Device and method for inputting characters or numbers in mobile terminal

• US 8,188,980 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Sung, Jun, Jin-Ha, Won, Young-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US11/941,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20080119238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 715/780, 715/789, 715/856, 715/863, 341 22- 35
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items

Abstract

A device for inputting characters or numbers in a mobile terminal having a touch screen, the device including a display screen for displaying characters or numbers at a display area and a wheel for selecting a desired character or number at another display area in a text input mode; and a control unit for controlling the display screen to display the characters or numbers and the wheel for selecting a desired character or number at the display areas, placing a cursor on a character or number corresponding to rotation of the wheel, and controlling the display screen to display a character or number selected by placing the cursor.

Claims

1. A device for inputting characters/numbers in a mobile terminal having a touch screen, the device comprising:

a display screen for displaying characters/numbers at a first display area and a wheel for selecting a desired character/number at a second display area in a text input mode; and

a control unit for controlling the display screen to display the characters/numbers and the wheel for selecting a desired character/number at the display areas, placing a cursor on a character/number corresponding to rotation of the wheel, and controlling the display screen to display a character/number selected by placing the cursor,

wherein said control unit displays the character/number selected by placing the cursor according to a direction of rotation of the wheel in a third display area, detects when a user selects an input of the character/number displayed in the third display area, and displays a character/number in a fourth display area according to a selection of the user to input.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said display screen includes the first display area for displaying characters/numbers in a text input mode, the second display area for displaying a wheel for selecting a desired character/number from those displayed in the first display area, the third display area for displaying the character/number selected using the wheel, and the fourth display area for displaying the selected character/number according to the selection of the user to input the same.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control unit displays the first display area to the fourth display area on the display screen in the text input mode, detects when the wheel is rotated in a first direction, controls a cursor to move over only characters/numbers corresponding to the first direction in the first display area and be placed on a character/number corresponding to the first direction and angle of rotation of the wheel, detects when the wheel is rotated in a second direction, and controls the cursor to move over only characters/numbers corresponding to the second direction in the first display area and be placed on a character/number corresponding to the second direction and angle of rotation of the wheel.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said characters/numbers displayed in the first display area include a first type of characters/numbers, over which the cursor moves with rotation of the wheel in the first direction, and a second type of characters/numbers, over which the cursor moves with rotation of the wheel in the second direction.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said first type of characters/numbers is one of a group of consonants/vowels of an alphabet and a group of characters/numbers frequently used over a number of times during input of a text message.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein said second type of characters/numbers is one of a group of consonants/vowels of an alphabet and a group of characters/numbers frequently used over a number of times during input of a text message.

7. A device for inputting characters/numbers in a mobile terminal having a touch screen, the device comprising:

a display screen for displaying characters/numbers at a first display area and at least two wheels for selecting a desired character/number at a second display area in a text input mode; and

a control unit for detecting rotation of any one of the at least two wheels in the text input mode, placing a cursor on a character/number corresponding to the rotation of the one wheel, and controlling the display screen to display a character/number selected by placing the cursor,

wherein said control unit displays the character/number selected by placing the cursor according to a direction of rotation of the wheel in a third display area, detects when a user selects an input of the character/number displayed in the third display area, and displays a character/number in a fourth display area according to a selection of the user to input.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said display screen includes the first display area for displaying characters/numbers in a text input mode, the second display area for displaying at least two wheels for selecting a desired character/number from those displayed in the first display area, the third display area for displaying the character/number selected using at least one wheel, and the fourth display area for displaying the selected character/number according to the selection of the user to input the same.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein said control unit displays the first display area to the fourth display area on the display screen in the text input mode, detects a rotation of a first wheel, controls a cursor to move over only characters/numbers corresponding to the first wheel in the first display area and be placed on a character/number corresponding to an angle of rotation of the first wheel, detects a rotation of a second wheel, controls the cursor to move over only characters/numbers corresponding to the second wheel and be placed on a character/number corresponding to an angle of rotation of the second wheel.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said characters/numbers displayed in the first display area include a first type of characters/numbers, over which the cursor moves with rotation of the first wheel, and a second type of characters/numbers, over which the cursor moves with rotation of the second wheel.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said first type of characters/numbers is one of a group of consonants/vowels of an alphabet and a group of characters/numbers frequently used over a number of times during input of a text message.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein said second type of characters/numbers is one of a group of consonants/vowels of an alphabet and a group of characters/numbers frequently used over a number of times during input of a text message.

13. A method for inputting characters/numbers in a mobile terminal having a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying characters/numbers at a first display area of a display screen and a wheel for selecting a desired character/number at a second display area when a current mode of the mobile terminal is changed to a text input mode;

moving a cursor with rotation of the wheel and placing the cursor on a character/number corresponding to the rotation of the wheel;

displaying a character/number with the cursor placed thereon in a third display area; and

displaying a character/number in a fourth display area according to a selection of a user to input the same.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising providing the display screen with the first display area for displaying characters/numbers in a text input mode, the second display area for displaying a wheel for selecting a desired character/number from those displayed in the first display area, the third display area for displaying a character/number selected using the wheel, and the fourth display area for displaying a selected character/number according to the selection of the user to input the same.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising providing characters/numbers displayed in the first display area as a first type of characters/numbers, over which the cursor moves with rotation of the wheel in a first direction, and a second type of characters/numbers, over which the cursor moves with rotation of the wheel in a second direction.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the moving a cursor step comprises:

detecting rotation of the wheel in a first direction, moving the cursor over characters/numbers corresponding to the first direction in the first display area, and placing the cursor on a character/number corresponding to an angle of rotation of the wheel;

detecting rotation of the wheel in a second direction, moving the cursor over the characters/numbers corresponding to the second direction in the first display area, and placing the cursor on a character/number corresponding to an angle of rotation of the wheel.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising providing the characters/numbers corresponding to the first direction as one of a group of consonants/vowels of an alphabet and a group of characters/numbers frequently used over a number of times during input of a text message.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising providing the characters/numbers corresponding to the second direction as one of a group of consonants/vowels of an alphabet and a group of characters/numbers frequently used over a number of times during input of a text message.

19. A method for inputting characters/numbers in a mobile terminal having a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying characters/numbers at a first display area of a display screen and at least two wheels for selecting a desired character/number at a second display area when a current mode of the mobile terminal is changed to a text input mode;

moving a cursor with rotation of at least one of the at least two wheels and placing the cursor on a character/number corresponding to the rotation of the one wheel;

displaying a character/number with the cursor placed thereon in a third display area; and

displaying a character/number in a fourth display area according to a selection of a user to input the same.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising providing the display screen with the first display area for displaying characters/numbers in a text input mode, the second display area for displaying at least two wheels for selecting a desired character/number from those displayed in the first display area, the third display area for displaying a character/number selected using one wheel, and the fourth display area for displaying a selected character/number according to the selection of the user to input the same.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising providing the characters/numbers displayed in the first display area with a first type of characters/numbers, over which the cursor moves with rotation of a first wheel, and a second type of characters/numbers, over which the cursor moves with rotation of a second wheel.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the moving a cursor step comprises:

detecting the rotation of the first wheel, moving the cursor over the characters/numbers corresponding to the first wheel in the first display area, and placing the cursor on a character/number corresponding to a direction and angle of rotation of the first wheel;

detecting the rotation of the second wheel, moving the cursor over the characters/numbers corresponding to the second wheel in the first display area, and placing the cursor on a character/number corresponding to a direction and angle of rotation of the second wheel.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising providing characters/numbers corresponding to the first wheel as one of a group of consonants/vowels of an alphabet and a group of characters/numbers frequently used over a number of times during input of a text message.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising providing characters/numbers corresponding to the second wheel as one of a group of consonants/vowels of an alphabet and a group of characters/numbers frequently used over a number of times during input of a text message.