Method for entering a character sequence into an electronic device as well as an electronic device for performing said method

• US 7,075,519 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hsi, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US10/495,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-160, 345168-172
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items

Abstract

In a method for entering a character sequence consisting of one or more characters into an electronic device including keys for entering keystrokes by a user as well a display panel for presenting information to the user, wherein a group of characters is presented on the display panel in the form of a matrix composed of rows and columns, at least one specific character is pointed by a cursor which is movable through the matrix, and the character sequence is constructed by pointing out consecutive characters one by one by the cursor, and the character is entered by a keystroke. In order to enter a specific character from the character sequence, the cursor moves automatically in a first direction through a specific row or column, thereby sequentially pointing out the characters in the specific row or column; the automatically moving cursor can be moved towards the column or row, respectively, of the specific character by one or more first and/or second keystrokes.

Claims

1. A method for entering a character sequence consisting of one or more characters into an electronic device, said electronic device having keys for entering keystrokes by a user and a display panel for presenting information to the user,

wherein a group of characters is presented on the display panel in the form of a matrix composed of rows and columns,

wherein at least one specific character can be pointed out by a cursor movable through said matrix, and

wherein the character sequence is constructed by pointing out consecutive characters in the sequence one by one by the cursor and entering the pointed out character by a keystroke,

characterized in that said method comprises the steps of

automatically moving the cursor in a first direction through a specific row or column, thereby sequentially pointing out the characters in said row or column;

and

moving the automatically moving cursor towards a specific column or row, respectively, containing the specific character by one or more first and/or second keystrokes.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the method further comprises the step of:

changing the automatic movement of the cursor through the matrix from the first direction of movement into a second direction of movement, opposing to said first direction of movement, by at least one third keystroke and/or at least one fourth keystroke.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the method further comprises the step of:

interrupting the automatic movement of the cursor in the row or column by a fifth keystroke.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said method further comprises the step of:

entering the character pointed out by the cursor by a first keystroke.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the method further comprises the step of:

changing the displayed case, from upper to lower case, or vice versa, of the character pointed out by the cursor by a second keystroke.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the method further comprises the step of:

deleting the character entered last by a third keystroke.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the method further comprises the step of:

entering a space by a fourth keystroke.

8. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said method further comprises the step of:

resuming the automatic movement of the cursor in the row or the column by a second keystroke.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the same key is used for said third and said fourth keystroke.

10. An electronic device comprising keys for enabling a user to enter keystrokes, and a display panel for presenting information to the user, said electronic device being suitable for entering a character sequence composed of one or more successive characters, and comprises means for presenting a group of characters on said display panel in the form of a matrix composed of rows and columns, and means for pointing out at least one specific character using a cursor movable through said matrix, characterized in that in order to enter a specific character from the character sequence, said electronic device comprises:

means for moving the cursor automatically in a first direction through a specific row or column, the cursor thus sequentially pointing out the characters in said row or column; and

means for moving the automatically moving cursor to the column or row, respectively, containing the specific character by one or more first and/or second keystrokes of said keys.

11. A computer program product enabling a programmable device when executing said computer program product to function as a device as defined in claim 10.