Keypad layout for alphabetic character input

• US 6,686,852 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guo, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US09/662,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 341/22, 341/28, 341/23, 400/109, 400/110, 400/484, 345/171, 349/368
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods

Abstract

A layout for a keypad is provided that has a highly regular arrangement of alphabetic characters for ease of use thereof and a highly efficient distribution of the characters to minimize the instances where multiple words are formed from a given sequence of key inputs. The keypad layout is for the Chinese phonetic Bopomofo alphabet. The keypad layout utilizes a top-down approach to provide the desired regularity so that commonly known sets of the characters appear in an assigned column therefor but not in other columns. Further, the character groups have their sets distributed amongst the key columns in a balanced fashion to minimize ambiguity in character input. Where a separate navigation key is not available, an alternative nine-key layout utilizing the above principles is disclosed.

Claims

1. A layout of characters of an alphabet on a keypad that is highly regular for ease of use of the keypad, the keypad layout comprising:

a plurality of keys that are in predetermined numbers of rows and columns for inputting the characters, the plurality of keys being arranged in three columns, and there being two syllable initial characters per key in each column, one syllable final character per key in each column, and one syllable middle character per key in a middle one of the three columns;

predetermined characters groups each having different characters of the alphabet from the other groups so that the characters from one character group can cooperate with the characters of at least one of the other character groups to form syllables;

a predetermined ordering of characters within each of the character groups; and

predetermined sets of ordered characters of the character groups that are arranged on keys in predetermined columns so that the order of the characters in the sets corresponds to the row of keys in which the characters lie to maximize the regularity of the characters on the keypad for ease of use thereof.

2. The keypad layout of claim 1 wherein the plurality of keys on which characters appear include twelve keys arranged in four rows by three columns.

3. The keypad layout of claim 1 wherein the alphabet is a Chinese phonetic alphabet so that the syllables formed by the characters in the groups cooperate to form syllables phonetically.

4. The keypad layout of claim 1 including an additional group comprising rare-use characters which are all arranged on a lower key in the middle column.

5. The keypad layout of claim 1 wherein the predetermined sets have a predetermined distribution in the columns that minimizes the number of syllables that are formed by characters on keys in different ones of the columns for maximizing efficiency in inputting words via the keypad.

6. An electronic data entry device having a keypad for inputting characters of an alphabet on keys of the pad in a highly efficient arrangement for minimizing multiple word formation via predetermined sequences of key inputs, the device comprising:

housing including a screen for displaying the characters with the keys being arranged on the housing in a predetermined number of rows and columns;

circuitry configured to interpret predetermined sequences of key inputs for displaying the words formed thereby on the housing screen;

predetermined character groups each having different commonly used characters of the alphabet from the other groups with the characters from one character group cooperating to form syllables with the characters of at least one of the other character groups, the predetermined character groups including predetermined sets or characters; and

a predetermined distribution of the commonly used characters from the different character groups to minimize concentration of characters from the same group on the keys for maximizing efficiency in inputting words via the keypad minimizing the number of words formed and displayed on the screen for a given sequence of key inputs, the predetermined character distribution includes an arrangement of the sets in predetermined key columns so that characters from the same set do not appear in different key columns and a single one of the sets of commonly used characters does not appear on a single one of the keys.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the predetermined character distribution includes no more than two characters from any one of the commonly used character groups on a single one of the keys.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the housing is for one of a cell phone, a wireless massaging communicator, a memo-writer and a personal digital assistant.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the keys are arranged in four rows by three columns, and the alphabetic characters appear on each of the keys in a column to maximize use of the keys for character distribution thereon, and a navigation key distinct from the character keys of the keypad to allow a user to traverse to different portions of the screen.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the characters have a predetermined ordering within their set which corresponds to the row in which the characters lie to maximize the regularity of the characters on the keypad for case of use thereof.

11. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the keys are arranged in four rows by three columns with the bottommost row of keys lacking alphabetic characters thereon to allow the bottom keys to be dedicated to navigation about the screen.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the character sets each include no more than five characters with the characters having a predetermined ordering within their group, and the sets including four characters having the last two ordered characters thereof arranged on the key in the third row of the column in which the sets appear, and the set including five characters has the last three ordered characters thereof arranged on the key in the third row of the column in which the set appears.

13. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the alphabet is a phonetic Chinese alphabet so that the character groups cooperate to form syllables phonetically.

14. The electronic device of claim 6 including an additional group comprising rare-use characters that are arranged on a single lower row, intermediate column key.

15. A hand-held electronic device having a keypad for inputting characters of an alphabet arranged on keys of the pad in a highly regular and efficient layout to optimize user familiarity in ease of use of the keypad and to minimize multiple word formation via predetermined sequences of key inputs, the hand-held electronic device comprising:

a compact housing including a screen thereon for displaying words formed by the inputted characters with the keys arranged in predetermined numbers of rows and columns on the housing, the keys being arranged in three columns;

a plurality of character groupings that are predetermined so that characters of one group can cooperate with characters of at least one other group to form syllables, the characters having a predetermined ordering within each of the character groupings, the character groupings including syllable initial, middle and final groupings;

sets of the ordered characters of the character groupings;

a predetermined arrangement of the character sets in key columns such that a first character in a given set that is immediately preceding a second character in the set will not appear in a key row lower than that in which the second character appears to maximize the regularity of the characters on the keypad for ease of use thereof, the predetermined character set arrangement including two syllable initial characters per key in each column, one syllable final character per key in each column, and one syllable middle character per key in a middle one of the three columns; and

a predetermined balanced distribution of the sets of each of the character groupings in the key columns for maximizing efficiency in inputting words via the keypad.

16. The hand-held electronic device of claim 15 wherein the predetermined balanced distribution includes a distribution of the character sets each in a single one of the key columns.

17. The hand-held electronic device of claim 15 including an additional grouping comprising rare-use characters which are all arranged on a lower key in the middle column.

18. The hand-held electronic device of claim 15 wherein the keypad has the keys arranged in four rows by three columns, and the alphabetic characters appear on each of the keys in a column to maximize use of the keys for character arrangement and distribution thereon.

19. The hand-held electronic device of claim 15 wherein the alphabet is a Chinese phonetic alphabet so that the characters in the groupings cooperate to form syllables phonetically.

20. A keypad layout of characters comprising:

a plurality of columns including a plurality of keys, each column including at least one syllable initial character per key and at least one syllable final character per key, and at least one column including a syllable middle character per key.

21. The keypad layout of claim 20, wherein each column includes at least two syllable initial characters per key.

22. The keypad layout of claim 20, wherein each column is associated with one syllable final group.

23. The keypad layout of claim 20, wherein one of the plurality of columns is associated with the syllable middle group.

24. The keypad layout of claim 20, wherein a middle one of the plurality of columns is associated with the syllable middle group.

25. A data entry device having a plurality of keys for inputting characters comprising:

a predetermined character distribution of characters from the different character groups, the predetermined character distribution including an arrangement of character sets in predetermined key columns so that characters from the same character set do not appear in different key columns and a single one of the character sets does not appear on a single one of the keys.