User interface for a portable electronic device

• US 6,947,771 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Charles Yimin, Lyustin, Victoria, Guo, Jin, Chang, Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US09/923,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20030027601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/90.3, 455/575.1, 455/550.1, 345/168, 345/171, 345/170, 345/172
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters

Abstract

The present invention is a user interface (120) for an ideographic character input device (100) comprising three rows (148, 150, 152) of adjacent input keys. A first row (148) includes keys that represent linear character strokes, a third row (152) includes keys that represent non-linear character strokes, and the second row (154) includes keys that represent a linear character stroke, a non-linear character stroke and a dot. The user interface (120) may also function as a numeric keypad in which the first row (148) includes keys 1 through 3, the second row (150) includes keys 4 through 6 and the third row (152) includes keys 7 through 9. The three rows (148, 150, 152) include single stroke keys corresponding to individual character strokes used to form a particular ideographic character. The user interface also includes at least one combination stroke key corresponding to a particular activation sequence of the single stroke keys used to form the ideographic character. A processor (512) of the device (100) is capable of forming the ideographic character, or a portion thereof, in two ways: upon selection of the particular activation sequence of the single stroke keys and upon selection of the combination stroke key. A display (118) is coupled to the processor (512) to display the ideographic character, or a portion thereof.

Claims

1. A user interface for a portable electronic device comprising a first row of input keys, a second row of input keys adjacent to the first row, arid a third row of input keys adjacent to the second row, wherein each key of the first row represents a linear character stroke, each key of the third row represents a non-linear character stroke, and the second row includes at least one key representing a linear characters stroke and at least one key representing a non-linear character stroke.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the second row includes at least one key representing a dot.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said angular character strokes include a clockwise hook component a counter-clock wise hook component, a clockwise angular component, and a counter-clockwise angular component.

4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein:

the clockwise hook component includes a substantially downward line having an end portion that hooks to the left;

the counter-clockwise hook component includes a substantially downward line having an end portion that hooks to the right;

the clockwise angular component includes a substantially rightward line having an end portion that angles downward; and

the counter-clockwise angular component includes a substantially downward line having an end portion that angles to the right.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said linear character strokes include a substantially horizontal component, a substantially vertical component, a leftward slant component, and a rightward slant component.

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein:

the substantially horizontal component is directed rightward;

the substantially vertical component is directed downward;

the leftward slant component is directed downward and to the left; and

the rightward slant component is directed downward and to the right.

7. A user interface for a portable electronic device comprising:

a group of nine input keys representing numbers 1 through 9, wherein;

each key of input key 1, input key 2 and input key 3 represents a single linear character stroke; and

each of input key 7, input key 8 and input key 9 represents a non-linear character stroke.

8. The user interface of claim 7, wherein input key 4 represents a dot.

9. The user interface of claim 7, wherein input key 5 represents a non-linear character stroke.

10. The user interface of claim 7, wherein input key 6 also represents a linear character stroke.

11. The user interface of claim 7, wherein the group of nine input keys are arranged in three rows and three columns to form a three-by-three matrix of input keys.