Information input system and method using extension key

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information input system and method using an extension key. The information input system comprises: an input unit including a plurality of divided regions, for detecting a user selected divided region among the plurality of divided regions; and an input analysis unit for allocating corresponding information to the plurality of divided regions, and analyzing, if the input unit detects a user selected divided region among the plurality of divided regions, whether or not information allocated to the divided region is input. The input analysis unit allocates an extension key to at least one divided region out of the plurality of divided regions; and once the extension key is selected, the input analysis unit allocates new information to an extended region which is a divided region determined according to the extension key.

1 . A system for inputting information by utilizing an extension key, the system comprising:
 an input unit, which has a plurality of division areas and detects a division area selected by a user from among the plurality of division areas; and   an input analysis unit for allocating corresponding information to the plurality of division areas and analyzing that if the input unit detects that any one of the plurality of division areas has been selected, information allocated to the selected division area is input,   wherein the input analysis unit allocates the extension key to at least one of the plurality of division areas, and   if the extension key is selected, the input analysis unit allocates new information to an extension area including division areas defined by the extension key.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an output unit for outputting the information allocated to the selected division area on a screen. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the input unit comprises a keypad. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the input unit comprises a touch sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the input unit comprises the touch sensor and a pressure sensor below the touch sensor, and when a user presses the touch sensor, the input unit detects whether the user has pressed according to a method of detecting a pressure by the pressure sensor when the touch sensor moves downwards. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the input unit detects whether the division area has been selected according to a touch, a press, or a touch and release. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the system is used for a game system, and when the user selects a division area to which the extension key is allocated, the input analysis unit allocates a menu for the game system to an extension area including the division areas defined by the extension key. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein, when the user presses with a finger a division area to which the extension key is allocated, drags the finger to a division area to which the menu is allocated, and releases the finger from the division area to which the menu is allocated, the input analysis unit determines that the menu allocated to the division area at the released position has been selected. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is a character input system. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the system is applied to a mobile phone and allocates character keys to division areas to which numeric keys are allocated in order to input a phone number into the mobile phone. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the system is a Hangul input system, allocates a first character set one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of division areas, and if a division area to which the extension key is allocated is selected, newly allocates a plurality of characters to an extension area including division areas defined by the extension key. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of characters are allocated to at least one division area, and a character to be input is changed every time a division area to which the plurality of characters are allocated is selected. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of characters are allocated to at least one division area, a function key for selecting the plurality of characters is allocated to at least one division area, and if a division area to which the function key is allocated is selected after a division area to which the plurality of characters are allocated is selected, a character to be input among the plurality of characters is changed according to the number of selection counts of the division area to which the function key is allocated. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first character set is a character set without any vowels, and a character set including vowels is newly allocated to division areas forming an extension area defined when at least one extension key is selected. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the extension area to which the character set including vowels is newly allocated is formed by neighboring division areas forming a regular quadrilateral about a division area selected as the extension key. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein a character set allocated when an extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels is selected is formed by simple vowels. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein characters corresponding to ‘ ’ and ‘ ’ in the character set including vowels are allocated to division areas located at corners in the regular quadrilateral forming the extension area. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein, when the extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels is selected, the character set formed by simple vowels is allocated to the extension area, and the extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels is selected again, a character set formed by compound vowels is allocated to the extension area. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein a consonant is also allocated to the division area to which the extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels is allocated, and when the division area to which both the extension key and the consonant are allocated is selected, it is analyzed that one of the extension key and the consonant has been selected according to whether a current input sequence is for a consonant or a vowel. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the input unit comprises a touch sensor, and when the user selects the extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels with a finger, drags the finger to division areas to which the simple vowels are allocated, and releases the finger, the input unit analyzes that a compound vowel formed by combining simple vowels touched while dragging is input. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein, when a simple vowel allocated to the extension area is selected after the extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels is selected twice, it is analyzed that a compound vowel of the selected simple vowel is input. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein, when two different simple vowels allocated to the extension area are sequentially selected after the extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels is selected twice, it is analyzed that a compound vowel formed by combining the two selected simple vowels is input. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein, when the extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels is selected, a simple vowel allocated to the extension area is selected, and the extension key used to newly allocate the character set including vowels is selected again, it is analyzed that a compound vowel of the selected simple vowel is input. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the system is applied to a mobile phone, and the first character set comprises a ‘move’ key for changing an input position. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the system is applied to a mobile phone, and the first character set comprises a ‘cancel’ key for cancelling an input of the latest input character. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the system is applied to a mobile phone, and the first character set comprises a fortis-aspirate key for changing a consonant included in the first character set to a fortis or an aspirate. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein a division area to which a consonant is allocated among the first character set also has an extension key function, and when the division area to which a consonant is allocated is selected, the character set including vowels is allocated to an extension area adjacent to the consonant. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein, when the division area to which a consonant is allocated is selected, vowels and a fortis and an aspirate of the consonant are allocated to an extension area defined by the selected division area. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the system is an English input system, a plurality of characters are allocated to each of the plurality of division areas, and when a division area to which the extension key is allocated is selected after one or more of the plurality of division areas are selected, a list of words applicable by a combination of characters allocated to the selected division area is allocated to the extension area and selected by the user. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein, when any one of the words allocated to the extension area is selected after the extension key is selected, it is analyzed that the selected word and a space key are sequentially input. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein, when the extension key is selected, any one of the words allocated to the extension area is selected, and the extension key is selected again, it is analyzed that the selected word and a space key are sequentially input. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein, when the extension key is selected, one or more division areas to which a plurality of characters are allocated are selected, and the extension key is selected again, a word selected from words applicable by a combination of characters allocated to the selected division areas is input as capital letters. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein numerals are also allocated to the division areas to which a plurality of characters are allocated, and when a first division area of the division areas to which a plurality of characters are allocated is selected, a division area is allocated to the extension key, and a second division area of the division areas to which a plurality of characters are allocated is selected, a character corresponding to an order of a numeral allocated to the second division area among a plurality of characters allocated to the first division area is input. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the division areas to which a plurality of characters are allocated are selected in a drag method. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein, when the extension key is selected, any one of the words allocated to the extension area is selected, and the extension key is selected again, the selected word is input, and symbols are newly allocated to the extension area to be selected. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein, when the division areas to which a plurality of characters are allocated are sequentially selected, the input analysis unit extracts one word from a list of words including combinations of characters allocated to the selected division areas, and the output unit temporarily outputs the extracted word. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein, when the combinations of characters allocated to the selected division areas are all the same in the words including combinations of characters allocated to the selected division areas, the output unit outputs only characters except for the combinations of characters allocated to the selected division areas to the extension area. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein, when the extension key is selected, one or more division areas to which a plurality of characters are allocated are selected, and the extension key is selected again, a word selected from words applicable by a combination of characters allocated to the selected division areas is input as capital letters. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the system is a Hindi input system, allocates a first character set one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of division areas, and if a division area to which the extension key is allocated is selected, newly allocates a second character set including vowels to an extension area including division areas defined by the extension key. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein, when the extension key is selected twice, a third character set including vowels is allocated to the extension area. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein, when the extension key is selected in a consonant input state, the second character set includes dependent vowels. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, when a division area included in the extension area is selected, information allocated to the division area is initialized.