Coded data generation or conversion – Bodily actuated code generator – Including keyboard or keypad
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2004-01-06
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2635)
Coded data generation or conversion
Bodily actuated code generator
Including keyboard or keypad
C279S110000, C345S171000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06674372
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Chinese character input device for inputting a Chinese character by using the phonetic symbols of the Chinese language utilizing twelve numeric keys of a keypad of a conventional telephone set or a remote control for operating a conventional television set or audio products.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present-day life has extended the application of an electronic information processing. It has also been rapidly required to input data in Chinese language with no keyboard, but, for example, a keypad of an electronic computer, a portable telephone or a remote control operating a television set or audio products. To realize functions of a telephone directory, a memorandum pad or the function of transmitting and receiving E-Mail or simple messages in those electronic products, they have to be provided with the function of inputting a character. Providing the function of inputting the Chinese language to products can not only increase the value of the products but also enlarge an application range of the product.
Various methods of inputting the Chinese language have been applied. Most of the methods have used mainly a keyboard. It is difficult to apply these methods of inputting the Chinese language using the keyboard to electric products having less number of keys, for example, a telephone set or a remote control for operating a television set or audio products. Recently, there have been presented several patents related to a device for inputting the Chinese language to be applied to a television set or a remote control for operating a television set or audio products. For example, Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 324084 has disclosed “a device for inputting the Chinese language by a zhuyin utilizing sixteen keys”. According to this invention, thirty seven phonetic symbols and five tone symbols in the Chinese language are allocated to the sixteen keys of a computer. That allocation can provide a function of determination of input key signal to implement the input function of the Chinese language in the computer. It is noted that Chinese phonetic symbols generally can be grouped into four major groups, that is, Finals serving as vowels, Medials serving as transition vowels, Initials serving as consonants, and Tones expressing intonation. The method using sixteen keys to input the Chinese language can be applied to only the computer but not to a telephone set or a remote control. In the above invention, moreover, the relation of the key with the phonetic symbol of the Chinese language is slightly rough so that it is hard to learn operation.
Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 73890 has disclosed “a method of inputting the Chinese language with European style Roman letter notation utilizing numeric keys” in which phonetic symbols corresponding to the Roman letter notation are arranged on eight numeric keys from 1 to 8 to provide the input function by the Roman letter notation. This arrangement is also rough and difficult to learn. In order to input one character, furthermore, a greater number of key operations are required.
A certain manufacturer has presented a trial product in which the phonetic symbols of the Chinese language are arranged by intuition. This arrangement is shown in FIG.
8
. For example, when “[CHARCTER
1
]” is to be input, a numeric key of “5” is pressed down once. When “[CHARCTER
2
]” is to be input, a numeric key of “5” is pressed down twice. This arrangement is simple but the number of key operations is too large. For example, when “[CHARCTER
3
]” is to be input, the total number of key operations is
15
(the key of “2” should be pressed down four times, “7” pressed twice, “0” pressed four times, “2” pressed five times). The total of legitimate combinations of the phonetic symbols of the Chinese language is 1,356. According to the arrangement of the input method, the average number of a set of key operations needs to be 9.5.
[CHARACTER
1
]
[CHARACTER
2
]
[CHARACTER
3
]
There is another example.
FIG. 9
illustrates a method of arranging the phonetic symbols of “a method of inputting the Chinese language by a character sound utilizing a numeric key” disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 73889. In this method, each phonetic symbol is encoded by a key arrangement to set a code of “[CHARACTER
4
]” to
12
(because it is the second symbol of the numeric key of “1”, a code of “[CHARACTER
5
]” to
31
(because it is the first symbol of the numeric key of “3”), and a code of “[CHARACTER
6
]” to
74
(because it is the fourth symbol of the numeric key of “7”), for example. For a tone symbol, the Second, Third, Fourth and Light Tones of the Chinese language are arranged on the numeric keys of “2”, “3”, “4” and “5”, respectively. According to this invention, characters are input by means of the above-mentioned codes and tone symbol keys. For example,
when “[CHARACTER
7
]” is to be input, 1411722 is pressed down, and
when “[CHARACTER
8
]” is to be input, 3355742 is pressed down.
[CHARACTER
4
]
[CHARACTER
5
]
[CHARACTER
6
]
[CHARACTER
7
]
[CHARACTER
8
]
According to this method, one phonetic symbol is input by two keys and is combined with one tone symbol key, thereby inputting one character. As compared with an input method shown in
FIG. 8
, the number of key operations can be decreased in this method. The average number of key operations for one character approximately needs 5.7. In order to input one phonetic symbol by using two keys, it is necessary to press down two keys which are usually different from each other and the same key is not pressed down twice. It is inconvenient. Moreover, the key arrangement of the phonetic symbols is slightly rough and thus it is difficult for a user to learn the corresponding keys to the phonetic symbols. Therefore, it takes a long time to completely use these keys.
The above-mentioned inventions according to the prior art have the following problems:
(1) The method of arranging the corresponding keys of the phonetic symbols is too rough and a convenience is bad;
(2) Since the number of key operations required to input the Chinese language is too large, it takes a long time to input data in Chinese;
(3) Although twelve or more keys in the keypad of a telephone set or a remote control controlling a television set or audio products can be utilized, the twelve keys are not completely used in the prior art. Therefore, the number of the phonetic symbols corresponding to a single key is too large. Thus, it is hard to learn for users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for inputting Chinese using numeric keys in which. Chinese characters are input on a device having a numeric keypad, a storage and a display. The method comprises:
setting a key signal to phonetic symbol corresponding section to allocate all phonetic symbols of the Chinese language on the numeric keys so that three.Medials are allocated on one numeric key and Initials with Finals or Finals with Tones are selectively allocated on the other numeric keys, and to store therein each key signal and a phonetic symbol corresponding to the key signal based on the allocation;
setting, in the storage, a dictionary for storing phonetic symbols each with a single Chinese character or word, the single Chinese character or the word corresponding to the phonetic symbol;
inputting a key signal from the keypad based on user's operation in accordance with a correspondence rule of the key signal to the phonetic symbol;
retrieving a phonetic symbol or a tone symbol from the key signal to phonetic symbol corresponding section in response to the key signal input by the user;
collating the retrieved phonetic symbol or the retrieved tone symbol with phonetic symbols already input to obtain a corresponding phonetic symb
Dang Hung
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
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