Data input

• US 20020054153A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invention Investment Ireland, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Arnold, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 6,812,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Current portable radiotelephones generally comprise at a least a numeric keypad, for composing telephone numbers, and a number of additional function keys, for initiating communications to a desired telephone number, turning the radiotelephone on and off etc. It is also common for the numeric keypad to also contain alphabetic representations, for allowing the construction of textual messages. Typically, each numeric key represents three alphabetic characters, for example, the numeric key ‘2’ often also represents characters ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. During the construction of a textual message, each press of a numeric key causes a display to cycle through each character represented by that key. For example, a first press of numeric key ‘2’ would cause the character ‘A’ to be displayed, a second press would cause the character ‘B’ to be displayed and so on. When the desired character is displayed, a further character may be entered either after a short delay, or by pressing another key. In this way textual messages may be constructed. A textual message may then be transmitted to another user in a variety of ways which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

One problem with the above method is that the construction of textual messages is somewhat arduous since each key may require multiple presses in order to select the required character.

The present invention aims to provide improved data input.

Claims

1. Apparatus for selecting a character from a predetermined set of characters comprising:

a means for presenting to a user a first plurality of selectable choices, at least one of which represents a sub-set of said set of characters;

input means for selecting one of said first plurality of selectable choices;

wherein the means for presenting further presents to a user a second plurality of selectable choices, at least one of which represents a character of said selected choice; and

wherein the input means further functions for selecting a character from said second plurality of selectable choices.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input means is a directional input means having a predetermined number of predetermined directional inputs.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the means for presenting presents the selectable choices in a segmented arrangement, wherein each segment of said segmented arrangement corresponds to one of said predetermined directional inputs.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the input means selects one of said selectable choices corresponding to a selected directional input.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein no selectable choice is presented in respect of said second plurality of selectable choices in the segment corresponding to the selected one of said first plurality of selectable choices.

6. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the input means is a directional joystick control.

7. The apparatus of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the input means is an array of spatially aligned input actuators.

8. A portable radiotelephone comprising the apparatus of any of claims 1 to 7.

9. A method of selecting a character from a predetermined set of characters comprising:

presenting to a user a first plurality of selectable choices, at least one of which represents a sub-set of said set of characters;

selecting one of said first plurality of selectable choices;

presenting to a user a second plurality of selectable choices, at least one of which represents a character of said selected choice; and

selecting a character from said second plurality of selectable choices.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the steps of selecting comprise accepting inputs from a predetermined number of predetermined directional inputs.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the steps of presenting further comprise presenting the selectable choices in a segmented arrangement, wherein each segment of said segmented arrangement corresponds to one of said predetermined directional inputs.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the steps of selecting further comprise selecting one of said selectable choices corresponding to a selected directional input.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of presenting said second plurality of selectable choices comprises not presenting a selectable choice in the segment corresponding to the selected one of said first plurality of selectable choices.

15. The input means of claim 14 wherein the input means is a joystick.

16. The input means of claim 14, wherein the input means is multi-positional device.

14. An input means for providing directional signals to a device, the input means having a plurality of predetermined directional inputs and a controller for determining an actuation of the input means and for determining the direction of said actuation, wherein the controller further comprises:

a memory for storing a predetermined sequence of direction actuations; and

a processor for blocking the directional signals to the device if a series of actuations of the input device do not match the predetermined sequence.

17. A method of supplying directional signals to a device from an input means having a plurality of predetermined directional inputs comprising:

storing a predetermined sequence of direction actuations;

determining an actuation of the input means and determining the direction of said actuation;

blocking the directional signals if a series of actuations of the input device do not match the predetermined sequence.

18. Apparatus for selecting a character from a predetermined set of characters substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A portable radiotelephone having apparatus for selecting a character from a predetermined set of characters, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A method for selecting a character from a predetermined set of characters substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.