Method of performing keypad input in a portable terminal and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9335925-B2
Application number	US-201314051954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2013
Priority date	Oct 12, 2012
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A method for performing keypad input in a portable terminal is provided. The method includes displaying, on a touch screen, a keypad and an operating zone; detecting a first user operation performed in the operating zone; identifying, by a processor, a key from the keypad, the key being identified based on the first user operation; and inputting the selected key.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing a keypad input operation in a portable terminal using a single hand, the method comprising:
displaying a keypad and an operating zone which has an interior portion and at least one edge around the interior portion and is placed at a particular location configured to allow one finger to substantially reach over the keypad; and
displaying a plurality of keys from the keypad as prompt characters on the edge of the operating zone,
wherein the displaying the plurality of keys comprising:
changing a location of the prompt characters to the interior portion from the edge when a sliding touch is detected in the operating zone; and
displaying the prompt characters in the interior portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating zone is displayed at a bottom-right side or a bottom-left side of a touch screen.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the operating zone is overlapped on the keypad.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
moving the keypad to a direction of a sliding touch detected in the operation zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying the plurality of keys comprising:
displaying the plurality of keys located externally of the operating zone on the edge of the operating zone.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the displaying the plurality of keys comprising:
changing an arrangement of the plurality of keys on the edge of the operating zone.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating zone is displayed in a translucent state.

8. A portable terminal comprising,
a touch screen; and
a processor controlling the touch screen to:
display a keypad and an operating zone which has an interior portion and at least one edge around the interior portion and is placed at a particular location configured to allow one finger to substantially reach over the keypad; and
display a plurality of keys from the keypad as prompt characters on the edge,
wherein the processor configured to change a location of the prompt characters to the interior portion from the edge when a sliding touch is detected in the operating zone and to display the prompt characters in the interior portion.

9. The portable terminal of claim 8 , wherein the operating zone is displayed at a bottom-right side or a bottom-left side of the touch screen.

10. The portable terminal of claim 9 , wherein the operating zone is overlapped on the keypad.

11. The portable terminal of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to move the keypad to a direction of a sliding touch detected in the operation zone.

12. The portable terminal of claim 8 , wherein the processor configured to display the plurality of keys located externally of the operating zone on the edge of the operating zone.

13. The portable terminal of claim 12 , wherein the processor configured to change an arrangement of the plurality of keys on the edge of the operating zone.

14. The portable terminal of claim 8 , wherein the operating zone is displayed in a translucent state.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huh Jung-Chul
• Han Liang

Classifications

• G06F3/04886 Primary

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title