Character input system

Claim 2

A character input system, comprising: input means including nine touch-activated input sections arranged in a 3×3 matrix for generating a plurality of input signals; and means for selecting between numeric and alphabetic character input modes; numeral generating means for operating in the numeric character input mode to said input means when one of said input sections is touch-activated to generate a numeral code corresponding to one of the numerals 1-9; and character generating means for for operating in the alphabetic character input mode to accept at least two input signals generated by touch-activating selected ones of said input sections including at least one of said input sections in the first row of said 3×3 matrix, generate character codes corresponding to the alphabetic letters A-Z comprising: means for temporarily storing said input signal generated each time that one of said input sections is touch-activated, means, responsive to the input signals, for determining that touch activation of said input sections for one character is completed in the alphabetic character mode, and means, responsive to said storing means and said determining means, for reading out said input signals stored in said storing means when said determining means determines that the touch activation for one character in said alphabetic character input mode is completed.

Claim 3

A character input device according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes nine input sections disposed in the following configuration: 7 8 9 4 5 6 1 2 3 and said character generating means is responsive to the input signal patterns set forth in the following table: ______________________________________ INPUT SIGNAL PATTERNS Character I II III ______________________________________ A 8 1 · 3 B 7 · 9 6 1 · 3 C 7 · 9 4 1 · 3 D 7 · 9 1 · 3 E 7 · 9 4 · 5 1 · 3 F 7 · 9 4 · 5 1 G 7 · 9 1 · 3 6 H 7 · 9 4 · 6 1 · 3 I 8 2 or 8 · 2 J 7 · 9 1 · 2 K 7 1 · 9 3 or 9 1 L 7 1 · 3 M 7 · 9 1 · 3 2 or 1 · 2 · 3 N 1 7 · 3 9 or 7 3 O 7 · 9 1 · 3 5 P 7 · 9 4 · 6 1 Q 7 · 9 1 · 3 5 · 3 or 5 3 R 7 · 9 4 · 6 3 S 7 · 9 3 1 T 7 · 9 8 2 U 7 1 · 3 9 V 7 · 9 2 W 7 · 9 8 1 ·3 or 7 · 8 · 9 1 · 3 X 7 · 9 5 1 · 3 or 7 · 3 1 · 9 Y 7 · 9 5 2 Z 7 · 9 1 3 ______________________________________

Claim 4

A character input system according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes nine input sections disposed in the following configuration: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and said character generating means is responsive to the input signal patterns set forth in the following table: ______________________________________ INPUT SIGNAL PATTERNS Character I II III ______________________________________ A 2 7 · 9 B 1 · 3 6 7 · 9 C 1 · 3 4 7 · 9 D 1 · 3 7 · 9 E 1 · 3 4 · 5 7 · 9 F 1 · 3 4 · 5 7 G 1 · 3 7 · 9 6 H 1 · 3 4 · 6 7 · 9 I 2 8 or 2 · 8 J 1 · 3 7 · 8 K 1 7 · 3 9 or 3 7 L 1 7 · 9 M 1 · 3 7 · 9 8 or 7 · 8 · 9 N 7 1 · 9 3 or 1 9 O 1 · 3 7 · 9 5 P 1 · 3 4 · 6 7 Q 1 · 3 7 · 9 5 · 9 or 5 9 R 1 · 3 4 · 6 9 S 1 · 3 9 7 T 1 · 3 2 8 U 1 7 · 9 3 V 1 · 3 8 W 1 · 3 2 7 · 9 or 1 · 2 · 3 7 · 9 X 1 · 3 5 7 · 9 or 1 · 9 7 · 3 Y 1 · 3 5 8 Z 1 · 3 7 9 ______________________________________

Claim 5

A character input system according to claim 1, wherein said determining means comprises entry means for instructing said character generating means to generate a character code in response to an accepted input signal pattern.

Claim 6

A character input system according to claim 1, wherein said character generating means comprises means for storing data corresponding to predetermined relationships between input signal patterns and character codes.

Claim 7

A character input system according to claim 2, further comprising means for storing the table.

Claim 8

A character input system according to claim 1, wherein input signals corresponding to at least two of said input sections in the same row of the matrix are generated substantially simultaneously.

Claim 9

A character input input device according to claim 7, wherein said inpt means includes nine input sections disposed in the following configuration: 7 8 9 4 5 6 1 2 3 and said character generating means is responsive to the input signal patterns set forth in the following table; ______________________________________ INPUT SIGNAL PATTERNS Character I II III ______________________________________ A 8 1 · 3 B 7 · 9 6 1 · 3 C 7 · 9 4 1 · 3 D 7 · 9 1 · 3 E 7 · 9 4 · 5 1 · 3 F 7 · 9 4 · 5 1 G 7 · 9 1 · 3 6 H 7 · 9 4 · 6 1 · 3 I 8 2 or 8 · 2 J 7 · 9 1 · 2 K 7 1 · 9 3 or 9 1 L 7 1 · 3 M 7 · 9 1 · 3 2 or 1 · 2 · 3 N 1 7 · 3 9 or 7 3 O 7 · 9 1 · 3 5 P 7 · 9 4 · 6 1 Q 7 · 9 1 · 3 5 · 3 or 5 3 R 7 · 9 4 · 6 3 S 7 · 9 3 1 T 7 · 9 8 2 U 7 1 · 3 9 V 7 · 9 2 W 7 · 9 8 1 ·3 or 7 · 8 · 9 1 · 3 X 7 · 9 5 1 · 3 or 7 · 3 1 · 9 Y 7 · 9 5 2 Z 7 · 9 1 3 ______________________________________

Claim 10

A character input system according to claim 7, wherein said input means includes nine sections disposed in the following configuration: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and said character generating means is responsive to the input signal patterns set forth in the following table; ______________________________________ INPUT SIGNAL PATTERNS Character I II III ______________________________________ A 2 7 · 9 B 1 · 3 6 7 · 9 C 1 · 3 4 7 · 9 D 1 · 3 7 · 9 E 1 · 3 4 · 5 7 · 9 F 1 · 3 4 · 5 7 G 1 · 3 7 · 9 6 H 1 · 3 4 · 6 7 · 9 I 2 8 or 2 · 8 J 1 · 3 7 · 8 K 1 7 · 3 9 or 3 7 L 1 7 · 9 M 1 · 3 7 · 9 8 or 7 · 8 · 9 N 7 1 · 9 3 or 1 9 O 1 · 3 7 · 9 5 P 1 · 3 4 · 6 7 Q 1 · 3 7 · 9 5 · 9 or 5 9 R 1 · 3 4 · 6 9 S 1 · 3 9 7 T 1 · 3 2 8 U 1 7 · 9 3 V 1 · 3 8 W 1 · 3 2 7 · 9 or 1 · 2 · 3 7 · 9 X 1 · 3 5 7 · 9 or 1 · 9 7 · 3 Y 1 · 3 5 8 Z 1 · 3 7 9 ______________________________________

Claim 11

A character input system according to claim 7, wherein said determining means comprises entry means for instructing said character generating means to generate a character code in response to an accepted input signal pattern.

Claim 12

A character input system according to claim 9, further comprising means for storing the table.