Electronic device and automatically hiding keypad method and digital data storage media

• US 8,624,848 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Tsui, Yuan-Mao
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, NICHOLAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/397,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 715/811, 715/816, 715/830, 715/840, 715/841
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A method for automatically hiding keypad, an electronic device, and a digital data storage medium are provided. The keypad automatically hiding method is applied to an electronic device having a touch screen. The method includes the following steps. Firstly, an input field and a keypad are shown on the touch screen. Next, an item of data is received from the keypad and inputted to the input field. Then, a search list is shown on the touch screen according to the data. Afterwards, the keypad is hidden when the input signal for checking the search list is generated.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen used for showing an input field, a search list, and a keypad, wherein the keypad is used for inputting data to the input field, and the search list is generated according to the data; and

a processing unit coupled to the touch screen;

wherein the inputted data is an inputted string, the search list comprises m records, m is a positive integer; and

wherein the processing unit controls the touch screen to show the input field, a 1st record to a n-th record of the m records, and the keypad at the same time when a first input signal for inputting the data in the input field is generated, and n is a positive integer which is smaller than m; and

wherein the processing unit controls the touch screen to hide the keypad and enlarge the area of the search list, when the touch screen shows the keypad and shows only 1st record to the n-th record of the m records and a second input signal for checking a (n+1)-th record is detected within the area of the 1st record to the n-th record.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit controls the touch screen to show the keypad when the keypad is hidden, the search list is shown, and a third input signal for leaving the search list is generated.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device has a dialing mode on which the input field, the search list, and the keypad are shown.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit controls the touch screen to show the keypad on the touch screen when the keypad is hidden, the search list is shown, and a fifth input signal which is an upward signal and detected within the area of the 1st record is received.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit controls the touch screen to show the keypad on the touch screen when the keypad is hidden, the search list is shown, and a sixth input signal which is a downward signal and detected within the area of the m-th record is received.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the touch screen is further used for showing a keypad access key, and the processing unit controls the touch screen to show the keypad on the touch screen when the keypad'"'"'s access key is activated.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit controls the touch screen to show the keypad on the touch screen when the keypad is hidden, the search list is shown and a seventh input signal which is a touch signal detected within the area of the input field.

7. A method for automatically hiding keypad, applied to an electronic device having a touch screen, wherein the method comprises:

showing an input field and a keypad on the touch screen;

receiving data from the keypad and inputting the data to the input field, wherein the inputted data is an inputted string, the search list comprises m records, and m is a positive integer;

showing a search list on the touch screen according to the data; and

hiding the keypad and enlarging the area of the search list;

wherein in the step of showing the input field and the keypad on the touch screen, the input field, a 1st record to a n-th record of the m records and the keypad are shown at the same time when a first input signal for inputting the data in the input field is detected within the area of the 1st record to the n-th record, and n is a positive integer smaller than m;

in the step of hiding the keypad and enlarging the area of the search list, the keypad is hidden and the area of the search list is enlarged when the keypad is shown, only the 1st to the n-th record of the m records are shown, and a second input signal for checking a (n+1)-th record is detected within the area of the 1st record to the n-th record.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprises:

showing the keypad when a third input signal for leaving the search list is generated.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprises:

showing the keypad on the touch screen when a third input signal which is an upward signal and detected within the area of the 1st record is received.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprises:

showing the keypad on the touch screen when a fourth input signal which is a downward signal and detected within the area of the m-th record is received.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the touch screen comprises a keypad access key, and the method further comprises:

showing the keypad on the touch screen when the keypad access key is activated.

12. A non-transitory recording medium, recording program instructions to be executed by a processor to perform the keypad automatically hiding method according to claim 7.

16. The method according to claim 7, further comprises:

showing the keypad on the touch screen when a seventh input signal which is detected within the area of the input field is received.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen used for showing an input field, a search list, a keypad and a keypad access key, wherein the keypad is used for inputting data to the input field, and the search list is generated according to the data; and

a processing unit coupled to the touch screen;

wherein the processing unit simultaneously controls the touch screen to hide the keypad and enlarge the area of the search list, when the keypad is shown and the touch screen receives a first touch input signal which is an upward signal or a downward signal and is generated, in the area of the search list, for operating the search list; and

the processing unit controls the touch screen to show the keypad on the touch screen, when the keypad is hidden and the keypad access key is activated.

17. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit controls the touch screen to show the keypad on the touch screen when the keypad is hidden, the search list is shown and a second touch input signal which is a touch signal detected within the area of the input field.

14. A method for automatically hiding keypad, applied to an electronic device having a touch screen, wherein the method comprises:

showing an input field, a keypad and a keypad access key on the touch screen;

receiving data from the keypad and inputting the data to the input field;

showing a search list on the touch screen according to the data;

simultaneously hiding the keypad and enlarging the area of search list, when the keypad is shown and a first touch input signal for operating the search list is generated, wherein the first touch input signal, which is an upward signal or a downward signal, is detected within the area of the search list; and

showing the keypad on the touch screen, when the keypad is hidden and the keypad access key is activated.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprises:

showing the keypad on the touch screen when a second touch input signal which is detected within the area of the input field is received.