U.S. patent application number 13/904390 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-03 for handheld electronic device including indication of a selected data source, and associated method.
The applicant listed for this patent is Research In Motion Limited. Invention is credited to Andrew Douglas BOCKING, Carlo CHIARELLO, Vadim FUX, Harry Richmond MAJOR.
Application Number | 20130262094 13/904390 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38712373 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130262094 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FUX; Vadim ; et al. |
October 3, 2013 |
HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING INDICATION OF A SELECTED DATA
SOURCE, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD
Abstract
A method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device
having stored therein a number of language objects includes
detecting a selection of a languages, making a determination that
the language is a default language or a non-default language,
detecting as an ambiguous input an actuation of one or more input
members, outputting at least a portion of a number of the language
objects that corresponds to the ambiguous input, and outputting an
indication representative of the language.
Inventors: |
FUX; Vadim; (Waterloo,
CA) ; CHIARELLO; Carlo; (Waterloo, CA) ;
BOCKING; Andrew Douglas; (Waterloo, CA) ; MAJOR;
Harry Richmond; (Waterloo, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Research In Motion Limited |
Waterloo |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
38712373 |
Appl. No.: |
13/904390 |
Filed: |
May 29, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11396278 |
Mar 31, 2006 |
8469712 |
|
|
13904390 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
704/9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09B 19/06 20130101;
G06F 40/30 20200101 |
Class at
Publication: |
704/9 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/27 20060101
G06F017/27 |
Claims
1-22. (canceled)
23. A method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device
having an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a processor,
the handheld electronic device having stored therein a number of
language objects in each of a plurality of data sources, the method
comprising: detecting a selection of a data source; determining, by
the processor, whether the data source is a non-default data
source; responsive to the determination that the data source is a
non-default data source, providing an indicator identifying the
data source; detecting an ambiguous input; and disambiguating the
ambiguous input using the data source.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the indicator is a visual
output.
25. The method of claim 23, wherein the indicator comprises at
least one linguistic element representing an abbreviation of the
data source.
26. The method of claim 23, wherein the indicator is an audible or
mechanical output.
27. The method of claim 23, wherein providing an indicator
identifying the data source further comprises: generating a window
with the indicator on a display of the output apparatus.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the indicator is displayed
substantially adjacent to an end of the window.
29. The method of claim 23, further comprising: generating a window
on a display of the output apparatus; and outputting at least a
portion of a language object in the window in response to the
ambiguous input, wherein providing an indicator identifying the
data source further comprises outputting the indicator in the
window.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the indicator is outputted in a
close proximity of the language object.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein the indicator is visually
distinguishable from the language object.
32. The method of claim 29, wherein the indicator is outputted with
a box surrounding the indicator.
33. A handheld electronic device, comprising; a display; and a
processor apparatus having stored therein a number of language
objects in each of a plurality of data sources, said processor
apparatus being structured to: detect a selection of a language;
determine whether the data source is a non-default data source;
responsive to the determination that the data source is a
non-default data source, provide an indicator identifying the data
source; detect an ambiguous input; and disambiguate the ambiguous
input using the data source.
34. The handheld electronic device of claim 33, wherein the
indicator is a visual output.
35. The handheld electronic device of claim 33, wherein the
indicator comprises at least one linguistic element representing an
abbreviation of the data source.
36. The handheld electronic device of claim 33, wherein the
indicator is an audible or mechanical output.
37. The handheld electronic device of claim 33, wherein the
processor is structured to provide an indicator identifying the
data source by: generating a window with the indicator on the
display.
38. The handheld electronic device of claim 37, wherein the
indicator is displayed substantially adjacent to an end of the
window.
39. The handheld electronic device of claim 33, wherein the
processor is further structured to: generate a window on the
display; and output at least a portion of a language object in the
window in response to the ambiguous input, wherein the processor is
structured to provide an indicator identifying the data source by
outputting the indicator in the window.
40. The handheld electronic device of claim 39, wherein the
indicator is outputted in a close proximity of the language
object.
41. The handheld electronic device of claim 39, wherein the
indicator is visually distinguishable from the language object.
42. The handheld electronic device of claim 39, wherein the
indicator is outputted with a box surrounding the indicator.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field
[0002] The disclosed and claimed concept relates generally to
electronic devices and, more particularly, to a method for
indicating a selected language on a handheld electronic device.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known.
Examples of such handheld devices include, for instance, personal
data assistants (PDAs), handheld computers, two-way pagers,
cellular telephones, and the like. Many handheld electronic devices
also feature wireless communication capability, although many such
handheld devices are stand-alone devices that are functional
without communication with other devices.
[0005] Handheld electronic devices are used in a variety of
language settings and users can often find themselves writing text
in multiple languages. For example, a user might reply to one
e-mail message in French and another in English. However, in order
to utilize a handheld electronic device's advance features, such as
disambiguation, the user might have to select the language that,
for example, corresponds to the language of the original message to
which he/she is replying. Switching among multiple languages can
often confuse the user since the user might believe that the
currently selected language on the handheld electronic device is
one language, but in reality the currently selected language is
another language. Therefore, incorrectly believing that the
currently selected language is the desired language, the user might
unwittingly begin to enter input which corresponds to the desired
language, fully expecting the disambiguation function of the
handheld electronic device to correctly disambiguate any ambiguous
inputs that the user enters. However, since the currently selected
language is the incorrect language, the handheld electronic device.
will disambiguate the ambiguous inputs based on the other language.
Assuming that the user realizes that the currently selected
language on the handheld electronic device is not the desired
language prior to completing the data entry, the steps required to
rectify the situation (e.g. select the correct language and correct
any incorrect data) will consume time. It would be desirable to
overcome this shortcoming in an efficient fashion that makes the
device easier to use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] A full understanding of the disclosed and claimed concept
can be gained from the following Description when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0007] FIG. I is a top plan view of an improved handheld electronic
device in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of the improved handheld
electronic device of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a depiction of an output that can be displayed on
an output apparatus of the improved handheld electronic device;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an embodiment of an improved
method in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept;
and
[0011] FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting another embodiment of an
improved method in accordance with the disclosed and claimed
concept.
DESCRIPTION
[0012] The accompanying figures and the description that follows
set forth the disclosed and claimed concept in its preferred
embodiments. It is, however, contemplated that persons generally
familiar with handheld electronic devices will be able to apply the
novel characteristics of the structures and methods illustrated and
described herein in other contexts by modification of certain
details. Accordingly, the figures and description are not to be
taken as restrictive on the scope of the disclosed and claimed
concept, but are to be understood as broad and general
teachings.
[0013] When referring to the term "language object" and variations
thereof, such designations shall refer broadly to any type of
object that may be constructed, identified, or otherwise obtained
from one or more linguistic elements, that can be used alone or in
combination to generate text, and that would include, for example
and without limitation, words, shortcuts, symbols, ideograms, and
the like.
[0014] When referring to the term "linguistic element" and
variations thereof, such designations shall refer broadly to any
element that itself can be a language object or from which a
language object can be constructed, identified, or otherwise
obtained, and thus would include, but not be limited to,
characters, letters, strokes, symbols, ideograms, phonemes,
morphemes, digits (numbers), and the like.
[0015] When referring to the term "letter" and variations thereof,
such designations are meant to cover all letters of the Latin
alphabet regardless of whether the letter is uppercase (Majuscule
form) or lowercase (Minuscule form).
[0016] When referring to the term "reduced" and variations thereof
in the context of a keyboard, a keypad, or other arrangement of
input members, such designations shall refer broadly to an
arrangement in which at least one of the input members has assigned
thereto a plurality of linguistic elements such as, for example,
characters in the set of Latin letters.
[0017] When referring to the term "window" and variations thereof,
such designations by way of example, and not limitation, shall
refer to a visualized layer, tile, overlay or other similar variant
thereof that is output on a display or screen.
[0018] When referring to the phrase "default language" and
variations thereof, such designations shall refer to the primary
language of the handheld electronic device.
[0019] For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms
"upper", "lower", "right", "left", "vertical", "horizontal", "top",
"bottom", and derivatives thereof shall relate to the disclosed and
claimed concept as it is oriented in the figures.
[0020] An improved handheld electronic device 2 is indicated
generally in FIG. 1 and is depicted schematically in FIG. 2. The
exemplary handheld electronic device 2 includes a housing 4 upon
which is disposed a processor unit that includes an input apparatus
6, an output apparatus 8, a processor 10, and a memory 12. The
processor 10 may be, for instance, and without limitation, a
microprocessor (.mu.P) and is responsive to inputs from the input
apparatus 6 and provides output signals to the output apparatus 8.
The processor 10 also interfaces with the memory 12. The processor
10 and the memory 12 together form a processor apparatus.
[0021] As can be understood from FIG. 1, the input apparatus 6
includes a keypad 14 and a trackwheel 16. As will be described in
greater detail below, the keypad 14 is in the exemplary form of a
reduced QWERTY keyboard including a plurality of keys 18 that serve
as input members. It is noted, however, that the keypad 14 may be
of other configurations, such as an AZERTY keyboard, a QWERTZ
keyboard, or other keyboard arrangement, whether presently known or
unknown, and either reduced or not reduced.
[0022] The system architecture of the handheld electronic device 2
advantageously is organized to be operable independent of the
specific layout of the keypad 14. Accordingly, the system
architecture of the handheld electronic device 2 can be employed in
conjunction with virtually any keypad layout without requiring any
meaningful change in the system architecture. It is further noted
that certain features set forth herein are usable on either or both
of a reduced keyboard and a non-reduced keyboard.
[0023] The keys 18 are located on a front face 20 of the housing 4,
and the trackwheel 16 is located at a side 22 of the housing 4. In
addition to the keys 18, the trackwheel 16 can serve as another
input member since the trackwheel 16 is capable of being rotated,
as indicated by arrow 24, and depressed generally toward the
housing 4, as indicated by arrow 26. Rotation of the trackwheel 16
provides certain inputs to the processor 10, while depression of
the trackwheel 16 provides other input to the processor 10.
[0024] The output apparatus 8 includes a display 28 upon which can
be provided an output 30. An exemplary output 30 on the display 28
is depicted in FIG. 1. The output 30 includes a text component 32
and a window (variant component) 34. As can be seen from FIG. 1,
the window 34 extends substantially horizontally across the display
28. This, however, is not meant to be limiting since the window 34
can also extend across the display 28 substantially vertically or
in other fashions. Preferably, the window 34 is located generally
in the vicinity of the text component 32. The window 34 includes a
number of outputs 36 from which the user can select. The window 34
also includes a selection box 36 that appears in a default position
39. As described in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/931,281 entitled "Handheld Electronic device with Text
Disambiguation," the outputs 36 are proposed by the text
disambiguation function as being the most likely disambiguated
interpretation of the ambiguous input provided by the user. The
selection box 38 is capable of being moved (i.e. shifted) from the
default position 39 to a number of different positions 40 by
depressing or actuating a <NEXT> key 42 or by rotating the
trackwheel 16. The display 28 also includes a caret (cursor) 44
that depicts generally where the next output will be displayed.
[0025] The memory 12 is depicted schematically in FIG. 2. The
memory 12 can be any of a variety of types of internal and/or
external storage media such as, without limitation, RAM, ROM,
EPROM(s), EEPROM(s), and the like that provide a storage register
for data storage such as in the fashion of an internal storage area
of a computer, and can be volatile memory or nonvolatile memory. As
can be seen from FIG. 2, the memory 12 is in electronic
communication with the processor 10.
[0026] The memory 12 additionally can include one or more routines
depicted generally with the numeral 46 for the processing of data.
The routines 46 can be in any of a variety of forms such as,
without limitation, software, firmware, and the like. As will be
explained in greater detail below, the routines 46 include a
routine that can be executed to perform a method in accordance with
the disclosed and claimed concept as well as other routines that
are utilized by the handheld electronic device 2. Additionally, the
memory 12 can also store a variety of data sources 48 such as,
without limitation, one or more input method languages (i.e.
"language" or "languages") 50 having language objects associated
therewith. The input method languages 50 may also have
corresponding linguistic sources 52 such as a generic word list or
a language rule set. FIG. 2 depicts the memory 12 as containing
three input method languages 50. The first input method language 54
can be English, the second input method language 56 can be French,
and the third input method language 58 can be Spanish. It is noted,
however, that despite FIG. 2 depicting only three input method
languages 54, 56, 58 being stored on memory 12, the total number of
input method languages 50 that can be stored in the memory 12 is
limited only by the memory's 12 capacity. Once a user selects an
input method language 50, the selected input method language
becomes the preferred data source for the handheld electronic
device 2. The preferred data source is utilized by the handheld
electronic device 2 to disambiguate any ambiguous inputs that are
entered into the handheld electronic device 2.
[0027] In order to facilitate the entry of text into a handheld
electronic device 2 and to prevent user confusion regarding the
currently selected language on the handheld electronic device 2,
the disclosed and claimed concept provides for an indicator that
enables the user to quickly identify what language is currently
selected on the handheld electronic device 2.
[0028] FIG. 3 depicts one exemplary embodiment of an output in
accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept. As can be seen
from this figure, a visual indicator 60 is provided in the window
34. In this particular embodiment, the visual indicator 60 is
positioned substantially adjacent to a right end 62 of the window
34. It is noted, however, that the visual indicator 60 can also be
positioned substantially adjacent to a left end 64 of the window 34
or in other positions, such as within the caret 44 or on another
part of the display 28. The visual indicator 60 indicates the
preferred data source that is currently selected on the handheld
electronic device 2. Referring to FIG. 3, the visual indicator 60
includes a first linguistic element 66 and a second linguistic
element 68 which are surrounded by a box 70 that highlights the
first and second linguistic elements 66, 68. Furthermore, the
visual indicator 60 is not only offset from the outputs 36 to
prevent a user from mistakenly identifying the visual indicator 60
as an output 36, but the box 70 that surrounds the first and second
linguistic elements 66, 68 of the visual indicator 60 is shaped
differently from the selection box 38. In the embodiment depicted
in FIG. 3, the visual indicator 60 includes the letters "F" and "R"
which is an abbreviation of "French." Accordingly, the visual
indicator 60 alerts the user that French is the currently selected
language on the handheld electronic device 2.
[0029] In other embodiments of the disclosed concept, the visual
indicator 60 can be the full name of the language, as opposed to an
abbreviation, or it can be an image, such as a flag, that
represents the selected language. In another embodiment of the
disclosed concept, the color of the window 60 can be associated
with a particular language 50 thereby allowing the user to quickly
determine what language is currently selected on the handheld
electronic device 2.
[0030] It is noted that in addition to the visual indicators
described above, the indicator can also be audible, mechanical
(e.g. vibration) or a combination thereof (audible and mechanical).
For instance, in one embodiment the handheld electronic device 2
can emit an audible signal that corresponds to a particular
language. In yet another embodiment, the handheld electronic device
2 can have a specific type of vibration pattern that corresponds to
a particular data source.
[0031] To implement the method, the handheld electronic device 2
includes one or more routines 46, stored in memory 12 and
executable by processor 10, for providing the indicator on the
handheld electronic device 2. A flowchart depicting one embodiment
of the routine is depicted in FIG. 4.
[0032] As can be understood from FIG. 4, the routine begins at step
100, where the handheld electronic device 2 detects a selection of
a language. Once a selected language has been detected at step 100,
the handheld electronic device 2 will then determine, as at step
102, whether the selected language is a default language or a
non-default language of the handheld electronic device 2. If the
handheld electronic device 2 determines that the selected language
is not the default language of the handheld electronic device 2 at
step 102, then the handheld electronic device 2 will detect, as at
step 104, an actuation of an input member and generate, as at step
106, a window 34 having a visual indicator 60 indicating the
selected language. If the handheld electronic device 2 determines,
however, that the selected language is a default language of the
handheld electronic device 2 at step 102, then the handheld
electronic device 2 will detect, as at step 108, an actuation of an
input member and generate, as at step 110, a window 34 not having a
visual indicator 60. A handheld electronic device 2 having a window
34 lacking the visual indicator 60 because the currently selected
language on the handheld electronic device 2 is the default
language of the handheld electronic device 2 is depicted in FIG.
1.
[0033] FIG. 5 depicts the general operation of another embodiment
of an improved method in accordance with the disclosed and claimed
concept.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 5, the routine begins at step 200, where
the handheld electronic device 2 detects an actuation of one or
more of the input members. In response to the detection of the
actuation of the input members at step 200, the handheld electronic
device 2 generates, as at step 202, a window 34. Unlike the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, in this particular embodiment the
handheld electronic device 2 will detect, as at step 204, a
selection of a language after the handheld electronic device 2 has
detected an actuation of an input member at step 200. The handheld
electronic device 2 will then determine, as at step 206, whether
the language selected is a default language of the handheld
electronic device 2 at step 204. If it is determined that the
selected language is not a default language of the handheld
electronic device 2, then the handheld electronic device 2 will
display, as at step 208, the visual indicator 60 within .the window
34. If it is determined that the selected language is a default
language of the handheld electronic device 2, then the handheld
electronic device 2 will not display, as at step 210, the visual
indicator 60 within the window 34.
[0035] On advantage to the disclosed concept is that the user's
attention is directed towards the process of inputting text into
the handheld electronic device 2. For instance, as disclosed
elsewhere herein, when a user enters an ambiguous input into the
handheld electronic device 2 the device 2 will display a window 34
containing one or more disambiguous outputs 36 from which the user
can select. Therefore, the user's visual focus is directed mainly
on the window 34 and the text component 32 of the output apparatus
8. By positioning the visual indicator 60 within the window 34, the
user can continue to focus on one area of the output apparatus 8
thereby increasing the user's ability to input data into the
handheld electronic device 2 since the user does not have to search
the output apparatus 8 for the visual indicator 60.
[0036] Another advantage to the disclosed and claimed concept is
that the indicator(s) can also act as a warning system that alerts
the user to the fact that a non-default language is currently
selected. For instance, if the user incorrectly assumes that
English, which is the default language of the device 2, is
selected, the user will receive an immediate and clear alert that
French is the currently selected language because the visual
indicator 60 for French would be displayed within the window
34.
[0037] While specific embodiments of the disclosed and claimed
concept have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that various modifications and
alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the
overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular
arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not
limiting as to the scope of the disclosed and claimed concept which
is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and
all equivalents thereof.
* * * * *