Method and apparatus for assisting data input to a portable information terminal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a suitable soft keyboard for end users to conveniently enter data to a portable information terminal that can not provide concurrently multiple character set keyboards, such as Korean, English, and Numeric keyboards. A data input assisting method displays an input window including a plurality of input fields when data input is requested. The input window identifies an input data set among English, Numeric, and non-English character sets suitable to an input field, which is selected for information input on the displayed input window, and provides a soft keyboard of touch screen or the like including the identified character set. Therefore, data input is ensured when a user must select and enter non-English (e.g., Korean), English, or Numeric data to match information type of each data field to be stored in a portable information terminal, such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for data input to a portable information terminal, comprising:
 displaying an input window including a plurality of input fields when data input is requested;   identifying which character set of a plurality of different character sets is suitable to a selected input field on the displayed input window; and   providing a data input screen including the identified character set in response to designation of the selected input field, wherein each of the plurality of character sets has a plurality of mutually exclusive characters, wherein more than two different character sets are directly provided to the user individually corresponding to each one of more than two input fields in the displayed input window, wherein a determination of said individually corresponding character sets to said each one of the more than two input fields in the displayed input window is modified by said user, and wherein upon each subsequent selection of each input field said user modified individually corresponding character set is provided.   
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing data entered through the provided data input screen as information of the selected input field. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data input screen is a soft keyboard displayed on a displaying unit of the portable information terminal. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the soft keyboard has at least one key defined to change among more than two character sets, and a next character set is sequentially provided as the soft keyboard according to a predefined switchover order whenever said at least one key is selected. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of character sets include English, Numeric, and non-English character set, and wherein the input fields require data from the plurality of character sets. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said data input is conducted when a user performs information entry of personal contact information for said user. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 separately storing a plurality of different written-style language character sets, wherein the plurality of different character sets include the plurality of different written-style language character sets;   entering data in the selected input field on the displayed input window, the data including a plurality of written-style strokes forming each character;   limiting a character recognition search to only one of the separately stored written-style language character sets corresponding to the suitable character set when the suitable character set is a written-style language character set; and   displaying an identified character corresponding the written-style character on the input display window as a result of the search.   
     
     
       8. A method for data input to a portable in formation terminal, comprising:
 separately storing a plurality of different written-style language character sets;   displaying an input window including a plurality of input fields when data input is requested;   identifying which character set among a plurality of different character sets is suitable to a selected input field on the displayed input window   wherein the plurality of different character sets include the plurality of different written-style language character sets;   wherein each of the plurality of written-style language character sets has a plurality of mutually exclusive characters;   entering data in the selected input field on the displayed input window, the data including a plurality of written-style strokes forming each character;   limiting a character recognition search to only one of the separately stored written-style language character sets corresponding to the suitable character set when the suitable character set is a written-style language character set;   displaying an identified character corresponding to the written-style character on the input display window as a result of the search; and   wherein corresponding selected input fields are configured to be selectively assigned each of two or more of the different character sets, wherein a current one of the selectively assigned plurality of different character sets is directly displayed for the selected input field, wherein said current assigned character set for said selected input field is modified by a user, and wherein said user modified current character set is displayed and used for data entry upon each subsequent selection of the selected input field.   
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 identifying which character is entered through comparing said entered character with all characters included in the limited search target; and   storing the identified character as information of the selected input field.   
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 selecting the input field among the plurality of input fields; and   providing a data input screen including the identified character set to a user directly in response to selection of the selected input field.   
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , comprising:
 storing the written-style strokes each with a prescribed code, wherein said each written-style stroke is determined by a comparison made to a written-style character database being the identified handwriting character set.   
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of character sets has a plurality of mutually exclusive characters, and wherein said identifying and limiting sets are directly performed without additional user action upon selection of a next input field on the displayed input window. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus of data input to a portable information terminal, comprising:
 display means for displaying an input window including a plurality of selectable input fields when data input is requested;   storing means for storing information on which character set among a plurality of character sets is suitable to each of the input fields;   wherein each of the plurality of character sets has a plurality of mutually exclusive characters; and   controller means for identifying a suitable character set for a selected input field on the displayed input window based on the information stored in said storing means, and displaying a data input screen including the identified character set in said display means, wherein said data input screen has a single key defined to sequence among more than two character sets, wherein said controller means sequentially provides a next character set as a current character set in the data input screen according to a predefined sequence whenever said single key is selected to implement a user changed correspondence between said selected input field and said suitable character set, and wherein said user changed correspondence is reflected in later entries in said selected input field.   
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said controller means further stores data entered through the displayed data input screen for the selected input field as information of the selected input field, and wherein said single key is followed or operated in combination with a second key or a prescribed key sequence, wherein corresponding selected input fields are configured to be selectively assigned each of two or more of the different character sets, and wherein a current one of the selectively assigned plurality of different character sets is directly displayed for the selected input field. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the data input screen is a soft keyboard, and wherein the data input screen is directly displayed by the controller means according to selection of the selected input field. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the character sets include a plurality of language character sets and a Numeric character set. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus of data input to a portable information terminal, comprising:
 a display that displays an input window including a plurality of input fields when data input is requested;   a storing device that stores information on which character set among a plurality of different character sets is suitable to each of the input fields; and   a controller that identifies which character is entered in a selected input field through searching and comparing an entered character with characters stored in said storing device, and stores the identified character as a piece of information of an input field selected in the input window, wherein each of the plurality of character sets has a plurality of mutually exclusive characters, wherein corresponding selected input fields are configured to be selectively assigned each of two or more of the different character sets, wherein a current one of the selectively assigned plurality of different character sets is directly displayed for the selected input field, wherein said current assigned character set for said selected input field is modified by a user, and wherein upon each subsequent selection of the selected input field said user modified current character set is displayed and used for data entry.   
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said storing device has respective separate areas for English, Numeric, and each non-English character set, and wherein said controller identifies the entered character by searching one corresponding character set suitable for the selected input field in one separate area of the storing device, and wherein the input fields require data from the plurality of character sets. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the input fields require data from more than two of the plurality of character sets. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein each character set has a single key defined to sequence among more than two character sets, and wherein said controller means sequentially provides a next character set as a current character set in the input window according to a predefined sequence whenever said single key is selected. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the character sets include a plurality of written-style character sets. 
     
     
       22. A portable information terminal, comprising:
 a touch screen;   a memory configured to store information from a data input window; and   a controller configured to:
 display, on the touch screen, the data input window including a first input field, a second input field, and a third input field, when a specific data input is requested, 
 display, on the touch screen, a data input region, wherein a first soft keyboard of a first language character set is displayed on the data input region when the first input field is selected, a second soft keyboard of a second language character set is displayed on the data input region when the second input field is selected, and a third soft keyboard of a numeric character set is displayed on the data input region when the third input field is selected, 
 in response to selection of a soft key while the first soft keyboard is displayed in the data input region and while a specific switching order of the keyboards is assigned to the soft key, change a soft keyboard included in the data input region from the first soft keyboard to the second soft keyboard; and 
 in response to selection of the soft key while the second soft keyboard is displayed in the data input region and while the specific switching order of the keyboards is assigned to the soft key, change a soft keyboard included in the data input region from the second keyboard to the first soft keyboard, 
 wherein the first and second language character sets are different from each other according to attributes of the first and second input field, and 
 wherein the first and second language character sets are mutually exclusive sets, 
 wherein the controller is configured to automatically select an input field having first priority among the first, second, and third input fields and automatically display the data input region including a soft keyboard of a character set corresponding to the selected input field. 
   
     
     
       23. The portable information terminal of claim 22, wherein each of the first language character set, the second language character set and the numeric character set has a plurality of mutually exclusive characters. 
     
     
       24. The portable information terminal of claim 22, wherein the specific data is contact information, the first input field is a name field, the second input field is an e-mail field, and the third input field is a telephone number field. 
     
     
       25. The portable information terminal of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to:
 execute a contact database management application;   receive search request for contact information based on input data from a user;   search a contact database for contact information having data that exactly matches the input data from the user; and   display, on the touch screen, a result of the search.   
     
     
       26. The portable information terminal of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to:
 execute a contact database management application;   receive search request for contact information based on input data from a user;   search a contact database for contact information having data that partially matches the input data from the user; and   display, on the touch screen, a result of the search.   
     
     
       27. The portable information terminal of claim 22, wherein the data input region includes a first switchover soft key, a second switchover soft key, and a third switchover soft key,
 wherein in response to selection of the first switchover soft key, the first soft keyboard is displayed on the data input region,   in response to selection of the second switchover soft key, the second soft keyboard is displayed on the data input region,   in response to selection of the third switchover soft key, the third soft keyboard is displayed on the data input region.   
     
     
       28. A portable information terminal, comprising:
 a touch screen;   a memory configured to store information from a data input window; and   a controller configured to:
 display, on the touch screen, the data input window including a first input field, a second input field, and a third input field, when a specific data input is requested, 
 wherein in response to selection of the first input field, display a data input region including a first handwriting input region, matched to a first language character set, on the touch screen, and 
 in response to selection of the second input field, display the data input region including a second handwriting input region, matched to a second language character set, on the touch screen, 
 receive a handwriting input at the first handwriting input region or the second handwriting input region; 
 perform character recognition regarding the handwriting input, wherein a range of the character recognition is variable according to attributes of the first or second input fields; 
 in response to selection of a single key while the first language character set is matched to the first handwriting input region and while a specific switching order is associated with a plurality of language sets, change a language character set matched to the first handwriting input region from the first language character set to the second language character set and change the range of the character recognition according to the change of the language character set matched to the first handwriting input region; and 
 in response to selection of the single key while the second language character set is matched to the second handwriting input region and while the specific switching order is associated with a plurality of language sets, change a language character set matched to the second handwriting input region from the second language character set to the first language character set and change the range of the character recognition according to the change of the language character set matched to the second handwriting input region, 
 wherein the first and second language character sets are different from each other according to attributes of the first and second input fields, and 
 wherein the first and second language character sets are mutually exclusive character sets, 
 wherein the controller is configured to automatically select an input field having first priority between the first and second input fields and automatically display the data input region corresponding to the selected input field. 
   
     
     
       29. The portable information terminal of claim 28, wherein each of the first language character set and the second language character set has a plurality of mutually exclusive characters. 
     
     
       30. The portable information terminal of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to display the data input region including a handwriting input region matched to a numeric character set, when a touch input is received at the third input field. 
     
     
       31. The portable information terminal of claim 28, wherein the specific data is contact information, the first input field is a name field and the second input field is an e-mail field. 
     
     
       32. The portable information terminal of claim 31, wherein the controller is further configured to:
 execute a contact database management application;   receive search request for contact information based on input data from a user;   search a contact database for contact information having data that exactly matches the input data from the user; and   display, on the touch screen, a result of the search.   
     
     
       33. The portable information terminal of claim 31, wherein the controller is further configured to:
 execute a contact database management application;   receive search request for contact information based on input data from a user;   search a contact database for contact information having data that partially matches the input data from the user; and   display, on the touch screen, a result of the search.   
     
     
       34. A portable information terminal, comprising:
 a touch screen;   a memory configured to store information from a data input window; and   a controller configured to:
 display the data input window including a plurality of input fields, and automatically select a specific input field having first priority among the plurality of input fields, and 
 automatically display a data input region including a specific soft keyboard of a specific character set corresponding to the specific input field, when a specific data input is requested; 
 when an input field, from among the plurality of input fields, is selected by touch input of a user, display a data input region including a specific soft keyboard of a specific character set corresponding to the selected input field, wherein the specific character set is determined to be one of a first language character set, a second language character set, and a numeric character set based on an attribute of the input field; and 
 in response to selection of a soft key while a first soft keyboard is displayed in the data input region and while a predetermined switching order is assigned to the selected input field, change a soft keyboard corresponding to the selected input field from the first soft keyboard to a second soft keyboard according to the predetermined switching order corresponding to the selected input field, 
 wherein the first language character set, the second language character set and the numeric character set are different from each other. 
   
     
     
       35. The portable information terminal of claim 34, wherein the first language character set, the second language character set and the numeric character set are mutually exclusive from each other. 
     
     
       36. The portable information terminal of claim 34, wherein the specific data is contact information, the first input field is a name field, the second input field is an e-mail field, and the third input field is a telephone number field. 
     
     
       37. The portable information terminal of claim 36, wherein the controller is further configured to:
 execute a contact database management application;   receive search request for contact information based on input data from a user;   search a contact database for contact information having data that exactly matches the input data from the user; and   display, on the touch screen, a result of the search.   
     
     
       38. The portable information terminal of claim 36, wherein the controller is further configured to:
 execute a contact database management application;   receive search request for contact information based on input data from a user;   search a contact database for contact information having data that partially matches the input data from the user; and   display, on the touch screen, a result of the search.