Character-input method and medium and apparatus for the same

• US 7,868,787 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Tae-suh, Kim, Hyun-jin, Chung, Ji-hye, Kim, Yeun-bae
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr.; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/513,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 341/33, 341/34, D14/218, D14/174, D13/168, 345/168
• US Class Current: 341/33
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items

Abstract

A character-input method is provided. The character-input method includes providing a plurality of objects having a predetermined arrangement, mapping characters included in a character group represented by a representative character mapped to an object identified as a first signal among objects to which representative characters are mapped, to one or more objects among the plurality of objects when the first signal is received from a user input device, and inputting characters mapped to an object identified as the second signal among objects to which the characters are mapped.

Claims

1. A character-input method comprising:

providing a plurality of objects having a predetermined arrangement according to a character-input request;

mapping characters included in a character group represented by a representative character mapped to an object identified by a first signal among objects to which at least one representative character is mapped when the first signal is received from a user input device; and

inputting characters mapped to an object identified as a second signal among objects to which representative characters are mapped or objects to which characters included in the character group are mapped when the second signal is received from the user input device,

wherein the representative character represents a predetermined character group, and is mapped to one or more objects among the plurality of objects, and

wherein representative character and the predetermined character group are displayed on a user interface provided by a user-interface-providing device in response to the first signal and other predetermined character groups of other displayed representative characters are not displayed on the user interface provided by the user-interface-providing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the plurality of objects corresponds to the arrangement of the plurality of buttons included in the user input device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input device senses a touch and a push by a user on the plurality of buttons, and if any among the touch and the push is sensed, the first signal is outputted, and if the other is sensed, the second signal is outputted.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein an object identified by the first signal is arranged at the position corresponding to the button at which the touch is sensed, and an object identified as the second signal is arranged at the position corresponding to the button at which the push is sensed.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein an object identified by the first signal is arranged at the position corresponding to the button at which the push is sensed, and an object identified as the second signal is arranged at the position corresponding to the button at which the touch is sensed among the plurality of buttons.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the characters include at least one among consonants of Hangeul, vowels of Hangeul, English letters, numbers and symbols.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the plurality of objects involves 5 objects arranged in a cross form, 8 objects arranged at regular intervals on the circumference containing the 5 objects arranged in the cross form.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein 4 objects are positioned on the extended line of the cross form among 8 objects arranged at regular intervals on the circumference.

17. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 1.

9. A user-interface-providing device comprising:

an object-providing module that provides a plurality of objects having a predetermined arrangement;

a character-mapping module that maps characters, which are included in the character group represented by representative characters mapped to objects identified as a first signal among objects to which representative characters are mapped, to one or more objects among the plurality of objects when the first signal is received from a user input device using at least one processor;

a character-input module that inputs characters mapped to objects identified as a second signal among objects to which the characters are mapped when the second signal is received; and

an output module that outputs a user-interface including the plurality of objects provided by the object-providing module, the representative characters and the characters mapped by the character-mapping module, and characters inputted by the character-inputting module,

wherein the representative character is mapped to one or more objects among the plurality of objects having a predetermined arrangement, and

wherein representative character and character group mapped to the representative character are displayed on the user interface in response to the first signal and other character groups mapped to other displayed representative characters are not displayed on the user interface.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the arrangement of the plurality of objects is of the structure corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of buttons included in the user-interface-inputting device.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the user input device senses a touch and a push by a user on the plurality of buttons, and if any among the touch and the push is sensed, the first signal is outputted and if the remaining other is sensed, the second signal is outputted.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein an object identified as the first signal is arranged at the position corresponding to the button at which the touch is sensed, and an object identified by the second signal is arranged at the position corresponding to the button at which the push is sensed among the plurality of buttons.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein an object identified by the first signal is arranged at the position corresponding to the button at which the push is sensed, and an object identified as the second signal is arranged at the position corresponding to the button at which the touch is sensed among the plurality of buttons.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the characters include at least one among consonants of Hangeul, vowels of Hangeul, English letters, numbers and symbols.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the arrangement of the plurality of objects involves 5 objects arranged in a cross form, and 8 objects arranged at regular intervals on a circumference containing the 5 objects arranged in the cross form.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein 4 objects are positioned on the extended line of the cross form among 8 objects arranged at regular intervals on a circumference.

18. A character-input method comprising:

mapping a representative character of a character group having a plurality of characters to an object identified by a first signal and mapping other characters of the character group to one or more objects, which have not been mapped to any representative characters; and

inputting characters mapped to object identified by a second signal among objects to which representative characters are mapped or objects to which characters included in the character group are mapped,

wherein representative character of the character group and the character group are displayed on a user interface provided by a user-interface-providing device in response to the first signal and other character groups mapped to other displayed representative characters are not displayed on the user interface provided by the user-interface-providing device.

19. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 18.

20. A user-interface-providing device comprising:

a character-mapping module that maps a representative character of a character group having a plurality of characters to an object identified by a first signal and maps other characters of the character group to one or more objects, which have not been mapped to any representative characters, using at least one processor; and

a character-input module that inputs characters mapped to objects identified by a second signal among objects to which representative characters are mapped or objects to which the characters in the character group are mapped; and

an output module that outputs a user-interface including objects to which representative characters are mapped and to which the characters in the character group are mapped,

wherein representative character of the character group and the character group are displayed on the user interface in response to the first signal and other character groups mapped to other displayed representative characters are not displayed on the user interface.