Abstract:
A method of entering information into an electronic device, such as a handheld electronic device, that has a text disambiguation function, a keyboard and a display. The method includes generating a plurality of character combination choices using the text disambiguation function based on a first key depression sequence input into the electronic device, and displaying the character combination choices in a first spatial arrangement on the display. The first spatial arrangement substantially corresponds to a second spatial arrangement of a plurality of keys provided on a portion of the keyboard, and each one of the character combination choices corresponds to a particular one of the keys. The method further includes selecting and inputting a particular one of the character combination choices when the particular one of the keys that corresponds to the particular one of the character combination choices is depressed. Also, an electronic device that implements the method.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates generally to electronic devices employing a text disambiguation function, and, more particularly, to a handheld electronic device having an improved manner of displaying and enabling the selection of character combination choices generated by a text disambiguation function. The invention also relates to an improved method of displaying and enabling the selection of character combination choices generated by a text disambiguation function.  
         [0003]     2. Background Information  
         [0004]     Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known. Examples of such handheld electronic 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 electronic devices are stand-alone devices that are functional without communication with other devices.  
         [0005]     Such handheld electronic devices are generally intended to be portable, and thus are of a relatively compact configuration in which keys and other input structures often perform multiple functions under certain circumstances or may otherwise have multiple aspects or features assigned thereto. With advances in technology, handheld electronic devices are built to have progressively smaller form factors yet have progressively greater numbers of applications and features resident thereon. As a practical matter, the keys of a keypad can only be reduced to a certain small size before the keys become relatively unusable. In order to enable text entry, however, a keypad must be capable of entering all twenty-six letters of the Roman alphabet, for instance, as well as appropriate punctuation and other symbols.  
         [0006]     One way of providing numerous letters in a small space has been to provide a “reduced keyboard” in which multiple letters, symbols, and/or digits, and the like, are assigned to any given key. For example, a touch-tone telephone includes a reduced keyboard by providing twelve keys, of which ten have digits thereon, and of these ten keys, eight have Roman letters assigned thereto. For instance, one of the keys includes the digit “2,” as well as the letters “A”, “B”, and “C”. Since a single actuation of such a key potentially could be intended by the user to refer to any of the letters “A”, “B”, and “C”, and potentially could also be intended to refer to the digit “2”, the input (by actuation of the key) generally is an ambiguous input and is in need of some type of disambiguation in order to be useful for text entry purposes. Other known reduced keyboards have included other arrangements of keys, letters, symbols, digits, and the like. One example of a reduced keyboard is the keypad  24  forming a part of the handheld electronic device  4  shown in  FIG. 1  and described in greater detail herein. Keypad  24  is what is known as a reduced QWERTY keyboard.  
         [0007]     In order to enable a user to make use of the multiple letters, digits, and the like on any given key in an ambiguous keyboard, numerous keystroke interpretation systems have been provided. For instance, a “multi-tap” system allows a user to substantially unambiguously specify a particular character on a key by pressing the same key a number of times equivalent to the position of the desired character on the key. For example, on the aforementioned telephone key that includes the letters “ABC”, if the user desires to specify the letter “C”, the user will press the key three times. Similarly, on the aforementioned keypad  24 , if the user desires to specify the letter “C”, the user will press the key that includes “CV7” once, and if the user desires to specify the letter “I”, the user will press the key that includes “UI3” two times.  
         [0008]     Another exemplary keystroke interpretation system would include key chording, of which various types exist. For instance, a particular character can be entered by pressing two keys in succession or by pressing and holding a first key while pressing a second key. Still another exemplary keystroke interpretation system would be a “press-and-hold/press-and-release” interpretation function in which a given key provides a first result if the key is pressed and immediately released, and provides a second result if the key is pressed and held for a short period of time.  
         [0009]     Another keystroke interpretation system that has been employed is a software-based text disambiguation function. In such a system, a user typically presses keys to which one or more characters have been assigned, generally pressing each key one time for each desired letter, and the disambiguation software attempts to predict the intended input. Numerous such systems have been proposed. One example of such a system is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/931,281, entitled “Handheld Electronic Device With Text Disambiguation,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As is known, many such systems display an output component as the user is typing (pressing keys) that includes a list of possible intended input character strings (i.e., what the user intended while typing) that are generated by the disambiguation software. For example,  FIG. 1  shows a display  60  that may be provided by the disambiguation software system described in the aforementioned commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/931,281. As described in greater detail herein,  FIG. 1  shows an exemplary output  64  being depicted on the display  60  that includes a text component  68  and a variant component  72 . The variant component  72  includes a default portion  76  and a variant portion  80 . The variant component  72  represents a list of possible intended inputs (in the form of a number of character strings or combinations) as generated by the disambiguation software. A user may select one of the items listed in the variant component  72  for inclusion in the final text component  68 .  
         [0010]     In many current software-based text disambiguation systems, the output component that includes the list of possible intended inputs that is generated by the disambiguation software, such as a variant component  72 , is presented as a single line of text. In order to select a particular one of the possible intended inputs, a user must typically execute a number of affirmative actions, such as scrolling a thumbwheel or pressing a predetermined function button. For example,  FIG. 3  shows an example of a prior art output containing a prior art variant component  72  that may appear on a display such as a display  60  in a situation where the list of possible intended inputs (possible character strings or combinations) that is generated by the disambiguation software is provided on a single line. In order to select the character string “is” from the list of possible intended inputs, a user of handheld electronic device  4  will have to either (i) scroll the thumbwheel to a large enough extent to move the “highlighting” over the character string “is” and then press an enter key or the like, or (ii) press a function button such as the &lt;NEXT&gt; key  40  shown in  FIG. 1 a  sufficient number of time to move the “highlighting” over the character string “is” and then press an enter key or the like, both of which require a number of different user operations and thus require user time and attention. In addition, when the number of possible intended inputs that is generated by the disambiguation software is so large that all of them cannot fit on a single line of the display, the list is typically continued on one or more additional screens (each screen having a single line of text containing possible intended input choices), and the user must take some action, such as scrolling a thumbwheel or pressing a predetermined function button such as the &lt;NEXT&gt; key  40 , to move from one screen to the next to view all of the choices. Once on the desired screen, the steps described above must be taken to select a particular one of the listed possible intended inputs. Again, all of these actions are time consuming and inconvenient for the user. Thus, a method is needed for electronic devices that employ text disambiguation software that simplifies and shortens the procedure required to select a possible intended input generated by the disambiguation software.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The invention, in one aspect, relates to a method of entering information into an electronic device, such as a handheld electronic device, that has a text disambiguation function, a keyboard and a display. The method includes generating a plurality of character combination choices using the text disambiguation function based on a first key depression sequence input into the electronic device, and displaying the character combination choices in a first spatial arrangement on the display. The first spatial arrangement substantially corresponds to a second spatial arrangement of a plurality of keys provided on a portion of the keyboard, and each one of the character combination choices corresponds to a particular one of the keys. The method further includes selecting and inputting a particular one of the character combination choices when the particular one of the keys that corresponds to the particular one of the character combination choices is depressed. Preferably, the plurality of keys comprise the keys that have the numbers 1 through 9 provided thereon as seen in  FIG. 4 . Also, the second spatial arrangement preferably comprises three rows, each row having three of the keys.  
         [0012]     In another aspect, the invention relates to an electronic device having a keyboard having a plurality of keys, a display, a processor, and a memory storing one or more routines executable by the processor. The one or more routines stored in the memory implement a text disambiguation function. In addition, the one or more routines are adapted to implement the various embodiments of the invention as described herein to enable the simplified selection of character combination choices generated by the text disambiguation function. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following Description of the Preferred Embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an improved handheld electronic device in accordance with the invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the handheld electronic device of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary prior art screen provided on a display of a handheld electronic that displays character combination choices generated by a text disambiguation function; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary screen provided on a display of the handheld electronic shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  along with a schematic representation of a portion of a keypad of the handheld electronic shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  wherein the screen displays and enables the selection of character combination choices generated by a text disambiguation function according to the invention; 
     
    
       [0018]     Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     An improved handheld electronic device  4  is indicated generally in  FIG. 1  and is depicted schematically in  FIG. 2 . The exemplary handheld electronic device  4  includes a housing  6  upon which are disposed a processor unit that includes an input apparatus  8 , an output apparatus  12 , a processor  16 , and a memory  20 . The processor  16  may be, for instance, and without limitation, a microprocessor (μP) and is responsive to inputs from the input apparatus  8  and provides output signals to the output apparatus  12 . The processor  16  also interfaces with the memory  20 . Examples of handheld electronic devices are included in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,452,588 and 6,489,950, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.  
         [0020]     As can be understood from  FIG. 1 , the input apparatus  8  includes a keypad  24  and a thumbwheel  32 . The keypad  24  is in the exemplary form of a reduced QWERTY keyboard including a plurality of keys  28  that serve as input members. It is noted, however, that the keypad  24  may be of other reduced configurations, such as a reduced AZERTY keyboard, a reduced QWERTZ keyboard, or other keyboard arrangement, whether presently known or unknown. In this regard, the expression “reduced” and variations thereof, in the context of a keyboard, such as a keypad or other arrangement of input members, shall refer broadly to an arrangement in which at least one of the input members has assigned thereto a plurality of characters within a given set, such as a plurality of letters, for example, in the set of Roman letters, for example, thereby rendering ambiguous an intended result of an actuation of the at least one of the input members. In addition, as used herein, the expression “key” and variations thereof shall refer broadly to any of a variety of input members such as buttons, switches, and the like without limitation.  
         [0021]     In this regard, and as will be set forth below in greater detail, the system architecture of the handheld electronic device  4  advantageously is organized to be operable independent of the specific layout of the keypad  24 . Accordingly, the system architecture of the handheld electronic device  4  can be employed in conjunction with virtually any keyboard layout substantially without requiring any meaningful change in the system architecture.  
         [0022]     The keys  28  are disposed on a front face of the housing  6 , and the thumbwheel  32  is disposed at a side of the housing  6 . The thumbwheel  32  can serve as another input member and is both rotatable, as is indicated by the arrow  34 , to provide selection inputs to the processor  16 , and also can be pressed in a direction generally toward the housing  6 , as is indicated by the arrow  38 , to provide another selection input to the processor  16 .  
         [0023]     Among the keys  28  of the keypad  24  are a &lt;NEXT&gt; key  40  and an &lt;ENTER&gt; key  44 . The &lt;NEXT&gt; key  40  can be pressed to provide a selection input to the processor  16  and provides substantially the same selection input as is provided by a rotational input of the thumbwheel  32 . Since the &lt;NEXT&gt; key  40  is provided adjacent a number of the other keys  28  of the keypad  24 , the user can provide a selection input to the processor  16  substantially without moving the user&#39;s hands away from the keypad  24  during a text entry operation. As seen in  FIG. 1 , the &lt;NEXT&gt; key  40  additionally and advantageously includes a graphic  42  disposed thereon, and in certain circumstances the output apparatus  12  also displays a displayed graphic  46  thereon to identify the &lt;NEXT&gt; key  40  as being able to provide a selection input to the processor  16 . In this regard, the displayed graphic  46  of the output apparatus  12  is substantially similar to the graphic  42  on the &lt;NEXT&gt; key and thus identifies the &lt;NEXT&gt; key  40  as being capable of providing a desirable selection input to the processor  16 .  
         [0024]     As can further be seen in  FIG. 1 , many of the keys  28  include a number of characters  48  disposed thereon. As employed herein, the expression “a number of” and variations thereof shall refer broadly to any quantity, including a quantity of one, and in certain circumstances herein can also refer to a quantity of zero. In the exemplary depiction of the keypad  24 , many of the keys  28  include two or more characters, such as including a first character  52  and a second character  56  assigned thereto. It is understood that the expression “characters” shall broadly be construed to include letters, digits, symbols and the like and can additionally include ideographic characters, components thereof, other linguistic elements, and the like. The keys  28  having one or more characters  48  can be considered to be linguistic input members.  
         [0025]     One of the keys  28  of the keypad  24  includes as the characters  48  thereof the letters “Q” and “W”, and an adjacent key  28  includes as the characters  48  thereof the letters “E” and “R”. It can be seen that the arrangement of the characters  48  on the keys  28  of the keypad  24  is generally of a QWERTY arrangement, albeit with many of the keys  28  including two of the characters  48 .  
         [0026]     The memory  20  is depicted schematically in  FIG. 2 . The memory  20  can be any of a variety of types of internal and/or external storage media, alone or in combination, 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. The memory  20  additionally includes a number of routines depicted generally with the numeral  22  for the processing of data. The routines  22 , executable by the processor  16 , can be in any of a variety of forms such as, without limitation, software, firmware, and the like. The routines  22  include a software-based text disambiguation function as described elsewhere herein as an application, as well as other routines. The software-based text disambiguation function may, in one embodiment, be as described in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/931,281, entitled “Handheld Electronic Device With Text Disambiguation,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, the routines  22  may also include a non-predictive keystroke interpretation system, such as a “multi-tap” system, that allows a user to substantially unambiguously specify a particular character  48  on a particular key  28  by pressing the same key  28  a number of times equivalent to the position of the desired character  48  on the key  28 .  
         [0027]     The output apparatus  12  includes a display  60  upon which can be provided an output  64 . An exemplary output  64  is depicted on the display  60  in  FIG. 1 . The output  64  includes a text component  68  and a variant component  72 . The variant component  72  includes a default portion  76  and a variant portion  80 . The display also includes a cursor  84  that depicts generally where the next input from the input apparatus  8  will be received.  
         [0028]     The text component  68  of the output  64  provides a depiction of the default portion  76  of the output  64  at a location on the display  60  where the text is being input. The variant component  72  is disposed generally in the vicinity of the text component  68  and provides, in addition to the default proposed output  76 , a depiction of the various alternate character combination choices, i.e., alternates to the default proposed output  76 , that are proposed by the text disambiguation function in response to an input sequence of key actuations of the keys  28 .  
         [0029]     As described in detail in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/931,281, entitled “Handheld Electronic Device With Text Disambiguation,” the default portion  76  is proposed by the text disambiguation function as being the most likely disambiguated interpretation of the ambiguous input provided by the user. The variant portion  80  includes a predetermined quantity of alternate proposed interpretations of the same ambiguous input from which the user can select, if desired.  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , which is an exemplary output provided on display  60  along with a schematic representation of a portion of keypad  24 , the variant component  72  is, according to the invention, provided in a manner that facilitates and simplifies the selection of one of the character combination choices included therein. In particular, the character combination choices included in variant component  72  are arranged in a way that substantially matches the spatial arrangement of the keys  28  of a particular, predetermined portion of keypad  24 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the character combination choices included in variant component  72  are arranged in a way that substantially matches the spatial arrangement of the keys  28  that include the numerals  1  through  9  thereon. As a result, a user may select a particular one of the character combination choices included in variant component  72  by pressing the particular key  28  that lies in the position of the keypad  24  that corresponds to the position of the particular character combination choice within the displayed variant component  72 . For example, referring to  FIG. 4 , the variant component  72  is arranged such that the character combination “us” corresponds to the key  28  containing the number 1 thereon, the character combination “ia” corresponds to the key  28  containing the number 2 thereon, the character combination “is” corresponds to the key  28  containing the number 3 thereon, and the character combination “ua” corresponds to the key  28  containing the number 4 thereon, and each of those particular character combinations can be selected by simp 0 ly pressing the corresponding key  28  (e.g., 4 for “ua”). According to an aspect of the invention, handheld electronic device  4  includes a routine  22 , stored in memory  20  and executable by processor  16 , for displaying and enabling the selection of the character combination choices generated by the text disambiguation function of handheld electronic device  4  in the manner just described.  
         [0031]     In addition, handheld electronic device  4  is preferably provided with some type of triggering mechanism that causes handheld electronic device  4  to switch from a character entry mode to a character combination choice selection mode such that handheld electronic device  4  will treat the next depression of a key  28  as a selection of a particular character combination choice as opposed to the entry of an additional character. For example, such a trigger or trigger signal may be the passage of a predetermined amount of time that the variant portion remains displayed without entry of another character, or may be the depression of one or more keys  28  (or a special, dedicated key) in a predetermined manner (such as for a predetermined duration), sequence or combination.  
         [0032]     Thus, as will be appreciated, the method described herein greatly simplifies the process of selecting a particular character combination choice from variant portion  72  by requiring the depression of only a single key  28  to make selections.  
         [0033]     While specific embodiments of the invention 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. For example, while the invention has been described in connection with the a handheld electronic device that employs a text disambiguation function, it will be appreciated that the invention may also be utilized in connection with other types of electronic devices that employ a text disambiguation function, such as a personal computer or the like. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.