Method of indicating additional character combination choices on a handheld electronic device and associated apparatus

• US 7,830,364 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Somani, Zaheen, Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdin; Shaheda A
• Application Number:
  US11/555,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/156, 345/171, 345/352, 345/326, 709/9
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

A method and associated apparatus for indicating additional character combination choices from a disambiguation function on a handheld electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of enabling input on a handheld electronic device having a disambiguation function, said handheld electronic device including an input apparatus and an output apparatus, said input apparatus having a plurality of input members that are capable of being actuated and a navigational input member capable of providing a navigational input, said method comprising:

detecting as a first input a number of input member actuations;

responsive to said detecting a first input, generating a number of character combination choices using said text disambiguation function based on said first input;

responsive to said generating, displaying an output that comprises a variant component and a first visual indicator, said variant component comprising a first subset of said number of character combination choices, said first visual indicator being located at a single location and being representative of the availability of a second subset of said number of character combination choices for display in said variant component in place of at least a portion of said first subset responsive to a navigational input in a first direction;

detecting as a second input a navigational input in said first direction; and

responsive to said detecting a second input, displaying within said variant component said second subset and displaying a second visual indicator located at said single location in place of said first visual indicator, said second visual indicator being representative of the availability of a third subset of said number of character combination choices for display in said variant component in place of at least a portion of said second subset responsive to a navigational input in said first direction, and said second visual indicator also being representative of the availability of said first subset for display in said variant component in place of at least a portion of said second subset responsive to a navigational input in a second direction, wherein said second visual indicator comprises a graphic having a first pointing portion and a second pointing portion, said first pointing portion pointing in said first direction and said second pointing portion pointing in said second direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting as a third input a navigational input in said first direction;

displaying within said variant component said third subset; and

displaying a third visual indicator located at said single location in place of said second visual indicator, said third visual indicator being representative of said second subset being displayable in said variant component in place of at least a portion of said third subset responsive to a navigational input in said second direction, and said third visual indicator also being representative of at least a portion of said third subset being a final choice of said character combination choices.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

detecting as another input a navigational input in said first direction; and

displaying within said variant component at least a portion of said first subset in place of at least a portion of said third subset, and displaying said first visual indicator located at said single position in place of said third visual indicator.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising displaying said third indicator substantially adjacent an end of said third subset.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising displaying as said third visual indicator a graphic having a pointing portion pointing in said second direction.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising employing as said single location a location disposed at least partially in said variant component.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying in said variant component a language indicator representative of a language that is currently operative on said handheld electronic device.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising employing as said single location a location disposed at least partially in said variant component.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising displaying said language indicator substantially adjacent said single location.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying said language indicator substantially adjacent an end of said variant component.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying said single location substantially adjacent an end of said first subset, and displaying said single location substantially adjacent an end of said second subset.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying as said first visual indicator a graphic having a pointing portion pointing in said first direction.

13. A handheld electronic device, comprising;

a keyboard having a plurality of input members;

a display;

a disambiguation function;

a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory in electronic communication with one another, said processor apparatus having stored therein a number of routines which, when executed on said processor, cause said handheld electronic device to perform operations comprising;

detecting as a first input a number of input member actuations;

responsive to said detecting a first input, generating a number of character combination choices using said text disambiguation function based on said first input;

responsive to said generating, displaying an output that comprises a variant component and a first visual indicator, said variant component comprising a first subset of said number of character combination choices, said first visual indicator being located at a single location and being representative of the availability of a second subset of said number of character combination choices for display in said variant component in place of at least a portion of said first subset responsive to a navigational input in a first direction;

detecting as a second input a navigational input in said first direction; and

responsive to said detecting a second input, displaying within said variant component said second subset and displaying a second visual indicator located at said single location in place of said first visual indicator, said second visual indicator being representative of the availability of a third subset of said number of character combination choices for display in said variant component in place of at least a portion of said second subset responsive to a navigational input in said first direction, and said second visual indicator also being representative of the availability of said first subset for display in said variant component in place of at least a portion of said second subset responsive to a navigational input in a second direction, wherein said second visual indicator comprises a graphic having a first pointing portion and a second pointing portion, said first pointing portion pointing in said first direction and said second pointing portion pointing in said second direction.

14. The handheld electronic device according to claim 13, wherein said number of routines cause said handheld electronic device to perform operations further comprising:

detecting as a third input a navigational input in said first direction;

displaying within said variant component said third subset; and

displaying a third visual indicator located at said single location in place of said second visual indicator, said third visual indicator being representative of said second subset being displayable in said variant component in place of at least a portion of said third subset responsive to a navigational input in said second direction, and said third visual indicator also being representative of at least a portion of said third subset being a final choice of said character combination choices.

15. The handheld electronic device according to claim 14, wherein said third visual indicator is displayed substantially adjacent an end of said third subset.

16. The handheld electronic device according to claim 14, wherein said number of routines cause said handheld electronic device to perform operations further comprising:

detecting as another input a navigational input in said first direction; and

displaying within said variant component at least a portion of said first subset in place of at least a portion of said third subset, and displaying said first visual indicator located at said single position in place of said third visual indicator.

17. The handheld electronic device according to claim 13, wherein said single position is disposed at least partially in said variant component.

18. The handheld electronic device according to claim 13, wherein a language indicator representative of a language that is currently operative on said handheld electronic device is displayed in said variant component.

19. The handheld electronic device according to claim 18, wherein said single position is disposed at least partially in said variant component.

20. The handheld electronic device according to claim 19, wherein said language indicator is displayed substantially adjacent said single location.

21. The handheld electronic device according to claim 18, wherein said language indicator is displayed substantially adjacent an end of said variant component.

22. The handheld electronic device according to claim 13, wherein said first indicator is displayed substantially adjacent an end of said first subset, and said second indicator is displayed substantially adjacent an end of said second subset.

23. The handheld electronic device according to claim 13, wherein said first visual indicator comprises a graphic having a pointing portion pointing in said first direction.

24. The handheld electronic device according to claim 14, wherein said third visual indicator comprises a graphic having a pointing portion pointing in said second direction.