Method and device for operating a user-input area on an electronic display device

• US 7,584,429 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Fabritius, Henna
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Núñez; Jordany
• Application Number:
  US10/877,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 715784-786, 715/739, 345684-688
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/387 using human interaction, e.g. selection of the best displayed recognition candidate

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and a device for inputting a character into an electronic device, said method comprising detecting an input, activating a temporary input area upon detection of said input, displaying said temporary input area on a display of said electronic device, and terminating the display and deactivating said temporary input area in case that a relevant event is detected. The relevant event may be another user-input.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

depicting a scroll bar and a button for a search option on a display of an electronic device in an area that is normally reserved for a scroll bar,

detecting if a keyboard is connected to said device and suppressing the display of said button for a search option, if the keyboard is connected,

detecting an input on said button for activating a temporary input area,

activating said temporary input area upon detection of said input,

displaying said temporary input area on the display of said electronic device,

outputting an audio signal indicating said displaying of said temporary input area, and

terminating the display of said temporary input area and deactivating said temporary input area in case that a relevant event is detected,

wherein said temporary input area is displayed in a semi-transparent manner superimposed on a standard display area on said display, and

wherein input functions in said standard display area superimposed by said temporary input area are deactivated when said temporary input area is displayed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a touch screen device and said display is a touch screen display.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said temporary input area is displayed on the touch screen display and said temporary input area is configured for a user-input via said touch screen display.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said button for a search option is depicted adjacent to said scroll bar.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user-input related to said depicted temporary input area,

recognizing said user-input, and

executing an action related to said recognized user-input.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said temporary input area has handwriting recognition capabilities.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said temporary input area comprises a depiction of a number of selectable user-input options.

17. The method according to claim 2, wherein the relevant event is one of the following:

an input inside the temporary input area, an input outside the temporary input area commanding to close the temporary input area, and lapse of a predetermined time if no input is detected.

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein when the temporary input area is activated, the user-input on the temporary input area is not recognized as a user-input on the standard display area superimposed by the temporary input area.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium storing program code thereon for use by an electronic device, said program code comprises:

instructions for depicting a scroll bar and a button for a search option on a display of an electronic device in an area that is normally reserved for a scroll bar,

instructions for detecting if a keyboard is connected to said device and suppressing the display of said button for a search option, if the keyboard is connected,

instructions for detecting an input on said button for activating a temporary input area,

instructions for activating said temporary input area upon detection of said input,

instructions for displaying said temporary input area on the display of said electronic device,

instructions for outputting an audio signal indicating said displaying of said temporary input area, and

instructions for terminating the display of said temporary input area and deactivating said temporary input area in case that a relevant event is detected,

wherein said temporary input area is displayed in a semi-transparent manner superimposed on a standard display area on said display, and

wherein input functions in said standard display area superimposed by said temporary input area are deactivated when said temporary input area is displayed.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program code is downloaded from a server.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a central processing unit,

a display connected to said central processing unit, said display being configured to act as an interface between said central processing unit and a user for receiving inputs from said user, and

an audio signal transducer connected to said central processing unit for outputting audio signals, wherein said apparatus is configured to depict a button for a search option on said display in an area that is normally reserved for a scroll bar, detect if a keyboard is connected to said apparatus and suppressing the display of said button for a search option, if the keyboard is connected, detect an input on said button for activating a temporary input area, activate a temporary input area upon detection of said input, and display said temporary input area in a semi-transparent manner superimposed on a standard display area on said display,

wherein said audio transducer is configured to output an audio signal indicating said displaying of said temporary input area,

wherein said display of the temporary input area is terminated and said temporary input area is deactivated in case that a relevant event is detected,

and wherein input functions in said standard display area superimposed by said temporary input area are deactivated when said temporary input area is displayed.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said display is a touch screen display.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said apparatus is configured to depict a scroll bar on said display.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said apparatus is configured to depict a scroll bar and a button for a search option on said display in the area that is normally reserved for a scroll bar.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said apparatus is configured to depict said button for a search option adjacent and under said scroll bar on said display.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said apparatus is a keypad-less electronic device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus is configured to detect and recognize a user-input on the temporary input area, and execute an action related to said user-input on the temporary input area.

19. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the relevant event is one of the following:

an input inside the temporary input area, an input outside the temporary input area commanding to close the temporary input area, and lapse of a predetermined time if no input is detected.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein when the temporary input area is activated, an input on the temporary input area is not recognized as an input on the standard display area superimposed by the temporary input area.