Patent Application
20080183781
The present invention generally relates to input arrangements for mobile devices.
Mobile devices, such as cell phones, PDAs, barcode scanners, RF-ID readers, etc. are capable of many functionalities. In order to access these functions, a mobile device may require an input arrangement, such as a second keypad, a touch-screen, a pin-pad, etc. However, size and/or mobility constraints limit how large the input arrangement can be. In response to this problem, conventional methods such as shift keys and multi-tapping were introduced. However, as described below, these conventional methods are inefficient.
Although the keypads 100 and 200 are capable of allowing the user to input a large number of characters using a limited number of keys, the multi-tapping and shift key methods utilized by the keypads 100, 200 are time consuming. In addition, the user is forced to learn one particular method (e.g., multi-tapping, shift key) of input. If the user has multiple devices, each requiring a different input method, this can lead to confusion and/or unnecessary learning of multiple input methods.
The present invention relates to an input arrangement for a mobile device. The input arrangement may include (a) a manual input mechanism producing a primary input when engaged; and (b) first and second state shifting mechanisms respectively producing first and second secondary inputs when used in combination with an initial engaging of the manual input mechanism. Each of the first and second state shifting mechanisms also produces a further secondary input when used in combination with a subsequent engaging of the manual input mechanism. The further secondary input produced by the combination of the manual input mechanism and the second state shifting mechanism is the first secondary input.
The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The present invention relates to input arrangements for mobile devices (e.g., mobile units (“MUs”)). The present invention may be implemented with any type of MU (e.g., a cell phone, a PDA, a barcode scanner, an RF-ID reader, a hand-held computer, etc.) that utilizes an input arrangement (e.g., a keypad, a touch-screen, a pin-pad etc.).
In an exemplary embodiment, the second keypad 304 includes two shift keys (i.e., the color-shift keys 340, 344). As explained below, the number of color-shift keys on the second keypad 304 may correspond to a total number of characters depicted in each of a plurality of labels (e.g., a label 350) associated with each key 310. Thus, in other embodiments, there may be any plurality of color-shift keys.
Each key 310 may have a primary character associated therewith, such that when the key 310 is engaged (e.g., tapped, pressed-down, etc.), the primary character is inputted into a processing unit (e.g., a CPU, a logic circuit, an embedded controller, etc.) of the MU 300. The input may be visually confirmed by displaying the primary character on the LCD 390. For example, if the key 4 is pressed, the character “1” is inputted and may be shown on the LCD 390. If a user is satisfied with this input, it may be manually confirmed by pressing the Enter key 1. Otherwise, the input may be erased by, for example, pressing another key (e.g., a delete or clear button) to delete and/or overwrite the input.
In addition to the primary character, the functionality of each key 310 may be extended by enabling the input of one or more alternate characters. For example, an alternate character for the key 4 may be an exclamation mark (not shown). To produce the alternate character, the user may press the shift key 333 in combination with (e.g., simultaneously with, prior to, or after) the key 4. The pressing of the shift key 333 shifts the MU 300 from an initial state in which the keys 310 are only capable of producing the primary characters, to a second state in which the keys 310 are able to produce the alternate characters. Those of skill in the art will understand that there are multiple ways in which state shifting may be performed and that this may depend on a particular implementation of a control logic of the MU 300. For example, the control logic may be implemented as a finite state machine using digital logic.
Each key 310 may also produce a function (e.g., “F1”, “F2”, “F3”, etc.) activated by pressing the function key 330 in combination with the key 310. Each function may be printed or inscribed next to the primary character on each key 310. For example, the characters “F1” and “1” may be printed on the key 4 to denote that the key 4 may be used to produce the function “F1” or the character “1”. Thus, if the function “F1” is desired, the user may press the function key 330 simultaneously with, or prior to, pressing the key 4. Used in this manner, the function key 330 may operate in a manner similar to that of the shift key.
In addition to the primary characters, the alternate characters and the functions, each key 310 may also be used to input one or more secondary characters, which may be indicated using a label printed above each key 310. For instance, the label 350 may be printed above the key 4, indicating the secondary characters “A” and “B”. In an exemplary embodiment, there are multiple methods of inputting the secondary characters. For example, a first method may be state shifting, in which each secondary character may correspond to one of the color-shift keys 340, 344. Because each label has two secondary characters and there are two color-shift keys 340 and 344 on the second keypad 304, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the secondary characters and the color-shift keys 340, 344. Pressing of the color-shift keys 340, 344 may shift the MU 300 from the initial state to a state that produces lowercase forms of the secondary characters. Thus, to input the lowercase character “a”, the user may press the color-shift key 340 simultaneously with, prior to, or subsequent to pressing the key 4. Similarly, to input the lowercase character “b”, the user may press the color-shift key 344 simultaneously with, prior to, or subsequent to pressing the key 4.
To produce uppercase characters, the color-shift keys 340, 344 may be used in combination with the shift key 333. For example, to input an uppercase character “A”, the user may press the color-shift keys 333 and 340 simultaneously, followed by the key 4. Thus, when used together, a combination of the shift key 333 with one of the color-shift keys 340, 344 may shift the MU 300 into a further state.
In order to make an association between the color-shift keys 340, 344 and the secondary characters obvious to the user, the color-shift keys 340, 344 and the labels may be marked (e.g., colored, highlighted, underlined, font manipulated, etc.). For example, the color-shift key 340 may be colored orange and the color-shift key 344 colored gray. Accordingly, a portion (e.g., a first portion 352) of the label 350 denoting a first secondary character (e.g., a secondary character “A”) may be colored orange to match the color-shift key 340 and a second portion 354 of the label 350 denoting a second secondary character (e.g., a secondary character “B”) may be colored gray to match the color-shift key 344.
In addition to the first method described above, the MU 300 may utilize another input method that is a hybrid approach combining state shifting and multi-tapping. Using this method, it may be possible to utilize either of the color-shift keys 340, 344 in combination with the keys 310 to produce both the first and the second secondary characters. For example, if the user presses the color-shift key 340 followed by two presses of the key 4, this may produce the lowercase character “b”. Similarly, if the user presses the color-shift key 344 followed by two presses of the key 4, this may produce the lowercase character “a”. Thus, secondary characters normally associated with a particular shift key can be produced using another shift key.
A first row 410 of the table 400 lists a first set of keys on the MU 300. These keys may include the keys 310, the Enter key 1 and any other input key used by the MU 300. A first column 412 of the table 400 includes a second set of keys that are used in combination with the first key set for producing the input. The second key set may, for example, include the function key 330 and the color-shift keys 340, 344. As shown in
A conventional shift key method is illustrated by a second row 420, which shows input that may be produced using a combination of a shift key (e.g., the shift key 333) and another input key (e.g., the keys 310). A third row 430, a fourth row 440 and a fifth row 450 show alternate methods of entering input. As shown in the rows 430 and 440, lowercase forms of the secondary characters may be produced using orange- and gray-colored shift keys (e.g., the color-shift keys 340, 344) when a key from the first key set (e.g., the key 4) is pressed once and twice, respectively. As further illustrated in the rows 440 and 450, uppercase forms of the secondary characters may be produced when the color-shift keys 340, 344 are used in combination with the shift 333 key and the keys from the first key set. Other key combinations may also be possible. For example, as shown in
The MU 300 provides for an enhanced level of user-friendliness compared to MUs that utilize conventional input methods. In retaining the conventional input methods, the MU 300 allows the user to continue using a conventional method (e.g., shift key, multi-tapping) that the user is already familiar with. In addition, the methods described above provide for faster inputting. For example, as previously discussed, if the user wishes to input the character “b” using multi-tapping, an input key may have to be pressed three times. Using the first method however, the user would only have to press the color-shift key 344 and the key 4, for a total of two presses. Thus, input efficiency is increased.
Another advantage of the MU 300 is that it allows the user to choose from a number of possible input methods. For example, the user may find that the hybrid method, which uses shifted states and multi-tapping, is more intuitive than using a purely multi-tapping input method. In addition, it may be possible for the user to selectively disable and re-enable a particular input method. The present invention is therefore highly adaptable to the input preferences of multiple users.
The present invention has been described with reference to the above exemplary embodiments. One skilled in the art would understand that the present invention may also be successfully implemented if modified. Accordingly, various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the broadest spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings, accordingly, should be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
