Patent ID: 7703035

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for receiving alpha-numeric input in the absence of a keyboard input device, the method comprising: utilizing a text mode of a graphics adaptor of a computer to display a grid on a display screen, the grid comprising a plurality of text characters wherein each of the plurality of text characters comprises one of an alpha-numeric character type, a distinguishing character type, and a grid structure character type, and wherein a text character of a distinguishing character type is displayed horizontally adjacent to each text character of an alpha-numeric character type in the grid; determining whether input was received selecting a location within the grid; determining a type of the text character displayed at the selected location; in response to determining that the type of the text character displayed at the selected location comprises the alpha-numeric character type, entering the text character comprising the alpha-numeric character type into a keyboard buffer such that the text character comprising the alpha-numeric character type appears to have been typed on a keyboard; in response to determining that the type of the text characters displayed at the selected location and one or more adjacent locations does not comprise the alpha-numeric character type, determining whether the type of the text character displayed at the selected location comprises the distinguishing character type; in response to determining that the type of the text character displayed at the selected location comprises the distinguishing character type, determining whether a text character of the alpha-numeric character type is displayed adjacent to the selected location; and in response to determining that a text character of the alpha-numeric character type is displayed adjacent to the selected location, entering the text character of the alpha-numeric character type displayed adjacent to the selected location into a keyboard buffer such that the text character of the alpha-numeric character type appears to have been typed on a keyboard.