Method and apparatus for inputting text in electronic device having touchscreen

• US 9,946,458 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jihoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US14/242,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20140310627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method of inputting text in an electronic device having a touch screen is provided. The method includes displaying a screen including a keypad and a character input window, displaying a recommended text related to a character on a candidate window when an input of the character is detected through the keypad, detecting a gesture of a touch input according to the recommended text, and displaying a recommended text to which a style corresponding to the gesture is applied on the character input window.

Claims

1. A method of inputting text in an electronic device comprising a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying a screen including a keypad, a character input window, and a candidate window;

in response to a detection of an input of a character through the keypad, displaying recommended texts including the inputted character in the candidate window;

detecting a gesture over a recommended text among the recommended texts, a style of the recommended text being determined based on a type of the gesture; and

in response to detecting the gesture over the recommended text, displaying the recommended text, to which the determined style is applied, in the character input window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the gesture comprises a drag, the style is determined according to a direction of the drag.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein, when the gesture comprises a single horizontal drag, the style comprises an underline,

wherein, when the gesture comprises a back and forth horizontal drag, the style comprises a boldface,

wherein, when the gesture comprises a diagonal drag, the style comprises an inclination, and

wherein, when the drag comprises a vertical direction, the style comprises adjusting a text size according to the drag.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, when the vertical drag is maintained for a threshold period of time, a text size adjustment tool is displayed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the recommended text in the character input window comprises displaying a text to which a style corresponding to a moving direction of the gesture is applied.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the screen comprises, when a cursor is displayed in the character input window, displaying a sentence style candidate group in the candidate window.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen configured to display a character input window, a keypad, and a candidate window; and

at least one processor configured to;

detect an input of a character through the keypad,

in response to the detection of the input of the character, control to display recommended texts including the inputted character in the candidate window,

detect a gesture over a recommended text among the recommended texts, a style of the recommended text being determined based on a type of the gesture, and

in response to detecting the gesture over the recommended text, control to display the recommended text, to which the determined style is applied, in the character input window.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein, if the gesture comprises a drag, the style is determined according to a direction of the drag.

9. The electronic device of claim 8,

wherein, if the gesture comprises a single horizontal drag, the style comprises an underline,

wherein, if the gesture comprises a back and forth horizontal drag, the style comprises a boldface,

wherein, if the gesture comprises a diagonal drag, the style comprises an inclination, and

wherein, if the drag comprises a vertical direction, the style comprises adjusting a text size according to the drag.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein, if the vertical drag is maintained for a threshold period of time, a text size adjustment tool is displayed.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control a text, to which a style corresponding to a moving direction of the gesture is applied, to be displayed in the character input window.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, when a cursor is displayed in the character input window, control a sentence style candidate group to be displayed.