Method for sorting and displaying symbols in a mobile communication terminal

• US 8,341,549 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Dong Hyuck
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hassan, Rashedul
• Application Number:
  US12/044,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20080216016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 715/816, 715/789, 715/810, 715/811, 715/864, 715/866, 715/812, 715/813, 715817-820, 715/825, 715/828, 715/829, 715/845, 715/846, 345/171
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use

Abstract

A system for arranging symbols for display and selection in a mobile communication terminal is provided. The system comprises user interface configured for selecting a first symbol having a first display priority; and means for assigning a second display priority to a second symbol associated with the first symbol, wherein the second symbol is displayed according to the second display priority, in response to a request for displaying a symbol set.

Claims

1. A method for arranging a plurality of symbols for display and selection in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

configuring the plurality of symbols into a plurality of symbol sets, wherein each one of the plurality of symbol sets comprises at least two symbols and the plurality of symbol sets are configured to be displayed one by one in a predetermined sequence in response to a plurality of symbol requests, each one of the plurality of symbol sets being displayed in response to a corresponding one of the plurality of symbol requests;

receiving a first symbol request;

displaying a first symbol set in response to the first symbol request;

receiving an input for selecting at least one of a plurality of symbols listed in the first symbol set; and

displaying the selected at least one of the plurality of symbols in response to the input,

wherein the first symbol set comprises a user'"'"'s last selected symbol and one or more symbols that are often used together with the last selected symbol, the one or more symbols determined according to a history of the user'"'"'s symbol use.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first symbol set comprises:

displaying a symbol set window, a symbol set title, at least one direction arrow, and at least a portion of a message input window.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one direction arrow is displayed on a soft key menu below the symbol set window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal comprises an input key that corresponds to each of the plurality of symbols displayed in the plurality of symbol sets, the method further comprising receiving the input via the input key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal comprises a numeric key that corresponds to each of the plurality of symbols displayed in the plurality of symbol sets, the method further comprising receiving the input via the numeric key.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of symbol sets is selected from at least one of a general symbol category, picture category, diagram category and measurement category.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined sequence is configured based on frequency of selection of each one of the plurality of symbol sets such that the predetermined sequence is reconfigured when the frequency changes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined sequence is configured in relation to a previously selected symbol such that the predetermined sequence is reconfigured based upon the previously selected symbol.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a second symbol set when a second symbol request is received such that the first symbol set and the second symbol set are not displayed concurrently.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein numbers and alphabetical letters are printed on a keypad of the mobile communication terminal such that the numbers and alphabetical letters are entered by directly receiving inputs via keys corresponding to the numbers and alphabetical letters, and the plurality of symbols are not printed on the keypad.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of symbols are selected and displayed to be entered into a message, a schedule, a memo, or data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of symbols are selected and displayed in text when the message is composed.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile communication terminal is in a message input mode when the first symbol request is received.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

re-arranging the symbols listed in the first symbol set when the at least one symbol, which comprises a first symbol, is selected.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a position of the first symbol is changed when the symbols listed in the first symbol set are re-arranged.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one symbol previously listed in the first symbol set is deleted when the symbols listed in the first symbol set are re-arranged.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of symbols are special symbols that exclude numbers and alphabetical letters.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second symbol request after the at least one of the plurality of symbols is selected from the first symbol set and displayed; and

displaying the first symbol set in response to the second symbol request.

19. A method for arranging a plurality of symbol sets for display and selection in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

configuring a plurality of symbols into the plurality of symbol sets, wherein each one of the plurality of symbol sets comprises at least two symbols and the plurality of symbol sets are configured to be displayed one by one in a predetermined sequence in response to a plurality of symbol requests, each one of the plurality of symbol sets being displayed in response to corresponding one of the plurality of symbol requests;

receiving a first symbol request to display one of the plurality of symbol sets;

assigning a symbol set comprising a user'"'"'s last selected symbol as a first symbol set to be displayed;

displaying the first symbol set in response to the first symbol request; and

displaying a second symbol set in response to a second symbol request such that the first symbol set and the second symbol are not displayed concurrently,

wherein the predetermined sequence is configured based on priorities of the plurality of symbol sets or in relation to a previously selected symbol such that the predetermined sequence is reconfigured when the priorities change or is reconfigured based upon the previously selected symbol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of symbol sets are selected from at least one of a general symbol category, picture category, diagram category and measurement category.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile communication terminal comprises an input key that corresponds to each of the plurality of symbols displayed in the plurality of symbol sets, the method further comprising receiving an input for selecting at least one of a plurality of symbols listed in the first symbol set or the second symbol set via the input key.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying a symbol set window, a symbol set title, at least one direction arrow, and at least a portion of a message input window.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first symbol set and the second symbol set, which is displayed after the first symbol set is displayed, are the same.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile communication terminal is in a message input mode when the symbol request is received.

25. A mobile communication terminal for arranging a plurality of symbols and a plurality of symbol sets for display and selection, the mobile terminal comprising:

a key input unit adapted to receive a user'"'"'s symbol request;

a selection unit adapted to select a symbol set comprising the user'"'"'s last selected symbol and one or more symbols that are often used together with the last selected symbol is assigned as a first symbol set; and

a display for displaying the plurality of symbol sets one by one in a predetermined sequence in response to a plurality of symbol requests such that the first symbol set is displayed in response to a first symbol request and a second symbol set is displayed in response to a second symbol request,

wherein the mobile communication terminal is configured to;

select at least one of a plurality of symbols listed in the first symbol set or second symbol set in response to an input for selecting a symbol; and

display the selected at least one symbol on the display, and

wherein the predetermined sequence is configured based on priorities of the plurality of symbol sets or in relation to a previously selected symbol such that the predetermined sequence is reconfigured when the priorities change or is reconfigured based upon the previously selected symbol.

26. The mobile communication terminal of claim 25, wherein the one or more symbols are determined according to a history of the user'"'"'s symbol use.

27. The mobile communication terminal of claim 25, wherein the selection unit comprises a category managing unit.

28. The mobile communication terminal of claim 27, further comprising an input key that corresponds to each of the plurality of symbols displayed in the plurality of symbol sets.

29. The mobile communication terminal of claim 27, further comprising a numeric key that corresponds to each of the plurality of symbols displayed in the plurality of symbol sets.

30. The mobile communication terminal of claim 25, wherein a display window of the display displays a symbol set window, a symbol set title, at least one direction arrow, and at least a portion of a message input window in response to the symbol request.

31. The mobile communication terminal of claim 30, wherein another of the plurality of symbol sets is displayed upon selection of the at least one direction arrow.

32. The mobile communication terminal of claim 30, wherein the at least one direction arrow is displayed on a soft key menu below the symbol set window.

33. The mobile communication terminal of claim 25, wherein the first symbol set and the second symbol set are the same when the second symbol request is a symbol request that is received after the first symbol request.

34. The mobile communication terminal of claim 25, wherein the mobile communication terminal is in a message input mode when the user'"'"'s symbol request is received via the key input unit.

35. A method for arranging a plurality of symbols for display and selection in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

configuring the plurality of symbols into a plurality of symbol sets, wherein each one of the plurality of symbol sets comprises at least two symbols;

entering a message input mode and displaying a message input window;

receiving a first symbol request in the message input mode to add a symbol selected from one of the plurality of symbol sets into a message to be transmitted from the mobile communication terminal to a receiving mobile communication terminal;

displaying a plurality of symbols belonging to a first symbol set in response to the first symbol request;

receiving a second symbol request while the plurality of symbols belonging to the first symbol set is displayed;

displaying a plurality of symbols belonging to a second symbol set in response to the second symbol request, wherein the plurality of symbols belonging to the first symbol set and the plurality of symbols belonging to the second symbol set are not displayed concurrently;

receiving an input for selecting one of the displayed plurality of symbols listed in the second symbol set;

adding the selected one of the plurality of symbols to the first symbol set if the selected one of the plurality of symbols is not included in the first symbol set or repositioning the selected one of the plurality of symbols in the first symbol set if the selected one of the plurality of symbols is included in the first symbol set; and

displaying the selected one of the plurality of symbols in the message input window in response to the input.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the added or repositioned one of the plurality of symbols is placed at a first position in the first symbol set.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one symbol in the first symbol set is deleted from the first symbol set when the selected one of the plurality of symbols is added to the first symbol set and the deleted at least one symbol is placed at a last position in the first symbol set prior to the addition of the selected one of the plurality of symbols to the first symbol set.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein symbols in the first symbol set are displayed in order from the first position to the last position, a latest used symbol being displayed at the first position.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the first symbol request is received via a first key and the second symbol request is received via a second key that is different from the first key.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

displaying a first identifier corresponding to the first symbol set and a second identifier corresponding to the second symbol set concurrently in response to the first symbol request.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are not displayed in the message input mode prior to receipt of the first symbol request.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the displayed first identifier is stylistically distinguishable from the displayed second identifier when the plurality of symbols belonging to the first symbol set are displayed.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the first identifier is displayed in a first style and the second identifier is displayed in a second style.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

displaying a third identifier concurrently with the first identifier and the second identifier, wherein the third identifier corresponding to a third symbol set is displayed in the second style when the plurality of symbols belonging to the first symbol set are displayed.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the first identifier, the second identifier, the third identifier, and the plurality of symbols belonging to the first symbol set are displayed concurrently when the first symbol request is received.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

receiving a third symbol request while the plurality of symbols belonging to the first symbol set are displayed; and

displaying a plurality of symbols belonging to the third symbol set in response to the third symbol request,

wherein a style of the displayed third identifier is changed from the second style to the first style when the plurality of symbols belonging to the third symbol set are displayed.

47. A method for storing and displaying symbols used for a message transmitted by a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a message input screen;

displaying a symbol input menu that includes a plurality of categories and a first symbol set of a plurality of symbol sets in response to a first input, wherein the first symbol set includes at least one symbol and is associated with a first category of the plurality of categories;

displaying a second symbol set of the plurality of symbol sets that is associated with a second category in response to a second input, the first symbol set being replaced by the second symbol set; and

entering a symbol selected from the second symbol set in the message to be transmitted in response to a third input,

wherein;

the selected symbol is assigned to a highest priority position in a priority category symbol set when the third input is received;

the priority category symbol set comprises at least one symbol that is assigned to the priority category symbol set based on a use history; and

the priority category symbol set is not the same as the first symbol set and the second symbol set.