Abstract:
A method of enabling the selection of a language to be employed as a method input language by a disambiguation routine of a handheld electronic device having stored therein a plurality of method input languages and disambiguation routine number, includes outputting an input mode indicator that indicates which one of the method input languages is currently employed by the disambiguation function as part of a current input mode and indicates another characteristic of the current input mode, enabling the input mode indicator to be selected, and enabling the current input mode to be changed in response to detecting a selection of the indicator.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    The disclosed and claimed concept relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to a method for indicating and selecting multiple aspects of an input mode on a handheld electronic device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known. Examples of such handheld devices include, for instance, personal data assistants (PDAs), handheld computers, two-way pagers, cellular telephones, and the like. Many handheld electronic devices also feature wireless communication capability, although many such handheld devices are stand-alone devices that are functional without communication with other devices. 
         [0005]    Handheld electronic devices are used in a variety of language settings and users can often find themselves writing text in multiple languages. For example, a user might reply to one e-mail message in French and another in English. However, in order to utilize a handheld electronic device&#39;s advance features, such as disambiguation, the user might have to select the language that, for example, corresponds to the language of the original message to which he/she is replying. Switching among multiple languages can often confuse the user since the user might believe that the currently selected language on the handheld electronic device is one language, but in reality the operative language is another language. Therefore, incorrectly believing that the currently selected language is the desired language, the user might unwittingly begin to enter input which corresponds to the desired language, fully expecting the disambiguation function of the handheld electronic device to correctly disambiguate any ambiguous inputs that the user enters. However, since the currently selected language is the incorrect language, the handheld electronic device will disambiguate the ambiguous inputs based on the other language. Assuming that the user realizes that the currently selected language on the handheld electronic device is not the desired language prior to completing the data entry, the steps required to rectify the situation (e.g. select the correct language and correct any incorrect data) will consume time. It would be desirable to overcome this shortcoming in an efficient fashion that makes the device easier to use. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    A full understanding of the disclosed and claimed concept can be gained from the following Description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of an improved handheld electronic device in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a schematic depiction of the improved handheld electronic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a depiction of an output that can be displayed on an output apparatus of the improved handheld electronic device; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting an embodiment of an improved method in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart depicting another embodiment of an improved method in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  depicts an input mode indicator on the display. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    The accompanying figures and the description that follows set forth the disclosed and claimed concept in its preferred embodiments. It is, however, contemplated that persons generally familiar with handheld electronic devices will be able to apply the novel characteristics of the structures and methods illustrated and described herein in other contexts by modification of certain details. Accordingly, the figures and description are not to be taken as restrictive on the scope of the disclosed and claimed concept, but are to be understood as broad and general teachings. 
         [0014]    When referring to the term “language object” and variations thereof, such designations shall refer broadly to any type of object that may be constructed, identified, or otherwise obtained from one or more linguistic elements, that can be used alone or in combination to generate text, and that would include, for example and without limitation, words, shortcuts, symbols, ideograms, and the like. 
         [0015]    When referring to the term “linguistic element” and variations thereof, such designations shall refer broadly to any element that itself can be a language object or from which a language object can be constructed, identified, or otherwise obtained, and thus would include, but not be limited to, characters, letters, strokes, symbols, ideograms, phonemes, morphemes, digits (numbers), and the like. 
         [0016]    When referring to the term “letter” and variations thereof, such designations are meant to cover all letters of the Latin alphabet regardless of whether the letter is uppercase (Majuscule form) or lowercase (Minuscule form). 
         [0017]    When referring to the term “reduced” and variations thereof in the context of a keyboard, a keypad, or other arrangement of input members, such designations shall refer broadly to an arrangement in which at least one of the input members has assigned thereto a plurality of linguistic elements such as, for example, characters in the set of Latin letters. 
         [0018]    When referring to the term “window” and variations thereof, such designations by way of example, and not limitation, shall refer to a visualized layer, tile, overlay or other similar variant thereof that is output on a display or screen. 
         [0019]    When referring to the phrase “default language” and variations thereof, such designations shall refer to the primary language of the handheld electronic device. 
         [0020]    For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the disclosed and claimed concept as it is oriented in the figures. 
         [0021]    An improved handheld electronic device  2  is indicated generally in  FIG. 1  and is depicted schematically in  FIG. 2 . The exemplary handheld electronic device  2  includes a housing  4  upon which is disposed a processor unit that includes an input apparatus  6 , an output apparatus  8 , a processor  10 , and a memory  12 . The processor  10  may be, for instance, and without limitation, a microprocessor (APP) and is responsive to inputs from the input apparatus  6  and provides output signals to the output apparatus  8 . The processor  10  also interfaces with the memory  12 . The processor  10  and the memory  12  together form a processor apparatus. 
         [0022]    As can be understood from  FIG. 1 , the input apparatus  6  includes a keypad  14  and a trackwheel  16 . As will be described in greater detail below, the keypad  14  is in the exemplary form of a reduced QWERTY keyboard including a plurality of keys  18  that serve as input members. It is noted, however, that the keypad  14  may be of other configurations, such as an AZERTY keyboard, a QWERTZ keyboard, or other keyboard arrangement, whether presently known or unknown, and either reduced or not reduced. 
         [0023]    The keys  18  are located on a front face  20  of the housing  4 , and the trackwheel  16  is located at a side  22  of the housing  4 . In addition to the keys  18 , the trackwheel  16  can serve as another input member since the trackwheel  16  is capable of being rotated, as indicated by arrow  24 , and depressed generally toward the housing  4 , as indicated by arrow  26 . Rotation of the trackwheel  16  provides certain inputs to the processor  10 , while depression of the trackwheel  16  provides other input to the processor  10 . 
         [0024]    The system architecture of the handheld electronic device  2  advantageously is organized to be operable independent of the specific layout of the keypad  14 . Accordingly, the system architecture of the handheld electronic device  2  can be employed in conjunction with virtually any keypad layout without requiring any meaningful change in the system architecture. It is further noted that certain features set forth herein are usable on either or both of a reduced keyboard and a non-reduced keyboard. 
         [0025]    The memory  12  is depicted schematically in  FIG. 2 . The memory  12  can be any of a variety of types of internal and/or external storage media such as, without limitation, RAM, ROM, EPROM(s), EEPROM(s), and the like that provide a storage register for data storage such as in the fashion of an internal storage area of a computer, and can be volatile memory or nonvolatile memory. As can be seen from  FIG. 2 , the memory  12  is in electronic communication with the processor  10 . 
         [0026]    The memory  12  additionally can include one or more routines depicted generally with the numeral  46  for the processing of data and carrying out other functions, including a user interface routine  47 . When executed by the processor  10 , the user interface routine  47 , possibly in combination with another of the routines  46 , causes the processor  10  to receive inputs from the keypad  14 , the trackwheel  16  and/or other input devices, and causes the processor  10  to present various forms of output on the display  28  and/or other output devices, as will shortly be explained. In other words, when sequences of instructions of the user interface routine  47  are executed by the processor  10 , a user of the handheld electronic device  2  is provided with a way to interact with the handheld electronic device  2 . The routines  46  can be in any of a variety of forms such as, without limitation, software, firmware, and the like. Additionally, the memory  12  can also store and make available a variety of data sources  48  such as, without limitation, one or more input method languages (i.e. “language” or “languages”)  50  having language objects associated therewith. 
         [0027]    The input method languages  50  may also have corresponding linguistic sources  52  such as a generic word list or a language rule set.  FIG. 2  depicts the memory  12  as containing three input method languages  50 . The first input method language  54  can be English, the second input method language  56  can be French, and the third input method language  58  can be Spanish. It is noted, however, that despite  FIG. 2  depicting only three input method languages  54 ,  56 ,  58  being stored within memory  12 , the total number of input method languages  50  that can be stored in the memory  12  is limited only by the memory&#39;s  12  capacity. Once a user selects an input method language  50 , the selected input method language becomes the operative input method language and the preferred data source for the handheld electronic device  2 . The preferred data source is utilized by the handheld electronic device  2  to disambiguate any ambiguous inputs that are entered into the handheld electronic device  2 . It is noted, however, that an input method language can be a default operative input method language, thus being operative without being expressly selected by a user. 
         [0028]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , the output apparatus  8  includes a display  28  upon which can be provided an output  30 . An exemplary output  30  on the display  28  is depicted in  FIG. 1 . The output  30  includes a text component  32  and a window (variant component)  34 . As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the window  34  extends substantially horizontally across the display  28 . This, however, is not meant to be limiting since the window  34  can also extend across the display  28  substantially vertically, as depicted in  FIG. 4 , or in other fashions. Preferably, the window  34  is located generally in the vicinity of the text component  32 . The window  34  includes a number of outputs  36  from which the user can select, and a selection box  38  that provides an indication of what is selectable at any given time, as will be explained. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the selection box  38  is at a default position  39 , thereby indicating that a default one of the outputs  36  is currently selectable. As described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/931,281 entitled “Handheld Electronic device with Text Disambiguation,” the outputs  36  are language objects selected from language objects stored in the memory  12  and proposed by the text disambiguation function as being the most likely disambiguated interpretation of the ambiguous input provided by the user. 
         [0029]    As can also be seen in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , a visual indicator  60 , indicating a preferred data source (e.g., grammatical rules and/or vocabulary of a language), is also provided in the window  34 . In order to facilitate the entry of text into the handheld electronic device  2  and to prevent user confusion regarding the currently selected language on the handheld electronic device  2 , the visual indicator  60  enables a user to quickly identify what language is currently operative. In this particular embodiment, the visual indicator  60  is positioned substantially adjacent to a right end  62  of the window  34 . It is noted, however, that the visual indicator  60  can also be positioned substantially adjacent to a left end  64  of the window  34  or in other positions, such as within the caret  44  or on another part of the display  28 . 
         [0030]    The visual indicator  60  provides a visual identifier of a choice of a language to a user of the handheld electronic device  2 . The visual indicator  60  may include one or more of first and second linguistic elements  66  and  68  that form an abbreviation specifying a particular language as depicted in  FIG. 1 , an unabbreviated name  65  of a language as depicted in  FIG. 3 , or a graphical symbol  69  representative of a flag or other symbol associated with a particular language as depicted in  FIG. 4 . The visual indicator  60  may be surrounded by a box  70  and/or may be offset from the outputs  36  to prevent a user from mistakenly identifying the visual indicator  60  as an output  36 . Furthermore, the box  70  may be shaped or colored differently from the selection box  38 . In the exemplary output depicted in  FIG. 1 , the visual indicator  60  includes the letters “F” and “R” which is an abbreviation of “French,” along with a linguistic symbol  69  providing a representation of the flag of France. Accordingly, as depicted, the visual indicator  60  alerts the user that French is the currently selected language on the handheld electronic device  2 . 
         [0031]    The selection box  38  is capable of being moved (i.e. shifted) from the default position  39  to a number of different positions  40  by depressing or actuating a &lt;NEXT&gt; key  42  or by rotating the trackwheel  16 . The display  28  also includes a caret (cursor)  44  that depicts generally where the next output will be displayed. As the selection box  38  is moved through different ones of the different positions  40 , different ones of the outputs  36  become selectable by depressing the trackwheel  16  towards the housing  4 , by pressing one of the keys  18  and/or by actuating some other form of input device (not shown) disposed on the housing  4 . Upon reaching the last of the outputs  36 , the selection box  38  can be moved beyond the last of the outputs  36  and to the visual indicator  60  such that the visual indicator  60  becomes selectable, and in a manner substantially similar to that by which each of the outputs  36  may become selectable. In this way, the visual indicator  60  may be selected in lieu of one of the outputs  36 . Furthermore, upon the visual indicator  60  becoming selectable, still further movement of the selection box  38  beyond the last of the outputs  36  and beyond the visual indicator  60  results in a “wrap-around” of the selection box  38  back to the default position  39 , in some embodiments. In alternate embodiments, the selection box  38  cannot be moved beyond the visual indicator  60 . 
         [0032]    Upon the visual indicator  60  both becoming selectable, a user of the handheld electronic device  2  may select the visual indicator  60  by actuating the &lt;NEXT&gt; key  42 , depressing the trackwheel  16  or actuating some other form of input device disposed on the housing  4 . Selecting the visual indicator  60  allows the user to change the currently selected language. In some embodiments, upon selection of the visual indicator  60 , the &lt;NEXT&gt; key  42 , the trackwheel  16  and/or some other form of input device disposed on the housing  4  may be used to change in place the currently selected language by changing whichever of the linguistic elements  66  and  68 , the unabbreviated name  65  or the graphical symbol  69  is currently displayed as part of the visual indicator  60 . In other embodiments, upon selection of the visual indicator  60 , a popup window  90  is presented that lists at least a subset of the choices of language  96  that may be selected, as depicted in  FIG. 4 . The popup window  90  may present each choice of language  96  as one or both of a pair of linguistic characters (not unlike the linguistic characters  66  and  68  within the visual indicator  60 ) or a graphical symbol (not unlike the graphical symbol  69  within the visual indicator  60 ). Alternatively or additionally, the popup window  90  may present each choice of language  96  as an unabbreviated name (not unlike the unabbreviated name  65  within the visual indicator  60 ). In still other embodiments, upon selection of the visual indicator  60 , a language selection output  130  is presented on the display  28  in which a language selection menu  190  is displayed, as depicted in  FIG. 5 , in place of the window  34 . As in the case of the popup window  90 , the language selection menu  190  may use one or more of a pair of linguistic characters, an unabbreviated name and/or a graphical symbol to present each choice of language  196 . 
         [0033]    In some embodiments, as the selection box  38  is moved beyond the last of the outputs  36  and to the visual indicator  60 , some form of tactile and/or audible feedback may be provided to a user of the handheld electronic device  2  that coincides with the selection box  38  being moved between one of the outputs  36  and the visual indicator  60 . Such tactile and/or audible feedback would alert the user to the fact that he or she has progressed beyond the selection of available outputs  36  without the need to view the display  28  at that moment. In one possible embodiment where either the trackwheel  16  or a trackball (not shown) is employed in moving the selection box  38 , a tactile feedback akin to a “bump” and/or a momentary resistance to movement may be provided that the user would feel through which ever ones of his or her fingers are employed in operating the trackwheel  16  or the trackball. Various trackwheels and trackballs equipped with a mechanism for causing a translation motion of the wheel or ball in a direction against the user&#39;s fingertips are commercially available as those skilled in the art will readily recognize. Such a trackwheel or trackball could be controlled in a manner that provides the user with a sensation that the wheel or ball is being “rolled” over a bump and/or that the wheel or ball is momentarily “stuck” at the moment that the selection box  38  is moved between one of the outputs  36  and the visual indicator  60 . 
         [0034]    It should be noted that although much of the preceding discussing has specified that the selection box  38  serves as the indication of which item in the window  34  is selectable, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that other visual indicators of which item in the window  34  is selectable may be employed. By way of example, various techniques of highlighting a selectable item may be employed, including, but not limited to, altering one or more colors of the selectable item, itself, such that the selectable item is made to stand out in comparison to one or more non-selectable items, or altering one or more colors of the background immediately adjacent to a selectable item such that the selectable item is surrounded with a distinguishing color. 
         [0035]    In some embodiments, as an alternative to presenting an operative language in a visual indicator as part of a window of selectable outputs as part of a disambiguation process, a visual indicator  260  may be presented as part of an input mode indicator  284  presented on a portion of the display  28 . As depicted in  FIG. 6 , the input mode indicator  284  is positioned towards a corner of the display  28  so as to minimize its obstruction of the remainder of the space available on the display  28  for whatever use may be desired by a user of the handheld electronic device  2 . The input mode indicator  284  includes a visual indicator  286  that presents information regarding other aspects of the current input mode, such whether a reduced-sized keyboard (e.g., the keypad  14 ) is currently in a numeric entry mode (as indicated with “123”), a lower-case letter entry mode (as indicated with “abc”) or an upper-case letter entry mode (as variously indicated with an upward arrow, or either of “ABC” or “CAP”). As was the case with the earlier-discussed visual indicator  60 , the visual indicator  260  may present the current choice of language with an abbreviation (e.g., “EN” as depicted), a graphical symbol (e.g., a flag as depicted), or an unabbreviated name of a language (not shown). In other words, the input mode indicator  284  presents one of a selection of possible input modes that combine a choice of numeric or text entry, a choice of capitalization, and a choice of language in each input mode.  FIG. 6  depicts some of the available input modes that may be selected. 
         [0036]    The remainder of the space available on the display  28  may be employed by one or more of the routines  46 , including the user interface routine  47 , to enable input of text or numbers by the user. Not unlike the earlier-described visual indicator  60 , the input mode indicator  284  is selectable, though not as part of a list of selectable outputs generated by a disambiguation routine. In some embodiments, a trackball or input device (not shown) that is disposed on the housing  4  may be used to make the input mode indicator  284  selectable by moving a focus of the user interface routine  47  away from an application occupying the remainder of the space available on the display  28  and towards the input mode indicator  284 . Upon the input mode indicator  284  being made selectable, and upon the input mode indicator  284  being selected, a different input mode may be selected. In some embodiments, the selection of the input mode indicator  284  results in an input mode selection menu not unlike the earlier-described language selection menu  190  that occupies at least a portion of the remainder of the space available on the display  28 . In other embodiments, the selection of the input mode indicator  284  results in the presentation of a smaller popup menu not unlike the earlier-described popup window  90 . In still other embodiments, the selection of the input mode indicator  284  allows the user to change in place the input mode indicator  284  (and with it, the associated input mode), perhaps by operating the trackwheel  16  or other input device, such as a trackball. 
         [0037]    While specific embodiments of the disclosed and claimed concept have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the disclosed and claimed concept which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.