Patent ID: 8200865
Filing Date: 2012-06-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A text-entry system based on trigger sequences comprising: 1) a plurality of keys, 2) a plurality of printable symbols, said plurality of printable symbols comprising a set of pre-conversion symbols, a set of post-conversion symbols and a set of non-conversion symbols, such that at least one of said plurality of keys is assigned more than one pre-conversion symbols of said set of pre-conversion symbols, and such that at least one fixed sequence of keystrokes corresponds to more than one sequence of said pre-conversion symbols, and each post-conversion symbol of said set of post-conversion symbols being set in a correspondence to at least one pre-conversion symbol, wherein said set of said pre-conversion symbols is disjoint from said set said of post-conversion symbols such that no sequence of pre-conversion symbols is equal to any sequence of post-conversion symbols; 3) a plurality of non-printable symbols, each of which is generated by a keystroke on any one of said plurality of keys, including at least one key of said plurality of keys also having at least one of said pre-conversion symbols or at least one of said non-conversion symbols assigned to it, the plurality of non-printable symbols including a plurality of non-printable symbol-input-end symbols, wherein each non-printable symbol-input-end symbol generated by said at least one key is always generated if and only if one of said at least one of said pre-conversion symbols or said at least one of said non-conversion symbols assigned to said at least one key is displayed in response to a same keystroke which generates said non-printable symbol-input-end symbol; 4) a display to display said plurality of printable symbols, 5) a first mechanism to display said plurality of printable symbols in response to keystrokes, and 6) a second mechanism to recognize, upon generation of a non-printable symbol-input-end symbol of said plurality of non-printable symbol-input-end symbols, trigger sequences of keystrokes and thereby trigger conversion of m pre-conversion symbols displayed on said display to n post-conversion symbols intended for display on said display, wherein m and n are integers, m≧1, n≧1, and m≧n; wherein each trigger sequence of keystrokes has two parts: a) a first part comprising only keystrokes that are minimally required to display said m pre-conversion symbols, said m pre-conversion symbols corresponding to said n post-conversion symbols intended for display on said display, wherein said first part does not comprise a keystroke indicating an end to the entry of keystrokes corresponding to said m pre-conversion symbols, in addition to the minimally required keystrokes to display said m pre-conversion symbols; and b) a second part including a keystroke on said at least one key, said keystroke triggering conversion of said m pre-conversion symbols into said n post-conversion symbols and at the same time displaying said n post-conversion symbols intended for display together with a pre-conversion symbol or a non-conversion symbol assigned to said at least one key.