Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for entering alpha-numeric data

US5559512A · kind A · utility

37Cited by
24References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 20, 1995
Grant dateSep 24, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 20, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0236
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for entering data comprised of alpha, numeric and/or symbolic characters includes providing a plurality of hard keys, each of which is identified with two alpha characters. Such hard keys are preferably provided in a key matrix (not unlike a telephone key matrix) wherein all of the alpha characters of a particular alphabet are represented on such hard keys. Such method also includes providing two "display-type" soft keys, each for displaying an alpha character appearing on one of the hard keys and selected by actuating such key. A different alpha character is thereby displayed at each of the soft keys. That soft key displaying the alpha character desired to be entered is then actuated, thereby entering the displayed alpha character into the data field being edited. A new apparatus is also disclosed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.