# US 6,975,304 B1 · Interface for processing of an alternate symbol in a computer device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,975,304 B1 - Document ID: US6975304B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/977,870 - Filed: 2001-10-14 - Granted: 2005-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2001-06-11 - Assignees: Handspring, Inc. - Inventors: Jeffrey C. Hawkins; William B. Rees; Debbie O. Chyi; Robert Y. Haitani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6975304B1 ## CPC - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06F 3/0236: {using selection techniques to select from displayed items} - G06F 3/0489: using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Described herein is a computer-implemented system and method for processing one or more alternate symbols associated or linked to a base symbol. A base symbol is a symbol to which at least one alternate symbol is linked. A base symbol commonly appears on a key of a keyboard or a display or a keyboard, or is a handwritten symbol recognized by handwriting entry software. Examples of alternate symbols are accented characters and punctuation marks that do not appear on a keyboard or are not commonly recognized by a handwriting entry program, and short symbol sequences. An example of a common short symbol sequence is an emoticon used in e-mail messages to convey tone or feelings. An example of a computer device that may embody the system or method is a hand-held computing device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 For use in a hand-held computing device, a computer-implemented method for providing an alternate symbol associated with a base symbol comprising: receiving input requesting a first list of alternate symbols associated with a first base symbol; and displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols of the first list in an order according to a user-defined criteria. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols of the first list in an order according to a criteria of the alternate symbol that was last selected for the base symbol is displayed first. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols in the first list in an order from first to last according to a criteria of descending order of a frequency of selection for each alternate symbol; responsive to receiving input indicating one of the alternate symbols has been selected, increasing a frequency of selection indicator for the alternate symbol that has been selected; and storing the frequency of selection indicator in a memory. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols in the first list in an order from first to last according to a criteria of descending order of a frequency of selection for each alternate symbol, the frequency of selection being based on pre-determined statistics. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes a short symbol sequence. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes an accented symbol version of the base symbol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes a symbol of the same type as the base symbol. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes a symbol having an associational relationship with the base symbol wherein the associational relationship is that the symbol includes the base symbol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving input requesting a second list of alternate symbols associated with a second base symbol; and displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the second list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes an emoticon. ### Claim 12 A hand-held computing device for providing an alternate symbol associated with a base symbol comprising: a display; a memory; a processor coupled to the display and memory; a user input device for indicating a symbol; and software stored in the memory for providing an alternate symbol associated with a base symbol wherein the software comprises instructions for execution by the processor for performing the following: receiving input requesting a first list of alternate symbols associated with a first base symbol; and displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols of the first list in an order according to a user-defined criteria. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols of the first list in an order according to a criteria of the alternate symbol that was last selected for the base symbol is displayed first. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols in the first list in an order from first to last according to a criteria of descending order of a frequency of selection for each alternate symbol; responsive to receiving input indicating one of the alternate symbols has been selected, increasing a frequency of selection indicator for the alternate symbol that has been selected; and storing the frequency of selection indicator in a memory. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols in the first list in an order from first to last according to a criteria of descending order of a frequency of selection for each alternate symbol, the frequency of selection being based on pre-determined statistics. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes a short symbol sequence as one of the one or more alternate symbols. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes an accented symbol version of the base symbol as one of the one or more alternate symbols. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes a symbol of the same type as the base symbol. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes a symbol having an associational relationship with the base symbol wherein the associational relationship is that the symbol includes the base symbol. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the software further comprises instructions for execution by the processor for performing the following: receiving input requesting a second list of alternate symbols associated with a second base symbol; and displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the second list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the first list of alternate symbols includes an emoticon. ### Claim 23 A computer usable medium comprising instructions for execution by a processor for performing a computer-implemented method for providing an alternate symbol associated with a base symbol for use in a hand-held computing device, the method comprising: receiving input requesting a first list of alternate symbols associated with a first base symbol; and displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The medium of claim 23 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols of the first list in an order according to a user-defined criteria. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The medium of claim 23 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols of the first list in an order according to a criteria of the alternate symbol that was last selected for the base symbol is displayed first. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The medium of claim 23 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols in the first list in an order from first to last according to a criteria of descending order of a frequency of selection for each alternate symbol; responsive to receiving input indicating one of the alternate symbol has been selected, increasing a frequency of selection indicator for the alternate symbol that has been selected; and storing the frequency of selection indicator in a memory. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The medium of claim 23 wherein displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: displaying the plurality of alternate symbols in the first list in an order from first to last according to a criteria of descending order of a frequency of selection for each alternate symbol, the frequency of selection being based on pre-determined statistics. ### Claim 28 A hand-held computing device for providing an alternate symbol associated with a base symbol comprising: means for receiving input requesting a first list of alternate symbols associated with a first base symbol; and means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The device of claim 28 wherein the means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: means for displaying the plurality of alternate symbols of the first list in an order according to a user-defined criteria. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The device of claim 28 wherein the means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: means for displaying the plurality of alternate symbols of the first list in an order according to a criteria of the alternate symbol that was last selected for the base symbol is displayed first. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The device of claim 28 wherein the means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: means for displaying the plurality of alternate symbols in the first list in an order from first to last according to a criteria of descending order of a frequency of selection for each alternate symbol; means for increasing a frequency of selection indicator for the alternate symbol that has been selected responsive to receiving input indicating one of the alternate symbols has been selected; and means for storing the frequency of selection indicator in a memory. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The device of claim 28 wherein the means for-displaying simultaneously a plurality of alternate symbols from the first list in a pop-up menu at an insertion location for at least one of the alternate symbols on a display of the hand-held device comprises: means for displaying the plurality of alternate symbols in the first list in an order from first to last according to a criteria of descending order of a frequency of selection for each alternate symbol, the frequency of selection being based on pre-determined statistics.