System and method for inserting a graphic object in to a text based message

• US 8,281,239 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kuhl, Lawrence Edward, Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US10/935,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,946 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/780, 715/773, 715/864, 715/705, 715/712, 715/713, 715/813, 715/816, 715/812, 715/762, 715/853, 715/765
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/126 Character encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A system and method for selecting graphic objects to insert in a text message when composed on a wireless device, each of the graphic objects representing a set of individual alphanumeric characters. The system comprises an object table for display on a user interface of the device, such that the table is configured for including a first object of the graphic objects associated with a first predefined input and a second object of the graphic objects associated with a second predefined input. The first input is different from the second input. The system also has a first input event component for coupling to the user interface such that the first input event component is configured for mapping to the first predefined input. The system also has a second input event component for coupling to the user interface such that the second input event component is configured for mapping to the second predefined input, the first input event component being different from the second input event component. A user of the device selects one of the graphic objects from the table by employing the respective one of the input event components mapped to the predefined input associated with the graphic object in the table.

Claims

1. A system for selecting graphic objects to insert in a text message when composed on a wireless device, the system comprising:

a symbol table for display on a user interface of the wireless device in response to a first input event, the symbol table comprising a plurality of individual alphanumeric character selections;

an object table for display on the user interface of the wireless device in response to a second input event, the object table a plurality of graphic objects and a plurality of predefined inputs, each of the predefined inputs associated with one of the plurality of graphic objects;

a first input event component executing the first input event and the second input event; and

a second input event component executing a third input event, the third input event component mapped tone of the plurality of predefined inputs;

wherein the third input event selects a graphic object associated with the predefined input from the plurality of graphic objects and inserts the selected graphic object in the text message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of graphic objects is selected from the group consisting of:

emoticons;

abbreviated text strings;

icons;

predefined groups of alphanumeric characters and a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alphanumeric characters are selected from the group consisting of ASCII characters, Unicode characters, and a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the first input event component is an input key of a keyboard of the user interface.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the second input event component is executed through a voice command of the user interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the predefined input mapped to the second input event component is a label representing the voice command in the object table.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the text message is configured for sending to a remote message server.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a translation module converting the selected graphic object in the text message to an equivalent string of individual alphanumeric characters represented by the selected graphic object.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the server is selected from the group consisting of an email server;

an instant messaging server; and

a short message service server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second input event components are different input keys of a keyboard.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second input event component is a data input key of a keyboard of the user interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data input key is represented in the object table.

13. A method for selecting graphic objects to insert in a text message when composed on a wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first input event;

displaying a symbol table on a user interface of the wireless device, the symbol table comprising a plurality of individual alphanumeric character selections;

receiving a second input event;

displaying an object table on the user interface of the wireless device, the object table comprising a plurality of graphic objects and a plurality of predefined inputs, each of the predefined inputs associated with one of the plurality of the graphic objects;

receiving a third input event;

mapping the received third input event to one of the plurality of predefined inputs; and

inserting the graphic object associated with the mapped predefined input in the text message;

wherein the first input event and the second input event are executed by a first input component.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of graphic objects is selected from the group consisting of:

emoticons;

abbreviated text strings;

icons;

predefined groups of alphanumeric characters, and a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the individual alphanumeric characters are selected from the group consisting of ASCII characters and Unicode characters.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first input event is executed through an input key of a keyboard of the user interface.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the third input event is executed through a voice command of the user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the voice command is displayed in the object table.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the text message is configured for sending to a remote message server.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of translating the selected graphic object in the text message to an equivalent string of the individual alphanumeric characters represented by the selected graphic object.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of transmitting the text message to a server selected from the group consisting of:

an email server;

an instant messaging server; and

a short message service server.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the second input event component is a data input key of a keyboard of the user interface.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data input key is a representation of the key when displayed in the object table.

24. A computer program product for selecting graphic objects to insert in a text message when composed on a wireless device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a symbol table module for display on a user interface of the wireless device in response to a first input event, the symbol table comprising a plurality of individual alphanumeric character selections;

an object table module for display on the user interface of the wireless device in response to a second input event, the object table comprising a plurality of configured for displaying graphic objects and a plurality of predefined inputs, each of the predefined objects of inputs associated with only one of the plurality of graphic objects;

a first input event component executing the first input event and the second input event;

a second input event component executing a third input event, the third input event component mapped to one of the plurality of predefined inputs;

wherein the third input event selects a graphic object associated with the predefined input from the plurality of the graphic objects and inserts the selected graphic object in the text message.