Patent Publication Number: US-2007106498-A1

Title: Mobile communication terminal and method therefor

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention generally relates to text input and more particularly to predictive text input and predictive text input in mobile communication terminals.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Mobile terminals, or mobile (cellular) telephones, for mobile telecommunications systems like GSM, UMTS, D-AMPS and CDMA2000 have been used for many years now. In the older days, mobile terminals were used almost only for voice communication with other mobile terminals or stationary telephones. More recently, the use of modem terminals has been broadened to include not just voice communication, but also various other services and applications such as www/wap browsing, video telephony, electronic messaging (e.g. SMS, MMS, email, instant messaging), digital image or video recording, FM radio, music playback, electronic games, calendar/organizer/time planner, word processing, etc.  
      Text input plays a major role in many of these applications, and especially for messaging and as most mobile terminals only have limited keypads, special techniques and tools have been developed to help the user input text faster. One set of such tools is the popular predictive editors, such as TEGIC&#39;S T9®. Using the T9 predictive input engine speeds up text inputs, as the text input engine predicts what word is being input by comparing the input sequence to a dictionary stored in the terminal&#39;s memory and then presenting candidates that the user can choose from. The user scrolls through these candidates one by one with a candidate scroll key (in NOKIA phones this is the ‘*’-key) and selects the candidate currently displayed by taking further action such as unmarking it or inputting a space character. As long as the word, that the user wants to input, is to be found this works very well, but if the user tries to input a word that is not in the used dictionary, the editor application will prompt him to spell the word explicitly and then save it afterwards so that it is in the dictionary the next time the user writes it. A descriptive example of this follows describing what happens if the user tries to input a word not in the dictionary, say “USPTO”, using a NOKIA 5140™.  
      The user starts by typing in the sequence [ 8   7   7   8   6 ], and the editor application searches the dictionary simultaneously with the input and finally produces the candidate “UPSTO”. This is not right so the user scrolls through the candidate list by pressing the corresponding candidate scroll key, in this case the ‘*’-key. As there are no more options the user is given the option of manually inputting the correct word on the left softkey. Choosing this option opens up an editor window in which the user can type in the correct word using multitap (or non-predictive) input and then save it to the dictionary. As the spelling editor is closed, the correct word will be displayed in its place in the text.  
      It is quite frustrating to a user to first have to input the whole sequence and scroll through a candidate list before being given the option of manually inputting the word and saving it. This is especially so if the user knows that the word is not in the dictionary and that it is a word he will be wanting to input quite often. In this case the user has to either type in the sequence and scroll through the candidate list until given the option to input and save it, or to change input modes and input the word or string manually and then take steps to save it, which in the NOKIA 5140™would be to go back and mark the word, open the options menu, select Edit which opens the spelling editor and then from the spelling editor choose to save the word and return to continue typing. Both alternatives require extensive knowledge about the system and that multiple steps are taken in a specific order.  
      Consequently, there is a need to provide a convenient and efficient way to input words known not to be in the currently used dictionary.  
     SUMMARY  
      According to an aspect of the invention, a method for text input is provided comprising the steps of:  
      receiving a command to activate a dictionary input mode;  
      receiving an input sequence;  
      interpreting said input sequence and generating a word accordingly; and  
      upon receiving an accept storing said word in a dictionary.  
      This has the advantage of giving the user a simple and efficient way of adding words to a dictionary and only having to input them once. If the command to enter the dictionary input mode is a simple key press, the method becomes even faster and easier to learn. If the key to be used is the same key as is used for candidate scrolling the method becomes very easy to learn as the user is already accustomed to using that key in combination with predictive input and candidate selection.  
      In one instance of the invention, the word to be input and saved is typed in directly in the editor window which gives a clear and easy to understand user interface as well as placing a low demand on the hardware and processing. In another instance the word to be input and saved is input in a specific editor window that is opened and then closed after the word has been input. This window clearly signals to the user that the input being made is of a special kind and thus helps reducing any confusion.  
      Another aspect of the invention includes a method for text input wherein said steps are performed in a mobile communications terminal.  
      A further aspect of the invention includes text input means for saving an input word in a dictionary upon input comprising input mode changing means for activating a dictionary input mode, input means for receiving an input word, and storing means for storing the input word in the dictionary upon reception of an accept through the input means.  
      An additional aspect of the invention includes a computer program comprising software instructions that, when executed in a mobile communication terminal, performs a method according to another aspect of the invention.  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed disclosure, from the attached claims, and from the drawings.  
      Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the [element device, component, means, step, etc]” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Example embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail, reference is being made to the enclosed drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a cellular telecommunication system, as an example of an environment in which aspects of the present invention may be applied.  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic front view illustrating a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram representing an internal component, software and protocol structure of the mobile terminal shown in  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 4  is a series of screen shots for an embodiment according to the invention.  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart describing an embodiment of the invention.  
       FIG. 6  shows screen shots for an embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a cellular telecommunications system in which the invention may be applied. In the telecommunication system of  FIG. 1 , various tele-communications services such as cellular voice calls, www/wap browsing, cellular video calls, data calls, facsimile transmissions, music transmissions, still image transmissions, video transmissions, electronic message transmissions and electronic commerce may be performed between a mobile terminal  100  according an embodiment of the present invention and other devices, such as another mobile terminal  106  or a stationary telephone  132 . It is to be noted that for different embodiments of the mobile terminal  100  and in different situations, different ones of the telecommunications services referred to above may or may not be available; the invention is not limited to any particular set of services in this respect.  
      The mobile terminals  100 ,  106  are connected to a mobile telecommunications network  110  through RF links  102 ,  108  via base stations  104 ,  109 . The mobile tele-communications network  110  may be in compliance with any commercially available mobile telecommunications standard, such as GSM, UMTS, D-AMPS, CDMA2000, FOMA and TD-SCDMA.  
      The mobile telecommunications network  110  is operatively connected to a wide area network  120 , which may be Internet or a part thereof. An Internet server  122  has a data storage  124  and is connected to the wide area network  120 , as is an Internet client computer  126 . The server  122  may host a www/wap server capable of serving www/wap content to the mobile terminal  100 .  
      A public switched telephone network (PSTN)  130  is connected to the mobile tele-communications network  110  in a familiar manner. Various telephone terminals, including the stationary telephone  132 , are connected to the PSTN  130 .  
      An embodiment  200  of the mobile terminal  100  is illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 2 . The mobile terminal  200  comprises a speaker or earphone  202 , a microphone  205 , a display  203  and a set of keys  204  which may include a keypad  204   a  of common ITU-T type (alpha-numerical keypad representing characters “0”-“9”, “*” and “#”) and certain other keys such as soft keys  204   b ,  204   c  and a joystick  211  or other type of navigational input device.  
      The internal component, software and protocol structure of the mobile terminal  200  will now be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . The mobile terminal has a controller  300  which is responsible for the overall operation of the mobile terminal and is preferably implemented by any commercially available CPU (“Central Processing Unit”), DSP (“Digital Signal Processor”) or any other electronic programmable logic device. The controller  300  has associated electronic memory  302  such as RAM memory, ROM memory, EEPROM memory, flash memory, or any combination thereof. The memory  302  is used for various purposes by the controller  300 , one of them being for storing data and program instructions for various software in the mobile terminal. The software includes a real-time operating system  320 , drivers for a man-machine interface (MMI)  334 , an application handler  332  as well as various applications. The applications include a browser application  350 , as well as various other applications  360  and  370 , such as applications for voice calling, video calling, sending and receiving SMS, MMS or email, an instant messaging application, a phone book application, a calendar application, a control panel application, a camera application, a media player, one or more video games, a notepad application, etc. An application cooperating with some of the applications listed above could be an editor application that could either be a standalone application or a sub part of the application using it.  
      The MMI 334 also includes one or more hardware controllers, which together with the MMI drivers cooperate with the display  336 / 203 , keypad  338 / 204  as well as various other I/O devices such as microphone, speaker, vibrator, ringtone generator, LED indicator, etc. As is commonly known, the user may operate the mobile terminal through the man-machine interface thus formed.  
      The software also includes various modules, protocol stacks, drivers, etc., which are commonly designated as  330  and which provide communication services (such as transport, network and connectivity) for an RF interface  306 , and optionally a Bluetooth interface  308  and/or an IrDA interface  310 . The RF interface  306  comprises an internal or external antenna as well as appropriate radio circuitry for establishing and maintaining a wireless link to a base station (e.g. the link  102  and base station  104  in  FIG. 1 ). As is well known to a man skilled in the art, the radio circuitry comprises a series of analogue and digital electronic components, together forming a radio receiver and transmitter. These components include i.a., band pass filters, amplifiers, mixers, local oscillators, low pass filters, AD/DA converters, etc.  
      The mobile terminal also has a SIM card  304  and an associated reader. As is commonly known, the SIM card  304  comprises a processor as well as local work and data memory.  
      In one embodiment of the present invention a user can input words in an editor application using a predictive input engine having a dictionary holding a multitude of words that are stored in the memory. If the user wants to input a text that contains a word that the user knows is not in the dictionary being used, like an unusual name, a composite word, an acronym, a field specific word or just an unusual word, the user only has to inform the predictive editor that he is about to type in an unknown word that should be saved in the dictionary by changing the input mode.  
      See  FIG. 4  for an example. The user wants to type the string “Call the USPTO and ask about the filing receipt”. Typing in the first three words is done as in the prior art using the predictive engine, ie pressing the keys associated with each letter in the word and choosing between the presented candidates using a candidate selection key such as the ‘*’-key, see  FIG. 4   a . It is now time to input the unknown word “USPTO”, and the user simply switches input mode from predictive mode to a dictionary input mode by pressing a mode select key, such as the hash key (‘#’-key), thereby generating a command to activate the dictionary input mode, which command is received by the editor application. The new input mode is shown to the user by changing the icons in the display, see  402   b  in  FIG. 4   b . The user can now input the unknown word using multitap input, whereby the user&#39;s key presses are sent as an input sequence which is simultaneously interpreted according to multitap input rules thereby generating a word, see  FIG. 4   c . To indicate to the user that the word is being processed by the predictive engine the word could be marked in some way, like being underlined. As the user accepts the word, by either demarking it by scrolling away from it or by inputting a space character, as is a commonly known way to accept a word using a predictive engine, the input word is stored in the dictionary and the input mode is switched back to normal predictive input mode, see  FIG. 4   d . The user can now continue typing in the rest of the string using the predictive editor.  
      As is apparent the embodiment described above is very quick to use, easy to learn and requires a minimum of processing power and input means.  
      The basic steps taken in the example above are shown in  FIG. 5 . First the user informs the editor that the next word is unknown and should be saved in the dictionary, step  501 . In response to this the controller of the mobile terminal switches the input mode from predictive to multitap input, step  502 . The unknown word is then input, step  503 . As the user is finished typing in the word, it is accepted in step  505  and stored in the dictionary in step  506 , and the input mode is changed back to predictive input in step  507 .  
      In an embodiment of the invention the dictionary input mode is chosen by pressing a candidate selection key, such as the ‘*’-key, also called a dictionary input mode select key in the context of the present invention. Normally, this key would be used to select between candidates as a word is being input using a predictive engine. As nothing is marked at the start of an input, this functionality of the ‘*’-key would not apply, and the key could then instead be used to activate the dictionary input mode. This would be easy to learn for a user, as the key is commonly associated with the predictive input, and fast, as only one key press would be necessary to change the input mode.  
      Another possibility would be to add the dictionary input mode to the set of available input modes predictive input; multitap input and number input.  
      In another embodiment the user can accept the word by activating a soft key.  
      In another embodiment of the invention, see  FIG. 6 , as a user tries to input an unknown word, see  FIG. 6   a , a special input window could be opened as the dictionary input mode is chosen. The unknown word would be input in this window, see  FIG. 6   b , and as the word is accepted the window disappeared and the recently input word is displayed as part of the text, see  FIG. 6   c . The user could then continue typing, see  FIG. 6   d . This embodiment has the benefit of resembling the now used editor according to the prior art for inputting words that were not recognized. In these prior art text editors a specific frame is opened where the user can type in the correct form of the unknown word and save it. The flame is then closed and the new word is input in the text accordingly.  
      Although the descriptions above have been focusing on input using an ITU-T keypad having 12 keys, the invention could also be implemented using a rotator input such as the one used in the NOKIA 7280™. Instead of having a mode switch key, the user would select a wanted mode switch icon from the input banner while the string is marked to change the mode of the string.  
      It should be noted that the present invention could also be used with pen input whereby the keypresses are exchanged for penstrokes and virtual keypresses.  
      It should also be noted that the dictionary input mode select key could be any key, both physical and virtual, and could also be a roller or a rotator key.  
      The invention has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims.