KR101391080B1 - Apparatus and method for inputting character - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a character input device and method. According to the present invention, in a terminal having a touch screen, a character group including two or more characters is allocated and displayed in a character area generated by dividing an area on a touch screen into two or more areas, When a press event occurs in any one of the areas, the characters belonging to the character area in which the press event occurs are enlarged and displayed. According to the present invention, it is determined whether any one of a release event and a dragging event occurs in one of the character areas in which the characters are displayed in an enlarged manner, and when a drag event occurs, the distance and direction of the drag event And when a release event occurs in the designated character area, the character belonging to the designated character area is output to the touch screen. Therefore, the present invention provides a convenience of enabling a key input to be performed more quickly and conveniently by allowing a user to easily find and input a desired character with ease.

Character input, keypad

Description

[0001] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INPUTTING CHARACTER [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a terminal having a touch screen, and more particularly, to a character input apparatus and method.

Conventionally, instead of having a keypad, a conventional terminal outputs a QWERTY keypad or a keypad as it is to the touch screen so that the user can easily input characters to be input. Examples of such terminals include an electronic organizer, a mobile communication terminal, and a PDA.

Meanwhile, in recent years, due to the miniaturization trend of handsets, the size of the touch screen is also becoming smaller. In such a case, the entire keyboard can not be outputted to the touch screen. Moreover, even though each keyboard is displayed on the touch screen at a small size, it is difficult for the user to input the desired character due to a too small keyboard. In other words, the user may occasionally erroneously input a side keyboard instead of a desired keyboard due to small-sized keyboards. Therefore, the user has the inconvenience of re-entering the keyboard.

These problems arise because it is difficult to receive accurate input from the user by displaying the entire keyboard on a small sized touch screen. Therefore, a new input method user interface is required to satisfy the above-mentioned requirements.

The conventional terminal has a problem that it is difficult to output the keypad keyboard to a touch screen having a limited size. In addition, when the keyboards are printed with a small size on the touch screen, the user can not correctly input characters.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a character input device and a method for inputting a character in a quick operation while minimizing a touch input error in a terminal having a touch screen.

The present invention also provides a character input device and method for enabling a user to input characters more effectively and quickly by effectively displaying characters for a keyboard function on a touch screen.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of inputting characters in a terminal having a touch screen, the method comprising: generating a character group including two or more characters by dividing an area on the touch screen into two or more areas; A step of enlarging and displaying each character belonging to a character area in which the press event occurs when a press event occurs in any one of the character areas; Determining whether any one of a release event and a dragging event occurs in one of the character areas of the characters in the enlarged display area; and if the drag event occurs, Indicating one of the character regions according to the distance and direction of the instructed door If the area event has occurred is released characterized in that it comprises the step of the output to the touch screen, the characters belonging to the character region of the instruction.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of inputting characters in a terminal having a touch screen, the method comprising the steps of: dividing a group of characters including two or more characters into two or more areas on the touch screen; And displaying each of the characters belonging to the first character area in which the press event occurs when each of the first character areas has a press event in the second character areas, Determining whether a release event occurs in the first character area when a press event occurs in any one of the second character areas in a state where a press event is generated in the first character area; And a second character area, when a release event occurs in the first character area, Determining whether a release event occurs in the character area, and outputting the character displayed in the second character area to the touch screen when a release event occurs in the second character area.

In addition, the present invention provides a display device including a memory for storing character groups including at least two characters displayed in each character area generated by dividing an area on the touch screen into two or more areas, A touch screen for displaying each character area on a touch screen and generating a press event, a release event, and a drag event according to a user's input in each of the character areas; And when the press event occurs in any one of the character areas, enlarges and displays each of the characters belonging to the character area where the press event occurred, so that the characters are displayed in any one of the character areas Determines whether any one of the release event and the dragging event occurs, If a drag event occurs, designates any one character area according to the distance and direction of the drag event, and if a release event occurs in the designated character area, the character belonging to the designated character area is output to the touch screen And a control unit for controlling the display unit.

Finally, the present invention provides a character input device in a terminal having a touch screen, wherein at least two characters displayed on the first and second character areas generated by dividing the area on the touch screen into two or more A touch screen for generating a press event and a release event according to a user's input to the first and second character areas; Each of the first character areas is assigned to each of the first character areas, and when a press event occurs in any of the first character areas, characters belonging to the first character area in which the press event occurs are enlarged And in a state in which a press event is generated in the first character area, Determines whether or not a release event occurs in the second character area where the press event occurs when the release event occurs in the first character area as a result of the determination And outputs a character displayed in the second character area to the touch screen when a release event occurs in the second character area.

The present invention has the advantage that the key input through the touch screen can be performed more quickly and conveniently. Accordingly, the user has the convenience of easily finding and inputting the desired character with ease. Further, the present invention has an advantage that it can be utilized in input devices of various portable terminals such as a mobile communication terminal and a PDA.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

The present invention provides a character input device and method. According to the present invention, in a terminal having a touch screen, a character group including two or more characters is allocated and displayed in a character area generated by dividing an area on a touch screen into two or more areas, When a press event occurs in any one of the areas, the characters belonging to the character area in which the press event occurs are enlarged and displayed. According to the present invention, it is determined whether any one of a release event and a dragging event occurs in one of the character areas in which the characters are displayed in an enlarged manner, and when a drag event occurs, the distance and direction of the drag event And when a release event occurs in the designated character area, the character belonging to the designated character area is output to the touch screen. Therefore, the present invention provides a convenience of enabling a key input to be performed more quickly and conveniently by allowing a user to easily find and input a desired character with ease.

Hereinafter, a block diagram of an apparatus for inputting characters according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, a device for inputting characters includes a wireless unit 100, a memory 110, a touch screen 120, and a control unit 130. First, the wireless unit 100 performs a wireless communication function of the terminal. The memory 110 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for storing a plurality of programs and data. In particular, according to the embodiment of the present invention, Consonants and vowels of the Korean alphabet displayed in a character area (hereinafter referred to as "key area") generated by dividing an area on the character area (hereinafter referred to as a "character area") into two or more areas, upper and lower case letters, ).

The touch screen 120 is a screen that allows the user to identify a character or a specific position of the touch screen 120 when a human hand or an object touches the screen, and to perform specific processing by the stored software. The touch screen 120 receives touch input from a user and displays display data under the control of the control unit 130 or displays an operation state of the mobile communication terminal and a plurality of information with icons and characters. In particular, the touch screen 120 to which the present invention is applied displays a key area for receiving a character under the control of the control unit 130 and displays a press event, a release event, and a drag Drag) event.

The control unit 130 allocates and displays character groups including two or more characters stored in the memory 110 in the key areas output on the touch screen 120, respectively. The control unit 130 outputs the character corresponding to the selected key region to the touch screen 120 according to the press event, the release event, and the drag event generated on the touch screen 120. Here, a press event occurs when any one of the key areas is pressed, and a release event occurs when the key area is released. And a drag event occurs when there is a user's drag input on the key areas displayed on the touch screen 120. [

In the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 130 receives character input from the user through three methods. That is, the control unit 130 may receive a character in consideration of a user who inputs a character with one finger and a user who inputs a character using two fingers, and may receive a character in a method through two touch inputs .

Among these three methods, a method of receiving a character from a user who inputs a character using one finger will be described first with reference to FIG.

2 is a control flowchart for inputting a character from a user who inputs a character with one finger according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, in operation 200, the controller 130 allocates and displays a character group for each key region output from the touch screen. The number of key areas may be two or more, and the number of key areas may be adjusted to the most effective number for receiving characters from the user corresponding to the screen size of the touch screen 120. A character group is subdivided into a total number of key regions. Specifically, the number of character groups is the same as the number of key areas, and the number of characters constituting one character group becomes smaller as the number of key areas becomes larger. In the embodiment of the present invention, the case where the key area is divided into 8 and one character group is composed of 4 characters will be described with reference to FIG.

3 is a diagram illustrating a key area displayed on a touch screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, character groups composed of English alphabets are sequentially allocated and displayed for each key region on the touch screen 120. At the top of the key area 300, a display area 310 in which selected characters are displayed is output.

Referring to FIG. 3, when the key region 300 is viewed as a center, one of the characters displayed in one key region is set as a reference character, and is displayed in a different color from other characters displayed in the key region. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the reference character may be displayed in a form different from the characters other than the reference character, such as the font and thickness of the character, in addition to the method of displaying the reference character as described above.

The reference character serves as a reference point when characters of the character group are displayed in an enlarged manner. That is, characters other than the reference character centered on the key area to which the reference character is allocated are enlarged and displayed in an array form of the character group displayed in the key area where the preset event occurs. Here, the key area to which the reference character is assigned corresponds to the key area of the character group in which the press event occurred.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the key area is largely divided into a full input mode and an individual input mode. First, in the full input mode, character groups are allocated and displayed for each key area as shown in FIG. The control unit 130 switches to the individual character input mode when a press event occurs in any of the displayed key areas in the entire input mode. Accordingly, the controller 130 determines in step 202 whether a press event occurs in one of the two or more key areas.

The control unit 130 enlarges and displays the characters in the key region in which the press event occurred in each key region in order to switch to the individual character input mode when a press event occurs in any one of the key regions. At this time, the key areas in which the characters are enlarged and displayed may be the same key areas as the key areas in the entire input mode. Therefore, in this case, when the entire input mode is switched to the individual input mode, the character groups which were displayed in the entire input mode disappear. On the other hand, the characters may be enlarged to two or more key regions in the form of a pop up, which can be modified according to the embodiment of the present invention.

When the characters are enlarged as described above, the controller 130 proceeds to step 206 and displays the indicator in the key area to which the reference character is assigned. Here, the indicator may be an indicator for displaying the selected key region with a visual effect so that the user can recognize the corresponding key region. Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 130 changes the color of the border of the corresponding key region or shows that the corresponding key region is selected using an indicator for displaying the key region as a shade. The details of this will be described with reference to FIG. 4, which shows a process of inputting a character using a single finger by the user according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a process of inputting the English alphabet 'F'. First, the user selects and presses 'EFGH' which is a key region including 'F' in the entire input mode in which the key region of the character group is displayed as shown in FIG. 4 (a). Then, a press event is generated in the pressed key area, and an indicator for changing the color of the border of the key area is displayed. The indicator may be changed in accordance with a drag event generated in the drag input of the user in the first embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, the user can recognize the selected key region through the marker at a glance.

As shown in FIG. 4A, when a press event occurs in the key area, the controller 130 switches to the individual character input mode. In the individual character input mode, the controller 130 enlarges and displays the characters of the key area in which the press event occurred, as shown in FIG. 4 (b). Here, the characters to be enlarged are displayed in the arrangement shown in the key area in the entire input mode centered on the reference character 'E'. The reference character 'E' is a character assigned to a key area where a press event occurs, and is a character that can be output with one touch. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the controller 130 displays enlarged characters in a close arrangement that minimizes the distance of the drag input, considering that the user uses one finger. This allows the user to easily select characters with less effort.

In step 208, the control unit 130 determines whether a cancel event or a drag event has occurred. If a release event has occurred, the control unit 130 outputs a reference character in step 210. Referring to FIG. 4, when the user touches a key region of a character group displayed as shown in FIG. 4A once, the control unit 130 outputs 'E' as a reference character. This is because the reference character is assigned to the key region where the release event occurred. Therefore, the user can input the reference character with one touch in the entire input mode.

If a drag event occurs, the controller 130 proceeds to step 212 and displays an indicator according to the dragged position. As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the controller 130 can receive a drag input when the key region is pushed from the user. The control unit 130 changes the position of the indicator so as to correspond to the key region to be pressed in accordance with the drag event. In the first embodiment of the present invention, as the user generates a drag event from the 'E' to the 'F' key region, the position of the indicator is also changed accordingly.

If the cancel event has occurred, the controller 130 proceeds to step 216 and outputs a character corresponding to the key area indicated by the marker. In the first embodiment of the present invention, when the release event occurs in the key area indicated by 'F' selected as the drag input of the user, the control unit 130 outputs 'F' to the display area as shown in FIG. 4 (c) . In addition, the control unit 130 provides a convenience to enable the user to further input characters by switching to the full input mode.

As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, since the user inputs a character by generating a press event and a cancellation event with one finger, when the cancellation event occurs, the character corresponding to the key area in which the cancellation event occurred is output. In addition, the enlarged characters are displayed as close to each other as possible, so that a user can select a desired character with a minimum drag input. Therefore, a user who uses such a method has the convenience of conveniently and quickly inputting characters with less effort.

Meanwhile, the user may input characters using two fingers according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 5, which is a control flowchart for receiving characters from a user who inputs characters with two fingers according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, in step 500, the controller 130 allocates and displays a character group for each key area. Then, the control unit 130 enters the full input mode. Here, the manner in which the key region is displayed on the touch screen 120 is the same as in the case of FIG. 4 described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In step 502, the controller 130 determines which of the key areas the press event has occurred. The control unit 130 enlarges and displays the characters in the key area in which the press event occurred in each key area in step 504 for switching to the individual character input mode when the key area has generated the press event. Specific details thereof will be described with reference to FIG.

6 is a diagram illustrating a process in which a user inputs characters using two fingers according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the entire input mode shown in FIG. 6 (a), the user presses' QRST 'which is a key region including R' in order to input 'R'. Then, a press event is generated in the key region of 'QTRS', and at the same time, the characters are displayed on the touch screen 120 in an enlarged manner in the key region as shown in FIG. 6 (b). The manner in which characters are displayed in the key area is different from the case of the first embodiment of the present invention described above. That is, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the controller 130 regards that the user inputs a character using the fingers of two different hands, and arranges the characters in consideration of the positions of both hands of the user. In the second embodiment of the present invention, characters are not selected by a drag input, so that characters do not need to be arranged close to each other as when using one finger.

In step 506, the controller 130 displays the characters in the key area to which the reference character is allocated. Here, the reference character has the same meaning as in the first embodiment of the present invention described above. That is, the reference character can be output to the display area with a single touch as in the first embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, the controller 130 determines whether a release event has occurred or a press event has occurred in step 508, and if a release event has occurred, the control unit 130 outputs a reference character in step 510.

On the other hand, when a press event occurs, that is, when there is a press event that is additionally generated in a state where a press event occurs in one key region, the control unit 130 proceeds to step 512, Has occurred. Referring to FIG. 6 (c), the user presses the key area in which the desired character 'R' is displayed with another finger while pressing the key area assigned with the reference character with one finger. At this time, the indicator is displayed as it is in the key area to which the reference character is assigned.

If a release event occurs in the key area to which the reference character is allocated, the controller 130 proceeds to step 514 and displays the indicator in the key area where the press event is generated. That is, as shown in FIG. 6 (d), when the user removes the finger from the key area indicated by the reference character 'S', the marker moves to the key area indicated by 'R' pressed by another finger.

In step 516, the controller 130 determines whether a cancel event has occurred in the key area indicated by the marker. If the cancel event occurs, the controller 130 proceeds to step 518 and outputs the character corresponding to the key area indicated by the marker. Referring to FIG. 6 (d), when a release event occurs in the key region indicated by 'R', 'R' is displayed in the display region as shown in FIG. 6 (e). In other words, the user generates a release event in a key area in which a reference character is displayed, and generates a release event in a key area in which a desired character is displayed with another finger, thereby outputting the desired character. Then, the control unit 130 switches to the full input mode again so that the user can receive additional characters from the user.

Such a method of inputting characters using two fingers provides an advantage that the inputting of characters can be performed more quickly. Also, the characters displayed in the key area are displayed differently according to the entire input mode and the individual input mode, thereby providing the user with the convenience of selecting the desired character more accurately.

On the other hand, unlike the above-described two embodiments, the user can input characters by only two touch inputs. In the embodiment of the present invention, the touch input refers to a case where a release event occurs immediately after a press event occurs. Hereinafter, a control flow for inputting characters through a touch input of a user according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 7, in step 700, the controller 130 allocates and displays a character group for each key area. In this overall input mode, the controller 130 determines which one of the key areas displayed in step 702 has been touched. If the result of the determination is affirmative, the controller 130 proceeds to step 704 to enlarge and display the characters in the touched key area in the respective key areas. Otherwise, the controller 130 returns to the previous step.

Unlike the above-described two embodiments, in the third embodiment of the present invention, as soon as a release event occurs immediately after a press event occurs, that is, the mode is switched from the full character input mode to the individual character input mode according to the touch input. In step 706, the controller 130 determines which one of the key areas corresponding to the enlarged character is touched. If there is a touched key area, the controller 130 proceeds to step 708 and outputs a character corresponding to the touched key area. If not, the control unit 130 returns to the previous step. This process will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a process in which a user inputs a character using a touch input according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the user touches a key area including a desired character 'R' among the key areas outputted as shown in FIG. 8 (a) in the full input mode. Then, the characters 'QTRS' displayed in the touched key area are enlarged and displayed as shown in FIG. 8 (b). At this time, the enlarged characters are displayed in an array as shown in the key area of the entire input mode. In the individual input mode, the controller 130 determines which of the key areas corresponding to the enlarged characters is touched. When there is a touch of the key area, the controller 130 outputs the character corresponding to the touched key area to the display area and then switches to the full input mode. In this process, the controller 130 displays an indicator in the touched key area whenever the key area is touched, thereby allowing the user to identify the selected key area.

As described above, the third embodiment of the present invention provides the user with convenience of inputting characters through two touch inputs. Accordingly, the user has an advantage that the key input can be performed more intuitively.

As described above, the present invention provides three methods for inputting characters. Therefore, the user can select any one of the three methods and input characters. Such a character input method provides an advantage of significantly increasing the input speed in comparison with the conventional character input method and reducing errors in the key input. In addition, the present invention may display an icon representing a menu item instead of a character in a key area, so that the user may select a menu icon through any one of the above three methods from the user. In this case, the controller 130 performs an application according to the selected menu icon. As described above, the present invention is advantageous not only when inputting non-silent characters but also in various fields requiring key input such as menu selection and mode switching.

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the user can select the type of characters displayed in the key area. Hereinafter, a process of selecting a character type according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

A key area (hereinafter, referred to as 'control key') in which a marker is displayed in FIG. 9 (a) is a kind of option key, and when a user selects the key area, 9 (b). Here, the user can select a key area using any one of the three character input methods described above.

9 (b), a key area in which upper and lower case letters are displayed is displayed in the upper key area and a key area in which a special character extension type, a special character, and a numeral are displayed in the key area at the lower end . The enter key and the space key shown in FIG. 9 (b) are used for confirmation and spacing. According to the embodiment of the present invention, The same result as touching the space key can be obtained.

The user can select any one of the key areas and change the type of characters displayed in the key area. Here, the key area displayed according to the type of characters is as shown in FIG.

10 is a diagram showing key areas according to the type of characters according to the embodiment of the present invention. When the 'Hangul' key area is selected from the key areas shown in FIG. 9 (b), the consonant and vowel of Hangul are displayed in the key area as shown in FIG. 10 (a). When the 'Num' key area is selected, the numbers are displayed in the key area as shown in FIG. 10 (b). When the '@' key area is selected, special characters are displayed in the key area as shown in FIG. 10 (c).

The characters displayed in the key area in the full input mode are arranged in different ways according to their types as shown in Figs. For example, in the case of the English alphabet, it consists of 4 characters per key area, but in case of Hangul, its composition is different. That is, since the number of consonants and vowels in Hangul is greater than the number of English alphabets, the number of characters displayed per key area in Hangul is greater.

On the other hand, in the individual character input mode, the arrangement of the characters displayed in the key area is different depending on whether the user uses one finger or two fingers. Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 11 which is a drawing showing a character arrangement for receiving a character from a user who inputs a character with one finger according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG.

As shown in Fig. 11 (a), consonants and vowels are assigned to the left and right of the key area in the Hangul key area, respectively. Since the number of consonants and vowels in Hangul is greater than the number of English alphabets, the number of characters displayed in one key area can be increased. In the key area displayed as described above, the user can input a character using one finger. Therefore, the user can select a desired character by dragging the key area using one finger. For this, the controller 130 arranges the characters so as to have a minimum distance as shown in FIG. 11 (b), thereby making it easier for the user to select characters through dragging.

Meanwhile, the user can input characters using two fingers according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Details of this will be described with reference to FIG.

 12 is a diagram showing a character arrangement for receiving characters from a user who inputs characters with two fingers according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 12 (a), the key region initially displayed is displayed in a manner as shown in Fig. 11 (a). In the key area thus displayed, the user first generates a press event in one of the key areas using one finger. Then, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), the characters are enlarged and displayed. Here, the reference character '?' Is displayed as it is at the position of the key area in which the press event is generated, and other characters are displayed on the opposite side of the position where the press event occurs. Here, the user can further generate a press event in the key area using another finger to input a character other than the reference character. Then, the control unit 130 regards that the user further generates a press event using the finger of the opposite hand. Accordingly, the reference character and other characters are displayed on the touch screen 120 in a position opposite to each other. Such an arrangement provides a convenience for users to input characters more conveniently.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the touch screen 120 displays a key region arranged in a 2x4 block form. The configuration of the key area may be changed according to the size of the touch screen 120, and thus the manner in which the characters are arranged in the key area may be changed. 13, which is a diagram showing a character arrangement when the screen size of the touch screen according to the second embodiment of the present invention is large.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the screen of the touch screen 120 is large, the number of displayed key regions may be increased. In FIG. 13 (a), the key area is displayed in the form of 2x5 corresponding to the size of the touch screen 120. FIG. When a press event occurs in one of the consonant key regions displayed on the left side, the consonants are enlarged and displayed as the vowel key regions displayed on the right disappear as shown in FIG. 13 (b). That is, the key areas having the consonant groups are displayed on the left side, and the consonants corresponding to the key area where the press event is generated are displayed on the right side. At this time, the key area corresponding to the reference character is not displayed. This is because the key region where the press event occurs is regarded as the key region to which the reference character is assigned. Therefore, the reference character can be simply output with a single touch.

Thus, the number of key regions can be adjusted according to the screen size of the touch screen 120. Referring to FIG. 14 illustrating a key area according to screen size of a touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention, a vertical touch screen 120 having a screen of 2.2 inch (inches) 4 characters are assigned to the key area so that the input from the user can be correctly received. In the case of the touch screen 120 having a screen of 1.8 inches, six characters are allocated to six key areas as shown in FIG. 14 (b), so that the user can accurately input a key regardless of the screen size . As described above, according to the present invention, the number of key regions can be flexibly changed according to the size of the touch screen 120, thereby being advantageously used more widely. Therefore, the three character input method according to the embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to the key area composed of 3x4 on the touch screen 120. FIG. Details of this will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 15 is a view illustrating an example of a process of inputting characters located in a middle row in a 3 × 4 key area according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 15, a user selects a key region in which a desired character is displayed in a key region in which a character group is displayed. The method of selecting a character may be any one of the above three methods.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, when 'J' located in the middle row is input as shown in FIG. 15A, the user first selects 'JKL' which is a key region including 'J'. Then, the screen is switched so that the character groups of the row where the 'JKL' is located disappear, and 'J', 'K', and 'L' are assigned to the key area, respectively, and are enlarged as shown in FIG. At this time, the indicator is displayed on the reference character by default and moves to the position corresponding to the key region selected by the user. Therefore, when the release event occurs, the character corresponding to the indicator is output as shown in FIG. 15 (c).

16, which is an example of a process for inputting characters located in the last row in a 3 × 4 key area according to an embodiment of the present invention, 16, characters can be selected using the method shown in FIG. 15 described above.

The user selects a key region of 'PRS' including 'S' in 16 (a). Then, the character group key area of the row including 'PRS' disappears and 'P', 'R', and 'S' are assigned to the key area as shown in FIG. At this time, if the user selects a key area indicated by 'S', 'S' is displayed in the display area as shown in FIG. 16 (c).

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment of the present invention, when characters are displayed in QWERTY format in key areas, another character input method can be used. Specific details will be described below with reference to FIG. 17, which is a diagram illustrating key areas in a QWERTY format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 17, characters are displayed in each key region in accordance with a QWERTY format, which is a keyboard arrangement method of a computer keyboard. The user may then generate a press event in the key area 180 where the desired character is displayed, as in FIG. 18 (a), according to an embodiment of the present invention. At this time, if the user desires to input 'D', the user generates a drag event in the direction in which 'D' is indicated from 'S', which is the middle displayed character of the corresponding key 180. Then, a character 'D' corresponding to the checked direction is displayed in the pop-up window 182 as shown in FIG. 18 (c). Accordingly, the user can identify the character to be instructed according to the drag event through the pop-up window, and then generate a release event to conveniently input the character. The method of inputting a character by generating a drag event in the direction in which the character is displayed has the advantage that it is possible to simplify the inputting of characters and to save time for inputting characters.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, one or more key areas 170, 172, and 174 of the QWERTY type key areas shown in FIG. 17 are assigned functions for entering different specific character modes. Herein, the specific character mode which is different from each other is one of a numeric input mode, an alphabet letter input mode, a Hangul input mode, a special character input mode, and a mode (hereinafter referred to as 'edit mode' May be included. Hereinafter, a control flow for entering a specific character mode according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 19, in step 191, the controller 130 assigns a function for a specific character mode to a key area. In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 17, a function for entering a numeric input mode is assigned to a key area 170 in which a character 'P' is displayed, and a key area 172 in which a character 'M' A function for entering the character input mode is assigned. The key area 174 to which the spacing function is assigned is assigned a function for entering the edit mode.

In step 192, the controller 130 determines whether there is a request to enter a specific character mode. In the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 130 measures the duration of a press event in a key area to which a function for entering a specific character mode is assigned in order to determine an entry request. The controller 130 compares the duration of the press event with a preset threshold time to determine whether there is an entry request. If it is determined that there is an entry request, the controller 130 proceeds to step 193 and enters the specific character mode. In step 194, the controller 130 assigns items corresponding to the entered mode to each key area and displays the items. Otherwise, if the control unit 130 determines that there is no entry request, the control unit 130 proceeds to step 195 and outputs a character corresponding to the key area.

For example, when a press event occurs in the key region 170 to which the function for entering the character 'P' and the numeric input mode among the key regions shown in FIG. 17 is assigned, Measure the duration of the event. If the duration of the press event is shorter than the threshold time, the controller 130 determines that there is no request to enter the numeric input mode and outputs the character 'P'. If the duration of the press event is longer than the threshold time, the controller 130 determines that there is an entry request and enters the number input mode. Therefore, the controller 130 allocates and displays numbers in the respective key areas as shown in FIG. 20A.

In this manner, the control unit 130 measures the duration of the press event in the key area 172 to which the function for entering the letter 'M' and the special character input mode is assigned to output the letter 'M' And enters the special character input mode as shown in FIG.

The controller 130 performs a spacing function when the duration of the press event is shorter than the threshold time in the key area 174 to which the spacing function and the function for entering the edit mode are allocated. If the duration of the press event is longer than the threshold time, the controller 130 determines that there is an entry request for the edit mode, and displays a plurality of edit items in the key areas as shown in FIG. 20C. Then, the user can select one of the displayed editing items through the drag event and the release event.

As described above, the controller 130 measures the duration of the press event to determine the entry into the specific character mode. However, the criterion for determining the entry request according to the embodiment of the present invention may be variously changed. Also, in the embodiment of the present invention, the characters or edit items corresponding to each specific character mode are displayed in the key areas in which characters are displayed instead of the corresponding characters, but they can be displayed in various ways such as being displayed on a pop-up window .

In the above-described embodiment, the user selects a key area to which the specific character mode is assigned to enter a specific character mode. Alternatively, the user may select a mode selection key 176 area according to an embodiment of the present invention to enter a more specific character mode. To be more specific, the user generates a press event in the mode selection key region 176 shown in FIG. 17 to enter a specific character mode. Accordingly, items for entering a specific character mode (hereinafter referred to as 'mode items') are displayed in place of characters in key areas in which characters are displayed as shown in FIG. 21A. The user then generates a drag event to indicate the desired mode item 213 and generates a release event in the key area of the indicated mode item 213 to use the characters provided in the specific character mode .

In the embodiment of the present invention, the mode item may be a numeric input mode, an alphabet letter input mode, a Hangul input mode, or a special character input mode. Also, the mode item may be an upper-case letter input mode, a lower-case letter entry mode, or an upper-case letter input mode, and may include a T9 input mode, which is a method of outputting a word predicted according to an input character. Accordingly, the user is provided with various types of characters or editing items, and has the convenience of being able to input characters more easily.

Meanwhile, the mode items may be displayed in a toggle manner in each key region according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the controller 130 divides the mode items into groups, and selectively displays the mode items included in the group. Each group of mode items includes a group including a Hangul input mode, a numeral input mode, a special character input mode, an upper-case input mode (Q-AB) as shown in Fig. 22 (T-AB) according to the T9 scheme as shown in FIG. 23 (c), and a group including a special character input mode and a group including a lowercase letter input mode (Q-ab) A lower case letter input mode (T9-ab), a case letter input mode (T9-Ab), a special character input mode, and the like. Each of the groups including the plurality of mode items may be displayed in a pop-up window or in key areas as shown in FIG. 21A for each group.

As described above, the present invention provides a convenience of allowing a key input through the touch screen to be performed more quickly and conveniently. Further, the present invention has an advantage that it can be utilized in input devices of various portable terminals such as a mobile communication terminal and a PDA.

1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for inputting characters according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a control flowchart for receiving a character from a user who inputs a character with one finger according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

3 is a diagram illustrating a key area displayed on a touch screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a diagram illustrating a process of a user inputting a character using one finger according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a control flowchart for inputting characters from a user who inputs characters using two fingers according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 6 illustrates a process of a user inputting a character using two fingers according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 7 is a control flowchart for inputting a character through touch input by a user according to the third embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

8 is a diagram illustrating a process in which a user inputs a character using a touch input according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a process of selecting a character type according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a key area according to a character type according to an embodiment of the present invention;

11 is a view showing a character arrangement for receiving a character from a user who inputs a character with one finger according to the first embodiment of the present invention,

12 is a view showing a character arrangement for receiving characters from a user who inputs characters with two fingers according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

13 is a view showing a character array when a screen size of a touch screen according to the second embodiment of the present invention is large;

FIG. 14 is a view showing a key area according to screen sizes of a touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a view illustrating an example of a process of inputting characters located in a middle row in a 3 × 4 key area according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

16 is a view illustrating an example of a process for inputting characters located in the last row in a 3x4 key region according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating key areas in a QWERTY format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

18 is a flowchart illustrating a process of inputting characters on key areas of a QWERTY format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a control flow chart for entering a specific character mode according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

20A, 20B and 20C are views showing a screen in a specific character mode according to an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 21A is a diagram illustrating key areas in which items for entering a specific character mode are displayed according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 21B illustrates a process of selecting a mode selection item according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Figure 22 shows a group of mode items being toggled in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (32)

A method for inputting characters in a terminal having a touch screen, Displaying first character regions assigned with a character group including two or more characters on the touch screen, Displaying each of the characters assigned to the first character area in which the press event occurs when the press event occurs in any one of the first character areas in the second character areas; Determining whether a release event or a drag event occurs for any one of the second character areas in which the characters are respectively displayed; Displaying a visual effect on any one of the second character areas corresponding to a direction of the drag event when the drag event occurs; Outputting a character belonging to a second character region displayed with the visual effect to the touch screen when a release event for the second character region displayed with the visual effect is generated; And displaying a character belonging to a second character area in which the release event has occurred on the touch screen when the release event has occurred after the occurrence of the press event. delete The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying each of the second character regions And displaying the characters displayed in the first character area where the press event occurs in two or more of the second character areas in the form of a pop-up window. The method of claim 1, wherein the first character areas Wherein the character regions are block-shaped character regions. 5. The method of claim 4, 2x4, 4x2, 3x4, and 4x3. The method of claim 1, And icons (Icons) representing menu items. delete The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the character displayed on the touch screen when the release event occurs as a result of the determination after the press event occurs, Wherein the first character region is displayed in a color different from the characters other than the characters displayed on the touch screen when the cancel event is generated after the occurrence of the press event in the first character region to which the character group is allocated. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the visual effect in one of the second character areas comprises: And moving the visual effect to one of the second character areas in accordance with the drag event. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying each of the second character regions comprises: Determining whether a release event occurs in a state where the press event occurs; And displaying the characters belonging to the first character area in which the press event has occurred when the release event occurs in the second character areas when the press event is generated. 11. The method of claim 10, Determining whether a press event occurs in any of the second character areas; And displaying a character of a second character area where a release event is generated in a state where the press event occurs when a release event occurs in a state where a press event occurs in any one of the second character areas, on the touch screen The character input method comprising: delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete A character input device in a terminal having a touch screen, A memory for storing groups of characters containing at least two characters; A press event, a release event, and a drag operation in accordance with a user's input, and displays the first character areas assigned the character groups stored in the memory and the characters assigned to the first character area, A touch screen on which an event is generated, The first character regions are displayed on the touch screen, and when any one of the first character regions generates the press event, the characters assigned to the first character region in which the press event occurs are assigned to the second character regions And determining whether the unlock event or the drag event occurs for any one of the second character areas in which the characters are respectively displayed and if the drag event occurs, The visual effect is displayed on any one of the two character regions, and when the cancel event for the second character region displayed with the visual effect occurs, the character belonging to the second character region in which the visual effect is displayed is output to the touch screen , When the release event has occurred in the state where the press event has occurred Case, the character input device characterized in that it comprises a control unit for the press event is the output to the touch screen, the characters belonging to the character region 2 occurs. delete 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the control unit And the first character area is displayed in a block form of any one of 2x4, 4x2, 3x4, and 4x3. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the control unit Wherein when the release event occurs in a state where the press event occurs, characters assigned to the first character area in which the press event occurs are displayed in the second character areas, respectively, and any of the second character areas Wherein when a release event occurs in a state where a press event is generated in one of the first character area and the second character area, a character of a second character area in which a release event is generated in a state where the press event is generated is displayed on the touch screen. delete delete delete The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein when the release event occurs in a state where the press event occurs, Wherein the second character region is displayed in a color different from the characters other than characters displayed on the touch screen when the cancel event occurs in a state where the press event is generated in the first character region to which the character group is allocated. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein displaying the visual effect in any one of the second character areas comprises: And the visual effect is moved to any one of the second character areas in accordance with the drag event.

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