CHARACTER INPUT METHOD AND MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL USING THE SAME

• US 20080001788A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: MIN, Byung Jo, Hong, Jun Il, Jun, Ick Bae
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A character input method and a mobile communication terminal using the method. The character input method includes: finding, in response to input of a key in a character input mode, at least one mapping of the key; creating, if the key has at least two mappings, a string selection list containing characters mapped by the mappings; displaying the string selection list; and displaying, if one of the strings in the string selection list is selected, the selected string in an input window. As a result, the user can conveniently input various pieces of information mapped to keys, including letters and numbers, to a mobile communication terminal without switching of input modes.

Claims

1. A character input method for a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

finding, in response to input of a key in a character input mode, at least one mapping of the key;

creating, if the key has at least two mappings, a string selection list containing strings of characters mapped by the mappings;

displaying the string selection list; and

displaying, if one of the strings in the string selection list is selected, the selected string in an input window.

2. The character input method of claim 1, wherein in the creating a string selection list step, in response to successive input of keys having at least two mappings, strings of mapped characters corresponding to individual kinds of mappings are created, wherein all of the mapped characters within a string correspond to the same kind of mapping, and the string selection list containing the strings of mapped characters is generated.

3. The character input method of claim 2, wherein the creating a string selection list step further comprises:

extracting, if a digit string is present among the strings of mapped characters, a phone number containing the digit string from a pre-stored phonebook;

extracting a name associated with the phone number; and

inserting the extracted phone number and name into the string selection list.

4. The character input method of claim 2, wherein the creating a string selection list step further comprises:

selecting, if a digit string is present among the strings of mapped characters, a commonly used expression associated with the digit string from pre-stored commonly used expressions; and

inserting the selected commonly used expression into the string selection list.

5. The character input method of claim 3, wherein the creating a string selection list step further comprises:

selecting a commonly used expression associated with the digit string from pre-stored commonly used expressions; and

inserting the selected commonly used expression into the string selection list.

6. The character input method of claim 1, wherein in the displaying the string selection list step, the string selection list is displayed in a form of a popup.

7. The character input method of claim 1, further comprising erasing, in response to input of a key having a single mapping during display of a string selection list, the string selection list.

8. The character input method of claim 7, further comprising disabling display of a string selection list until a word that is being formed composed of mapped characters is completed.

9. The character input method of claim 1, further comprising disabling, if the key has a single mapping, display of a string selection list until a word containing a character mapped by the single mapping is completed.

10. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

an input unit comprising a plurality of keys, each key having at least one mapping;

a key mapping memory for storing the mappings of the keys;

a controller for finding, in response to input of a key, a mapping of the key from the key mapping memory, and for creating, if the key has at least two mappings, a string selection list containing characters mapped by the mappings; and

a display unit for displaying a mapped character of the key and the created string selection list.

11. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein in response to successive input of keys having at least two mappings, the controller creates strings of mapped characters corresponding to individual kinds of mappings, and generates the string selection list containing the strings of mapped characters.

12. The mobile communication terminal of claim 11, further comprising a phonebook memory, and wherein, if a digit string is present among the strings of mapped characters, the controller extracts a phone number containing the digit string and a name associated with the phone number from a phonebook stored in the phonebook memory, and inserts the extracted phone number and name into the string selection list.

13. The mobile communication terminal of claim 11, further comprising a common expression memory for storing commonly used expressions associated with digit strings, and wherein, if a digit string is present among the strings of mapped characters, the controller selects a commonly used expression associated with the digit string from the common expression memory, and inserts the selected commonly used expression into the string selection list.

14. The mobile communication terminal of claim 12, further comprising a common expression memory for storing commonly used expressions associated with digit strings, and wherein, if a digit string is present among the strings of mapped characters, the controller selects a commonly used expression associated with the digit string from the common expression memory, and inserts the selected commonly used expression into the string selection list.

15. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein the display unit comprises an input display area, and wherein the display unit displays the mapped character of the key in the input display area and also displays the string selection list in the form of a popup.

16. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller erases, in response to input of a key having a single mapping during display of a string selection list, the string selection list.

17. The mobile communication terminal of claim 16, wherein the controller disables display of a string selection list until a word that is being formed composed of mapped characters is completed.

18. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller disables, if the key has a single mapping, display of a string selection list until a word containing a character mapped by the single mapping is completed.