User-interface for entering alphanumerical characters

• US 9,727,238 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Control Singapore Pte Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Home Control Singapore Pte Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Rambouts, Andries Jacob Benoit, Peh, Beng Tee
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US14/401,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20150135121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

An information processing system has a display monitor and a user-interface for text entry. The display monitor presents the set of alphanumerical characters in a spatial configuration of three parallel horizontal rows or three parallel vertical columns. The “left”-button and the “right” button of the directional buttons of the user-interface control the selection of a group of alphanumerical characters, one of each of the three parallel arrays and positioned in the same column. The “up”-button and the “down”-button of the directional buttons and the “OK”-button, sitting in between, are used to select a specific one of the alphanumerical characters from the selected group.

Claims

1. An information processing system for handling alphanumeric characters, the system comprising:

a processor coupled to memory;

a user-interface operatively coupled to the processor, the user-interface having a first control input, and in response to the first control input, in a first operational mode of the information processing system, the processor performing at least one of;

moving a cursor on a screen of a display monitor in a first orientation relative to the display monitor; and

scrolling in the first orientation;

the user-interface having a second control input, and in response to the second control input, in a second operational mode of the information processing system, the processor performing at least one of;

moving the cursor on the screen in a second orientation relative to the display monitor, the second orientation being different from the first orientation, the first orientation and the second orientation being perpendicular to each other; and

scrolling in the second orientation;

the second operational mode of the information processing system enabling a user to enter a string of alphanumerical characters via interaction with the user-interface;

in the second operational mode, the processor being configured to control the display monitor to present a plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters in a spatial configuration comprising a first array of first ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters and a second array of second ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the processor being further configured to;

(i) enable the user to select a certain combination of a certain one of the first alphanumerical characters and a certain one of the second alphanumerical characters through positioning an indicium at a certain position corresponding with the certain combination in the spatial configuration using one of the first control input and the second control input; and

(ii) enable the user to select a particular one of the certain first alphanumerical character and the certain second alphanumerical character through using the other one of the first control input and the second control input;

the first control input having at least one of;

a first set including a first switch configured to move the cursor in a first direction in the first orientation and a second switch configured to move the cursor in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction, in the first orientation; and

a scroll wheel configured to scroll in the first direction or in the second direction in dependence on a clockwise rotation of the first scroll wheel or an anti-clockwise rotation of the first scroll wheel;

the second control input having;

a second set including a third switch configured to move the cursor in a third direction in the second orientation and a fourth switch configured to move the cursor in a fourth direction, the fourth direction being opposite to the third direction, in the second orientation;

the user-interface having a third control input, and in response to the third control input, in the first operational mode, confirming selection of a menu option by the user after having positioned the cursor at the menu option,

the third control input being positioned in the user-interface between the first switch and the second switch and between the third switch and the fourth switch;

the spatial configuration comprising a third array with third ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the third array extending in the same certain one of the first orientation and the second orientation;

the third array being positioned between the first array and the second array; and

in the second operational mode, the processor being configured to enable the user to select a certain one of the third alphanumerical characters that is located between the certain first alphanumerical character and the certain second alphanumerical character, via the third control input,

wherein the display monitor is operative to present the first array, the second array, and the third array as extending in parallel with each other in a same certain one of the first orientation and the second orientation, and the indicium is positioned to highlight the first alphanumerical character of the first array, the second alphanumerical character of the second array, and the third alphanumerical character of the third array, the indicium extending in a perpendicular fashion with respect to the first array, the second array, and the third array.

2. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the scroll wheel is a user-clickable scroll wheel arranged to, when clicked, activate the first switch, the second switch, the third switch or the fourth switch.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first orientation is horizontal with respect to a horizontal axis of the display screen and the second orientation is vertical with respect to the horizontal axis of the display screen.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-interface forms a portion of a remote control device, and the processor performs at least one of the moving and the scrolling based upon the remote control device.

5. A computer-implemented method of handling alphanumeric characters in an information processing system, the method comprising:

a processor supporting the information processing system, providing a user-interface enabling a user to interact with the information processing system through a display monitor;

the processor;

including in the user-interface a first control input, and in a first operational mode, the first control input enabling the user to control at least one of;

moving a cursor on a screen of the display monitor in a first orientation relative to the display monitor; and

scrolling in the first orientation;

including in the user-interface a second control input, and in the first operational mode, the second control input enabling the user to control at least one of;

moving the cursor on the screen in a second orientation relative to the display monitor, the second orientation being different from the first orientation, the first orientation and the second orientation being perpendicular to each other; and

scrolling in the second orientation;

the first control input has at least one of;

a first set including a first switch configured to move the cursor in a first direction in the first orientation and a second switch configured to move the cursor in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction, in the first orientation; and

a scroll wheel configured to scroll in the first direction or in the second direction in dependence on a clockwise rotation of the first scroll wheel or an anti-clockwise rotation of the first scroll wheel;

the second control input having;

a second set including a third switch configured to move the cursor in a third direction in the second orientation and a fourth switch configured to move the cursor in a fourth direction, the fourth direction being opposite to the third direction, in the second orientation;

the second operational mode enabling the user to enter a string of alphanumerical characters using the user-interface, by the processor;

controlling the display monitor to present a plurality of user-selectable alphanumerical characters in a spatial configuration comprising a first array of first ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters and a second array of second ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

selecting a certain combination of a certain one of the first alphanumerical characters and a certain one of the second alphanumerical characters through positioning an indicium at a certain position corresponding with the certain combination in the spatial configuration in response to the user interacting with one of the first control input and the second control input; and

selecting a particular one of the certain first alphanumerical character and the certain second alphanumerical character in response to the user interacting with the other one of the first control input and the second control input, wherein the user-interface comprises a third control input, in the first operational mode, the third control input confirming selection of a menu option by the user after having positioned the cursor at the menu option,

the third control input being positioned in the user-interface between the first switch and the second switch and between the third switch and the fourth switch;

the spatial configuration comprising a third array with third ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the third array extending in the same certain one of the first orientation and the second orientation;

the third array being positioned between the first array and the second array; and

selecting a certain one of the third alphanumerical characters that is located between the certain first alphanumerical character and the certain second alphanumerical character, in response to the user interacting with the third control input,

wherein the display monitor is operative to present the first array, the second array, and the third array as extending in parallel with each other in a same certain one of the first orientation and the second orientation, and the indicium is positioned to highlight the first alphanumerical character of the first array, the second alphanumerical character of the second array, and the third alphanumerical character of the third array, the indicium extending in a perpendicular fashion with respect to the first array, the second array, and the third array.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first orientation is horizontal with respect to a horizontal axis of the display screen and the second orientation is vertical with respect to the horizontal axis of the display screen.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first control input and the second control input are implemented by a remote control input device.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

memory storage; and

instructions stored in the memory storage embodying alphanumeric character handing, the instructions when loaded and executed by a processor coupled to an apparatus, causing the apparatus to;

provide a user interface through a display monitor, the user-interface comprising a;

(a) first control input, and in a first operational mode the first control input enables a user to control at least one of;

moving a cursor on a screen of the display monitor in a first orientation relative to the display monitor; and

scrolling in the first orientation; and

(b) a second control input, in the first operational mode the second control input enables the user to control at least one of;

moving the cursor on the screen in a second orientation relative to the display monitor, the second orientation being different from the first orientation, the first orientation and the second orientation being perpendicular to each other; and

scrolling in the second orientation, wherein the first control input has at least one of;

a first set including a first switch configured to move the cursor in a first direction in the first orientation and a second switch configured to move the cursor in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction, in the first orientation; and

a scroll wheel configured to scroll in the first direction or in the second direction in dependence on a clockwise rotation of the first scroll wheel or an anti-clockwise rotation of the first scroll wheel,

the second control input having;

a second set including a third switch configured to move the cursor in a third direction in the second orientation and a fourth switch configured to move the cursor in a fourth direction, the fourth direction being opposite to the third direction, in the second orientation;

the instructions including one or more instructions to operate in a second operational mode, the second operational mode enabling the user to enter a string of alphanumerical characters using the user-interface, the one or more instructions;

controlling the display monitor to present a plurality of user-selectable alphanumerical characters in a spatial configuration comprising a first array of first ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters and a second array of second ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

selecting a certain combination of a certain one of the first alphanumerical characters and a certain one of the second alphanumerical characters through positioning an indicium at a certain position corresponding with the certain combination in the spatial configuration in response to the user interacting with one of the first control input and the second control input; and

selecting a particular one of the certain first alphanumerical character and the certain second alphanumerical character in response to the user interacting with the other one of the first control input and the second control input, wherein the user-interface comprises a third control input, in the first operational mode the third control input confirming selection of a menu option by the user after having positioned the cursor at the menu option,

the third control input being positioned in the user-interface between the first switch and the second switch and between the third switch and the fourth switch;

the spatial configuration comprising a third array with third ones of the plurality of selectable alphanumerical characters;

the third array extending in the same certain one of the first orientation and the second orientation;

the third array being positioned between the first array and the second array; and

selecting a certain one of the third alphanumerical characters that is located between the certain first alphanumerical character and the certain second alphanumerical character, in response to the user interacting with the third control input,

wherein the display monitor is operative to present the first array, the second array, and the third array as extending in parallel with each other in a same certain one of the first orientation and the second orientation, and the indicium is positioned to highlight the first alphanumerical character of the first array, the second alphanumerical character of the second array, and the third alphanumerical character of the third array, the indicium extending in a perpendicular fashion with respect to the first array, the second array, and the third array.