Virtual keyboard for inputting supplementary character and supplementary character inputting apparatus and method using the virtual keyboard

An apparatus capable of supplementary character input using a virtual keyboard, the supplementary character input apparatus comprising:

• a display configured to display a virtual keyboard on a screen;
• and
• a controller configured to control display of basic character keys which correspond to basic characters of a basic character set corresponding to a currently set input language, respectively, and on which virtual key stamps of the corresponding basic characters, and at least one character function key on the virtual keyboard,
• wherein in response to the character function key being input, the controller is configured to switch the basic character keys corresponding to the basic characters to which supplementary characters of at least one supplementary character set corresponding to an input language are mapped, respectively, into supplementary character keys of the at least one supplementary character set which is set to correspond to the input character function key, and control display of virtual key stamps of the corresponding supplementary characters on the supplementary character keys.

A method for supplementary character input using a virtual keyboard, the supplementary character input method comprising:

• displaying a virtual keyboard comprising basic character keys which correspond to basic characters of a basic character set corresponding to a currently set input language, respectively, and on which virtual key stamps of the corresponding basic characters are displayed, and comprising at least one character function key;
• switching the basic character keys corresponding to the basic characters to which supplementary characters of at least one supplementary character sets corresponding to the input language are mapped, respectively, into supplementary character keys of the at least one supplementary character set which is set to correspond to the character function key, in response to the character function key being input;
• and
• displaying virtual key stamps of the corresponding supplementary characters on the supplementary character keys.