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US 7,461,105 B2Granted
Data entry method and apparatus
AssigneesSony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
InventorElke Wiggeshoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
On a portable electronic device, multiple-position toggle button data entry keys are provided within the data entry keypad. A controller detects activation of each multiple-position toggle button data entry key on the keypad by a user, and also detects the number of times the data entry key is activated. The controller then accesses a key map in memory to determine the letter or numeric digit selected by the user. All letters and numbers represented on the communication device may be activated with no more than two depressions or activations of a corresponding toggle button.
Claims6
A data entry method comprising:
- receiving a signal representing activation of a particular one of at least two activation positions of a keypad key;
- using the received signal to identify a unique character in a set of characters;
- detecting two or more consecutive activations of the particular activation position;
- and
- using the number of detected activations to identify the unique character;
- wherein the key, the activation position, the detected activations, and the unique character are mapped as follows:
- Keypad
- Activation
- Detected
- Key
- Position
- Activations
- Character
- ″2″
- left toggle
- 1
- A
- ″2″
- center toggle
- 1
- B
- ″2″
- right toggle
- 1
- C
- ″2″
- left toggle
- 2
- 2
- ″3″
- left toggle
- 1
- D
- ″3″
- center toggle
- 1
- E
- ″3″
- right toggle
- 1
- F
- ″3″
- left toggle
- 2
- 3
- ″4″
- left toggle
- 1
- G
- ″4″
- center toggle
- 1
- H
- ″4″
- right toggle
- 1
- I
- ″4″
- left toggle
- 2
- 4
- ″5″
- left toggle
- 1
- J
- ″5″
- center toggle
- 1
- K
- ″5″
- right toggle
- 1
- L
- ″5″
- left toggle
- 2
- 5
- ″6″
- left toggle
- 1
- M
- ″6″
- center toggle
- 1
- N
- ″6″
- right toggle
- 1
- O
- ″6″
- left toggle
- 2
- 6
- ″7″
- left toggle
- 1
- P
- ″7″
- center toggle
- 1
- Q
- ″7″
- right toggle
- 1
- R
- ″7″
- right toggle
- 2
- S
- ″7″
- left toggle
- 2
- 7
- ″8″
- left toggle
- 1
- T
- ″8″
- center toggle
- 1
- U
- ″8″
- right toggle
- 1
- V
- ″8″
- left toggle
- 2
- 8
- ″9″
- left toggle
- 1
- W
- ″9″
- center toggle
- 1
- X
- ″9″
- right toggle
- 1
- Y
- ″9″
- right toggle
- 2
- Z
- ″9″
- left toggle
- 2
- 9.
146 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.