Enhancing character input in electronic device

• US 7,417,564 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Koli, Kimmo, Tolonen, Pertti
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US11/146,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/22, 345/173, 37943306-43307
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/9604 characterised by the number of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/06 by operating the multifunction key itself in different ways

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic device and a method of enhancing character input in an electronic device comprising a set of keys. The method comprises associating a group of characters with at least one key; detecting repeated presses of a key; detecting whether the key has been touched continuously during the repeated presses of the key; and interpreting the characters corresponding to the key presses in the group of characters associated with the key on the basis of the detections.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating a group of characters with at least one key;

detecting at least one press of a key;

detecting whether the key has been touched continuously; and

upon the detection of the absence of touch on the key determining the character to be input from the group of characters based on the number of key pressings while the key has been touched continuously.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characters associated with a key are in a predetermined order.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the number of times a key was pressed while being touched continuously;

selecting the character corresponding to the key presses on the basis of said number.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

detecting whether the key has been touched continuously with a capacitive sensor.

5. An electronic device, comprising:

a set of keys; and

a controller operatively connected to the keys wherein the controller is configured to associate a group of characters with a first key, detect at least one press of the first key, detect whether the first key has been touched continuously during the key pressing, and upon the detection of the absence of touch on the first key determining the character to be input from the group of characters based on the number of key pressings while the first key has been touched continuously.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the device comprises a capacitive sensor for each key for detecting whether the key has been touched continuously during the repeated pressings of the key.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the keys of the device are in the form of a keypad and the device comprises a capacitive sensor for the keypad for detecting whether a key has been touched continuously during the repeated pressings of the key.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the keys of the device are in the form of a keypad and the device comprises a capacitive sensor foil under the keypad for detecting whether a key has been touched continuously during the repeated pressings of the key.

9. A computer program product encoded with computer program instructions for executing a computer process for enhancing character input in an electronic device comprising a set of keys, the instructions comprising:

associating a group of characters with at least one key;

detecting at least one press of a key;

detecting whether the key has been touched continuously; and

upon the detection of the absence of touch on the key determining the character to be input from the group of characters based on the number of key pressings while the key has been touched continuously.

10. A device, operatively connected to a set of keys, the device comprising:

means for associating a group of characters with a first key;

means for detecting at least one press of the first key;

means for detecting whether the first key has been touched continuously during the pressing, and upon the detection of the absence of touch on the first key determining the character to be input from the group of characters based on the number of key pressings while the first key has been touched continuously.

11. A device, operatively connected to a set of keys, the device being configured to:

associate a group of characters with a first key;

detect at least one press of the first key;

detect whether the first key has been touched continuously during the pressing, and upon detection of the absence of touch on the first key to determine the character to be input from the group of characters based on the number of key pressings while the first key has been touched continuously.