Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
  • G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
  • G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
  • G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
  • G06F1/1684—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
  • G06F1/169—Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
  • G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
  • G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
  • G06F1/1626—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
  • G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
  • G06F1/1613—Constructional details or arrangements for portable computers
  • G06F1/1633—Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
  • G06F1/1662—Details related to the integrated keyboard
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
  • G06F3/02—Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
  • G06F3/023—Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
  • G06F3/0233—Character input methods
  • G06F3/0236—Character input methods using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
  • G06F3/02—Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
  • G06F3/023—Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
  • G06F3/0233—Character input methods
  • G06F3/0237—Character input methods using prediction or retrieval techniques

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for one-handed input of characters from a character set into a device having a display, according to the preamble of claim 1, an input device into which characters from a character set can be input, according to the preamble of claim 25, and an organizer according to claim 44 ,
• the method provides for one-handed input of characters from a character set into a device, in particular a mobile device, which has a display, at least one scrolling device and at least one button, in which at least part of the character set is on the display, preferably on only part of the display - is displayed line by line and column-by-line, that a character is entered by means of the scrolling device, which preselects at least a part of a column, and by means of the at least one key, by means of which a character is selected from a line of the preselected column.
• “One-handed” input means that the characters are input using the same hand that holds the device. A second hand is therefore not required for this.
• the device is preferably a mobile device, such as an organizer or a mobile phone.
• the device is keyboardless, that is to say it does not have a keyboard having the alphabet, as is provided, for example, in a computer.
• this does not include the keyboard, that is to say the number pad of a mobile telephone, in which at least one letter is stored behind each number or at least some of the numbers, which letter can be selected when writing an SMS message.
• the character set can be moved on the display using the scrolling device.
• the complete character set is shown on the display, which can be advantageous when searching for a particular column, since all characters can be recognized at a glance without having to operate the scrolling device.
• the character set fills the entire display. This enables a large representation of the characters of the character set shown in a matrix having a plurality of columns and at least one row, which improves the recognizability of the characters and thus the ease of use of the device.
• an embodiment of the driving in which the character set only fills or occupies part of the display, so that, for example, the entered characters / sequences or other information and / or functions can be shown in the remaining area of the display.
• an embodiment of the method is preferred in which only a section of the character set is shown on the display, which can be moved across the entire character set by actuating the scrolling device, which preferably has at least one scroll wheel, and thus enables access to all characters.
• the character set can be scrolled through endlessly, the beginning and end being connected to one another.
• the character set is so large that it can only be shown in part on the display.
• To select a desired column it is sufficient to move the character set in only one direction using the scrolling device until the desired column is at a desired position on the display. A laborious scrolling back and forth to search for a specific character or a specific column is not necessary here.
• the character set is shown at the bottom of the display. This offers the possibility of retrieving information in the part of the display above or storing it in the device. onen while a character or a string from the character set or a certain function, for example a menu selection, is entered into the device.
• the character set is shown in the upper part of the display. It is also easily possible to arrange the character set on one of the side edges of the display. In this case, the character set is not moved parallel or essentially parallel to the lower or upper transverse side of the display, but rather parallel to the left or right edge of the display side.
• the character set can be zoomed, that is, enlarged and reduced. This gives an operator the ability to individually adjust the size of the characters to their needs.
• the character set can be shown on the display, for example, in such a way that the character set is shown in the “normal” display mode at the bottom of the display and, if desired, is enlarged or reduced by zooming.
• the zooming is preferably carried out continuously. Of course, it is also possible to implement stepped zooming.
• An embodiment of the method is also preferred, in which the character set is displayed in multiple cells, preferably three lines.
• the character set which has a number of columns, can also have only one line, but it has been shown that a multi-cell character set has advantages in the rapid selection and input of a offers a character from the character set.
• the character set matrix can therefore also have two lines or more than three lines, for example four or five lines.
• a key is assigned to each line of the character set matrix, by means of which a character is selected from the column preselected by the scrolling device. It is advantageous in this embodiment that after a desired column has been selected using the scrolling device, the character in the corresponding line can be selected very quickly by pressing the corresponding, assigned key.
• the column of the character set matrix selected with the scrolling device is optically highlighted by at least one flat bar, which is often also referred to as a "cursor".
• the bar preferably consists of boxes arranged one above the other or is formed by these. It is advantageous here if the number of boxes in the bar corresponds to the number of lines in the character matrix.
• the selected character is highlighted in the corresponding box of the bar.
• the boxes of the bar initially all have the same color or the same color or are transparent, whereby the color of the box in which the selected character is located can be changed by pressing the corresponding key.
• the bar can be fixed in the middle of the display, that is to say arranged in a fixed position, the character set being moved by means of the scrolling device, in particular the scroll wheel.
• the column within which the character is located must first be moved in the bar, after which the character in the corresponding line or the box is selected using the at least one key.
• the bar is moved over the fixed character set by means of the scroll wheel. The character set stands still here, while the bar over the columns of the character
• the character set preferably has at least one alphabet part.
• the character set can additionally also have special characters, for example sum symbols, currency symbols, numbers etc.
• the character set is preferably constructed in a form in which the most frequently used special characters follow the alphabet part on the right and left and less common special characters are shown further away from the alphabet part.
• the character set is constructed in a form in which the sequence of the letters in each column in the alphabet part runs from top to bottom, the first letter in the alphabet being arranged at the top left.
• the uppermost box in a first column of the alphabet part contains the "A”, in the box below this column the "B” and - insofar as it is a 3-line character set -Matrix- is the "C” in the bottom box of the first column, while the "D" is in the top box of the second column of the alphabet part in the order described above.
• an advantageous embodiment variant provides that an orientation bar is shown on the display parallel to the character set, which symbolically represents the total length of the character set, on which a movable marker shows the current position of the alphabet. Displays part of the character set.
• An embodiment of the method is also preferred in which the character set by means of the Scroll device - with respect to the lower or upper edge of the display - is moved in parallel until the desired character appears in the centrally fixed, that is to say fixed-position bar as one of several characters of the character set matrix arranged one above the other.
• the scroll wheel With regard to the ergonomic handling of the device, it has been found to be advantageous to arrange the scroll wheel to be operated with the thumb of the right hand - viewed from the top of the display - on the upper right corner of the device. If the scroll wheel is to be operated with the thumb of the left hand, the arrangement must be made in mirror image, that is, the scroll wheel should be arranged in the upper left corner of the device in this case.
• buttons arranged one above the other are provided, which are operated with the remaining fingers of the same hand, preferably with the index finger an upper, the upper Button assigned to the box in the bar, the middle finger using a middle button assigned to the middle box and the ring finger using a lower button assigned to the lower box, i.e. enabling direct access to one of the three preselected characters of the 3-line character matrix in the bar.
• an embodiment of the method is preferred which is characterized in that some characters or functions that are not shown in the character set can also be selected directly using additional keys (additional keys). These additional keys can, for example, be arranged on the flat side of the device, on which the display is also located.
• an input device with the features of claim 25 is also proposed.
• One-handed characters from a character set can preferably be input into the input device.
• the input device comprises a display, at least one scrolling device and at least one key, at least part of the character set being shown on the display — preferably only on part of the display — in rows or columns, that is to say in the form of a matrix.
• the input device is preferably designed such that the method according to one of claims 1 to 23 can be carried out.
• the input device is characterized in that the input of a character by means of the scrolling device, which preselects at least a part of a column of the character set, and by means of the at least one key, by means of which a character is selected from a row of the preselected column.
• the input device is preferably a mobile device, for example an organizer.
• the input device can be keyboardless, that is, is no keyboard is provided for entering letters from the alphabet. “One-handed” operation means that the hand that holds the input device is also used to enter the characters while this hand is holding the input device.
• the input device does not have to be placed on a base for the selection and input of the characters, as is required in known input devices.
• the scroll device has a scroll wheel.
• the scroll wheel preferably being arranged on a housing of the input device in such a way that the thumbs can be used in an ergonomic position for turning the thumbs.
• the scroll wheel which preferably has a knurling, enables the bar and / or the character matrix on the display to be steplessly or rasterized in one direction or in opposite directions.
• the defined direction of movement which is predetermined by means of the scroll wheel, simplifies the selection of the character from the character set compared to known operating elements, such as a trackball or a mouse.
• the scroll wheel is designed as a push button.
• a displaceable axle is provided for the rotatable mounting of the scroll wheel, which preferably has at least one pressure sensor in the area of the suspension of the axle.
• the pressure sensor can also be arranged in the region of the outer surface of the scroll wheel.
• the scroll wheel provided with or interacting with the pressure sensor therefore has a dual function, namely it serves on the one hand to select at least a part of a column of the character set matrix and on the other hand to select the character from a row of the preselected column.
• the scroll wheel can be exchanged and can be executed in different versions in order to enable different gear ratios for the scroll function.
• Different translations of the scrolling device are also easily possible by means of modified software, so that - insofar as the scrolling device has a scroll wheel - there is no need to replace the scroll wheel.
• the scrolling device can comprise a touchpad, a trackball and / or a rocker button. It is important that the control element for scrolling the bar and / or the character set matrix is a finger of the hand is sufficient while this hand is holding the input device at the same time.
• the input device comprises a housing having at least the scroll wheel, the housing being designed such that it can be held by one hand of an operator and the scroll wheel being arranged in such a way that with one hand
• the input device can be operated with the thumb and the at least one key can be operated with at least one of the other fingers of the same hand.
• an embodiment of the input device is preferred, which is characterized in that several keys are provided, which are arranged on the side of the housing and are operated with the remaining fingers of the same hand holding the housing. The operator therefore does not have to reach from the scroll wheel to the buttons, but can leave the finger, for example the thumb, on the scroll wheel there, while pressing the buttons with at least one of the fingers of the same hand.
• the scroll wheel is mounted on the upper corner of the housing so that it can be operated in its natural position by the thumb of the hand holding the housing during one-hand operation.
• those provided for one-handed input Keys are arranged on the side of the housing so that a finger can rest ergonomically on each key.
• Each key is preferably assigned a very specific finger of the hand.
• the finger assigned to the scroll wheel and the fingers assigned to a key can be left during the operation of the input device.
• buttons on the side of the housing can be designed as sensor buttons. These are therefore not shifted when actuated, but rather react to pressurization, so that they are practically not subject to mechanical wear during operation of the input device.
• An exemplary embodiment of the input device is also preferred, in which further keys are attached to the housing, by means of which some, possibly further, characters not shown on the character set, for example a space or functions, for example a menu selection, can be entered.
• an exemplary embodiment is preferred in which the keys are inserted in the housing upper shell along the upper transverse side of the display with context-oriented label.
• the input device which is characterized in that the display and a selection and input unit comprising at least the scrolling device are spatially separated from one another. While if the selection and input unit is located, for example, on a housing that can be held with one hand, the display can be located on a briefcase, for example, so that the housing virtually forms a "remote control".
• An exemplary embodiment of the input device is also preferred, in which at least one of the input elements (scroll wheel, key (s)) required for entering characters from the character set is designed twice in a mirror-symmetrical arrangement for right-handed and left-handed operation.
• at least the scrolling device preferably also the other input elements required for entering or selecting the characters from the character set, are executed in a double arrangement. This configuration enables both right-handed and left-handers to operate the input device ergonomically and at the same time limits their variety of variants.
• the housing has only a small thickness with respect to its width and length.
• the rectangular housing for example, is therefore only very thin.
• the dimensions of the housing correspond approximately to that of a check / credit card.
• the input device is overall very small and preferably very light, so that it can also be easily held by a relatively small hand, the scrolling device and the button being easy can be operated by the fingers of the same hand.
• an organizer with the features according to one of claims 1 to 43 is also proposed.
• a calendar, an address and / or telephone directory and the like can be integrated in the organizer. It is important that the organizer can be operated with one hand, namely by the fingers or at least one of the fingers of the hand that holds it. To operate the organizer, it must not be placed on a firm surface.
• the organizer has an interface, by means of which a coupling to an input device, for example arranged in a stationary manner, for example a personal computer with a keyboard, is possible.
• the interface can be, for example, an infrared interface or a data cable or the like.
• Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an input device for one-handed input of characters from a character set in plan view
• Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the character set
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the character set shown in Figure 2, the ends of which are connected together to form a virtual endless belt;
• Figure 4 • a section of a character set shown in a display of the input device in the basic position
• FIG. 5 shows a section of the display, the character set being moved out of its basic position by scrolling.
• the input device 1 described below is a keyboardless electronic organizer (Personal Digital Assistant), which is referred to below as a device and with which the input method according to the invention for characters and text can be carried out.
• the device 1 comprises a housing 20, which here has a rectangular shape in plan view, the edges of the housing 20 being rounded.
• the device 1 has a large-area display 2, in the lower area of which part of a character set 3 is shown in three lines.
• the entire character set 3 is extended beyond the limits of the display because of a scale that is easier to recognize, the beginning and end being connected to form an endless belt 4 (FIG. 3).
• This "endless belt 4" is a virtual, not a three-dimensional belt.
• Endless is thus understood to mean that, for example, in the case of the character set 3 shown in FIG. 2, which is shown in a flat design, when the last column at the right end of the character set 3, for example, is reached, scrolling in the same direction is next the first column on the left side of the display appears.
• the representation of the endless belt 4 on the display can, for example, be spatial, that is to say that the endless belt 4 has such a curvature in the edge regions of the display, for example as indicated in FIG. 3, that the impression of a real belt is obtained optically.
• the character set 3 can be moved as a whole with the aid of a scrolling device having a scroll wheel 5 in the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures, until the desired character appears in a bar 6 shown centrally on the display 2.
• the scroll wheel 5 is rotatable about an axis, not shown, which runs perpendicular to the image plane of FIG. 1 and preferably also to the upper housing shell. This one on the right
• the upper corner of the housing arranged scroll wheel 5 protrudes partially over the outer circumferential surface of the housing, so that by means of a finger, preferably the thumb, the hand holding the housing can easily be rotated directly.
• the character set 3 there is an orientation bar 7 along the transverse side of the display 2, which symbolically represents the total length of the character set 3, on which a marking 8, which moves with the character set 3, indicates the current position of the alphabet 9 in the character set 3.
• a character can now be entered by pressing one of the three keys 10a, 10b, 10c, which are located on the left long side of the housing 20.
• Key 10a is assigned to the upper, key 10b to the middle and key 10c to the lower character within the matrix bar 6, key 10a being operated by the index finger, key 10b by the middle finger and key 10c by the ring finger.
• the character entered in this way then appears in the upper area of the display 2 in an application running there.
• the number of keys 10, which are each assigned to a line of the character set is the same size as the number of lines of the character set 3.
• the two additional keys 11 installed on the front of the device 1 are context-oriented and are assigned, for example, the space and the menu function. With such an arrangement of the control elements and using the method described above, ergonomic one-hand operation and text entry is possible. This is the first time that a device 1 can be realized that meets the requirement of being operable on the move, since in everyday life you often only have one hand free and there is no fixed base available for mobile use.
• the character set 3 is composed of several blocks 12, each of which contains characters of a category.
• the arrangement of the blocks 12 in the character set 3 corresponds to the frequency with which the characters are used in each case.
• alphabet block 9 which contains all the characters of the alphabet including umlauts and "ß" in ten columns, is arranged centrally in character set 3 and marks its center. Signs that are rarely needed are located far from this center.
• the character set 3 consists of six blocks 12 together
• character set 3 which is proposed for this example, is shown on display 2 in such a way that alphabet 9 and three punctuation marks, point, comma and question mark, that is a total of eleven columns, are shown.
• the matrix bar 6 shown centrally on the display 2 thus lies above the sixth column with the characters P, Q, R and highlights it by a border in the form of three boxes 13a, 13b and 13c arranged one above the other.
• Character set 3 enables particularly effective and quick text entry.
• the character set 3 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 merely represents an advantageous exemplary embodiment.
• this can also have fewer than six blocks or possibly also more than six blocks.
• the number of columns can vary, which means that they can easily be larger or smaller than 35.
• the same also applies to the number of lines of the character set matrix, that is, it is also easily possible for another embodiment of the character set 3, not shown in the figures, to have fewer than three lines, for example only one line or has two lines or more than three lines, for example four or five lines.
• the outer contour of the display 2 is matched to that of the housing 20, that is to say the display 2 here has a rectangular shape.
• the display 2 is very large in relation to the total area of the upper housing shell and covers most of it.
• At least the scrolling device and preferably also the at least one key for selecting the character from the column preselected by the scrolling device are arranged in mirror symmetry in a double arrangement.
• a column can then be selected from the character set with each of the scrolling devices and a character can be selected from the corresponding row of the preselected column using the two keys 10a or 10b or 10c.
• the input device 1 described with reference to the figures is a mobile device, which means that it can be taken with you practically anywhere.
• the input device 1 can also be a cell phone or the like, for example.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
• Position Input By Displaying (AREA)
• User Interface Of Digital Computer (AREA)
• Steering Controls (AREA)
• Telephone Set Structure (AREA)
• Digital Computer Display Output (AREA)

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• 2000
  • 2000-07-26 DE DE10036421A patent/DE10036421A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2001
  • 2001-07-25 JP JP2002514483A patent/JP2004531419A/ja active Pending
  • 2001-07-25 CA CA002417197A patent/CA2417197A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-07-25 CN CN01815788A patent/CN1459055A/zh active Pending
  • 2001-07-25 MX MXPA03000740A patent/MXPA03000740A/es unknown
  • 2001-07-25 AU AU2001289750A patent/AU2001289750A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-07-25 AU AU2001293705A patent/AU2001293705A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-07-25 KR KR10-2003-7001178A patent/KR20030036645A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-07-25 BR BR0112795-0A patent/BR0112795A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-07-25 EP EP01974086A patent/EP1307809A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-07-25 JP JP2002514516A patent/JP2004531781A/ja active Pending
  • 2001-07-25 WO PCT/EP2001/008608 patent/WO2002008847A2/de not_active Application Discontinuation
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  • 2001-07-25 CA CA002417196A patent/CA2417196A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-07-25 US US10/333,885 patent/US20040066405A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-07-25 BR BR0112796-9A patent/BR0112796A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-07-25 WO PCT/EP2001/008623 patent/WO2002008880A2/de active Application Filing
  • 2001-07-25 US US10/333,886 patent/US20040030807A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-07-25 KR KR10-2003-7001071A patent/KR20030036633A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-07-25 EP EP01969510A patent/EP1309911A2/de not_active Withdrawn

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