graphical object, to exclude one of the presently presented phonetic syllables and instead present a phonetic syllable not presently presented by activation of one of the upwards- and downwards-keys.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the user to navigate between individual characters in said second graphical object by activating a left arrow key and/or a right arrow key.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the width of said separate first graphical object according to the length of the phonetic syllables being presented.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the phonetic syllables in said separate first graphical object with a font size which is adjusted according to the length of the phonetic syllables being presented.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating said possible phonetic syllables as pinyin representations.

15. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

showing a cursor in combination with the distinctly indicated phonetic syllable.

16. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

keeping text that is displayed outside said separate first graphical object unchanged as long as said separate first graphical object is shown on the display.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

updating text that is displayed outside said separate first graphical object at a low rate compared to the key activation rate as long as said separate first graphical object is shown on the display.

19. An electronic communications device according to claim 17, wherein said presenting means is further configured to indicate distinctly one of the syllables presented in said separate first graphical object, said distinctly indicated syllable corresponding to the characters presented in the second graphical object.

20. An electronic communications device according to claim 19, wherein the device is further configured to rank order the pre-selected phonetic syllables according to their frequency of use in said language, and indicate distinctly as default the most commonly used phonetic syllable in said separate first graphical object.

21. An electronic communications device according to claim 19, wherein the device is further configured to allow a user to indicate distinctly a different one of said pre-selected phonetic syllables.

22. An electronic communications device according to claim 19, wherein the device is further configured to allow a user to select one of the characters corresponding to the indicated phonetic syllable, and add the selected character to the text displayed on the display.

23. An electronic communications device according to claim 22, wherein the device is further configured to remove said separate first graphical object from the display when a character has been selected.

25. An electronic communications device according to claim 21, wherein the device is further configured to present said number of pre-selected phonetic syllables vertically in said separate first graphical object.

26. An electronic communications device according to claim 25, wherein the device is further configured to allow a user to indicate distinctly a different one of said pre-selected phonetic syllables by allowing the user to navigate between individual pre-selected phonetic syllables by activating an upwards-key for indicating a phonetic syllable presented just above the phonetic syllable presently indicated, and by activating a downwards-key for indicating a phonetic syllable presented just below the phonetic syllable presently indicated.

27. An electronic communications device according to claim 26, wherein the device is further configured to allow the user, in the case where not all pre-selected phonetic syllables are presented in said separate first graphical object, to exclude one of the presently presented phonetic syllables and instead present a phonetic syllable not presently presented by activation of one of the upwards- and downwards-keys.

32. An electronic communications device according to claim 19, wherein the device is further configured to show a cursor in combination with the distinctly indicated phonetic syllable.

18. An electronic communications device configured for entering text into the device, comprising:

a keypad having a number of keys, each key representing a plurality of letters and/or phonetic symbols;

a display arranged on the electronic communications device, on which entered text may be displayed;

a memory, wherein a vocabulary comprising phonetic syllables and corresponding characters occurring in a given language is stored;

means for generating possible phonetic syllables corresponding to a sequence of activated keys;

means for comparing said possible phonetic syllables with said stored vocabulary (6) and pre-selecting stored phonetic syllables and corresponding characters that match said possible syllables; and

means for presenting a number of the pre-selected characters on said display, wherein said presenting means is arranged to present a number of said pre-selected phonetic syllables on the display in a separate first graphical object arranged predominantly on the display, and to present characters corresponding to at least one of the syllables presented in the first graphical object simultaneously in a second graphical object.

24. An electronic communications device according to claim 18, wherein the device is further configured to remove said separate first graphical object from the display when a predefined period of time has elapsed since the last activation of a key.

28. An electronic communications device according to claim 18, wherein the device is further configured to allow the user to navigate between individual characters in said second graphical object by activating a left arrow key and/or a right arrow key.

29. An electronic communications device according to claim 18, wherein the device is further configured to adjust the width of said separate first graphical object according to the length of the phonetic syllables being presented.

30. An electronic communications device according to claim 18, wherein the device is further configured to present the phonetic syllables in said separate first graphical object with a font size which is adjusted according to the length of the phonetic syllables being presented.

31. An electronic communications device according to claim 18, wherein said possible phonetic syllables are pinyin representations.

33. An electronic communications device according to claim 18, wherein the device is further configured to keep text that is displayed outside said separate first graphical object unchanged as long as said separate first graphical object is shown on the display.

34. An electronic communications device, according to claim 18, wherein the device is further configured to update text that is displayed outside said separate first graphical object at a low rate compared to the key activation rate as long as said separate first graphical object is shown on the display.

35. An electronic communications device according to claim 18, wherein said generating means, comparing means and presenting means are implemented in a processor.