Character input device

• US 8,199,112 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshida, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): MA, CALVIN
• Application Number:
  US12/001,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/179, 345/171, 345/173, 341/28, 704/231, 704/260
• US Class Current: 345/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/287 of Kanji, Hiragana or Katakana characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/387 using human interaction, e.g. selection of the best displayed recognition candidate

Abstract

When a search character string is input via a key input section and a handwriting input section, if a spelling is input, a character is input directly by a key input operation or a recognized character is input by a handwriting input operation. If pinyin is input to input a Chinese character, not only are alphabetic characters input by a key input operation, but also the four tones area input by touching a four-tone input screen displayed on the handwriting input section. Accordingly, not only can ordinary characters be input as usual, of course, but also Chinese-specific four tones can be input easily by a touch operation at the handwriting input section even when a pinyin character is input.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display section;

a dictionary storing section which stores dictionary data;

a dictionary search section;

a key input section comprising Latin alphabet keys, the key input section accepting input of a search character string for searching in a dictionary;

a handwriting input section in which a touch position sensing unit and a display unit are integrated with each other;

a setting section which sets one of handwriting input or pinyin input if a Chinese character is input;

a handwriting input section display control section which (i) accepts input of a handwritten character in the handwriting input section when the handwriting input is set by the setting section, and (ii) displays, on the handwriting input section, a screen for accepting input of four-tone data when the pinyin input is set by the setting section;

a recognized character input section which recognizes the handwritten character accepted by the handwriting input section display control section and input the recognized character as a search character when the handwriting input is set by the setting section; and

a pinyin input section which accepts input of a Latin alphabet letter input by the key input section and the pinyin based on the four-tone data input by the handwriting input section as search letters and characters when the pinyin input is set by the setting section;

wherein the dictionary search section searches the dictionary data based on the input by the pinyin input section or the recognized character input section and displays a search results.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the handwriting input section display control section displays input buttons representing a first tone, a second tone, a third tone, a fourth tone, and a light tone as the screen for accepting the input of the four-tone data.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the handwriting input section display control section, when an English character string is input to search the dictionary data, controls the handwriting input section to perform display for accepting input of a wild-card character corresponding to an unknown character as a component of the search character string.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the handwriting input section display control section, when a character string of a Spanish word is input to search the dictionary data, controls the handwriting input section to perform display for accepting input of a character corresponding to the n tilde of the Spanish word.

5. A method of controlling input of a search character string in a electronic device including a display section, a dictionary storing section which stores dictionary data, a key input section comprising Latin alphabet keys, and a handwriting input section in which a touch position sensing unit and a display unit are integrated with each other, the method comprising:

setting handwriting input or pinyin input if a Chinese character is input;

accepting input of a handwritten character in the handwriting input section when the handwriting input is set, and displaying, on the handwriting input section, a screen for accepting input of four-tone data when the pinyin input is set;

recognizing the handwritten character accepted by the handwriting input section and inputting the recognized character as a search character when the handwriting input is set;

accepting input of a Latin alphabet letter by the key input section when the pinyin input is set;

accepting input of the four-tone data by the handwriting input section when the pinyin input is set;

inputting pinyin based on the Latin alphabet letter input by the key input section and the four-tone data input by the handwriting input section as search letters and characters; and

searching the dictionary data based on the inputting pinyin search letters and characters.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein buttons representing a first tone, a second tone, a third tone, a fourth tone, and a light tone are displayed on the handwriting input section as the screen for accepting the input of the four-tone data.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising, when an English character string is input to search dictionary data, controlling the handwriting input section to perform display for accepting input of a wild-card character corresponding to an unknown character as a component of the search character string.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising, when a character string of a Spanish word is input to search the dictionary data, controlling the handwriting input section to perform display for accepting input of a character corresponding to the n tilde of the Spanish word.