Letter input method and apparatus of portable terminal

• US 8,826,167 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Dong Joon, Kim, Bum Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dasgupta, Shourjo
• Application Number:
  US13/155,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/771, 715/825, 715/837, 715/840, 345156-184, 345/467
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A text input method and apparatus of a portable terminal supporting a virtual keypad including a plurality of character keys are provided. The method includes displaying, when a text input mode is activated, a virtual keypad including a plurality of key regions, each key region being assigned plural letters, compounding, when a touch movement event is detected on the virtual keypad, letters assigned to a first key region to which a touch-down event is made with letters assigned to a second key region to which a touch-up event is made into compound letters, displaying the compound letters, and inputting, when a compound letter is selected, the compound letter selected.

Claims

1. A text input method of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

displaying, when a text input mode is activated, a virtual keypad including a plurality of key regions, each key region being assigned plural letters;

compounding, when a touch movement event is detected on the virtual keypad, each of the plural letters assigned to a first key region to which a touch-down event is made with each of the plural letters assigned to a second key region to which a touch-up event is made into a plurality of new key regions, each new key region comprising a compound letter consisting of a first letter from one of the first key region and the second key region and a second letter from the other of the first key region and the second key region, wherein each compound letter of each new key region is different from the compound letters in each of the other new key regions;

displaying the plurality of compound letters; and

inputting, when a compound letter is selected from the displayed plurality of compound letters, the compound letter selected.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compounding, when one of a double touch event in which a touch input event is made twice to a same key region within a predetermined period of time, a long touch event in which a touch-down event is maintained at a key region over a predetermined time, and a return touch movement event in which a touch-up event follows after movement at a same key region to which a touch-down event has occurred, letters assigned to the respective key region; and

displaying the plurality of compound letters.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying, when a touch event is detected on the virtual keypad, an auxiliary keypad comprising letters assigned to a key region to which the touch event is made; and

inputting a letter selected from the auxiliary keypad.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

inputting, when a touch event is detected on the virtual keypad, a first letter among letters assigned to a key region to which the touch event is made; and

replacing, if a touch event is detected at the key region again before a confirmation of the first letter, the first letter with a next letter.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising discriminating the double touch event from a sequential touch event based on a predetermined reference time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compounding, when a sequential multi-touch event in which a second touch is made to a second key region while a first touch is maintained to a first key region, letters assigned to the respective key regions into compound letters; and

displaying the plurality of compound letters.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the compounding of the letters assigned to the key regions into the plurality of compound letters comprises creating each compound letter by placing one of the letters assigned to the key region to which the first touch is made before one of the letters assigned to the key region to which the second touch is made.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a candidate word window comprising at least one candidate word predicted to be input based on previously input letters.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, when a touch event is detected in the candidate word window, inputting a candidate word to which the touch event is made.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the plurality of compound letters comprises at least one of:

replacing letters arranged on the virtual keypad with the plurality of compound letters; and

displaying a compound keypad comprising the plurality of compound letters in a form of a popup window.

11. A text input apparatus of a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying, when a text input mode is activated, a virtual keypad including a plurality of key regions, each key region being assigned plural letters;

a touch sensing unit for detecting a touch even made on the virtual keypad; and

a control unit for compounding, when a touch movement event is detected on the virtual keypad, each of the plural letters assigned to a first key region to which a touch-down event is made with each of the plural letters assigned to a second key region to which a touch-up event is made into a plurality of new key regions, each new key region comprising a compound letter consisting of a first letter from one of the first key region and the second key region and a second letter from the other of the first key region and the second key region, wherein each compound letter of each new key region is different from the compound letters in each of the other new key regions, for displaying the plurality of compound letters on the display unit, and for presenting, when a compound letter is selected from the displayed plurality of compound letters, the selected compound letter in a text presentation region.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit compounds, when one of a double touch event in which a touch is made twice to a same key region within a predetermined period of time, a long touch event in which a touch-down event is maintained over a predetermined time, and a return touch movement event in which a touch-up event follows after movement at a same key region to which a touch-down event has occurred, letters assigned to the respective key region, and displays the plurality of compound letters on the display unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit displays, when a touch event is detected on the virtual keypad, an auxiliary keypad comprising letters assigned to a key region to which the touch event is made, and inputs a letter selected from the auxiliary keypad.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit inputs, when a touch event is detected on the virtual keypad, a first letter among letters assigned to a key region to which the touch event is made, and replaces, when a touch event is detected at the key region again before confirmation of the first letter, the first letter with a next letter.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a storage unit for storing a reference time for discriminating the double touch from a sequential touch event.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit compounds, when a multi-touch event on the virtual keypad is detected, letters assigned to respective key regions into the plurality of compound letters, and displays the plurality of compound letters.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the multi-touch event comprises a sequential multi-touch event in which a second touch event is made to a second key region while a first touch event is maintained to a first key region.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control unit creates, when the sequential multi-touch is detected, each compound letter by placing one of the letters assigned to the first key region before one of the letters assigned to the second key region.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display a candidate word window comprising at least one candidate word predicted to be input based on input letters.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control unit inputs, when a touch event is detected in the candidate word window, a candidate word to which the touch event is made.