Entry of words with thumbwheel by disambiguation

• US 6,392,640 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cognitive Research and Design Corp.
• Inventors: Will, Craig Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/536,859
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145, 345/146, 345/352, 345/184, 345/156, 345/157, 345/160, 345/162, 345/163, 345/167, 345/811, 345/810, 345/816, 345/841
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• 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: H01H 2019/146 Roller type actuators
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/008 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being perpendicular to the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• 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

An improved method and apparatus for entering words with a menu and thumbwheel. A menu and thumbwheel is an effective user interface for certain specialized miniature information appliances, including personal digital assistants, two-way pagers, and handheld wireless Web access devices. However, entering text can be rather tedious. In the present invention, the average entry speed is increased by using menus in which each item contains more than one letter. The user enters the first few letters of a word ambiguously, with the system retrieving from a dictionary those words consistent with the letters and displaying them as part of the menu. When the user sees the desired word, that word is selected. The system can also learn which words a particular user is likely to enter, further speeding up entry. The approach is applicable to the entry of words to compose natural language text as well as the entry of names, electronic mail, and Web addresses for use with electronic mail, directory lookup, and Web browsing.

Claims

1. A method for entering words into a computer system, comprising the steps of:

displaying an ordered sequence of items, wherein at least two of the items comprise two or more characters, and wherein one item in the ordered sequence is designated by displaying it in a manner different from the others;

moving the designation of an item in response to the movement of a rotating cylinder until a desired character is contained in the item being designated, with the force required for the movement of the rotating cylinder varying depending upon the relationship of the cylinder position with an item;

selecting the designated item, thus ambiguously selecting one of the two or more characters, by pressing a button;

adding the group of characters corresponding to the selected item to a sequence of groups of characters that ambiguously describe the beginning sequence of characters of a desired word;

retrieving at least one word from a memory consistent with the sequence of selected groups of characters;

adding the at least one word to the ordered sequence of items;

displaying the at least one word added;

selecting the desired word by moving the cylinder so as to designate the desired word and pressing the button.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

selecting a menu item representing a particular character from the two or more characters.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

removing those words from the ordered sequence of items that do not contain the particular character selected in the corresponding position.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

determining the comparative effectiveness in reducing the number of words consistent with the current input resulting from selecting an additional ambiguous two or more characters as opposed to selecting a particular character.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

indicating to the user the comparative effectiveness in reducing the number of words consistent with the current input resulting from selecting an additional ambiguous two or more characters as opposed to selecting a particular character.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

determining the comparative effectiveness in reducing the number of words consistent with the current input resulting from selecting a particular character for different letter positions, and indicating to the user the most effective letter position.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the word retrieved from memory that is most likely to be the desired word is displayed in a position in the menu closest to the nearest item comprising a plurality of letters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ordered sequence of items is displayed in at least two vertical columns, with one column displaying at least some of the alphabetic input items, and the other column displaying at least one word retrieved from the memory.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the word selected represents the address of an entity in a computer system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the word selected comprises an electronic mail address.

11. An apparatus for entering text into a computer system, comprising:

a display for displaying an ordered sequence of items, wherein at least two of the items comprise an alphabetic input item, each alphabetic input item comprising two or more letters, thus allowing an ambiguous selection of one of the two or more letters, and in which one of the items in the ordered sequence is designated by displaying it in a manner different from the others;

a cylinder that, when rotated, moves the designation of the item in the ordered sequence, with the force required for the movement of the rotating cylinder varying depending upon the relationship of the cylinder position with an item;

a button that, when pressed, selects the alphabetic input item currently designated;

a memory containing a list of words that can be entered into the computer system;

a microprocessor connected to the display, cylinder, and button, the microprocessor adding the selected alphabetic input items to a sequence of selected alphabetic input items that ambiguously describe the beginning letters of a desired word, retrieve at least one word from memory based on the sequence of selected alphabetic input items, adding the at least one word retrieved from memory to the ordered sequence of items, and displaying the at least one word retrieved from memory.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the microprocessor accepts the selection of a menu item representing a particular character from the two or more characters.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor removes those words from the ordered sequence of items that do not contain the particular character selected in the corresponding position.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the microprocessor determines the comparative effectiveness in reducing the number of words consistent with the current input resulting from selecting an additional ambiguous two or more characters as opposed to selecting a particular character.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the microprocessor indicates to the user the comparative effectiveness in reducing the number of words consistent with the current input resulting from selecting an additional ambiguous two or more characters as opposed to selecting a particular character.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the microprocessor determines the comparative effectiveness in reducing the number of words consistent with the current input resulting from selecting a particular character for different letter positions, and indicates to the user the most effective letter position.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the word retrieved from memory that is most likely to be the desired word is displayed in a position in the menu closest to the nearest item comprising a plurality of letters.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ordered sequence of items is displayed in at least two vertical columns, with one column displaying at least some of the alphabetic input items, and the other column displaying at least one word retrieved from the memory.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the word selected represents the address of an entity in a computer system.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the word selected comprises an electronic mail address.