GB2444521A

GB2444521A - An iterative data entry method

Info

Publication number: GB2444521A
Application number: GB0624305A
Authority: GB
Inventors: S Bastien Racani Re
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-12-05
Filing date: 2006-12-05
Publication date: 2008-06-11
Also published as: KR20080052209A; GB0624305D0

Abstract

An apparatus for data entry in which candidate characters are distributed between a plurality of display sub-regions of a display. A user selects one of the display sub-regions (63, 71, 81), in response to which, the characters in the selected sub-region are retained and the characters in the one or more other sub-regions are discarded. The retained characters are then re-distributed between a plurality (e.g. two three or four) of display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to reduce the number of candidate characters in an iterative manner. In this way, characters may be entered without requiring the use of an alphanumeric keyboard. A predictive text algorithm may also be used. Sub-regions may be selected through the use of the buttons and or touchscreen. The text entry method may be used with eg a mobile phone or a PDA.

Description

* 2444521

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DATA ENTRY

This invention relates to a method of entering data into an electronic device, and an apparatus therefor. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, relevance to entering data into a handheld device such as a mobile phone.

Most mobile phones include a standard 1TU-T alplmtmineric keypad formed by an array of keys having four rows and three columns. Eachkey is associated with plural different characters. Typically, there are two modes for entering data using the 1TU-T alphanumeric keypad. In the first mode, in order to enter a character the key corresponding to that character is repeatedly presseduntiIthedesiredcharacterjsselcc Inthesecondmode,inorderto enter a character the key for that character is pressed once and then once a word has been entered a list of possible words using the entered combination of keys is presented.

The second mode of data entry is sometimes referred to as predictive texting However, this term is slightly misleading because the mobile phone does not generally predict data to be entered, but rather works out for an entered selection of keys the corresponding possible words. For this reason, the second mode of data entry is sometimes referred to as disambiguating data entry.

Both the above modes of data entry suffer from the problem that as mobile phones, driven by consumer demand, are made smaller and smaller,

I

the keys of the alphanumeric display are being made correspondingly smaller and smaller. This results hi increased instances of users pressing the wrong key.

US Patent No. 6,980,200 discusses data entry without the use of an alphanumeric keypad. In one embodiment, a user selects from a list of character groups the group containing the next desired character. The characters in the selected character group are then displayed on a touch sensitive screen, and the user presses the image of the desired character. In another embodiment, the user operates navigation keys to scroll through a list of characters until the desired character is highlighted, and then selects the desired character using a select button.

The aim of the present invention is to provide alternative data entry methods which do not require the use of an alphanumeric keypad.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for data entry in which candidate characters are distributed between a plurality of display sub-regions of a display. A user selects one of the display sub-regions, in response to which the characters in the selected sub-region are retained and the characters in the one or more other sub-regions are discarded. The retained characters are then re-distributed between a plurality of display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to reduce the number of candidate characters in an iterative manner.

In an embodiment, candidate characters are distributed between two display sub-regions. In this way, in effect the user perfonns a binary search in which approximately half ofthe candidate characters are discarded with each user selection.

As the user selects regions of the screen, there is no requirement for an alphanumeric keypad.

In preferred embodiments, the most likely character to be entered is predicted and offered to the user as an option for user selection. In this way, generally the number of key presses required to enter a stream of characters can be significantly reduced.

Various exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 schematically shows a plan view of a mobile phone fbrming a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the main components of the mobile phone illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a flow chart schematically showing the main steps of a data entry routine used in the mobile phone illustrated in Figure 1; Figures 4A to 4F each show a plan view of a display screen at a respective different time during the data entry routine of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a plan view of a display screen shown during the data entry routine of Figure 3 to enter a numeral; Figure 6 shows a plan view of a display screen shown during the data entry routine of Figure 3 to enter a punctuation mark; Figures 7A to 7C each show a plan view of a display screen at a respective different time during the data entry routine of a second embodiment of the invention; and Figure 8 is a flow chart schematically showing the main components of a data entry routine in the second embodiment.

FIRST EMBODIMENT

As shown in Figure 1, a mobile phone I according to * first embodiment of the invention has a casing 3, a keypad 5 and adisplay7. The keypadS includes: -navigation keys including an tiP key9a, a LEFT key 9b, a RIGHT key9c and aDOWNkey9d; -aSELECTkcy1I; -aDELETEkey13; -aCONFIRMkeyI5; -a CANCEL key 17; -a CHARACTER GROUP key 19; and -anEXTRAkey2l.

As schematically shown in Figure 2, the main electrical components of the mobile phone I include a controller 31 which is connected to an audio codec 33, an RF transceiver circuit 35, a display driver 37, the keypad 5, a SIM card 39, read only memory (ROM) 41 and random access memory (RAM) 43. All these components are powered by a battery (not shown) which is housed within the casing 3 of the mobile phone 1.

The audio codec 33 is a conventional component which encodes speech signals received from a microphone 45 and forwards the encoded speech signal to the controller 31, and decodes an encoded speech signal received from the controller 31 and forwards the decoded speech signal to a loudspeaker 47. The RF transceiver circuit 35 is a conventional component which processes a wireless RF signal detected by an aerial 49 into a form suitable for input to the controller 31, and processes a signal from the controller 31 into a form suitable for RF tr2nmission using the aerial 49.

The display driver 37 is a conventional component which receives a control signal for a desired display from the controller 31, and converts the control signal into a drive signal for the display 7 to display the desired display.

The SIM card 39 is a conventional SIM card, and the RAM 43 provides working memory for the controller 31. The ROM 41 stores program routines and data which are used by the controller 31 during operation of the mobile phone 1. In this embodiment, the ROM 41 includes a Data_Entry_Routine 49 according to the present invention which is executed during a data entry mode.

The Data_Entry_Routine of this embodiment will now be discussed with reference to Figure 3, 4A to 4F, 5 and 6 In this embodiment, the data entry mode starts, at Si, either by the user pressing the EXTRA key 21 or by the user selecting using the navigation keys 9and the SELECTkey 11, adisplayedmenuoption requiringdataentry.

The mobile phone 1 then displays, at 53, a default character group in S the manner shown in Figure 4A. In this embodiment, the default character group contains all the letters of the alphabet. As shown in Figure 4A, the display 7 is separated into a message portion 61, a left character portion 63a and a right character portion 63b. A cursor 65 is displayed in the message portion 61 at the position inwhich the next character is to be entered.

Half the letters of the alphabet arc displayed in the left character portion 63a and the other half of the letters of the alphabet are displayed in the right chaicter portion 63b. in particular, the letters of the alphabet are displayed in a four-by-four array, with some array elements including a single letter while other array elements include two letters, of which two columns are located in the left character portion 63a and the remaining two columns arelocatedinthenghtcharacterportjon63b. AsshownmFigure4A,inthe nonnal usage orientation of the mobile phone I (in which the LEFT key 9b is to the left of the RIGHT key 9c), the left character portion 63a is to the left of the right character portion 63b.

In brief, the user of the mobile phone I then perfonns a binary search to reduce iteratively the number of letters displayed by half until the desired letter is the only letter remaining, and the remaining letter is automatically input to the message portion 61 of the display 7 at the position of the cursor 65. la particular, each time a group of letters is displayed the user of the mobile phone 1 selects the character portion 63 including the desired letter by pressing the navigation key 9 corresponding to that character portion 63 (i.e. if the desired letter is in the left character portion of Figure 4A then the user pressestheLEFTkey9b). Thelettersinthecharacterportjon63notselected are then discarded and the letters of the selected character portion are re-displayed split evenly between two new character portions and this process continues until a single character is left.

As an example, the entiy of the letter'? will be discussed with referencetoFigures4Ato4F. ReferringtoFigure4A,theletter'r'appearsin the left character portion 63a of the display 7, and accordingly the user presses the LEFT key 9b. The mobile phone 1 then displays the screen shown in Figure 4B in which the two columns in the left character portion 63a of Figure 4A are displayed, with two rows being located in an upper character portion 71a and the other two rows being located in a lower character portion llb which, in the nonnal usage orientation of the mobile phone 1, is below the upper character portion 71 a.

Referring to Figure 4B, the letter'? appears in the lower character portion 71b, and accordingly the user presses the DOWN key 9d. The mobile phone 1 thendisplaysthescreenshownjnFjgure 4Cinwhichthetworows in the lower character portion of Figure 4B are displayed, with one column being located in a left character portion 81a and the other column being located in a right character portion 81b which, in the nonnal usage orientation of the mobile phone I, is to the right of the left character portion 81a.

Refernng to Figure 4C, the letter? is in the right character portion 81b and accordingly the user presses the RIGHT key 9c. The mobile phone 1 then displays the screen shown in Figure 4D in which the column in the right character portion 81b is re-displayed with one array element (comprising two letters) in an upper character portion 9la and one array element (comprising two elements) in a lower character portion 91b which, in the normal usage orientation of the mobile phone 1 is below the upper character portion 91a.

Referring to Figure 4D, the letter ?is in the lower character portion 91b and accordingly the user presses the DOWN key 9d. The mobile phone then displays the screen shown in Figure 4E in which the single array element in the lower character portion 9lb of Figure 4E is split and one letter is placed in a left character portion lOla and the other letter is pressed in a right character portion lOib which, in the normal usage orientation of the mobile phone, is to the right of the left character portion lOla. Referring to Figure 4E the letter? is in theleficharacterportion lOla, and accordinglythe user presses the LEFT key 9b.

As the letter? is the only character displayed in the left character portion lOla of Figure 4E, this letter is entered into the message portion 61 and the cursor 65 is shifted on one position. In addition, as shown in Figure 4F, the default character group is redisplayed to allow entry of the next character to begin.

Returning to Figure 3, following display of the default character group the controller 31 checks, at S5, if the IARAr GROUP key 19 is pressed. If the CHARACTER GROUP key 19 is pressed, then the controller displays, at S7, the next character group. in this embodiment, the mobile phone I stores three character groups, namely -a first group having all the letters of the alphabet (i.e. the default character group); -a second group having the numerals zero to nine; and -a third group having punctuation marks.

On pressing the CHARACTER GROUP key 19 the displayed character group cycles from the first group (as shown in Figure 4A) to the second group (as shown in Figure 5) and then to the third group (as shown in Figure 6) and then backlo the first group.

If the CHARACTER GROUP key 19 has not pressed, then the controller 31 checks, at S9, if the DELETE key 13 has been pressed. lithe DELETE key 13 has been pressed, then the mobile phone I cancels the last command entered by the user by displaying at SI 1, the screen displayed immediately previously.

if the DELETE key 13 has not been pressed, then the controller 31 checks, at S13, if one of the navigation keys 9 has been pressed. If a navigation key 9 has been pressed, then the controller 31 checks if the sub-group of characters in the character portion of the display 7 corresponding to the pressed navigation key 9 has a single character, lithe corresponding sub- group does not have a single character, then the controller 13 causes the re-display, at S17, of the characters in the corresponding sub-group split between two new character portions of the display as discussed previously. If the corresponding sub-group does have a single character, then that character is input, at S19, to the message portion of the display 7 and then the routine re-displays the default character group to allow entry of the next character.

If a navigation key has not been pressed, then the controller 31 checks, at 521, if the CONFIRM key 15 has been pressed. If the CONFIRMkey 15 has been pressed, then the controller 31 ends, at S23, the data entry mode and display a list of options for using the entered data. In this embodiment, these options include sending the data using the Short Message Service (SMS) feature of the GSM system, and sending the data using email.

If the CONFIRM key 15 has not been pressed, the controller 31 checks, at S25, if the CANCEL key 17 has been piessed. If the CANCEL key 17 has been pressed, the controller 3! ends, at S27, the data entry mode. If the CANCEL key 17 has not been pressed, then the controller 31 repeats the checks for a key press until a key press occurs.

As discussed above, according to the first embodiment of the invention a user is able to enter data without using an alphanumeric keypad. By removing the alphanumeric keypad, the remaining keys can be made sufficiently large to facilitate accurate data entry.

SECOND EMBODIMENT

A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figure 7A to 7C and Figure 8. The second embodiment is an improvement to the first embodiment in that predictive text techniques are used to predict which character the user wishes to enter and if the predicted character is correct, then the user selects the predicted character. This leads to a significant reduction in the number of key presses required to enter data, resulting in an increase in the speed of data entry.

The only difference between the mobile phone of the second embodiment and the mobile phone of the first embodiment is the addition of a prediction algorithm which is used during the data entry mode. For ease of reference, components which are identical in the first and second embodiments will be referred to using the reference numerals of the first embodiment.

A brief overview of the operation of the data entry mode of the second embodiment will now be given with reference to Figures 7A to 7C, which show an example in which the user is entering the word morning' and the letters in', o' and r' have already been entered.

As shown in Figure 7A, the mobile phone I displays the default character group split between a left character portion 201a and a right character portion 201b in the same manner as the first embodiment. in the message entry portion 203, the letters mor' are displayed followed by the predicted next letter, which in this embodiment is shown in reverse contrast.

The predicted next letter is derived using a language modelling algorithm, in this embodiment a Prediction by Partial Matching (PPM) algorithm, which assesses the most likely letter to follow a one or more entered letters. As shown in Figure 7A, the prediction algorithm predicts the letter e' will follow the sequence!mor'.

As the predicted letter is incorrect the user selects, using the LEFT navigation key 9b, the left character portion 201a which includes the desired letter ii'. The screen of figure 7B is then displayed in which the charaèters in the left character portion 201a of figure 7A are split between an upper character portion 211a and a lower character portion 211b. Again, the prediction algorithm predicts that e' is the most likely letter, as c' is still an available character. The user therefore selects, using the DOWN key 9d, the lower chararcterportion 211b which includes the desired letter ii'.

The screen of Figure 7C is then displayed in which the characters in the lower character portion 21 lb of Figure lB are split between a left character potion 221a and a right character portion 221b. As the letter e' is no longer a valid option for the next letter, the prediction algorithm determines that of the remAining letters n' is the most likely letter to follow mor' and displays n' as the predicted next letter. As this is correct, the user presses the SELECT key 11 and the mobile phone confirms n' as the next letter.

Following entry of the letters mom', the next predicted letter would be 1'; following entry of the letters morni', the next predicted letter would be ii'; and following entry of the letters mornin, the next predicted letter would be g'. Accordingly, the last three letters of the word morning' are entered simply by pressing the SELECT key 11 three times in succession.

Figure 8 shows a flow chart schematically showing the operations performed in the data entry mode of the first embodiment. As shown, the only differences from the data entry mode of the first embodiment is the processing performed following the pressing of a navigation key 9, and a new processing operation which is performed following the pressing of the SELECT key 11. These two different processing operations will now be described in detail.

If a navigation key 9 is pressed, the controller 31 checks, at S65, if the sub-group of characters corresponding to the pressed navigation key 9 includes a single character. If the corresponding sub-group does not have a single character, then the controller 31 causes the re-display, at S67, of the characters in the corresponding sub-group split between two new character portions of the display as discussed previously. The controller 31 then determines the predicted next character taking into account the restricted number of possible characters, and if the predicted next character has changed updates the predicted character displayed in the message portion of the display.

If the SELECT key 11 is pressed, the controller 31 inputs, at S75, the predicted next character, predicts the character to follow the newly input character, and then displays the default character group.

MODIFICATIONS AND FURTHER EMBODIMENTS

In the second embodiment, the prediction algorithm predicts the most likely next letter from all the remaining candidate letters. In an alternative embodiment, if the SELECT key Ills not pressed when a predicted next letter is displayed, then that letter is removed from the list of possible next letters. Accordingly, in the example of Figures 7A to 7C as the SELECT key 11 is not pressed when the screen shown in Figure 7A, then the predicted next letter shown in the screen of Figure 7B would not be e'.

In the second embodiment, a PPM prediction algontlun is used to predict the most likely next character. It will be appreciate that other types of prediction algorithm could alternatively be used.

In the first and second embodiments, a keypad is used by the user to make user selections. It will be appreciated that other devices could be used.

In an alternative, the display is a touchscreen display so that a user can touch the sub-region containing the desired character.

In the first and second embodiments, candidate characters arc distributed between two display sub-regions. It will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments the candidate characters could be distributed between more than two display sub-regions. For example, the candidate characters could be distributed between an upper sub-region, a left sub-region, a right sub-region and a lower sub-region, in which case the four navigation keys could be used to select the sub-region including the desired character, thereby enabling performance of a quatemary search. Alternatively, the candidate characters could be distributed between three sub-regions, thereby enabling a tertiary search.

In the first and second embodiments, the data entry techniques of the present invention are applied to mobile phones. Examples of mobile phones include cellular phones for use with a wireless cellular communications network and cordless phones for use with a local base station.

The data entry techniques of the present invention could also be applied to other electronic devices, for example remote controllers and personal digital assistants (PDAs). It will be appreciated that the data entiy techniques of the present invention are particularly useflul for handheld devices where it is desirable to reduce the number of keys in order to reduce the total size of the device The embodiments described with reference to the drawings comprise a processing apparatus and involve processes performed in the processing apparatus. The invention also extends to computer programs, particularly computer programs on or in a carner, adapted for putting the invention into practice The program may be in the form of source code, object cod; a code intermediate to source code and object code such as in partially compiled form, or in any other form suitable for using in the implementation of the processes according to the invention.

The earner may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the carrier may comprise a storage medium, such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a semiconductor ROM, or a magnetic recording medium, for example a floppy disc or a hard disc, or an optical recording medium. Further, the carrier may be a transmissible carrier such as an electronic or optical signal which may be conveyed via electrical or optical cable or by radio or other means.

The carrier may be an integrated circuit in which the program is embedded, the integrated circuit being adapted for performing or for use in the performance of the relevant processes.

Although in the described embodiment the invention is implemented by software, it will be appreciated that alternatively the invention could be implemented by hardware devices or a combinalion of hardware devices and software.

Claims

1. Apparatus for data entry, said data being formed by a sequence of characters, the apparatus comprising: control means operable to cause a display means to display a oup of Candidate characters distributed between a plurality of display sub-regions; and selection means operable to receive user input idcnti1ing a selected display sub-region of the display means, wherein following receipt of a user selection of a display sub-region having associated candidate characters by said selection means, the control means is operable to cause the display means to display the candidate characters associated with the selected sub-region distributed between a plurality of display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to reduce the number of candidate characters in an iterative manner using the selection means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means is operable to cause the display means to display a group of candidate characters distributed between two, three or four display sub-regions.

3. Apparatus for data entry, said data being formed by a sequence of characters, the apparatus comprising: control means operable to cause a display means to display a group of candidate characters distributed between two display sub-regions; and selection means operable to receive user input identifying a selected display sub-region of the display means, wherein following user selection of one of said two display sub-regions by the selection means, the control means is operable to cause the display of the candidate characters in the selected display subregion-distiibuted between one of i) two display sub-regions, whereby a useris able to select a character by performing a binary search using the selection means, ii) three display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to select a character by peribrining a tertiary search using the selection means, and iii) four display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to select a character by performing a quatemary search using the selection means.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the selection means comprises a set of keys.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the keys are aimnged in a spatial configuration, wherein the display sub-regions are arranged in a spatial configuration, and wherein the spatial relationship of the display subregions-determines which keys are associated with each display sub-region.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for predicting the next character in the group of characters, wherein the control means is operable to cause the display means to display said predicted next character, and S wherein the selection means comprises means for selecting said predicted next character for data entry.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the prediction means is operable to use a prediction by partial matching algorithm.

8. An electronic device comprising an apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.

9. An electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the eletronic IS device is handheld.

10. An electronic device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.

11. A method of data entty comprising: displaying a group of candidate characters distributed between a plurality of display sub-regions; receiving user input identifiing a selected display sub-region of the display means; and following receipt of user input selecting a display sub-region having associated candidate characters, displaying the candidate characters associated with the selected sub-region distributed between a plurality of display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to reduce the number of candidate characters in an iterative manner using the selection means.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein a group of candidate characters is displayed distributed between two, three or four display sub-regions.

13. A method of data entry comprising: displaying a group of candidate characters distributed between two display sub-regions; receiving user input identifying a selected display sub-region of the display means; and following receipt of user input selecting one of said two display sub-regions, displaying the candidate characters in the selected display sub-region distributed between one of i) two display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to select a character by performing a binary search, ii) three display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to select a character by performing a tertiary search, and m) four display sub-regions, whereby a user is able to select a character by performing a quaternary search.

14. A method according to any of claims 11 to 13, further comprising the stepsof: predicting the next character in the group of characters based on the previously entered character, and displaying said predicted next character, and receiving user input selecting said predicted next character for data entry.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the prediction step uses a prediction by partial matching algorithm.

16. A computer program conthining instructions for causing a programmable processing apparatus to implement a method as claimed in any of claims II to 15.

17. A storage medium storing a computer program as claimed in claim 16.

18. A signal conveying a computer program as claimed in claim 16.

19. Apparatus for data entry in which candidate characters are displayed distributed between user selectable display sub-regions, and in response to user selection of a display sub-region the candidate characters in the one or more unselected display sub-regions are discarded and the candidate characters in the selected sub-region are re-displayed distributed between user selectable sub-regions, whereby the number of candidate characters is reduced in an iterative innner.