Method and apparatus for altering key function of software input panel and recording medium thereof

• US 8,558,798 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yu-Chuan, Weng, Hung-I
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US12/339,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20090256806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 345/172, 345/156, 345/168, 358/1.15, 714/157, 422/68.1
• US Class Current: 345/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for altering a key function of a software input panel (SIP) of an electronic device and a recording medium thereof are provided, wherein the SIP includes a plurality of keys, and the number and layout of the keys are fixed. In the present method, first, an operating interface of an electronic device is switched, wherein the operating interface includes the SIP. Then, each key of the SIP is switched to an input word corresponding to the operating interface. As a result, the input word corresponding to each key of the SIP is automatically altered according to the current operating interface, and accordingly inputting through the SIP is made very convenient.

Claims

1. A method for altering a key function of a software input panel (SIP) of an electronic device, wherein the SIP comprises a plurality of keys with a fixed quantity and a fixed layout, and each of the keys is corresponding to a plurality of input words, the method comprising:

displaying a first operating interface comprising the SIP;

altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the first operating interface;

switching from the first operating interface to a second operating interface comprising the SIP, wherein the quantity and the layout of the keys within the SIP are fixed before and after switching; and

altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the second operating interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of switching from the first operating interface to the second operating interface comprises at least one of the following steps:

switching an executed application program;

switching an input field of an executed application program;

switching a function of an executed application program; and

switching an executed operation mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a touch screen for receiving a key selecting instruction so as to select one of the keys.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the keys comprise a space key and the input words corresponding to the space key comprise at least a blank character and a domain name string, after the step of altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the second operating interface, the method further comprises:

receiving the key selecting instruction; and

inputting the input word corresponding to the selected key at a cursor position of the electronic device, wherein the domain name string is inputted at the cursor position of the electronic device if the selected key is the space key.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein each of the keys is corresponding to a key display area in the touch screen, and the key display area is used for displaying at least one input word corresponding to the key, and the method further comprises:

keeping a surface area and a shape of the key display area unchanged when at least one input word corresponding to each of the keys is displayed.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the SIP comprises a symbol table switch key for switching a symbol table, wherein the symbol table comprises a plurality of input symbols, and after the step of altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the second operating interface, the method further comprises:

deleting the input symbols in the symbol table not corresponding to the second operating interface.

7. An apparatus for altering a key function of a software input panel (SIP), comprising:

an operating interface switch module, for switching an electronic device from a first operating interface comprising the SIP to a second operating interface comprising the SIP, wherein the SIP having a plurality of keys with a fixed quantity and a fixed layout, the quantity and the layout of the keys are fixed before and after switching and each of the keys is corresponding to a plurality of input words; and

a key function altering module, for altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the first operating interface when the first operating interface is displayed, and for altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the second operating interface when the second operating interface is displayed.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operating interface switch module is used for switching an executed application program, switching an input field of an executed application program, switching a function of an executed application program, and switching an executed operation mode.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising:

a touch screen, for receiving a key selecting instruction so as to select one of the keys.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the keys comprise a space key and the input words corresponding to the space key comprise at least a blank character and a domain name string, and the apparatus further comprising:

a processing module, for inputting the input word corresponding to the selected key at a cursor position of the electronic device after the touch screen receives the key selecting instruction, wherein the domain name string is inputted at the cursor position of the electronic device if the selected key is the space key.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising:

a SIP rendering module, for displaying the SIP in the touch screen and displaying at least one input word corresponding to each of the keys in a key display area corresponding to the key, wherein a surface area and a shape of the key display area are kept unchanged when the SIP rendering module displays at least one input word corresponding to each of the keys.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the SIP comprises a symbol table switch key for switching a symbol table, wherein the symbol table comprises a plurality of input symbols, and after switching to the second operating interface, the key function altering module is used for deleting the input symbols in the symbol table not corresponding to the second operating interface.

13. A non-transitory recording medium, for recording a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises a plurality of program codes and is loaded into an electronic device to allow the electronic device to execute a method for altering a key function of a SIP, wherein the method comprises:

displaying a first operating interface comprising the SIP, wherein the SIP having a plurality of keys with a fixed quantity and a fixed layout, and each of the keys is corresponding to a plurality of input words;

altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the first operating interface;

switching from the first operating interface to a second operating interface comprising the SIP, wherein the quantity and the layout of the keys are fixed before and after switching; and

altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the second operating interface.

14. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 13, wherein the step of switching from the first operating interface to the second operating interface comprises at least one of the following steps:

switching an executed application program;

switching an input field of an executed application program;

switching a function of an executed application program; and

switching an executed operation mode.

15. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device further comprises a touch screen for receiving a key selecting instruction so as to select one of the keys.

16. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the keys comprise a space key and the input words corresponding to the space key comprise at least a blank character and a domain name string, after the step of altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the second operating interface, the method further comprises:

receiving the key selecting instruction; and

inputting the input word corresponding to the selected key at a cursor position of the electronic device, wherein the domain name string is inputted at the cursor position of the electronic device if the selected key is the space key.

17. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 15, wherein each of the keys is corresponding to a key display area in the touch screen, and the key display area is used for displaying at least one input word corresponding to the key, the method further comprises:

keeping a surface area and a shape of the key display area unchanged when at least one input word corresponding to each of the keys is displayed.

18. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 13, wherein the SIP comprises a symbol table switch key for switching a symbol table, wherein the symbol table comprises a plurality of input symbols, and after the step of altering one of the keys for inputting one or more of the corresponding input words according to the second operating interface, the method further comprises:

deleting the input symbols in the symbol table not corresponding to the second operating interface.