Methods and systems for a linear character selection display interface for ambiguous text input

1. A user-interface system for entering an alphanumeric string, the system comprising:

presentation logic for displaying on a presentation device an alphabet arranged into a row of letters, the presentation logic including logic to display a string field for presenting an alphanumeric string of characters selected by a user;

indication logic, cooperative with the presentation logic, for presenting visual cues grouping a series of letters of the row into a cluster of letters to aid in the navigation of the row and the selection of a desired cluster;

navigation logic, cooperative with the indication logic, for receiving user actions from an input device to move the visual cues along the row of letters to change the letters grouped into the cluster, the visual cues moving along the row of letters in variable offsets based on a rate of input of the user actions, wherein the visual cues move by a single offset for each user action in response to user actions entered at or slower than a predetermined rate, and wherein the visual cues move by more than a single offset for each user action in response to user actions entered faster than the predetermined rate; and

selection logic for receiving user actions from the input device to select the cluster of letters to cause at least one of the letters of the selected cluster to be displayed in the string field.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising disambiguation logic for receiving the selected cluster and for disambiguating the selection to a probable user letter selection of one of the letters of the selected cluster.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising disambiguation logic for receiving user actions from the input device to select one of the letters from the selected cluster and for causing the selected letter to be displayed in the string field.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each letter of the selected cluster is selectable by acting only on the corresponding alphanumeric cluster.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a cluster is selectable via a cluster selection action and a letter selection action selects one of the letters of the selected cluster.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the presentation device is separate from the input device so that the user can enter the alphanumeric string while focusing on the presentation device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the presentation device and the input device are included in the same device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the letters of the row of letters are presented in alphabetical order.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising logic, cooperative with the presentation logic, for displaying a row of numerals adjacent to the row of letters.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the cluster includes at least three letters and at least one numeral.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the row of letters includes numerals.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the navigation logic moves the visual cues along the row of letters to change the letters grouped into the cluster from a first subset of the letters to a second subset of the letters, the first and second subsets being separated by letters not in the first or second cluster.

13. A user-interface method for entering an alphanumeric string, the method comprising:

displaying on a presentation device an alphabet arranged into a row of letters;

presenting visual cues grouping a series of letters of the row into a cluster of letters to aid in the navigation of the row and the selection of a desired cluster;

receiving user actions from an input device to move the visual cues along the row of letters to change the letters grouped into the cluster, the visual cues moving along the row of letters in variable offsets based on a rate of input of the user actions, wherein the visual cues move by a single offset for each user action in response to user actions entered at or slower than a predetermined rate, and wherein the visual cues move by more than a single offset for each user action in response to user actions entered faster than the predetermined rate; and

receiving user actions from the input device to select the cluster of letters to cause at least one of the letters of the selected cluster to be displayed in a string field so that an alphanumeric string of characters selected by a user is presented on the presentation device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving the selected cluster and disambiguating the selection to a probable user letter selection of one of the letters of the selected cluster.

15. The method of claim 13 , further receiving user actions from the input device to select one of the letters from the selected cluster and causing the selected letter to be displayed in the string field.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein each letter of the selected cluster is selectable by acting only on the corresponding alphanumeric cluster.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the presentation device is separate from the input device so that the user can enter the alphanumeric string while focusing on the presentation device.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the presentation device and the input device are included in the same device.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the letters of the row of letters are presented in alphabetical order.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising displaying a row of numerals adjacent to the row of letters.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the cluster includes at least three letters and at least one numeral.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the row of letters includes numerals.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the visual cues move along the row of letters to change the letters grouped into the cluster from a first subset of the letters to a second subset of the letters, the first and second subsets being separated by letters not in the first or second cluster.