CHARACTER INPUT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20070298785A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Sung-Jun
• Application Number:
  US11/769,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20070298785A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/425
• 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 3/04883 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: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

Provided is a character input method and device for a mobile terminal. The device includes a touch sensor, a memory, and a controller. The touch sensor senses a user'"'"'s touch, and generates a sensing signal. The memory stores at least one character mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between a character and a touch type. In a character input mode, the controller analyzes the sensing signal from the touch sensor, determines the touch type, accesses the character mapping table, and identifies an input character depending on the touch type.

Claims

1. A character input method for a mobile terminal having a touch sensor, the method comprising:

analyzing a sensing signal from the touch sensor, and determining a touch type, in a character input mode; and

identifying an input character depending on the touch type, using a character mapping table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step comprises:

checking whether the touch type indicates an input mode conversion; and

accessing a character mapping table based on a current input mode, and identifying the input character depending on the touch type, when the touch type does not indicate the input mode conversion.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising converting an input mode when the touch type indicates the input mode conversion.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the character input mode comprises at least one of a numeral input mode, an English input mode, a Korean input mode, and a special character input mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch type comprises at least one of touch duration, number of sequential taps, and slide direction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising finalizing and displaying the identified input character on a display window.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the determined touch type on a display window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

checking whether the sensing signal is generated from the touch sensor; and

analyzing the sensing signal, and determining touch duration time, number of sequential taps, and slide direction upon generation of the sensing signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is one of a touch pad and a touch screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the character mapping table is one of a mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between a numeral and a touch type, a mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between Korean alphabet and a touch type, a mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between English alphabet and a touch type, and a mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between special characters and a touch type.

11. A character input device for a mobile terminal, the device comprising:

a touch sensor for sensing a user'"'"'s touch, and for generating a sensing signal;

a memory for storing at least one character mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between a character and a touch type; and

a controller for, in a character input mode, analyzing the sensing signal, determining the touch type, accessing the character mapping table, and identifying an input character depending on the touch type.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the controller converts an input mode when the touch type indicates input mode conversion.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the character input mode comprises at least one of a numeral input mode, an English alphabet input mode, a Korean alphabet input mode, and a special character input mode.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the touch type comprises at least one of touch duration, number of sequential taps, and slide direction.

15. The device of claim 11, further comprising a display unit for displaying the determined touch type.

16. The device of claim 11, further comprising a display unit for displaying the identified input character.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the touch sensor is one of a touch pad and a touch screen.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the character mapping table is one of a mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between a numeral and a touch type, a mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between Korean alphabet and a touch type, a mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between English alphabet and a touch type, and a mapping table for storing a mapping relationship between special characters and a touch type.

19. A character input device for a mobile terminal, the device comprising:

means for analyzing a sensing signal from a touch sensor, and determining a touch type, in a character input mode; and

means for identifying an input character depending on the touch type, using a character mapping table.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the means for identifying, in order to perform identifying, performs the steps of:

checking whether the touch type indicates an input mode conversion; and

accessing a character mapping table based on a current input mode, and identifying the input character depending on the touch type, when the touch type does not indicate the input mode conversion.