Single page soft input panels for larger character sets

• US 8,952,897 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Agrawal, Anukrati, Chang, Daniel, Garde, Sameer, Dalia, Parul
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US13/713,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 345/171, 715/773, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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

Embodiments of a soft input panel (SIP) for an electronic device are disclosed. The SIP can be configured for entering text in a non-English language that uses a more numerous character set than does English. The characters used in the language that are available to be entered using the SIP can be available to be entered using keys on a single page of keys without switching to a different page of keys or using function keys. At least one of the keys of the SIP is a base key that is configured to open a picker window when activated. The picker window comprises plural picker keys that allow a user to select from plural different characters associated with the base key.

Claims

1. A soft input panel (SIP) for an electronic device, wherein the SIP is configured for entering text in a non-English language, wherein the vowels, consonants, and diacritics used in the non-English language that are available to be entered using the SIP are available to be entered using keys on a main page of keys without switching to a different page of keys or using function keys, and wherein at least one of the keys of the SIP is a diacritic base key that is configured to open a diacritic picker window when activated, the diacritic picker window comprising plural diacritic picker keys, the plural diacritic picker keys representing different diacritics used in the non-English language;

wherein a plurality of the keys are vowel base keys configured to open a vowel picker window when activated, the vowel picker window comprising a short form vowel key and a long form vowel key;

wherein joining vowels of the non-English language are grouped together in a first group of keys and independent vowels of the non-English language are grouped together in a second group of keys adjacent to the first group of keys; and

wherein consonants of the non-English language are grouped together in a third group of keys, at least one key of the third group of keys comprising a consonant base key configured to open a consonant picker window when activated, the consonant picker window comprising a plurality of consonant picker keys each associated with a different consonant of the non-English language.

2. The SIP of claim 1, wherein when the diacritic base key is activated the diacritic picker window appears adjacent to the diacritic base key, wherein activating one of the diacritic picker keys selects a diacritic associated with the activated diacritic picker key and closes the diacritic picker window, and wherein the SIP is configured to append the selected diacritic to a consonant or a vowel that was previously selected using a key of the SIP other than the diacritic base key.

3. The SIP of claim 1, wherein every diacritic available via the SIP is available via the diacritic base key.

4. The SIP of claim 1, wherein the SIP comprises a row of keys comprising a group of joining vowel keys, a group of independent vowel keys, and the diacritic base key.

5. The SIP of claim 1, wherein the first group of keys comprises a plurality of adjacently positioned joining vowel base keys, the joining vowel base keys being configured to activate respective vowel picker windows having two or more respective vowel picker keys, the two or more vowel picker keys comprising the long form vowel picker key for selecting a long form of an associated joining vowel and the short form vowel picker key for selecting a short form of the associated joining vowel.

6. The SIP of claim 5, wherein the joining vowel base keys are configured to, when touched and released, select a default one of the short form of the associated vowel or the long form of the associated vowel without any of the associated picker keys being activated.

7. The SIP of claim 6, wherein each of the joining vowel keys are configured to, when touched and released, selected the short form of the associated joining vowel without any of the picker keys being activated.

8. The SIP of claim 1, wherein the second group of keys comprises a plurality of adjacently positioned independent vowel base keys, the independent vowel base keys activating a respective vowel picker window having two or more vowel picker keys, the two or more vowel picker keys comprising a long form vowel picker key for selecting the long form of an associated independent vowel and a short form vowel picker key for selecting the short form of the associated independent vowel.

9. The SIP of claim 8, wherein each of the joining vowel base keys and the independent vowel base keys are configured to, when touched and released, select a short form of the respective associated vowel without any associated picker keys being activated.

10. The SIP of claim 1, wherein all vowels of the non-English language are grouped together in a row of keys on the main page of the SIP.

11. The SIP of claim 1, wherein the consonant base key has an associated picker comprising plural consonant picker keys.

12. The SIP of claim 11, wherein the plural consonant picker keys represent a group of consonants grouped together by sound.

13. The SIP of claim 11, wherein the plural consonant picker keys represent a group consonants grouped together by frequency of usage.

14. The SIP of claim 1, wherein the vowels, consonants, and diacritics available to be entered using the SIP are available to be entered without using any key that has a primary purpose of changing the function of other keys.

15. An electronic device comprising a touchscreen, the touchscreen being configured to be used as a soft input panel (SIP) for the electronic device, wherein the SIP is configured for entering text in a non-English language, wherein the characters used in the language are available to be entered with the SIP without switching between different pages of keys and without using a function key, wherein at least one of the keys on the main page of keys is a diacritic base key that is configured to open a diacritic picker window when activated, the diacritic picker window comprising plural diacritic picker keys, the plural diacritic picker keys representing different diacritics used in the language, wherein the SIP comprises a plurality of vowel keys grouped together in a row separate from consonant keys, the plurality of vowel keys comprising one vowel key for each vowel of the language, wherein each vowel key is configured to select either a short form or a long form of the respective vowel when touched and released, wherein the plurality of vowel keys comprises a plurality of joining vowel keys grouped together in a first portion of the row and a plurality of independent vowel keys grouped together in a second portion of the row, the second portion of the row adjoining the first portion of the row, wherein each of the independent vowel keys in the second portion of the row is configured to open an associated picker window when activated, each picker window comprising a first picker key for a long form of the respective independent vowel and a second picker key for a short form of the respective vowel.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the SIP comprises a plurality of consonant keys, at least one of the consonant keys being a consonant base key that is configured to open a consonant picker window when activated, the consonant picker window comprising a plurality of consonant picker keys associated with plurality of consonants grouped together by sound.

17. An electronic device comprising a touchscreen, the touchscreen being configured to be used as a soft input panel (SIP) for the electronic device, wherein the SIP is configured for entering text in a non-English language, wherein the vowels, consonants and diacritics used in the language are available to be entered with the SIP without switching between different pages of keys and without using a function key;

wherein at least one of the keys is a diacritic base key that is configured to open a diacritic picker window when activated, the diacritic picker window comprising plural diacritic picker keys, the plural diacritic picker keys representing different diacritics used in the language;

wherein a plurality of the keys are vowel base keys configured to open a vowel picker window when activated, the vowel picker window comprising a short form vowel key and a long form vowel key;

wherein joining vowels of the language are grouped together in a first group of keys and independent vowels of the language are grouped together in a second group of keys adjacent to the first group of keys; and

wherein consonants of the language are grouped together in a third group of keys, at least one key of the third group of keys comprising a consonant base key configured to open a consonant picker window when activated, the consonant picker window comprising a plurality of consonant picker keys each associated with a different consonant of the language.