USER-INTERFACE FOR ENTERING ALPHANUMERICAL CHARACTERS

• US 20150135121A1
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Control Singapore Pte Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Peh, Beng Tee, Rambouts, Andries Jacob Benoit
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

An information processing system has a display monitor and a user-interface for text entry. The display monitor presents the set of alphanumerical characters in a spatial configuration of three parallel horizontal rows or three parallel vertical columns. The “left”-button and the “right” button of the directional buttons of the user-interface control the selection of a group of alphanumerical characters, one of each of the three parallel arrays and positioned in the same column. The “up”-button and the “down”-button of the directional buttons and the “OK”-button, sitting in between, are used to select a specific one of the alphanumerical characters from the selected group.

Claims

1. An information processing system with a display monitor and a user-interface for enabling a user to interact with the information processing system, wherein:

the user-interface comprises a first control input for, in a first operational mode of the information processing system, enabling the user to control one of;

moving a cursor on a screen of the display monitor in substantially a first orientation relative to the display monitor; and

scrolling in substantially the first orientation;

the user-interface comprises a second control input for, in the first operational mode of the information processing system, enabling the user to control one of;

moving the cursor on the screen in substantially a second orientation relative to the display monitor, different from the first orientation; and

scrolling in substantially the second orientation;

the information processing system has a second operational mode for enabling the user to enter a string of alphanumerical characters into the information processing system via interaction with the user-interface;

in the second operational mode, the information processing system is configured for controlling the display monitor to present a plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters in a spatial configuration comprising a first array of first ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters and a second array of second ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the display monitor is operative to present the first array and the second array as extending in parallel in substantially a same specific one of the first orientation and the second orientation;

furthermore in the second operational mode, the information processing system is configured for;

enabling the user to select a specific combination of a specific one of the first alphanumerical characters and a specific one of the second alphanumerical characters through positioning an indicium at a specific position corresponding with the specific combination in the spatial configuration using one of the first control input and the second control input;

enabling the user to select a particular one of the specific first alphanumerical character and the specific second alphanumerical character through using the other one of the first control input and the second control input

the first control input comprises at least one of the following;

a first set including a first switch for moving the cursor in a first direction in the first orientation and a second switch for moving the cursor in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, in the first orientation;

a scroll wheel for scrolling in the first direction or in the second direction in dependence on a clockwise rotating of the first scroll wheel or an anti-clockwise rotating of the first scroll wheel, respectively;

the second control input comprises;

a second set including a third switch for moving the cursor in a third direction in the second orientation and a fourth switch for moving the cursor in a fourth direction, opposite to the third direction, in the second orientation;

the user-interface comprises a third control input for, in the first operational mode of the information processing system, confirming selection of a menu option by the user after having positioned the cursor at the menu option,

the third control input is positioned in the user-interface between the first switch and the second switch and between the third switch and the fourth switch;

the spatial configuration comprises a third array with third ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the third array substantially extends in the same specific one of the first orientation and the second orientation;

the third array is positioned between the first array and the second array;

in the second operational mode, the information processing system is configured tor enabling the user to select a specific one of the third alphanumerical characters that is located between the specific first alphanumerical character and the specific second alphanumerical character, via the third control input.

8. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the scroll wheel is a clickable scroll wheel arranged to, when clicked, activate the first switch, the second switch, the third switch or the fourth switch.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. Control software for configuring a data processing sub-system of an information processing system, wherein:

the information processing system has a display monitor and a user-interface for enabling a user to interact with the information processing system;

the data processing sub-system has a first interface for interfacing with the display monitor and a second interface for interfacing with the user-interface;

the user-interface comprises a first control input for, in a first operational mode of the information processing system, enabling the user to control one of;

moving a cursor on a screen of the display monitor in substantially a first orientation relative to the display monitor; and

scrolling in substantially the first orientation;

the user-interface comprises a second control input for, in the first operational mode of the information processing system, enabling the user to control one of;

moving the cursor on the screen in substantially a second orientation relative to the display monitor, different from the first orientation; and

scrolling in substantially the second orientation;

the first control input comprises at least one of the following;

a first set including a first switch for moving the cursor in a first direction in the first orientation and a second switch for moving the cursor in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, in the first orientation;

a scroll wheel for scrolling in the first direction or in the second direction in dependence on a clockwise rotating of the first scroll wheel or an anti-clockwise rotating of the first scroll wheel, respectively;

the second control input comprises;

a second set including a third switch for moving the cursor in a third direction in the second orientation and a fourth switch for moving the cursor in a fourth direction, opposite to the third direction, in the second orientation;

the control software comprises first instructions for configuring the information processing system for operating in a second operational mode for enabling the user to enter a string of alphanumerical characters into the information processing system via interaction with the user-interface;

the first instructions comprise second instructions for controlling the display monitor to present a plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters in a spatial configuration comprising a first array of first ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters and a second array of second ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the first array and the second array are presented as extending in parallel in substantially a same specific one of the first orientation and the second orientation.

the first instructions comprise third instructions for selecting a specific combination of a specific one of the first alphanumerical characters and a specific one of the second alphanumerical characters through positioning an indicium at a specific position corresponding with the specific combination in the spatial configuration in response to the user interacting with one of the first control input and the second control input; and

the first instructions comprise fourth instructions for selecting a particular one of the specific first alphanumerical character and the specific second alphanumerical character in response to the user interacting with the other one of the first control input and the second control input

the user-interface comprises a third control input for, in the first operational mode of the information processing system, confirming selection of a menu option by the riser after having positioned the cursor at the menu option,

the third control input is positioned in the user-interface between the first switch and the second switch and between the third switch and the fourth switch;

the spatial configuration comprises a third array with third ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the third array substantially extends in the same specific one of the first orientation and the second orientation;

the third array is positioned between the first array and the second array; and

the first instructions comprise fifth instructions for selecting a specific one of the third alphanumerical characters that is located between the specific first alphanumerical character and the specific second alphanumerical character, in response to the user interacting with, the third control input.

5. (canceled)

6. An interface for use in an information processing system that has a display monitor, and a data processing sub-system for control of the display monitor, wherein:

the interface is configured for interfacing a user-interface with the data processing sub-system;

the user-interface comprises a first control input for, in a first operational mode of the information processing system, enabling the user to control one of;

moving a cursor on a screen of the display monitor in substantially a first orientation relative to the display monitor; and

scrolling in substantially the first orientation;

the user-interface comprises a second control input for, in the first operational mode of the information processing system, enabling the user to control one of;

moving the cursor on the screen in substantially a second orientation relative to the display monitor, different from the first orientation; and

scrolling in substantially the second orientation;

the first control input comprises at least one of the following;

a first set including a first switch for moving the cursor in a first direction in the first orientation and a second switch for moving the cursor in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, in the first orientation;

a scroll wheel for scrolling in the first direction or in the second direction m dependence on a clockwise rotating of the first scroll wheel or an anti-clockwise rotating of the first scroll wheel, respectively;

the second control input comprises;

a second set including a third switch for moving the cursor in a third direction in the second orientation and a fourth switch for moving the cursor in a fourth direction, opposite to the third direction, in the second orientation;

the interface is configured for enabling the user to enter a string of alphanumerical characters into the information processing system via interaction with the user-interface;

the interface is configured for controlling the display monitor to present a plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters in a spatial configuration comprising a first array of first ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters and a second array of second ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the display monitor is operative to present the first array and the second array as extending in parallel in substantially a same specific one of the first orientation and the second orientation;

the interface is configured for;

selecting a specific combination of a specific one of the first alphanumerical characters and a specific one of the second alphanumerical characters through positioning an indicium at a specific position corresponding with the specific combination in the spatial configuration in response to the user interacting with one of the first control input and the second control input; and

selecting a particular one of the specific first alphanumerical character and the specific second alphanumerical character in response to the user interacting with the other one of the first control input and the second control input

the user-interface comprises a third control input for, in the first operational mode of the information processing system, confirming selection of a menu option by the user after having positioned the cursor at the menu option,

the third control input is positioned in the user-interface at least between the first switch and the second switch or between the third switch and the fourth switch;

the spatial configuration comprises a third array with third ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the third array substantially extends m the same specific one of the first orientation and the second orientation;

the third array is positioned between the first array and the second array; and

the interface is configured for selecting a specific one of the third alphanumerical characters that is located between the specific first alphanumerical character and the specific second alphanumerical character, in response to the user interacting with the third control input.

7. (canceled)