Abstract:
Graphical user interfaces may be utilized to enable mouse selection of message segments to assemble an overall message with a limited keyboard. In one embodiment, the user may select from among a plurality of user specified options for each of a plurality of message segments corresponding to message subjects, objects and verbs. The actual assembly of the message from the user&#39;s selections may be done locally or remotely.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to electronic devices with relatively limited keyboards that generate messages for transmission between devices.  
           [0002]    A range of devices generate messages using relatively limited keyboards. One common reason for having relatively limited keyboards is to provide electronic devices of smaller size. Examples of electronic devices with limited keyboards include cellular telephones, pagers, electronic mail devices, remote control units, web tablets, digital cameras, and personal digital assistants, to mention a few examples. In each of these cases, relatively limited keyboards may be provided even in devices that have relatively advanced capabilities.  
           [0003]    Many devices with limited keyboards may be utilized to communicate with other devices. However, because of the limited keyboards, typing messages may be relatively awkward and time consuming. In some cases, limited keyboards may be relatively small and thereby may be difficult to operate. The time it takes to enter a typed message may be much greater than would be experienced with full scale or unlimited keyboards.  
           [0004]    The type of messaging that may be possible with limited keyboards may be somewhat limited as well. This adversely effects the usefulness of such devices, at least with respect to generating text-based messages.  
           [0005]    Thus, there is a need for a better ways to generate messages from devices that utilize limited keyboards. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of a technique for assembling a message in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a flow chart for set up software in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a flow chart for software in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0011]    Referring to FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a processor-based system  12  may communicate over a network  18  with a plurality of message recipients  20  also connected to the network  18 . The processor-based system  12  may include a storage  22  that stores software  24  and  34  for controlling the operation of the processor-based system  12  and particularly for generating messages over the network  18 . Thus, the system  12  may act as a standalone computer in one embodiment of the present invention. Nonetheless, the processor-based system may include a limited keyboard  16 . Key selections and other information may be displayed on a display  14 .  
         [0012]    A number of networkable, processor-based systems may be used as the system  12  with a limited keyboard including cellular telephones, remote control units, web tablets, digital cameras, and laptop computers as well as personal digital assistants, as a few examples.  
         [0013]    Because of the presence of a reduced or a limited keyboard  16 , the generation of messages may be unduly time consuming. Generally, selecting each message may involve selecting individual characters using a relatively awkward system such as reduced sized keys, an on-screen keyboard, or a keyboard where the same key must be repeated operated to select one of a plurality of characters entered using the same key.  
         [0014]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIG. 2, a relatively limited keyboard  16  may be coupled directly to a network  18 . The network  18  may provide the storage  22  and software  24  and  34  to facilitate message generation. In other words, the network  18  provides services to the limited keyboard  16  to facilitate the generation of messages. Selections on the keyboard  16  may be transmitted over the network  18  for translation into understandable messages that are transmitted to recipients  20 . The messages that are generated may be displayed on a display  14  associated with the keyboard  16  and ultimately transmitted over the network  18  to recipients  20 .  
         [0015]    Referring to FIG. 3, the generation of a message may be facilitated by providing a plurality of graphical user interfaces  30  that may be pre-prepared by the user. In one embodiment, the interfaces  30  may be appropriately distributed on a display proximate to message display segments  26 . Each interface  30  may be responsible for providing selectable message segments  26 . Generally the message segments  26  may each be a subject, a verb, an object, or a time frame for messages, in one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    The graphical user interfaces  30   a  provides a list  28   a  of selectable of verb or action entries. The verb entries may include the “meet” entry  32   a  as well as other commonly utilized or user-selected action items. In this case, the user has selected the meet entry  32   a  that now appears on a display portion  26   a . The object of the meet entry  32   a  may be selected from a graphical user interface  32   b , called the people list  28   b , listing a plurality of people such as “me” as indicated at  32   b . Thus, the user can select any of the entries on the graphical user interface  30   b  to provide the object in the display segment  26   a  for the meet action selected from graphical user interface  30   a.    
         [0017]    In one embodiment of the present invention, a mouse selection may be utilized to select entries from the interfaces  30 . In such an embodiment the user simply clicks on the desired entry  32  in a graphical user interface  30 . This reduces the need for manually typing in each character of the message. By having a plurality of pre-prepared message segments  26 , that are user selectable, the user can readily generate a number common messages without having to enter individual characters using the limited keyboard  16 .  
         [0018]    Continuing in FIG. 3, additional message segments  26   b  and  26   c  may be selected from the interface  32   c  displaying a list  28   c  of place entries  32   c  and an interface  32   d  displaying a list  28   d  of time entries  32   d . In addition, a numerical entry may be selected from the keyboard  16  display segment for the display segment  26   d  as indicated at  28   e . Finally, the people list interface  30   b  may be reused to provide a signature in the display segment  26   e.    
         [0019]    Thus, a relatively elaborate message may be composed largely (or entirely) through mouse selections in one embodiment. Conventional mouse selections available in limited keyboard devices include a touchscreen, a mouse stick, a roller ball, a reduced size mouse, a stylus, or a rocker button, as examples.  
         [0020]    The message generating system may be utilized in a variety of systems including those of the types shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The processor-based system  10 , shown in FIG. 1, may include enough processing power to locally execute the software  24  and  34  to implement the message generation system. The resulting message may then be sent over network  18  to potential recipients  20 .  
         [0021]    Conversely, in the system  10   a , shown in FIG. 2, the network  18 , or a server associated with the network  18 , may provide the messaging service to systems including limited keyboards  16 . Thus, instead of locally generating the message, the message may be generated remotely based on entries entered locally. That is, the interfaces  30  way be generated remotely for local selection.  
         [0022]    The set up software  34  may be based locally, in a case of an embodiment like that shown in FIG. 1, or remotely in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. The set up software  34  may enable the various graphical user interfaces  30  to be set up by the user based on the user&#39;s anticipated messaging needs, in one embodiment.  
         [0023]    Initially, the software  34  provides a blank interface  30  as indicated in block  36  of FIG. 4. The blank interface  30  enables a plurality of lists  28  to be enumerated and linked to different positions in an overall message represented by the segments  26 .  
         [0024]    Initially each of the entries may be entered character-by-character. Alternatively, the entries  32  may be selected from a default list of entries provided by the setup software  34 .  
         [0025]    Each of the lists may be provided with type names such as a people list  28   b , place list  28   c  and time reference list  28   d , as examples, to denominate what types of entries will be offered by the interface  30 , as indicated in block  38 .  
         [0026]    For each established list type, a graphical user interface  30  may be completed by providing entries  32  in association with each graphical interface  30  as indicated in block  40 . An association may be created between each message segment  26  and an overall message. Namely, in one embodiment, each message interface  30  may be linked to a particular segment  26  of the overall displayed message as indicated in block  42 . Then, each of the lists may be saved to automatically come up as a graphical user interface  30  linked to a particular segment  26 . Upon selection of an entry  32  in the list depicted in an interface  30 , an entry is automatically displayed in the linked message segment  26 .  
         [0027]    In one embodiment, only a single interface is displayed at a time. Each interface may successively appear for each segment  26  in sequence, until the message is complete (i.e., all segments  26  have been completed).  
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 5, the message software  24 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, actually assembles the message based on user selections. Initially, at diamond  46 , the software  24  determines whether a key selection has been received. If so, the key selection is translated into the selection of an entry  32  and a particular list  28  is displayed on a graphical user interface  30 , as indicated in block  48 .  
         [0029]    The graphical user interfaces  30  may automatically appear, in one embodiment to the present invention, in association with each of the segments  26 . Alternatively, the interfaces  30  may be selected for viewing using an interface (not shown) displaying the available lists  28 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0030]    The resulting translated message is then displayed in the appropriate or linked segment  26  as indicated in block  50 . If a time out has not occurred, due to inaction, as indicated in block  52 , the message generation software  24  continues to cycle. Once a time out occurs, the flow ends.  
         [0031]    In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, the sender of a message may actually receive a list of message formats audibly. For example, a service provider may audibly provide a plurality of message options. Those options may be the same for a variety of different users or may be custom-designed by or for a particular user. In one model, the user may pay a service fee to a service provider to maintain the message options.  
         [0032]    The list of message options may be accessed by dialing a particular telephone number. A particular message format may be selected from an audible list of message options. For example, when the service provider&#39;s number is called, the user may be provided with an audible list of prepared message options. In one embodiment, each message may be audibly numbered and the user may audibly enter on a telephone key pad the number of the message that the user wishes to select.  
         [0033]    Once the message has been selected, the user may be asked to fill in one or more blanks in the message to specify additional information. The blanks may be filled in in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the user is provided with a list of audible options for pre-prepared words to fill in the blank. As another embodiment, the user can state the word or words to fill in the blank and the user spoken statement may be recognized and the corresponding statement inserted into the blank.  
         [0034]    In one embodiment, each message may end with a signature. The signature may be provided by entering an access code through a telephone key pad. The use of the access code automatically appends the correct signature and ensures that unauthorized users may not access the system.  
         [0035]    The service provider may then send the completed message, for example, to a recipient pager. Thus, the message is automatically converted into a text message and transmitted to a pager in one embodiment. As another embodiment, the message may be sent as an e-mail or fax.  
         [0036]    While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.