Abstract:
Displaying a set of characters in a size larger than characters already accepted and displayed in the system. A method for accepting input in a system. The method includes receiving a set of user inputs associated with a set of characters. The set of characters is displayed in size larger than characters already accepted and displayed in the system. A user selection of at least a character from the set of characters is received. In response to the user selection, the character is displayed in a size generally corresponding to characters already accepted and displayed by the system. According to one embodiment of the invention, the set of characters comprises kanji. An embodiment of the invention includes a computer system including a display, a user input device, a memory including a data structure that associates sets of user inputs with respective sets of characters, and a computer executable code. An embodiment of the invention is a system including a television monitor, a computer system coupled to a network and to the television monitor, a user input device, and logic.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Japanese and other Asian languages are composed of thousands of characters, but only about a hundred keys exist on a typical keyboard. In a computer system adapted for such a language, a word may be input through a combination of phonetic inputs. The user types the sound of the word into the keyboard, the user&#39;s inputs are displayed on the screen, and the user requests a front end processor to supply different word choices that sound the same but have different meanings. A system typically displays any one of these thousands of characters on a display screen in a graphical space that typically has a pixel resolution of 16×16 or fewer pixels per character. In such a small space, one character is very hard to distinguish from another.  
         FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates to text processing; in particular the invention relates to user input of information for a text processing system in a language having a large number of characters.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The invention involves displaying a set of characters in a size larger than characters already accepted and displayed in the system. An advantage of such a system is ease of selection among these characters in the set of characters because they are easier to read. Such a system is of a particular advantage in a text processing system that receives a set of user inputs associated with a set of possible characters.  
           [0004]    An embodiment of the invention is a method for accepting input in a system. The method includes receiving a set of user inputs associated with a set of characters. Characters from the set of characters are displayed in size larger than characters already accepted and displayed in the system. A user selection of at least a character from the set of characters is received. In response to the user selection, the character is displayed in a size generally corresponding to characters already accepted and displayed by the system.  
           [0005]    According to various aspects of the invention, the size larger than characters already accepted and displayed comprises a size generally twice as tall as characters already accepted and displayed by the system, at least one and half as tall as characters already accepted and displayed by the system, or at least twice as large as characters already accepted and displayed by the system. According to other embodiments of the invention, the size larger than characters already accepted and displayed comprises a size appropriate to aid legibility of the character. According to another aspect of the invention, the size larger than characters already accepted and displayed comprises a point value twice as great as the font characters already accepted and displayed. For example, in one embodiment, characters already accepted and displayed are shown in 12 point, and the size larger than characters already accepted and displayed comprises 24 point.  
           [0006]    According to one embodiment of the invention, the set of characters comprises kanji. According to another aspect of the invention, the set of inputs comprises a set of hirigana, and the set of characters comprises kanji associated with the hirigana.  
           [0007]    According to one embodiment of the invention, more than one character from the set of characters is displayed in response to the user selection.  
           [0008]    According to another embodiment of the invention, the set of characters includes a first subset of the set of characters corresponding to the set of user inputs and a second subset of the set of characters corresponding to the set of user inputs. According to another embodiment of the invention, the first subset is displayed in an area having a different background than the second subset. According to another embodiment, the first subset and the second subset are displayed without borders between them.  
           [0009]    An embodiment of the invention includes a computer system including a display, a user input device, a memory including a data structure that associates sets of user inputs with respective sets of characters, and computer executable code. The computer executable code receives a set of user inputs, the set of user inputs being received from the user input device. Based on the data structure, the computer executable code determines a set of characters associated with the set of user inputs. The computer executable code causes at least some characters from the set of characters to be displayed on the display. The at least some characters being displayed are displayed in a size taller than the characters already accepted and displayed on the display, thereby providing ease of selection among the at least some characters displayed. In response to a user selection among the at least some characters, the computer executable code causes at least a selected character to be displayed on the display.  
           [0010]    An embodiment of the invention is a system including a television monitor, a computer system coupled to a network and to the television monitor, a user input device, and logic. The logic receives a set of user inputs. The set of user inputs is received from the user input device. The logic determines a set of characters associated with the set of user inputs, and causes at least some characters from the set of characters to be displayed on the television monitor. The at least some characters are displayed in a size larger than characters already accepted and displayed on the television monitor, thereby providing ease of selection among the at least some characters displayed. In response to a user selection among the characters from the set displayed, the logic causes at least a selected character to be displayed on the television monitor.  
           [0011]    According to an embodiment of the invention, the set of characters comprises characters of an Asian language. According to one example, the set of characters includes Japanese characters. According to another example, the set of characters includes Chinese characters.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1A shows a line of characters and new user input in a text processing system.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1B shows a line of characters in a text processing system including subsets of characters displayed for selection.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1C shows a line of characters in a text processing system including characters displayed for a selection along with additional subsets characters displayed for selection.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1D shows a line of characters in a text processing system including characters displayed for selection after a regrouping of user inputs.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1E shows a line of characters including newly selected characters.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 shows a system for selection and input of characters including a keyboard, a monitor, and a table for associating user inputs with characters.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3A shows a line of characters along with a set of characters displayed for selection.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3B shows a line of characters along with a set of characters displayed for selection.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4A is a flow diagram showing a method of character selection and input.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4B is a flow diagram showing a method of character selection and input in Japanese.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5A shows a computer system with a system for character selection.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5B shows a television system with a system for character selection and input.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5C shows a consumer device with a system for character selection and input.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6A shows a monitor including a line of text input by a user.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6B shows a monitor with a line of text input by a user and a set of characters for selection by the user.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]    The following is a description of embodiments of the invention. The embodiments shown help to illustrate the invention. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the precise embodiments shown.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1A-FIG. 1D show a sequence of display on a system according to one embodiment of the invention. These figures show characters already accepted and displayed by the system, and the sequence of events for displaying new characters for selection and accepting and displaying such characters. The characters are represented in FIGS.  1 A- 1 D as letters, e.g., X, Y, and Z, as opposed to the precise characters that could be displayed. For example, in an embodiment of the invention in a Japanese system, the X&#39;s could be replaced with entered kanji, hirigana, katakana, and romaji. The Y&#39;s could be replaced with hirigana, katakana, or romaji or a combination thereof. The Z&#39;s could be replaced with kanji, hirigana, katakana, and romaji. Alternative combinations of characters and symbols are possible for a Japanese system, in various other embodiments of the invention.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 1A shows a line of characters and new user input in a text processing system. Characters X&#39;s  101 - 106  have been entered already by a user and are displayed in normal size. The Y&#39;s  107 - 111  represent user inputs corresponding to a phonetic spelling and are displayed in an enlarged size, according to the embodiment of the invention, a point size twice as great as that of the normal point size of characters  101 - 106 . When a user of such a system desires to enter a new character, the user types a series of user inputs such as inputs  107 - 111 . These user inputs may be displayed as the phonetic characters corresponding to the typed inputs. Alternatively, such display may not occur, and the system may directly display the possible characters for selection as shown in FIG. 1B. In one example system, inputs  107 - 111  are characters of the hirigana alphabet, which is a phonetic alphabet in the Japanese language. In another example system, inputs  107 - 111  are characters of a phonetic alphabet associated with another language. Once the user has completed typing inputs  107 - 111 , the user requests a front end processor, to display the set of characters that correspond to the set of user inputs  107 - 111 . Such characters typically are the characters that sound the same as the phonetic spelling typed by the user in typing inputs  107 - 111 . Typically, a front end processor will group user inputs  107 - 111  into subgroups and determine a possible set of characters corresponding to each subgroup.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1B shows a line of characters in a text processing system including subsets of characters displayed for selection. Thus, FIG. 1B results from the user selecting the front end processor to provide possible characters corresponding to user inputs  107 - 111 . Here, two subsets of characters from the set of characters corresponding to user inputs  107 - 111  are shown. The first subset is displayed in window  120  and includes character  122  and character  123 , both represented in stylized form as Z&#39;s. A second subset of characters including only one character, Z  124 , is displayed in subset  121 . Characters in subsets  120  and  121  are twice as large a point size as characters already entered and displayed  101 - 106 .  
         [0031]    According to one embodiment of the invention, subset  120  is displayed with a different background from subset  121  in order to help the user distinguish between subset  120  and subset  121 . According to one embodiment of the invention, borders are not displayed separating subset  120  and subset  121 . Rather, according to one embodiment of the invention, these subsets are distinguished from each other by differences in background between each other. For example, subset  121  may appear with a gray background while subset  120  may have a white background. These backgrounds may be interchanged as one subset or the other is provisionally selected. An advantage not displaying borders is that space is conserved on the monitor, as in a television monitor where resolution may be relatively low. Not displaying borders helps to allow more space for showing characters in a large format. Further, horizontal display of the characters, as shown here according to one embodiment of the invention, has an advantage of providing greater resolution in a television screen.  
         [0032]    In an alternative embodiment, the user does not have to request the front end processor, but rather the set of corresponding characters is automatically displayed at some time after the user has entered a set of inputs that corresponds to one or more characters. The characters  122 ,  123 , and  124  as shown here may comprise all characters corresponding to user inputs  107 - 109 , or may include only subsets of those characters corresponding to such inputs, according to the likelihood that such characters are those intended by the user. Such characters may also be displayed depending on frequency of use based on past user inputs or based on location in the sentence or context.  
         [0033]    The user may regroup the inputs upon which the display of characters is based. Then, different characters may be displayed instead of character  122 ,  123  and  121 , as characters that correspond to user inputs  107 - 111 . For example, initially, the system may group  107  and  108  together, displaying them as  122 , and group  109 ,  110 , and  111 , displaying them as  123 . Later if the user selects a regrouping, the regrouping may place  107 - 110  together and  111  alone.  
         [0034]    The user may select characters from those characters displayed in FIG. 1B. For example, the user may select character  124 , and then that character will be displayed in a point size generally the same as the point size of characters  101 - 106 . Alternatively, the user may request additional choices of characters corresponding to user inputs  107 - 111 . The result of such a selection is shown in FIG. 1C.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 1C shows a line of characters in a text processing system including characters displayed for a selection along with additional subsets characters displayed for selection. If the user requests, the system displays additional subsets of characters corresponding to the set of user inputs  107 - 111 . Here, additional set  130 ,  131 ,  132 ,  133 , and  134  are shown. The additional subsets of characters are shown below subsets  120  and  124 . The additional subsets are displayed in enlarged size, a point size twice as large as the point size of the previously entered and displayed characters. Any of these subsets of characters may be the desired match for the user input  107 - 111 . For example, characters  135  and  136  (represented by A&#39;s) in set  130  may correspond to user inputs  107 - 111 . Alternatively, a match may apply for set  131 , which includes a character  137 ,  138 , and  139  (represented by B&#39;s), or subset  132 , which includes character  140  (represented by a C), subset  133 , which includes character  141  and  142  (represented by D&#39;s), or subset  134 , which includes character  143  (represented by an E). The user may select any of these displayed subsets of characters. Then, the selected characters are displayed in a point size generally the same as the point size of characters already selected and displayed. For example if X  101  is displayed in 24 point, according to an embodiment of the invention, Z  122 - 124  are displayed in 48 point, and Z  160  and  161  are displayed in 24 point. According to one embodiment of the invention, the respective subsets are displayed without borders between them. Separation between the respective subsets may be designated by differences in shading in the backgrounds of the respective subsets. For example, subset  130  may be shown with a first background, and subset  131  may be shown with a second background. Subset  132  may be shown with the same background as subset  130 , and subset  133  may be displayed with the same background as subset  131 , and subset  134  may be shown with the same background as subset  130 .  
         [0036]    FIG. ID shows a line of characters in a text processing system including characters displayed for selection after a regrouping of user inputs. As noted, user inputs  107 - 111  may be regrouped to cause display of different characters corresponding to the user inputs. According to an embodiment of the invention the regrouping occurs only when the first line of choices are present, such as in FIG. 1B. The regrouping of user inputs  107 - 111 , according to one embodiment of the invention is not seen directly by the user; rather the user merely sees the result of the regrouping. In the example of FIG. 1D, the system may display subset  145  and  146  as a result of regrouping of inputs  107 - 111 . Subset  145  includes character  147  (represented by a K). Subset  146  includes characters  148  and  149  (represented by L&#39;s). Next, the user may request additional subsets of characters corresponding to the regrouped inputs. Accordingly, subsets  140 ,  141 ,  142 ,  143 , and  144  are then displayed beneath subsets  145  and  146 . As shown, subset  140  includes characters  141  and  151  (represented by F&#39;s), subset  141  includes characters  152 ,  153  and  154  (represented by G&#39;s), subset  145  includes character  155  (represented by an H), subset  143  includes characters  156  and  157  (represented by I&#39;s), and subset  144  includes character  158  (represented by a J). As shown, the various subsets include characters that are enlarged relative to previously accepted and displayed characters  101 - 106 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 1E shows a line of characters including newly selected characters. As shown, previously entered characters  101 - 106  are displayed, in addition to newly selected characters  160  and  161 . In this example, characters  160  and  161  are from subset  120  as was shown, for example, in FIG. 1B. These newly selected characters  160  and  161  are displayed in a size generally that of characters  101 - 106 .  
         [0038]    As shown in the above examples with FIGS.  1 A- 1 E, phonetic information may be entered, and then characters corresponding to the phonetic information are displayed in a size larger than that of previously entered and displayed characters. This phonetic information may be Japanese hirigana phonetic characters. Similarly, the characters may be Japanese kanji, and may also include additional hirigana. Alternatively, the respective characters and inputs may be from another language, such as Chinese. Characters  107 - 111 , for example, may be any characters representing phonetic spelling or any shorthand corresponding to characters.  
         [0039]    Note that in selecting between subsets of characters, the arrow keys of a typical word processing or e-mail system may be used. Alternatively, various buttons in another system may be used for a selection in character entry. For example, a computer game system, arrow keys or other keys may be used for character selection and entry.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 2 shows a system for selection and input of characters including a keyboard, a monitor, and a table for associating user inputs with characters. According to FIG. 2, input from keyboard  207  is used to determine an entry in table  201 . Based on the entry in table  201 , characters  210  are displayed for selection on display  209 . Optional mouse  208  or other pointing device such as a stylus may be used to assist in the selection of the character. According to another embodiment of the invention, keyboard  207  is specifically adapted to the Chinese language. In one embodiment, keyboard  207  is specifically adapted to Mandarin, and in another embodiment, keyboard  207  is specifically adapted to Cantonese. Keyboard  207 , according to one embodiment of the invention, is specifically adapted to the Japanese language. Based on inputs from keyboard  207 , an entry is determined in table  201 . As shown, set of inputs  204  has been entered. List  202  represents various possible combinations of user inputs that correspond to various characters in list of characters  203 . For example, here set of user inputs  204  corresponds to set of characters  205 . Thus, according to one embodiment of the invention, set of user inputs  204  represents a combination of phonetics, and set of characters  205  is those characters that sound like the phonetic combination represented by set of inputs  204 . Set of characters  205  may include multiple subsets of characters that each could correspond to user inputs  204 . For example, character  211  may correspond to one possible meaning of inputs  204 , and characters  212  and  213  may correspond to a different possible meaning of inputs  204 . Set of characters  206  are other characters that do not necessarily correspond to the phonetic combination of user inputs  204 . The system displays already entered characters  214 - 217  on display  209 . In response to user input of inputs  204 , the system displays set  210 , which includes characters  211 - 213 , as selected from table  201 . Although this figure represents a table associating phonetics with characters, other systems or processors may be used to associate user input with corresponding characters.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 3A shows a line of characters along with a set of characters displayed for selection. Characters  301 - 306 , which are represented by boxes, have already been entered by a user. The X  307  represents the portion of display  300  at which the new character is to be entered. The phonetics corresponding to the new character may be displayed at X  307  as they are entered by the user, according to one embodiment of the invention. Then, according to an embodiment of the invention, after the user has requested, characters  308  and  309 , represented here by boxes, are displayed in large size. According to one aspect of the invention, these characters are displayed in a point size that is twice as tall as the point size of the other characters  301 - 306  already entered. According to one embodiment of the invention, characters  308  and  309  are displayed twice as tall as any one of characters  301 - 306 . Characters  308  and  309  may be displayed, according to one embodiment of the invention, one and a half times as tall as any one of characters  301 - 306 . Here, characters  301 - 306  are shown vertically, and the characters  308  and  309  selected among are shown horizontally. According to another aspect of the invention, characters such as characters  308  and  309  are displayed vertically rather than horizontally. As shown, characters  308  and  309  are displayed in close proximity to location X  307 . An advantage of such layout is that it helps to preserve the context of choices between which the user is to select.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 3B shows a line of characters along with a set of characters displayed for selection. FIG. 3B shows previously entered characters  320 - 325 , represented by boxes, and a set of enlarged characters  328 - 330  for selection in a window  327  on display  319 . As shown, previously entered characters  320 - 325  are displayed vertically. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, such characters are displayed horizontally. The X  326  represents the location on display  319  at which a new character is to be entered. A set of characters  328 - 330  is displayed, according to this embodiment of the invention, in a different portion of the display  319  than location X  326 .  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 4A is a flow diagram showing a method of character selection and input. First, receive a user input (block  401 ). User input, according to one aspect of the invention, includes a set of phonetic symbols corresponding to a set of characters. Next, determine character choices (block  402 ). Such character choices are characters in the set of characters corresponding to the user input. Next, display character choices as enlarged characters (block  403 ). Such characters are displayed larger than characters previously entered and currently displayed on the system. Receive a user character selection (block  404 ). The user, based on the user&#39;s intent to enter a particular character, selects one or more of the characters from the set of characters displayed. Such selection may be accomplished by various means, as it may be typically used in current systems or as may be developed. Next, display the selected character, or characters, according to another embodiment of the invention (block  405 ). The selected character, according to one embodiment of the invention, is now displayed in the same font size as the previously selected characters. This process may be repeated as the user continues to enter more characters.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 4B is a flow diagram showing a method of character selection and input in Japanese. As noted previously, other embodiments of the system are designed for other languages. Further, embodiments of the system for Japanese language may take forms other than the precise one described with reference to this flow diagram. First, display entered kanji (block  450 ). These entered kanji represent the selections that the user has made previously and may include other characters in addition to the kanji. Next, display entered hirigana inputs (block  451 ). Hirigana inputs are displayed as a result of the user inputting the hirigana. Alternative phonetic inputs may also be accepted at this stage. Next, the user would typically select a front end processor to cause the system to display possible kanji choices for the hirigana inputs. The system then displays the enlarged kanji choices (block  452 ). At this point, the user may select one of the kanji choices or a subset of the kanji choices and cause that choice to be then displayed in normal point size. Alternatively, the user may request additional kanji choices. Then, the system displays the alternate enlarged kanji choices (block  453 ). Such alternate enlarged kanji choices may be displayed below the initial kanji choices. Other arrangements of the initial choices and alternate choices are possible. For example, the initial choices may disappear and be replace by the alternate kanji choices. The user may then select one of the alternate enlarged kanji choices. The user may also change the display to kanji choices based on hirigana regrouping (block  454 ). This regrouping may take place when only the initial kanji choices are shown, according to one embodiment of the invention. Alternatively, according to another embodiment of the invention, the regrouping may be done at another stage in the process. Based on the regrouping, different choices are displayed as possible meanings of the hirigana.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 5A-FIG. 5C show various example systems according to different embodiments of the invention. In such example systems, character selection and display may be carried out in various layouts as shown and described above. For example, the display may include display and selection of characters as described according to FIG. 1 of this application. Alternatively, display may be carried out in layouts shown below or in other layouts.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 5A shows a computer system with a system for character selection. The system in FIG. 5A includes optional mouse  502 , keyboard  501 , computer  503 , and display  504 . The system may be a text processing system such as for document processing, or the text processing system may be another system such as an e-mail program or web browser or other system. The user inputs a set of inputs on keyboard  501 , which is received by computer  503 . Computer  503  displays a set of enlarged characters  507 - 509 , associated with the inputs the user has entered. In this example, subset  506  of characters  508  and  509  may correspond to one possible meaning of user inputs, and character  507  may correspond to another possible meaning of the user inputs. The user may then select between subset  506  and character  507 . As shown, previously entered characters  505  are displayed. A set of character choices  507 - 509  is displayed near to the previously entered characters  505  and in particular near to the location at which the next characters are to be entered. According to some embodiments of the invention, the particular set of characters, e.g.,  507 - 509 , is not necessarily displayed at any particular location in relation to the location where the new character is to be entered. These various layouts may be present in embodiments of the invention in various types of systems, including, but not limited to, computers, computer systems, network systems, television systems, and consumer devices.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 5B shows a television system with a system for character selection and input. The system of FIG. 5B includes user input device  520 , set top box  521 , television  522 , and network  526 . User input device  520  is coupled either physically, or electronically, with set top box  521 . For example, user input device  520  may be a remote control unit with only wireless connection to set top box  521 . Set top box  521  is coupled to television  522  and to network  526 . Set top box  521  receives commands from user input device  520 . Set top box  521  helps to control what is displayed on display  523 , which is part of television  522 . Set top box  521  communicates with network  526  to display information from network  526  onto display  523  and to transmit information from the user to network  526 . As shown, previously entered characters  527  are displayed on screen  523 . Additionally, a set of enlarged characters  524  and  525  are displayed on screen  523  near to a location at which a new character is to be entered. Characters  524  and  525  are displayed in response to user input from user input device  520 . The user then selects between characters  524  and  525 , and then the selected character is displayed in a font corresponding to the font of previously entered characters  527 .  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 5C shows a consumer device with a system for character selection and input. The system of FIG. 5C includes a display  531  coupled to an input device  530 . Such input device  530  and display  531  may be part of a consumer device, such as a telephone, hand-held computer, or other device. As shown, previously entered characters  532  are displayed on display  531 , and a set of characters  533  and  534  are displayed for user selection also on display  531 . Inputs  535  represent user inputs to which the set of characters  533  and  534  correspond.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 6A shows a monitor including a line of text input by a user. Here, the system displays a window  601  on display  600 , as in a text processing system for an Asian language such as an e-mail system. Window  601  includes previously entered characters  602 . A user provides user inputs to the system, then in response, the system alters, as shown in FIG. 6B.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 6B shows a monitor with a line of text input by user and a set of characters for selection by the user. In FIG. 6B, display  610  includes window  611 , on which text already accepted  612  is displayed along with much larger print characters  613 . Text already accepted in  612  is the text corresponding to text  602  shown in FIG. 6A. The user selects among the characters displayed as much larger print characters  613 . Then, the selected character or characters are displayed in a font corresponding to text already accepted  612 .  
         [0051]    Various embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the figures and have been described in the corresponding text of this application. This foregoing description is not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to be construed to the full extent allowed by the following claims and their equivalents.