Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Cursor mark position control device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-22
2003-05-20
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Cursor mark position control device
C345S170000, C345S171000, C463S030000, C463S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567072
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a character input device and method, and in particular to a character input apparatus and method using a direction indicating device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 7-129294 is an example of a conventional character input device. This device has a frame sized so that it can be grasped by one hand, a rotating body provided on this frame that can be rotatably operated by the thumb, a key switch mounted on the frame and operated by a finger other than the thumb, a means for detecting the state of rotation of the rotating body, a means for detecting whether a key switch is being pressed, and a means for selecting a character based on the detection result of these two means, and wherein character input is realized from a rotating body, sized so that it can be grasped by one hand and rotatably operated by the thumb in order to input characters with one hand, and a see-saw switch that can be operated by a finger other than the thumb.
When inputting characters, this device specifies an input character by using four switches which can detect a five-stage stroke, and in order to move the cursor displayed on the screen, characters are input by using a track ball or the cursor manipulated.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, Sho 63-58590, discloses a different vector pattern input device. This device is provided with an operation board for character input that can move on a surface, a means which can detect the direction of movement of the operation board, and a means that can recognize the input character pattern from the direction of movements, the time of the movements, and the sequence of the movements of the operation board detected by the detection means. Characters are written on a touch panel, recognition of the character is carried out based on the stroke information, and the character is input.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 6-161433 discloses a conventional electrical music instrument with character input. This device is provided with a character set calling means which calls in a predetermined sequence one character set among character sets divided into a plurality of groups each time a switch is pressed, a character calling means which calls in a predetermined sequence a character from among the one character set called by the calling means depending on the rotation angle when a dial is turned to the right or to the left, and a display means that displays on a display the characters called by the character calling means. This is a means wherein a dial is used, and by rotating the dial a character is displayed on the display, and the character is input while observing this display.
This musical instrument is provided with a group selection switch for selecting numbers and large and small alphabet characters, and by pressing this switch, the selection of groups such as large and small characters can be carried out.
Next, Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 7-16865 discloses another conventional character input device. This device comprises a plurality of switches that can detect a pressed state having several stages, a coordinate information input means, a character code generation means that generates a corresponding character code based on the combination of the pressed state of the plurality of switches, a display unit, a dictionary file, a conversion candidate detection means that inputs a provisional character and searches for conversion candidates for a provisional character sequence from the dictionary file, a conversion candidate display means which displays on the display the conversion candidates that the conversion candidate detection means has found, and a cursor display means which displays a cursor on the display based on information that the coordinate input means outputs. Character input is realized by using the track ball and a switch group that can adjust a stroke in several stages.
Conventionally, a keyboard which has alphabet, numbers, and Japanese hiragana characters, etc., printed on the tops of the keys is used for character input, and in the case of a cellular telephone, character input is carried out using a numeric board with ten keys.
In addition, an example of an input apparatus that does not use a keyboard is a device wherein character input is carried out by using a touch panel, which is an input device integrated with the display device and obtains position information by being touched, displaying a keyboard on the display device, touching the characters on the keyboard shown in the screen, and outputting to the screen the character corresponding to the touched character.
This device for character input is a means which selects the desired character sequence by detecting the angle of the rotation direction when the rotatable lever is moved, allocating the vowel direction, and allocating the consonant direction using seesaw switch.
However, in the device disclosed in the above-described Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 7-129294, the characters in the vowel direction are allocated by a rotating body mounted in the character input apparatus, and the characters in the consonant direction are allocated with a see-saw switch. In this type of input apparatus, when the rotating body is rotated to a certain degree, the desired vowel character can be chosen, and when the see-saw switch is pressed a number of times, the desired character is the consonant direction can be chosen, but there are the problems that it is difficult to imagine the outcome, and in order to select a character, all the selectable characters are always displayed on the screen, and a means for selecting the characters while looking at the screen is necessary. The area of the part of this display is occupied, and characters are input while looking at the sentence.
In addition, because a character is input by two types of switch, the rotating body and the see-saw switch, it is not possible to input characters with one finger.
The device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Sho 63-58590, has the problem that character recognition is carried out using a touch panel.
For character recognition in a portable telephone or a small apparatus like a portable telephone, if the area for hand-written character input is dedicated, there is the unfortunate effect that the area of the screen that can display becomes narrow, and as a result, it is difficult to input a sentence.
In addition, in order to input characters, because an input device such as a pen having a comparatively fine tip must be used in combination with the input device, the pen must always be carried while the user is walking, and when inputting information, the pen must be taken out each time.
Due to this, in the situation of using the pen while carrying the device body in the hand, because one hand must be used to carry the device body and the other hand must hold the pen, both hands are engaged. The device disclosed in Japanese patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 6-161433, is in an electrical music instrument with a character input function, and has the problem that the characters are selected using a dial, and character sequences of large characters and small characters, etc., are selected using a group selection switch.
The method of selecting characters by a dial has the problem that when selecting a character allocated at a position on the opposite side of the dial in the radial direction from the character currently selected, that is, separated by 180°, the number of movements of the fingers becomes high, and thereby inputting numerous characters is difficult.
The device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 7-168658, is a character input apparatus and method, and has the problem that character input is carried out using a plurality of switches that have a stroke with several stages for character input.
Because
Hjerpe Richard
NEC Corporation
Nguye Kimnhung
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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