Method and apparatus for inputting characters in a mobile communication terminal

• US 9,176,659 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Won Joo, Kim, Yu Ran, Park, Mi Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Riegler, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAN, PHOEBE X
• Application Number:
  US12/102,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,759 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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 apparatus which efficiently inputs characters through a touch screen in a mobile communication terminal is provided. The method, for inputting characters through a touch screen in a mobile communication terminal, includes displaying a virtual keyboard including a plurality of keyboard keys on the touch screen in response to a character input request, inputting an input signal through the touch screen; and inputting a corresponding character, if the input signal is a click signal. If the input signal is a drag signal, the virtual keyboard is moved. Therefore, the character input method and apparatus display a virtual keyboard that is greater than the touch screen and thus reduce the user character input errors.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a keyboard and receiving an input through a touch screen in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

displaying a virtual keyboard having a first orientation on the touch screen, wherein, in the first orientation, a first plurality of keys of the virtual keyboard displayed near the center of the touch screen are displayed more prominently than keys displayed away from the center of the touch screen;

displaying an input portion on the touch screen;

detecting an input signal on the displayed virtual keyboard having the first orientation;

displaying a character corresponding to the input signal in the input portion when the detected input signal is a touch and release signal; and

moving the keys in the displayed virtual keyboard to have a second orientation on the touch screen when the detected input signal is a touch and drag signal,

wherein, in the second orientation, a second plurality of keys of the virtual keyboard displayed near the center of the touch screen are displayed more prominently than keys displayed away from the center of the touch screen, and wherein the second plurality of keys is different from but not entirely exclusive of the first plurality of keys.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the virtual keyboard having the first orientation comprises displaying fewer than all keys of the virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying of the virtual keyboard having the second orientation comprises displaying fewer than all keys of the virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the virtual keyboard having the first orientation comprises displaying all keys of the virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the displaying of the virtual keyboard having the second orientation comprises displaying all keys of the virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard comprises blank areas which are spaces between the keys.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard comprises a QWERTY keyboard.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the virtual keyboard having the first orientation comprises displaying the virtual keyboard having a cylindrical shape such that each key of the virtual keyboard is displayed having smaller size as compared to the other keys of the virtual keyboard as its distance from the center of the touch screen increases.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying of the virtual keyboard having the second orientation comprises displaying the virtual keyboard having a cylindrical shape such that each key of the virtual keyboard is displayed having smaller size as compared to the other keys of the virtual keyboard as its distance from the center of the touch screen increases.

10. An apparatus for displaying a keyboard and receiving an input through a touch screen in a mobile communication terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a storage unit;

a key input determining unit configured to detect an input signal on a displayed virtual keyboard having a first orientation; and

a keyboard processing unit configured to display the virtual keyboard having the first orientation on the touch screen, wherein, in the first orientation, a first plurality of keys of the virtual keyboard displayed near the center of the touch screen are displayed more prominently than keys displayed away from the center of the touch screen, to display an input portion on the touch screen, to display a character corresponding to the input signal in the input portion when the detected input signal is a touch and release signal, and to move the keys in the displayed virtual keyboard to have a second orientation on the touch screen when the detected input signal is a touch and drag signal,

wherein, in the second orientation, a second plurality of keys of the virtual keyboard displayed near the center of the touch screen are displayed more prominently than keys displayed away from the center of the touch screen, and wherein the second plurality of keys is different from but not entirely exclusive of the first plurality of keys.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the keyboard processing unit is further configured to display the virtual keyboard having the first orientation by displaying fewer than all keys of the virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the keyboard processing unit is further configured to display the virtual keyboard having the second orientation by displaying fewer than all keys of the virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the keyboard processing unit is further configured to display the virtual keyboard having the first orientation by displaying all keys of the virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the keyboard processing unit is further configured to display the virtual keyboard having the second orientation by displaying all keys of the virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the virtual keyboard comprises blank areas which are spaces between the keys.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the virtual keyboard comprises a QWERTY keyboard.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the keyboard processing unit is further configured to display the virtual keyboard having the first orientation by displaying the virtual keyboard having a cylindrical shape such that each key of the virtual keyboard is displayed having smaller size as compared to the other keys of the virtual keyboard as its distance from the center of the touch screen increases.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the keyboard processing unit is further configured to display the virtual keyboard having the second orientation by displaying the virtual keyboard having a cylindrical shape such that each key of the virtual keyboard is displayed having smaller size as compared to the other keys of the virtual keyboard as its distance from the center of the touch screen increases.