Electronic apparatus and method of controlling the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method for controlling the same, wherein the electronic device comprises: a display; a communication unit that performs communication with an input device provided with two or more directional keys; and a processor that displays a virtual keyboard in which a plurality of characters are arranged on the display, has a recommendation ranking for inputting a first character among a plurality of characters based on a first user input selecting a first character among a plurality of characters, identifies two or more second characters arranged in correspondence with each of two or more directional keys for the first character on the virtual keyboard, displays the two or more second characters identified on the virtual keyboard so as to be highlighted, and performs an operation based on a second character corresponding to a directional key selected according to a second user input among the two or more second characters.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method for controlling the same, and more specifically, to an electronic device capable of inputting characters using a virtual keyboard and an input device, and a method for controlling the same. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of technology, various types of electronic devices are being developed and distributed, and various electronic devices such as smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, smart pads, smart notebooks, desktop or laptop computers (PCs), and set-top boxes are being used.

[0003] As the use of electronic devices expands, there is also a growing demand for conveniently utilizing various functions through interaction with users. For example, electronic devices such as smart TVs can interact with users by displaying a virtual keyboard on the screen and inputting text corresponding to user commands using an input device equipped with arrow keys.

[0004] However, for text input, moving the arrow keys to select desired characters on the virtual keyboard was repeatedly performed, which wasted time and caused inconvenience to the user. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention provides an electronic device and a control method thereof that can improve the convenience of user input using the directional keys of an input device by enabling a user to easily and quickly select and input characters on a virtual keyboard. means of solving the problem

[0006] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a display; a communication unit that communicates with an input device having two or more directional keys; and a processor that displays a virtual keyboard with a plurality of characters arranged thereon on the display, has a recommendation ranking for inputting a first character among a plurality of characters based on a first user input selecting a first character among a plurality of characters, identifies two or more second characters arranged in correspondence with two or more directional keys for the first character on the virtual keyboard, displays the two or more second characters identified on the virtual keyboard so that they are highlighted on the display, and performs an operation based on a second character corresponding to a directional key selected according to a second user input among the two or more second characters.

[0007] The processor can control that two or more second characters identified on the virtual keyboard are selectively enabled, and other characters excluding two or more second characters are disabled.

[0008] The processor has a recommendation ranking next to the second character, displays the third character arranged in correspondence with the arrow keys for the first character on the virtual keyboard so that it is highlighted, and can perform an operation based on the third character corresponding to the arrow keys selected according to the second user input instead of the second character.

[0009] The processor displays a third character to be highlighted based on a third user input, and the third user input may correspond to any one of the following: selecting a key other than an arrow key on the input device, double-clicking any one of a plurality of keys on the input device, or simultaneously selecting two or more keys among a plurality of keys.

[0010] The processor can display the second character as a first highlight, have a recommendation ranking next to the second character, and display the third character arranged in correspondence with the arrow keys for the first character on the virtual keyboard as a second highlight that is distinguishable from the second character.

[0011] The processor can display a recommended word including a first character and a second character on a display and perform an operation based on a fourth user input that selects the recommended word.

[0012] The processor can identify two or more second characters having a recommended ranking for each of two or more areas partitioned in a virtual keyboard to correspond to two or more directional keys based on the position of the first character.

[0013] The processor can identify a fixed number of second characters based on the position of the first character, each corresponding to two or more directional keys.

[0014] The processor can obtain information about the order of characters constituting the text and, based on the obtained information, identify recommendation rankings.

[0015] The processor identifies a plurality of candidate groups of second characters that can be input following a first character based on acquired information, and can identify two or more second characters among the plurality of candidate groups of second characters based on ranking information for each of the candidate groups of second characters.

[0016] Meanwhile, a control method for an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: an operation of displaying a virtual keyboard in which a plurality of characters are arranged on a display; an operation of identifying two or more second characters arranged in the virtual keyboard corresponding to two or more directional keys for the first character, having a recommended ranking for inputting a first character among a plurality of characters based on a first user input selecting a first character among a plurality of characters; an operation of displaying the two or more second characters identified in the virtual keyboard so as to be highlighted on a display; and an operation of performing an operation based on a second character corresponding to a directional key selected according to a second user input among two or more second characters.

[0017] It may further include a control operation to enable two or more second characters identified in the virtual keyboard to be selectably enabled, and to disable other characters excluding two or more second characters.

[0018] It may further include an operation to display a third character arranged in correspondence with the arrow key for the first character on a virtual keyboard, having a recommendation ranking next to the second character, so that the third character is highlighted; and an operation to perform an operation based on the third character corresponding to the arrow key selected according to the second user input instead of the second character.

[0019] The method further includes an operation to display a third character so that it is highlighted based on a third user input, wherein the third user input may correspond to any one of the following: selecting a key other than an arrow key on the input device, double-clicking any one of a plurality of keys on the input device, or simultaneously selecting two or more keys among a plurality of keys.

[0020] The second character may further include an action of displaying it as a first highlight; and a third character having a recommendation ranking next to the second character, arranged in correspondence with the arrow keys for the first character on the virtual keyboard, which may further include an action of displaying it as a second highlight that is distinguishable from the second character.

[0021] The method may further include an action of displaying a recommended word containing a first character and a second character on a display; and an action of performing an action based on a fourth user input selecting a recommended word.

[0022] It may further include an operation to identify two or more second characters having a recommendation ranking for each of two or more areas partitioned in a virtual keyboard to correspond to two or more directional keys based on the position of the first character.

[0023] It may further include an operation to obtain information about the order of characters constituting the text; and an operation to identify a recommendation ranking based on the obtained information.

[0024] Based on acquired information, the method may further include an operation to identify a plurality of candidate groups of second characters that can be input following a first character; and an operation to identify two or more second characters among a plurality of candidate groups of second characters based on ranking information for each of the candidate groups of second characters. Effects of the invention

[0025] According to the electronic device and control method of the present invention as described above, since a user can intuitively, easily, and quickly select a desired character on a virtual keyboard in correspondence with the direction of the arrow keys of the input device, the convenience of user input using the input device can be improved. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing recommended characters in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing recommended characters through a virtual keyboard in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates an example in which a virtual keyboard is displayed according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which recommended characters are highlighted on a virtual keyboard according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate examples in which a recommended character is selected on a virtual keyboard according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of changing and providing recommended characters through a virtual keyboard in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 illustrates an example in which recommended characters are changed on a virtual keyboard according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing recommended words in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 14 to 16 illustrate examples in which recommended words are displayed according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing recommended words by region in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 illustrates an example of determining an area corresponding to a directional key in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 19 to 22 illustrate other examples of determining an area corresponding to a directional key in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 illustrates an example of utilizing the area of ​​a virtual keyboard in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical reference numbers or symbols refer to components that perform substantially the same function, and the size of each component in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. However, the technical concept of the present invention and its core components and operations are not limited only to the components or operations described in the following embodiments. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of known technologies or components related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0028] In embodiments of the present invention, terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another, and singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, terms such as 'composed of,' 'include,' 'have,' etc., should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Additionally, in embodiments of the present invention, 'module' or 'part' performs at least one function or action and may be implemented in hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software, or may be implemented as an integrated unit of at least one module. Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, 'at least one' among a plurality of elements refers not only to all of the plurality of elements but also to each individual element excluding the remainder or all combinations thereof.

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device (10) may be implemented as a display device including a display (110), as shown in FIG. 1.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) receives data regarding a signal provided from an external signal source, i.e., a source, for example, content, and processes the received data of content according to a preset process so that it is displayed as an image on a display (110).

[0032] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) implemented as a display device may be implemented as a television (TV) capable of processing broadcast images based on at least one of a broadcast signal, broadcast information, or broadcast data received from a broadcasting station's transmission equipment. In this case, the electronic device (10) may be provided with a tuner for tuning the broadcast signal by channel.

[0033] However, since the concept of the present invention is not limited to examples of implementation of the electronic device (10), as in other embodiments, the electronic device (10) may be implemented as an image processing device such as a set-top box that transmits a signal to an external display connected via wired or wireless connection. As yet another embodiment, the electronic device (10) may include various stationary or movable digital devices such as a smartphone, tablet, smart pad, smart note, PDA (personal digital assistant), PMP (portable multimedia player), navigation device, MP3 player, desktop or laptop computer (personal computer, PC).

[0034] When the electronic device (10) is a television, the electronic device (10) can receive broadcast content based on at least one of a broadcast signal, broadcast information, or broadcast data received from a broadcasting station's transmission equipment through an additional device that can be connected directly or via a cable, such as a set-top box (STB), an OC box (one-connect box), or a media box. Here, the method of connecting the electronic device (10) and the additional device is not limited to a cable, and various wired and wireless interfaces may be applied.

[0035] The electronic device (10) can wirelessly receive, for example, an RF (radio frequency) signal transmitted from a broadcasting station, i.e., broadcast content, and for this purpose, the electronic device (10) may be provided with an antenna capable of receiving the broadcast signal.

[0036] In the electronic device (10), broadcast content can be received via terrestrial, cable, satellite, etc., and the signal source, i.e., the source, is not limited to a broadcasting station. In other words, any device or station capable of transmitting and receiving data can be included in the source of the present invention.

[0037] The specifications of the signal received by the electronic device (10) can be configured in various ways corresponding to the implementation form of the device, and the electronic device (10) can receive signals corresponding to specifications such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), Display Port (DP), DVI, Composite Video, Component Video, Super Video, DVI (Digital Visual Interface), Thunderbolt, RGB cable, SCART (Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorecepteurs et Televiseurs), USB (universal serial bus) as video content via a wired connection, corresponding to the implementation form of the interface unit (120 in FIG. 2) described later.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) may be implemented as a smart TV or an IP TV (Internet Protocol TV). A smart TV is a TV capable of receiving and displaying broadcast signals in real time and having a web browsing function, which allows for the search and consumption of various content via the Internet simultaneously with the display of real-time broadcast signals, and is capable of providing a convenient user environment for this purpose. In addition, the smart TV includes an open software platform, which can provide interactive services to the user. Accordingly, the smart TV can provide various content, for example, content of an application that provides a specific service, to the user through the open software platform. Such an application is an application program capable of providing various types of services, and includes, for example, applications that provide services such as SNS, finance, news, weather, maps, music, movies, games, and e-books.

[0039] The electronic device (10) can process signals to display on the screen video, still image, application, OSD (on-screen display), user interface (UI) for various operation controls, etc., based on signals / data stored in an internal or external storage medium.

[0040] The electronic device (10) can receive content via wired or wireless network communication from various external devices, including servers and terminal devices, as a source for providing content, and the type of communication is not limited.

[0041] Specifically, the electronic device (10) can receive signals corresponding to standards such as Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and Near Field Communication (NFC) as video content via wireless network communication, corresponding to the implementation form of the interface unit (120) described later. In addition, the electronic device (10) can receive content signals via wired network communication such as Ethernet.

[0042] According to one embodiment, an external device implemented as a server may be provided as a content provider, i.e., a content server, capable of transmitting content to various devices including an electronic device (10) via a wired or wireless network. For example, the external device may provide media files such as VOD (video on demand) or web content, etc., in a real-time streaming manner.

[0043] The electronic device (10) can execute an application for content playback, for example, a VOD application, receive content from an external device provided as a server for providing content, and process the received content so that an image corresponding to the content is output, i.e., displayed through the display (110). Here, the electronic device (10) can receive content from the server using a user account corresponding to the executed application.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic device (10) can receive a control signal wirelessly from an input device (20).

[0045] The input device (20) is implemented, for example, as a remote control and can generate a pre-configured command / data / information / signal to enable remote control of the electronic device (10) and transmit it to the electronic device (10).

[0046] According to one embodiment, the input device (20) is an external device or peripheral device capable of wireless communication with the electronic device (10), and the wireless communication includes Bluetooth, infrared (IR) communication, RF (radio frequency), Zigbee, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi Direct, etc. The input device (20) can transmit a preset command to the electronic device (10) by being operated by a user.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the input device (20) is provided with a plurality of buttons such as directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214), number keys, menu keys, and function keys, and can receive user input corresponding to operation on the buttons, that is, pressing or pushing. A plurality of directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) may be provided corresponding to each direction of left, right, up, and down. Function keys may include, for example, a power key (221) and an enter key (225). FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the input device (20) is implemented as a remote control equipped with a plurality of directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214), and the number, shape, position, etc. of the plurality of buttons including the directional keys are not limited to what is illustrated.

[0048] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the user can input text by operating the arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214) to select a desired character while the virtual keyboard (or image keyboard) (500) is displayed on the display (110) of the electronic device (10).

[0049] According to one embodiment, an input device (20), such as a remote control, may further be provided with at least one of a touch detection unit that receives a user's touch input or a motion detection unit that detects the input device (20)'s own motion, i.e., movement, by the user. The electronic device (10) can perform an operation based on touch information or motion information received from the input device (20).

[0050] According to one embodiment, the input device (20) may include not only a remote control but also various devices capable of receiving user input. The input device (20) may further include, for example, a game console, a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and may be separated from the main body of the electronic device (10) to receive user input.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the input device (20) includes a terminal device such as a smartphone with a remote control application installed, and in this case, a user's touch input through a touchscreen can be received.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) can receive control commands based on the user's voice. A voice input unit capable of receiving voice / sound uttered by the user, for example, a microphone, may be provided in at least one of the main body of the electronic device (10) or an input device (20), such as a remote control.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) may receive user input through a keypad (or input panel) including buttons such as a power key, number key, and menu key provided on the main body.

[0054] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] However, the configuration of the electronic device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and the electronic device according to another embodiment may be implemented with a configuration other than that shown in FIG. 2. That is, the electronic device (10) of the present invention may be implemented with additional configurations other than those shown in FIG. 2, or with at least one of the configurations shown in FIG. 2 excluded. In addition, the electronic device (10) of the present invention may be implemented with a modified part of the configuration shown in FIG. 2.

[0056] An electronic device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a display (110) as shown in FIG. 2.

[0057] The display (110) can display an image.

[0058] The method of implementing the display (110) is not limited and can be implemented in various display methods such as liquid crystal, plasma, light-emitting diode, organic light-emitting diode, surface-conduction electron-emitter, carbon nanotube, nano-crystal, etc.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the display (110) includes a display panel that displays an image, and depending on the implementation method, additional components, such as a driver, may be further included.

[0060] According to one embodiment, a virtual keyboard (500) may be displayed on the display (110). Referring to FIG. 1, the virtual keyboard may be displayed on a portion of the display (110), for example, on the bottom.

[0061] According to one embodiment, a virtual keyboard (500) may include a plurality of keys (virtual keys) having a predetermined arrangement and an input window that displays the input results for the plurality of keys. Here, at least some of the plurality of keys may be provided to correspond to a plurality of characters. The virtual keyboard is exemplified by the case where the arrangement of the plurality of keys is a QWERTY keyboard according to the QWERTY method, but is not limited thereto.

[0062] The electronic device (10) may include an interface section (120).

[0063] The interface section (120) enables the electronic device (10) to communicate with various external devices, including a server.

[0064] The interface section (120) may include a wired interface section (121). The wired interface section (121) may include a connection section that transmits / receives signals / data according to standards such as HDMI, HDMI-CEC, USB, Component, DisplayPort (DP), DVI, Thunderbolt, and RGB cable. Here, the wired interface section (121) may include at least one connector, terminal, or port corresponding to each of these standards.

[0065] The wired interface section (121) is implemented in a form that includes an input port for receiving a signal from a source, etc., and in some cases, may further include an output port to enable bidirectional transmission and reception of signals.

[0066] The wired interface section (121) may include connectors or ports according to video and / or audio transmission standards, such as HDMI ports, DisplayPort, DVI ports, Thunderbolt, composite video, component video, super video, SCART, etc., so that an antenna capable of receiving broadcast signals according to broadcast standards such as terrestrial / satellite broadcasting can be connected, or a cable capable of receiving broadcast signals according to cable broadcasting standards can be connected. As another example, the electronic device (10) may have an antenna capable of receiving broadcast signals built in.

[0067] The electronic device (10) may further include a tuner that tunes the received broadcast signal by channel when the video / audio signal received through the interface unit (120) is a broadcast signal. The tuner may include a demodulator that demodulates the broadcast signal of a specific tuned channel and outputs it as a signal in the form of a transport stream (TS). In other words, the tuner and the demodulator may be designed as a single chip in an integrated form, or they may be implemented as two separate chips.

[0068] The wired interface section (121) may include a connector or port, etc., according to a universal data transmission standard such as a USB port. The wired interface section (121) may include a connector or port, etc., to which an optical cable can be connected according to an optical transmission standard. The wired interface section (121) may include a connector or port, etc., to which an external microphone or an external audio device equipped with a microphone is connected, and to which an audio signal can be received or input from the microphone or audio device. The wired interface section (121) may include a connector or port, etc., to which an audio device such as a headset, earphones, or external speaker is connected, and to which an audio signal can be transmitted or output to the audio device. The wired interface section (121) may include a connector or port according to a network transmission standard such as Ethernet. For example, the wired interface section (121) may be implemented as a LAN card, etc., wired to a router or gateway.

[0069] The wired interface unit (121) is wired to an external device, such as a set-top box or an optical media player, or to an external display device, speaker, server, etc., in a 1:1 or 1:N (N is a natural number) manner through a connector or port, thereby receiving video / audio signals from the external device or transmitting video / audio signals to the external device. The wired interface unit (121) may include a connector or port that transmits video / audio signals separately.

[0070] The wired interface section (121) can be implemented as a communication circuitry including a wireless communication module (S / W module, chip, etc.) corresponding to various types of communication protocols.

[0071] In one embodiment, the wired interface part (121) is embedded in the electronic device (10), but may also be implemented in the form of a dongle or module and attached to and detached from the connector of the electronic device (10).

[0072] The interface section (120) may include a wireless interface section (122).

[0073] The wireless interface section (122) can be implemented in various ways corresponding to the implementation form of the electronic device (10). For example, the wireless interface section (122) can use wireless communication such as RF (radio frequency), Zigbee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UWB (Ultra WideBand), and NFC (Near Field Communication) as a communication method.

[0074] The wireless interface section (122) can be implemented as a communication circuitry including a wireless communication module (S / W module, chip, etc.) corresponding to various types of communication protocols.

[0075] In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit (122) includes a wireless LAN unit. The wireless LAN unit can be wirelessly connected to an external device through an access point (AP) under the control of the processor (140). The wireless LAN unit includes a Wi-Fi module.

[0076] In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit (122) includes a wireless communication module that supports one-to-one direct communication between the electronic device (10) and an external device wirelessly without an access point. The wireless communication module may be implemented to support communication methods such as Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Low Energy. When the electronic device (10) performs direct communication with an external device, identification information (e.g., MAC address or IP address) of the external device that is the target device for communication may be stored in the storage unit (130).

[0077] In an electronic device (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention, a wireless interface unit (122) is configured to perform wireless communication with an external device by at least one of a wireless LAN unit and a wireless communication module according to performance.

[0078] In another embodiment, the wireless interface unit (122) may further include a communication module based on various communication methods such as mobile communication like LTE, EM communication including magnetic fields, and visible light communication.

[0079] The wireless interface unit (122) can transmit and receive data packets with an external device, such as a server on a network, by wirelessly communicating with the external device.

[0080] The wireless interface unit (122) may include an IR transmitter and / or an IR receiver capable of transmitting and / or receiving an IR (Infrared) signal according to an infrared communication standard. The wireless interface unit (122) may receive or input a signal from an input device (20), such as a remote control, or another external device, or transmit or output a signal to another external device through the IR transmitter and / or the IR receiver. As another example, the electronic device (10) may transmit and receive signals to and from the input device (20) or another external device through a wireless interface unit (122) of a different type, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

[0081] In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit (122) can transmit certain data to an external device, such as a server, as information of a user's voice received through a voice input unit such as a microphone. Here, the form / type of the transmitted data is not limited and may include, for example, an audio signal corresponding to a voice spoken by a user or voice features extracted from an audio signal.

[0082] Additionally, the wireless interface unit (122) can receive data of the processing result of the corresponding user voice from an external device such as a server. Based on the received data, the electronic device (10) can output a sound corresponding to the voice processing result through an internal or external speaker (loudspeaker).

[0083] However, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the user voice may be processed internally within the electronic device (10) without being transmitted to a server. That is, in other embodiments, the electronic device (10) can be implemented to perform the role of a speech-to-text (STT) server.

[0084] The electronic device (10) communicates with an input device (20), such as a remote control, through a wireless interface unit (122) and can receive a sound signal corresponding to the user's voice from the input device.

[0085] In one embodiment of the electronic device (10), the communication module communicating with an external device such as a server and the communication module communicating with an input device (20) such as a remote control may be different from each other. For example, the electronic device (10) may communicate with an external device via an Ethernet modem or a Wi-Fi module, and communicate with an input device (20) via a Bluetooth module.

[0086] In an electronic device (10) of another embodiment, the communication module that communicates with an external device such as a server and the communication module that communicates with an input device (20) such as a remote control may be the same. For example, the electronic device (10) can communicate with the external device and the input device (20) through a Bluetooth module.

[0087] In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit (122) is embedded in the electronic device (10), but may also be implemented in the form of a dongle or module and attached to and detached from the connector of the electronic device (10).

[0088] The electronic device (10) may include a storage unit (130).

[0089] The storage unit (130) is configured to store various data of the electronic device (10).

[0090] The storage unit (130) may be equipped with writable non-volatile memory (writable ROM) so that data may remain even if the power supplied to the electronic device (10) is cut off and changes may be reflected. That is, the storage unit (130) may be equipped with any one of flash memory, EPROM, or EEPROM. The storage unit (130) may further be equipped with volatile memory, such as DRAM or SRAM, which has a faster read or write speed of the electronic device (10) compared to non-volatile memory.

[0091] The data stored in the storage unit (130) includes, for example, an operating system for driving the electronic device (10), as well as various programs, applications, video data, additional data, etc. that can be executed on the operating system.

[0092] Specifically, the storage unit (130) can store signals or data that are input / output corresponding to the operation of each component under the control of the processor (140). The storage unit (130) can store a control program for controlling the electronic device (10), a UI related to an application provided by the manufacturer or downloaded from an external source, graphics or images for providing the UI, user information, documents, databases, or related data.

[0093] According to one embodiment, an image displayed on an electronic device (10) may be derived from data stored in a non-volatile storage unit (130), such as a flash memory or a hard disk. The storage unit (130) may be provided inside or outside the electronic device (10), and if provided outside, the storage unit (130) may be connected to the electronic device (10) through a wired interface unit (121).

[0094] In this specification, the term "storage unit" is defined as including a storage unit (130), a ROM (not shown), a RAM (not shown) within a processor (140), or a memory card (not shown) that can be mounted on an electronic device (10) (e.g., a micro SD card, a memory stick).

[0095] According to one embodiment, the storage unit (130) may store a TV application or TV client as a program that enables the electronic device (10) to operate as a television, and a VOD application as a program that enables content received from an external device such as a server to be played.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the storage unit (130) may store history information regarding text input. Based on the stored history information, the electronic device (10) may provide recommended characters to be entered following the currently entered characters through the display (110).

[0097] According to one embodiment, the history information for text input may be stored in an external device, i.e., a server, that can be connected through the interface unit (120). In this case, the electronic device (10) may provide information about the currently selected character to the server, receive data related to the recommended character from the server, and provide the recommended character through the display (110).

[0098] The electronic device (10) may include a processor (140).

[0099] The processor (140) performs control for the operation of the various components of the electronic device (10). The processor (140) may include a control program (or instruction) that enables such control operation, a non-volatile memory in which the control program is installed, a volatile memory in which at least a portion of the installed control program is loaded, and at least one general-purpose processor, such as a microprocessor, an application processor, or a central processing unit (CPU), that executes the loaded control program.

[0100] The processor (140) may include a single core, dual core, triple core, quad core, and multiples thereof. The processor (140) may include a plurality of processors, for example, a main processor and a sub processor that operates in sleep mode (for example, only standby power is supplied and it does not operate as a display device). Additionally, the processor, ROM, and RAM may be interconnected via an internal bus.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) may include an image processing unit that performs various preset processes on a content signal received from a source. The processor (140) may output an output signal generated or combined by performing image processing to the display (110), thereby enabling an image corresponding to the image signal to be displayed on the display (110).

[0102] The image processing unit may include a decoder that decodes the image signal to correspond to a predetermined image format of the electronic device (10) and / or a scaler that adjusts the image signal to match the output specifications of the display (110).

[0103] According to one embodiment, the decoder is, for example, an H.264 / AVC decoder, but is not limited thereto. That is, the video decoder according to the embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as a decoder according to various compression standards, such as an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) decoder or an HEVC (High Efficiency Video Codec) decoder.

[0104] The decoder may be implemented as a hardware decoder or a software decoder. According to one embodiment, a plurality of decoders may be provided in the electronic device (10). Here, each of the plurality of decoders provided in the electronic device (10) may be implemented as a hardware decoder or as a software decoder. The number and / or type of decoders provided in the electronic device (10) of the present invention is not limited.

[0105] In the present invention, the types of content processed by the image processing unit are not limited. For example, the content that can be processed by the image processing unit may include not only video, such as video, but also photographs such as JPEG files, still images such as wallpapers, and menu items of a UI.

[0106] The types of image processing processes performed by the image processing unit of the present invention are not limited, and for example, at least one of various processes such as de-interlacing, which converts an interlaced broadcast signal into a progressive signal, noise reduction, detail enhancement, frame refresh rate conversion, and line scanning for improving image quality can be performed.

[0107] In one embodiment, the image processing unit may be implemented as an image board mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) with circuit configurations such as various chipsets, memory, electronic components, and wiring for performing each of these processes. In this case, the electronic device (10) may have a processor (140) including a tuner and an image processing unit on a single image board. Of course, this is merely an example and may be placed on multiple printed circuit boards connected to communicate with each other.

[0108] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can be implemented in a form included in a main SoC mounted on a PCB embedded in an electronic device (10).

[0109] The control program may include program(s) implemented in at least one form among BIOS, device driver, operating system, firmware, platform, and application. In one embodiment, the application may be pre-installed or stored in the electronic device (10) at the time of manufacturing the electronic device (10), or may be installed in the electronic device (10) based on the received data by receiving application data from an external source when using it later. The application data may be downloaded to the electronic device (10) from an external server, such as an application market, for example. Such an external server is an example of a computer program product of the present invention, but is not limited thereto.

[0110] The control program may be written to a device-readable storage medium, such as a computer. The device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium or a non-volatile storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory storage medium' simply means that it is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily. For example, a 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer where data is stored temporarily.

[0111] In an electronic device (10) according to one embodiment, the processor (140) can process a signal so that an image of a predetermined channel is displayed based on a broadcast signal. Additionally, the processor (140) can process a signal so that an image of a predetermined content is displayed based on a signal received from an external device, such as a server, through an interface unit (120).

[0112] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can process the display (110) to display a virtual keyboard with a plurality of characters arranged on it.

[0113] The processor (140) can control the display of a virtual keyboard image merged into an image being displayed on the display (110), or the display of a virtual keyboard image overlaid on an image being displayed in the form of, for example, an OSD or UI. According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control the display by adjusting the transparency of the overlaid virtual keyboard.

[0114] According to one embodiment, a user can input text by selecting at least one character arranged on a virtual keypad using a button of an input device (20), for example, an arrow key, while the virtual keyboard is displayed on the display (110).

[0115] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can process at least one character on the virtual keyboard to be highlighted. The highlight may include processing such as, for example, color, shading, size, bold, animation effects such as blinking. The form / type of the highlight is not limited, and two or more highlights may be applied to and displayed on the selected character.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can identify a recommended character to be entered following the currently entered / selected character based on information regarding the entered text, for example, user history information, and control the display (110) so that the recommended character identified on the virtual keyboard is highlighted. That is, the character highlighted on the virtual keyboard can be provided to the user as a recommended character. Information regarding the entered text may be stored in at least one of an external device, such as a server, which can be connected through the storage unit (130) or the interface unit (120).

[0117] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing recommended characters in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 3, the processor (140) of the electronic device (10) according to one embodiment can obtain information about the order of a plurality of characters that constitute a word as text that can be input by a user in operation 311.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) analyzes text input by a user and can obtain information regarding the order of each character constituting the input text, for example, a word or a sentence. Here, the information regarding the order of the characters may include, for example, information regarding the order in which consonants and vowels or alphabets constituting a word are connected.

[0120] For example, when a user inputs the word "winter" in Korean, the processor (140) can obtain information regarding the order of characters that make up the word "winter," that is, the order of input of consonants or vowels, such that the vowel "yeo" is input after the consonant "g", the consonant "o" is input after the vowel "yeo", the vowel "u" ​​is input after the consonant "o", and the consonant "l" is input after the vowel "u".

[0121] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can analyze a plurality of texts (words) input as described above and store the analysis result, that is, information regarding the order of characters, in the storage unit (130). The processor (140) can store the analysis result regarding the text as raw data, or store the information regarding the order of characters as an analysis result by counting.

[0122] For example, when the Korean word "winter" is entered, the processor (140) can store count information (e.g., count=6) by counting the number of times the vowel "yeo" is entered after the consonant "g" (cumulative count). In the same way, the processor (140) can store count information (e.g., count=4) by counting the number of times the consonant "o" is entered after the vowel "yeo", store count information (e.g., count=12) by counting the number of times the vowel "u" ​​is entered after the consonant "o", and store count information (e.g., count=9) by counting the number of times the consonant "l" is entered after the vowel "u". Here, in the case of Korean, the processor (140) can store information in which the input counts of consonants and vowels are counted separately.

[0123] As another example, when a user inputs the word “tear” in English, the processor (140) can obtain information about the order of characters that make up the input word, that is, the order of input of the alphabet, such that “t” is followed by “e”, “e” is followed by “a”, and “a” is followed by “r”.

[0124] The processor (140) can store such sequence information, that is, count the number of times “e” is entered after “t” and store count information (e.g., count=8), count the number of times “a” is entered after “e” and store count information (e.g., count=10), and count the number of times “r” is entered after “a” and store count information (e.g., count=7). Here, in the case of English, the processor (140) can store information by counting the number of inputs by separating lowercase letters, or, depending on the case, store information by counting the number of inputs without distinguishing between uppercase and lowercase letters.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can accumulate and store information about text input by the user, for example, the order of characters constituting a word, as user data from the first use of the electronic device (10). The processor (140) can provide the accumulated and stored data to an external device, such as a server, through the interface unit (120).

[0126] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can obtain information about the order of characters constituting text from an external device, such as a server, through an interface unit (120).

[0127] An external device, i.e., a server, can provide information generated based on user data received from multiple electronic devices to the electronic device (10), or provide information generated by learning itself to the electronic device (10).

[0128] For example, the server can analyze predetermined general-purpose words, that is, words that are commonly used frequently, through learning, and provide information about the sequence of characters generated accordingly to an individual device such as an electronic device (10). Here, the information provided may include information about a group of character candidates regarding a plurality of characters (second characters) that can be input following a predetermined character (first character), and ranking information for each character in the character candidate group.

[0129] The processor (140) can identify a recommended ranking (priority) for a character that can be entered following the currently entered character, based on the information obtained in operation 311, namely, information about the order of characters, in operation 312. Here, the currently entered character is, for example, a character selected by the user on the virtual keyboard displayed on the display (110).

[0130] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can identify a priority for a group of candidates for a character that can be entered following the currently entered character, that is, a character with a high expectation that can come after the currently entered character.

[0131] For example, when a user inputs the consonant "ㄱ" as a Korean character, the processor (140) can identify a character with a high expectation value among a group of candidate characters that can be input subsequently, such as "ㅕ", "ㅡ", etc., by considering a number of candidate words, such as winter, swing, etc., as having a high recommendation ranking.

[0132] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can identify a priority for a group of candidates based on count information of characters that can be entered following the currently entered character.

[0133] The processor (140) can identify count information (e.g., count=8) corresponding to the number of times the vowel “o” is entered after the consonant “g”. In the same way, the processor (140) can identify count information (e.g., count=12) corresponding to the number of times the vowel “a” is entered after the consonant “g”, identify count information (e.g., count=5) corresponding to the number of times the vowel “yeo” is entered after the consonant “g”, identify count information (e.g., count=4) corresponding to the number of times the vowel “yo” is entered after the consonant “g”, and identify count information (e.g., count=3) corresponding to the number of times the vowel “eo” is entered after the consonant “g”.

[0134] The processor (140) can identify the priority of each character in the order of “ㅏ”, “ㅗ”, “ㅕ”, “ㅛ”, “ㅓ” as a group of candidates that can be entered following the input character, namely “ㄱ”, in response to the identified count information.

[0135] As another example, when a user inputs the alphabet "t" as an English character, the processor (140) can identify count information (e.g., count=10) corresponding to the number of times "e" is input after "t". In the same way, the processor (140) can identify count information (e.g., count=4) corresponding to the number of times "h" is input after "t", identify count information (e.g., count=7) corresponding to the number of times "i" is input after "t", identify count information (e.g., count=6) corresponding to the number of times "r" is input after "t", identify count information (e.g., count=3) corresponding to the number of times "f" is input after "t", and identify count information (e.g., count=5) corresponding to the number of times "u" is input after "t".

[0136] The processor (140) can identify the recommended ranking (priority) for two or more second characters to be entered following the input character, i.e., "t", in the order of "e", "i", "r", "u", "h", "f", in response to the identified count information.

[0137] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can identify a recommended ranking for a character to be entered following a currently entered character, corresponding to a predetermined ranking. For example, the processor (140) can identify a recommended ranking for a character that can be entered following a predetermined character, corresponding to a predetermined ranking, from the time of the first use of the electronic device (10) until a predetermined amount of user data is accumulated. Here, information regarding the predetermined ranking may be stored in a storage unit (130) in advance during the manufacture of the electronic device (10), or provided to the electronic device (10) through an interface unit (120) from an external device such as a server.

[0138] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) may combine or merge information about the order of characters obtained from user data of the electronic device (10) and information about a predetermined rank to identify a recommended rank for characters to be entered following the currently entered characters.

[0139] The processor (140) can provide a group of recommended characters that can be entered following the currently entered character, based on the recommendation ranking identified in operation 312 in operation 313.

[0140] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) has a recommendation ranking for inputting a first character currently selected among a plurality of characters on a virtual keyboard displayed on a display (110), and can identify two or more second characters arranged to correspond to two or more directional keys provided in the input device (20) for the first character on the virtual keyboard, and control the identified two or more second characters to be highlighted and provided as recommended characters.

[0141] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing recommended characters through a virtual keyboard in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0142] Referring to FIG. 4, the processor (140) of the electronic device (10) according to one embodiment can display a virtual keyboard (500) with a plurality of characters arranged on the display (110) in operation 411.

[0143] FIG. 5 illustrates an example in which a virtual keyboard is displayed according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0144] Referring to FIG. 5, according to one embodiment, a virtual keyboard (500) displayed on a display (110) may include a button area (510) in which a plurality of characters are arranged, and an input window (520) that displays the result of a user's selection or input of a plurality of characters located in the button area (510). Here, a plurality of keys (virtual keys) (511, 512, 513, 514) may be positioned in the button area (510) according to a predetermined arrangement, and the plurality of keys (511, 512, 513, 514) may include character keys (511, 512), number keys (513), menu keys (514), etc. That is, at least some of the plurality of keys (511, 512, 513, 514) may be provided to correspond to a plurality of characters, respectively.

[0145] According to one embodiment, a plurality of keys (511, 512, 513, 514) of the button area (510) may be arranged in a QWERTY manner, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, but are not limited thereto.

[0146] According to one embodiment, the virtual keyboard (500) may be displayed in a portion of the display (110), for example, at the bottom.

[0147] Referring again to FIG. 4, the processor (140) can receive a first user input in operation 412, which selects a first character among a plurality of characters arranged on a virtual keyboard (500).

[0148] According to one embodiment, with a virtual keyboard (500) displayed on a display (110), a user can select, for example, the alphabet "t" as a first character by operating the arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214) of the input device (20). Referring to FIG. 5, the user can select "t" as the first character by operating the arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214) to position a cursor or focus, which is displayed in correspondence with the position of user input, on a virtual key (511) corresponding to "t", and by selecting the enter key (225) of the input device (20).

[0149] Here, the first character is not limited to the first character entered by the user. That is, the first character can be defined as any character selected by the user during text input that forms a word or sentence.

[0150] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control the display (110) to display the selected first character, i.e., "t", as an input result in the input window (520).

[0151] The processor (140) has a recommended ranking (priority) for inputting a first character selected in operation 413, and can identify two or more second characters arranged to correspond to two or more directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) respectively for the first character on the virtual keyboard (500).

[0152] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) identifies a plurality of candidate groups of second characters that can be input following a first character, and can identify two or more second characters among the plurality of candidate groups of second characters based on ranking information for each of the candidate groups of second characters.

[0153] For example, the processor (140) can identify the recommendation ranking of all characters in a candidate group of second characters that can be entered following the first character, and separate the characters with identified recommendation rankings by areas corresponding to each direction key (211, 212, 213, 214), and identify one character with the highest recommendation ranking for each area as two or more second characters.

[0154] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control the display (110) so that two or more second characters identified in this way are highlighted and displayed on the virtual keyboard (500) as recommended characters. Here, the highlight applied to the second characters may be called a first highlight to distinguish it from the highlight applied to the third characters described later.

[0155] FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which recommended characters are highlighted on a virtual keyboard according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0156] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can identify two or more second characters, “e,” “i,” and “h,” which are arranged to correspond to two or more directional keys (211, 212, 214) on the virtual keyboard (500), having a recommended ranking among a plurality of characters that can be input following “t” as a first character, for example, “e,” “i,” “r,” “u,” “h,” and “f,” based on information obtained in operation 311 of FIG. 3.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 6, virtual keys (611, 612, 613) corresponding to two or more identified second characters, “e,” “i,” and “h,” respectively, can be highlighted on the virtual keyboard (500) and displayed on the display (110). Here, it can be seen that the two or more identified second characters, “e,” “i,” and “h,” corresponding to the highlighted virtual keys (611, 612, 613), are arranged to correspond to the left arrow key (211), right arrow key (212), and down arrow key (214) of the input device (20) for the first character “t” on the virtual keyboard (500), respectively.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can display two or more identified virtual keys of second characters, for example, virtual keys (611, 612, 613) of “e”, “i”, and “h” in FIG. 6, each distinguished from one another according to the direction of the corresponding directional keys (211, 212, 214). For example, the virtual key (611) corresponding to the left directional key (211), the virtual key (612) corresponding to the right directional key (212), and the virtual key (614) corresponding to the down directional key (214) may be displayed in different colors. As another example, an indicator (e.g., an arrow icon, etc.) indicating the corresponding direction may be overlaid and displayed on the virtual key (611) corresponding to the left arrow key (211), the virtual key (612) corresponding to the right arrow key (212), and the virtual key (614) corresponding to the down arrow key (214).

[0159] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) may present a predetermined number of second characters as recommended characters corresponding to two or more directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) respectively, based on the position of the first character on the virtual keyboard (500).

[0160] For example, when the first character is located in the center of row 1 or row 3 of the virtual keyboard (500), such as “t” or “v”, three second characters may be highlighted as recommended characters corresponding to the left, right, and down arrow keys (211, 212, 214) or the left, right, and up arrow keys (211, 212, 213), respectively.

[0161] As another example, when the first character is located in the middle of the second row, such as "f" or "s", four second characters can be highlighted as recommended characters corresponding to the left, right, up, and down arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214), respectively.

[0162] As another example, when the first character is located at the edge of row 1 or row 3 of the virtual keyboard (500), such as “q”, “p”, “z”, or “m”, two second characters may be highlighted as recommended characters corresponding to the right and down arrow keys (212, 214), the left and down arrow keys (211, 214), the right and up arrow keys (212, 213), or the left and up arrow keys (211, 213), respectively.

[0163] As another example, when the first character is located on the left or right edge of the second row, such as "a" or "l", three second characters may be highlighted as recommended characters in response to the right, up, and down arrow keys (212, 213, 214) or the left, up, and down arrow keys (211, 213, 214), respectively.

[0164] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control that two or more second characters identified as recommended characters on the virtual keyboard (500) are selectively enabled, and other characters other than the identified two or more characters are disabled.

[0165] Referring to FIG. 6, virtual keys (611, 612, 614) for the second characters “e”, “i”, and “h”, identified by corresponding to the arrow keys (211, 212, 214) respectively for the first character “t”, can be activated so that they can be selected by the user on the virtual keyboard (500). Here, the processor (140) controls the keys corresponding to other characters, excluding the activated virtual keys (611, 612, 614), so that they cannot be selected by the arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214).

[0166] For example, referring to FIG. 6, when the cursor is positioned on the virtual key (511) of the first character “t”, if the user selects the left arrow key (211) once, the cursor moves to the virtual key (611) of the activated “e” instead of “r” adjacent to “t”, and the user can select the Enter key (225) to select the second character “e” where the cursor is positioned. Here, if the user selects the left arrow key (211) once more, the cursor can move to the virtual key (612) of the activated “i”. In the same way, when the cursor is positioned on the virtual key (511) of the first character “t”, if the user selects the down arrow key (214) once, the cursor can move to the virtual key (614) of the activated “h”.

[0167] That is, each directional key (211, 212, 213, 214) is activated to select only one character, and the user can intuitively select any one of the activated second characters “e”, “i”, “h” by operating one of the directional keys (211, 212, 214) of the input device (20).

[0168] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) may identify a third character arranged in correspondence with the first character on the virtual keyboard (500) by the arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214), having a recommendation ranking after the second character, and control the display (110) so that the identified third character is highlighted. Here, the processor (140) may apply different highlights to the second character and the third character, respectively. That is, a first highlight may be applied to the aforementioned second character, and a second highlight different from the first highlight may be applied to the third character.

[0169] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can identify “r”, “u”, and “f” as third characters arranged in correspondence with the arrow keys (211, 212, 214) on the virtual keyboard (500), having a recommendation ranking after the second characters “e”, “i”, and “h” among a plurality of characters that can be entered following “t” as a first character, for example, “e”, “i”, “r”, “u”, “h”, and “f”.

[0170] Referring to FIG. 6, virtual keys (621, 622, 624) corresponding to the identified third characters “r”, “u”, and “f”, respectively, can be highlighted (second highlight) on the virtual keyboard (500) and displayed on the display (110).

[0171] Accordingly, the user can easily recognize not only the second character currently available for input following the first character, but also the third character with the next recommended ranking.

[0172] Referring again to FIG. 4, the processor (140) can receive a second user input in operation 414 by using the directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) of the input device (20) to select one of two or more second characters identified in operation 413.

[0173] FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate examples in which a recommended character is selected on a virtual keyboard according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0174] Referring to FIG. 7, in one embodiment, the processor (140) can receive a second user input selecting “e” corresponding to the left arrow key (211) from among two or more recommended characters that can be entered following the first character “t”, namely, two or more second characters “e”, “i”, “h”. That is, when the user selects the left arrow key (211) of the input device (20), a second user input selecting the corresponding second character “e” is received.

[0175] The processor (140) can perform an operation based on a second character corresponding to a direction key selected according to a second user input in operation 415.

[0176] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control the display (110) to display the second character "e" selected in response to the direction key (211) as an input result in the input window (520) as an operation based on the second character, as shown in FIG. 8, when the left direction key (211) is selected as a second user input as shown in FIG. 7.

[0177] Additionally, the processor (140) has a recommended ranking (priority) for inputting the selected second character as an operation based on the second character, and can identify two or more fourth characters arranged to correspond to two or more directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) respectively for the second character on the virtual keyboard (500).

[0178] Referring to FIG. 8, the processor (140) can identify, for example, "a", "y", "f" as two or more fourth characters arranged to correspond to two or more directional keys (211, 212, 214) on the virtual keyboard (500), having a recommended ranking among a plurality of characters entered following "e" as a second character based on information obtained in operation 311 of FIG. 3.

[0179] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control the display (110) so that, as an operation based on the second character, two or more identified fourth characters are highlighted (first highlight) and displayed on the virtual keyboard (500) as recommended characters for the second character. That is, referring to FIG. 8, virtual keys (811, 812, 814) corresponding to the two or more identified fourth characters “a”, “y”, and “f”, respectively, can be highlighted and displayed on the display (110).

[0180] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control that two or more fourth characters identified as recommended characters on the virtual keyboard (500), namely “a”, “y”, and “f”, are selectably activated, and other characters other than the two or more identified characters are deactivated. The user can intuitively select any one of the activated fourth characters “a”, “y”, and “f” by operating one of the directional keys (211, 212, 214) of the input device (20).

[0181] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) identifies a fifth character, such as "s", "r", "c", which has a recommendation ranking next to the fourth character and is arranged in correspondence with the arrow keys (211, 212, 214) for the second character on the virtual keyboard (500), and can control the display (110) so that the identified fifth characters "s", "r", "c" are highlighted (second highlight) as shown in FIG. 8.

[0182] Referring to FIG. 9, the processor (140) can receive a new user input that selects one of two or more identified fourth characters, for example, "a" corresponding to the left arrow key (211), using the arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214) of the input device (20).

[0183] Referring to FIG. 10, the processor (140) displays the selected fourth character "a" as an input result in the input window (520) and has a recommendation ranking for inputting the selected fourth character "a", and can control to identify two or more sixth characters, such as "g", "r", and "c", which are arranged in correspondence with two or more directional keys (212, 213, 214) for the fourth character on the virtual keyboard (500), so that they are displayed as a first highlight. Additionally, the processor (140) can control to identify second characters, such as "k", "w", and "v", which are arranged in correspondence with the fourth character on the virtual keyboard (500), which are arranged in correspondence with two or more directional keys (212, 213, 214) for the fourth character, so that they are displayed as a second highlight, having a recommendation ranking next to the sixth character.

[0184] Accordingly, the electronic device (10) according to one embodiment intuitively presents to the user recommended characters arranged in correspondence with the directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) for the currently entered character on the virtual keyboard (500), and since the recommended characters can be easily selected according to user input using the directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214), the user's convenience in text input using the input device (20) can be further improved.

[0185] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) can change and provide recommended characters according to the user's request.

[0186] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of changing and providing recommended characters through a virtual keyboard in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 illustrates an example of changing recommended characters in a virtual keyboard according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0187] According to one embodiment, FIG. 7 is a specific flowchart that presents a third character having the following recommended ranking in operation 413 of FIG. 4 for selection, wherein operations 1111-1113 of FIG. 11 may be included in operation 413.

[0188] Referring to FIGS. 6 and FIGS. 11, the processor (140) can control the display (110) to display a first highlight of a second character, for example, “e,” “i,” and “h” of FIG. 6, which is arranged in the virtual keyboard (500) in correspondence with the first character and has a recommended ranking for input following the first character in operation 1111. Here, the second character is the character identified in operation 413 of FIG. 4, and as previously described, a third character, “r,” “u,” and “f”, which has a recommended ranking following the second character, can be displayed as a second highlight.

[0189] The processor (140) can receive a third user input different from the second user input in operation 1112.

[0190] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) may receive a third user input, which is not a second user input selecting two or more second characters “e,” “i,” and “h” from the user. The third user input may correspond to any one of the following: a key other than the arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214), for example, the selection of the INFO key (223) shown in FIG. 12; a double click of any one of the multiple keys of the input device (20), for example, the upward arrow key (213); or a simultaneous selection of two or more keys among the multiple keys, for example, the right arrow key (212) and the RETURN key (224).

[0191] The processor (140) can display the third character, which has a recommendation ranking next to the second character based on the third user input in operation 1113 and is arranged in correspondence with the arrow keys for the first character on the virtual keyboard (500), as the first highlight. That is, the third user input can correspond to a toggle command to switch the recommended characters that are activated to enable user selection.

[0192] Referring to FIG. 12, the processor (140) can control the first highlight display of “r”, “u”, and “f” as third characters based on the third user input. Additionally, the processor (140) can further identify “w”, “k”, and “c” which are arranged in correspondence with the arrow keys (211, 212, 214) on the virtual keyboard (500) and have a recommendation ranking after the third characters “r”, “u”, and “f” among a plurality of characters that can be entered following the first character “t”, and can control the second highlight display of virtual keys (1221, 1222, 1224) corresponding to the identified “r”, “u”, and “f” respectively on the virtual keyboard (500) to be displayed on the display (110).

[0193] Accordingly, in an electronic device (10) according to one embodiment, even if the desired character is not presented as the top recommendation, the user can quickly find and input the character by a simple toggle operation.

[0194] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) can provide recommended words based on words selected by the user.

[0195] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing recommended words in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 14 to 16 illustrate examples in which recommended words are displayed according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0196] Operations 1311 to 1314 of FIG. 13 correspond respectively to operations 411 to 414 of FIG. 4 described above, and descriptions of identical or similar configurations may be omitted.

[0197] Referring to FIG. 13, the processor (140) of the electronic device (10) according to one embodiment can display a virtual keyboard (500) with a plurality of characters arranged on the display (110) in operation 1311.

[0198] The processor (140) can receive a first user input in operation 1312, selecting a first character among a plurality of characters arranged on a virtual keyboard (500), for example, "e" in FIG. 8.

[0199] The processor (140) has a recommended ranking for input following the first character selected in operation 1313 and can identify two or more second characters arranged corresponding to two or more directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) respectively for the first character selected on the virtual keyboard (500), e.g., "e". The processor (140) can control the identified second characters, e.g., "a", "y", "f", to be first highlighted on the display (110), as shown in FIG. 8.

[0200] The processor (140) can receive a second user input in operation 1314 by using the directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) of the input device (20) to select one of two or more second characters identified in operation 1313. Referring to FIG. 9, the user can make a second user input by selecting the left directional key (211) to select "a" among the second characters "g", "r", and "c".

[0201] The processor (140) can display a recommended word including a first character and a second character selected by the user in operation 1315.

[0202] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can selectably display a recommended word including a first character and a second character in one area of ​​the virtual keyboard (500).

[0203] Referring to FIG. 14, the processor (140) can display a list of recommended words in one area of ​​the virtual keyboard (500) that includes at least one item (1411, 1412, 1413, 1414) selectable by the user, corresponding to at least one recommended word including a first character "e" selected in operation 1312 and a second character "a" selected in operation 1314.

[0204] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control the display of recommended words by changing them according to user input.

[0205] Referring to FIG. 15, for example, the user can select a fourth character "c" having a recommendation rank to be entered after the second character "a" by operating the down arrow key (214) while a list of recommended word items (1411, 1412, 1413, 1414) containing the first character "e" and the second character "a" is displayed.

[0206] The processor (140) can control the display (110) to display a recommended word that further includes a fourth character "c" corresponding to the selected directional key (214). That is, referring to FIG. 15, the processor (140) can display a recommended word list in one area of ​​the virtual keyboard (500) that includes at least one item (1511, 1512, 1513, 1514) selectable by the user, corresponding to at least one recommended word that includes a first character "e", a second character "a", and a fourth character "c".

[0207] Again, referring to FIG. 13, the processor (140) receives a fourth user input selecting a recommended word in operation 1316 and can perform an operation based on the received fourth user input.

[0208] According to one embodiment, the fourth user input may include a movement input for moving to a recommended word list containing items (1411, 1412, 1413, 1414) of recommended words, and a selection input for selecting one of the recommended words from the recommended word list. The movement input may correspond to, for example, a selection of a key other than the arrow keys (211, 212, 213, 214), for example, the TOOL key (222) shown in FIG. 14, but is not limited thereto.

[0209] The processor (140) can control that when a movement input, i.e., a selection of the TOOL key (222), is received from the user, the items (1411, 1412, 1413, 1414) of the recommended word list are enabled to be selected. Here, the processor (140) can control that only the items (1411, 1412, 1413, 1414) of the recommended word list are selectable, and that the character keys within the virtual keyboard (500) are disabled.

[0210] Referring to FIGS. 14 and 16, the user can make a selection input by using the directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) of the input device (20) to position a cursor for "teach" corresponding to one of the recommended characters, for example, item (1413), and selecting the Enter key (225). Accordingly, a fourth user input selecting the recommended word "teach" is received.

[0211] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can control the display (110) to display the selected recommended word "teach" as an input result in the input window (520) as shown in FIG. 16, as an operation based thereon, when the recommended word "teach" is selected as a fourth user input.

[0212] Additionally, the processor (140) can control the operation based on the fourth user input to perform a search for content related to the selected recommended word “teach” and display the search results through the display (110).

[0213] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) can provide recommended words for each area corresponding to the direction key.

[0214] FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing recommended words by region in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0215] Referring to FIG. 17, the processor (140) of the electronic device (10) according to one embodiment can identify the location of a first character selected based on a first user input on a virtual keyboard (500) in operation 1711.

[0216] The processor (140) can determine two or more areas partitioned in the virtual keyboard (500) to correspond to two or more directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) respectively, based on the position of the first character identified in operation 1712.

[0217] FIG. 18 illustrates an example of determining an area corresponding to a directional key in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0218] Referring to FIG. 18, the processor (140) can determine areas (1811, 1812, 1814) partitioned in the virtual keyboard (500) to correspond to arrow keys (211, 212, 214) respectively, based on the position of a first character identified in the virtual keyboard (500), for example, "t".

[0219] According to one embodiment, each area (1811, 1812, 1814) may be a fixed area predetermined to correspond to the position of the first character. Here, an area for each directional key where the next character to be input after each character is located may be predetermined and stored in a storage unit (130).

[0220] According to one embodiment, each area may vary according to the recommendation ranking of a plurality of second characters. For example, since "d" is located in the lower left for the first character "t", it may be included in the area corresponding to the left arrow key (211) or in the area corresponding to the lower arrow key (214). Here, the area where a character such as "d" is located may be defined as an overlapping area, and the determination of the area according to the recommendation ranking of the second character included in the overlapping area will be explained in detail in FIGS. 19 to 22.

[0221] Again, referring to FIG. 17, in operation 1713, the processor (140) can identify two or more second characters having a recommendation ranking for each determined area.

[0222] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) classifies a plurality of characters that can be input following "t" as a first character into each area (1811, 1812, 1814) based on information obtained in operation 311 of FIG. 3, and can identify one character with the highest recommendation ranking among the characters of each classified area (1811, 1812, 1814) as two or more characters having a recommendation ranking in each area (1811, 1812, 1814).

[0223] Referring to FIG. 18, for example, among the characters in the left area (1811) corresponding to the left arrow key (211), "e", among the characters in the right area (1812) corresponding to the right arrow key (212), "i", and among the characters in the lower area (1814) corresponding to the lower arrow key (214), "h" can be identified as two or more second characters having a recommended ranking.

[0224] The processor (140) can control the display (110) so that two or more second characters identified in this way are highlighted (first highlight) and displayed on the virtual keyboard (500), as described in operation 413 of FIG. 4.

[0225] FIGS. 19 to 22 illustrate other examples of determining an area corresponding to a directional key in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0226] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can identify areas corresponding to each directional key (211, 212, 213, 214) based on the position of the first character identified in operation 1712.

[0227] Referring to FIG. 19, the processor (140) can identify a left area (1911) corresponding to the left arrow key (211) for a first character, for example, "t". Also, referring to FIG. 20, the processor (140) can identify a right area (1912) corresponding to the right arrow key (212) for a first character, for example, "t". Also, referring to FIG. 21, the processor (140) can identify a lower area (1914) corresponding to the down arrow key (214) for a first character, for example, "t".

[0228] Here, each identified region (1911, 1912, 1914) may have an overlapping region that is included in two different regions.

[0229] Referring to FIG. 22, the processor (140) can identify a first overlapping area (2214) in which characters included in both the left area (1911) and the lower area (1914) are located, and a second overlapping area (2216) in which characters included in both the right area (1912) and the lower area (1914) are located.

[0230] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) may compare the recommendation ranking (priority) in each of the two regions containing the character for each character included in the overlapping regions (2214, 2216), and may provide the character with the higher ranking in each of the two regions as two or more second characters.

[0231] For example, when the recommended ranking of characters in the left area (1911) is in the order of "d", "e", "r", "w", "a", "f", and the recommended ranking of characters in the lower area (1914) is in the order of "d", "a", "f", "s", "h", "g", it is confirmed that "d", which has a first-ranked recommendation ranking in the lower area (1914), and "a", which has a second-ranked recommendation ranking, are both located in the first overlapping area (2214). On the other hand, it is confirmed that "d", which has a first-ranked recommendation ranking in the left area (1911), is located in the first overlapping area (2214), but "e", which has a second-ranked recommendation ranking, is located only in the left area (1911).

[0232] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) allows as many characters as possible among the characters having a high recommendation rank in each area (1911, 1914) as described above, namely “d”, “a”, and “e”, to be designated as recommended characters corresponding to each direction key (211, 212, 214).

[0233] For example, if "d" is designated as the second character with the recommendation rank (1st rank) for the down arrow key (214), "e" can be designated as the second character with the recommendation rank (1st rank) for the left arrow key (211), then two of "d", "a", and "e" with the higher recommendation rank can be presented as recommended characters. In this case, "a" can be designated as the third character with the next recommendation rank (2nd rank) of the down arrow area (1914).

[0234] Accordingly, in one embodiment, each area (1911, 1912, 1914) corresponding to the directional keys (211, 212, 214) can be varied so that “d” and “a” of the first overlapping area (2214) are included in the lower area (1914).

[0235] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (10) may utilize the area of ​​the virtual keyboard (500) to provide a second character as a recommended character corresponding to all directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214).

[0236] FIG. 23 illustrates an example of utilizing the area of ​​a virtual keyboard in an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0237] Referring to FIG. 23, the processor (140) may receive a first user input selecting "z" as a first character among a plurality of characters arranged on a virtual keyboard (500) in operation 412 of FIG. 4. In this case, since the key (2311) of the selected first character "z" is located at the edge of the third column, according to the embodiments described above, only two second characters corresponding to two directional keys, namely the right directional key (212) and the down directional key (214), are provided as recommended characters, so the usability of the directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) may be limited.

[0238] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can set a dummy key (2321) corresponding to a first character selected at a predetermined position on the virtual keyboard (500), for example, "z", and identify four second characters that have a recommendation ranking for the first character, which are arranged to correspond to the dummy key (2321) corresponding to the first character on the virtual keyboard (500) and respectively correspond to four directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214), and control the four identified second characters to be highlighted (first highlight) and displayed on the display (110). Here, the dummy key (2321) may be set to be located at the virtual key of the character "g" located at the center of the virtual keyboard (500), for example, but is not limited thereto.

[0239] For example, referring to FIG. 23, four second characters “a”, “i”, “e”, and “b” may be highlighted corresponding to each of the four directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214), and the corresponding virtual keys (2331, 2332, 2333, 2334) may be selectedly activated. The processor (140) can perform an action based on the selected second character “a” based on a second user input in which the user selects any one of the four directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214), for example, the left directional key (211).

[0240] According to one embodiment, the processor (140) can identify four second characters that are arranged to correspond to four directional keys (211, 212, 213, 214) respectively for a dummy key (2321) corresponding to a first character on a virtual keyboard (500), and have a recommendation ranking next to the second character for the first character, and control the identified four second characters to be second highlighted and displayed on the display (110). Here, the processor (140) can control the switching of recommended characters that are activated to enable user selection based on a third user input, as described in operation 1113 of FIG. 11.

[0241] The various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may each include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicationly,” it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0242] The term “module” as used in the various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0243] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory or external memory) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (10)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (140)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (10)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0244] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM It can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0245] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0246] Although the present invention has been described in detail through preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto and can be implemented in various ways within the scope of the claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0247] 10 : Electronic device 110 : Display 120 : Interface section 121 : Wired interface section 122 : Wireless interface 140 : Storage unit 150 : Processor 500 : Virtual Keyboard 20 : Input device 211, 212, 213, 214: Arrow keys

Claims

Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a display; a communication unit that performs communication with an input device provided with two or more directional keys; and a processor that displays a virtual keyboard having a plurality of characters arranged thereon on the display, has a recommendation ranking for inputting a first character among the plurality of characters based on a first user input selecting a first character among the plurality of characters, identifies two or more second characters arranged in the virtual keyboard corresponding to each of the two or more directional keys for the first character, displays the two or more second characters identified in the virtual keyboard so as to be highlighted on the display, and performs an operation based on a second character corresponding to the directional key selected according to a second user input among the two or more second characters, wherein the processor controls the two or more second characters identified in the virtual keyboard to be selectably activated, and other characters excluding the two or more second characters to be deactivated. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor has a recommendation ranking next to the second character, displays a third character arranged in correspondence with the direction key for the first character on the virtual keyboard so as to be highlighted, and performs the operation based on the third character corresponding to the direction key selected according to the second user input instead of the second character. Claim 4 In paragraph 3, the processor displays the third character so that it is highlighted based on the third user input, and the third user input corresponds to any one of the following: the selection of a key other than the directional key in the input device, a double-click of any one of a plurality of keys in the input device, or the simultaneous selection of two or more keys among the plurality of keys. Claim 5 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor displays the second character as a first highlight and has a recommendation ranking next to the second character, and displays the third character arranged in correspondence with the direction key for the first character on the virtual keyboard as a second highlight distinguishable from the second character. Claim 6 An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processor displays a recommended word including the first character and the second character on the display and performs an operation based on a fourth user input selecting the recommended word. Claim 7 In claim 1, the processor is an electronic device that identifies the two or more second characters having the recommended ranking for each of the two or more areas partitioned in the virtual keyboard to correspond to the two or more directional keys based on the position of the first character. Claim 8 In claim 1, the processor is an electronic device that identifies a predetermined number of the second characters based on the position of the first character, corresponding to each of the two or more directional keys. Claim 9 In claim 1, the processor is an electronic device that obtains information about the order of characters constituting the text and identifies the recommendation ranking based on the obtained information. Claim 10 An electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the processor identifies a plurality of candidate groups of second characters that can be input following the first character based on the acquired information, and identifies two or more second characters among the plurality of candidate groups of second characters based on ranking information for each of the candidate groups of second characters. Claim 11 A method for controlling an electronic device that communicates with an input device having two or more directional keys, comprising: an operation of displaying a virtual keyboard having a plurality of characters arranged therein on a display; an operation of identifying two or more second characters arranged in the virtual keyboard corresponding to the first character, each corresponding to the two or more directional keys, based on a first user input selecting a first character among the plurality of characters, and having a recommended ranking for inputting the first character among the plurality of characters; an operation of displaying the identified two or more second characters on the display so as to be highlighted in the virtual keyboard; and an operation of performing an operation based on a second character corresponding to the directional key selected according to a second user input among the two or more second characters, and further comprising an operation of controlling the virtual keyboard so that the identified two or more second characters are selectedably activated and other characters excluding the two or more second characters are deactivated. Claim 12 delete Claim 13 ◈Claim 13 was abandoned upon payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of Claim 11, further comprising: an operation of displaying a third character arranged in correspondence with the direction key for the first character on the virtual keyboard so as to be highlighted, having a recommendation ranking following the second character; and an operation of performing the operation based on the third character corresponding to the direction key selected according to the second user input instead of the second character. Claim 14 ◈Claim 14 was abandoned upon payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of Claim 13 further comprises an operation to display the third character so as to be highlighted based on a third user input, wherein the third user input corresponds to any one of the following: selection of a key other than the directional key in the input device, double-clicking on any one of a plurality of keys of the input device, or simultaneous selection of two or more keys among the plurality of keys. Claim 15 ◈Claim 15 was abandoned upon payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of Claim 11, further comprising: an operation to display the second character as a first highlight; and an operation to display a third character, which has a recommendation ranking next to the second character and is arranged in correspondence with the arrow key for the first character on the virtual keyboard, as a second highlight that is distinguishable from the second character. Claim 16 ◈Claim 16 was abandoned upon payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of Claim 11, further comprising: an operation of displaying a recommended word including the first character and the second character on the display; and an operation of performing the operation based on a fourth user input selecting the recommended word. Claim 17 ◈Claim 17 was abandoned upon payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of Claim 11, further comprising the operation of identifying the two or more second characters having the recommendation ranking for each of the two or more areas partitioned in the virtual keyboard to correspond to the two or more directional keys respectively based on the position of the first character. Claim 18 ◈Claim 18 was abandoned upon payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of Claim 11, further comprising the operation of identifying a predetermined number of the second characters based on the position of the first character, corresponding to each of the two or more directional keys. Claim 19 ◈Claim 19 was abandoned upon payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of Claim 11, further comprising: an operation of obtaining information regarding the order of characters constituting the text; and an operation of identifying the recommendation ranking based on the obtained information. Claim 20 ◈Claim 20 was abandoned upon payment of the registration fee.◈ The method of claim 19 further comprising: an operation of identifying a plurality of candidate groups of second characters that may be entered following the first character based on the acquired information; and an operation of identifying two or more second characters among the plurality of candidate groups of second characters based on ranking information for each of the candidate groups of second characters.

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