System and Method for Displaying Characters Using Gestures

1 . A method for displaying a character on an electronic device, comprising:

displaying a multi-segment display;

detecting a touch gesture overlaid the multi-segment display;

activating segments of the multi-segment display that correspond to the touch gesture; and

displaying the character that corresponds to the activated segments.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-segment display is initially displayed in a neutral mode.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising highlighting the activated segments.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising no longer displaying the multi-segment display when the character is displayed.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-segment display is initially displayed in a neutral mode and the method further comprises:

highlighting the activated segments; and

returning the multi-segment display to the neutral mode when the character is displayed overlaid the multi-segment display.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the character is displayed in a different font than the multi-segment display.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the segments are activated by detecting that the touch gesture position coincides with the segments.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-segment display is used to select a time or a date.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-segment display is a seven-segment display.

10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an input to change the displayed character to a modified character; displaying the modified character; and saving a mapping associating the touch gesture with the modified character.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the input is receiving another touch gesture to display the modified character, and the modified character is a preceding character or a proceeding character relative to the displayed character in a character series.

12 . The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying the modified character when detecting the same touch gesture again.

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein another multi-segment display is displayed, and the method further comprising:

highlighting segments on the other multi-segment display that correspond to a suggested character;

detecting a selection input on the other multi-segment display; and

displaying the suggested character.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the selection input is a tap gesture.

15 . A method of displaying a character on an electronic device, comprising:

displaying a first multi-segment display and a second multi-segment display;

detecting a touch gesture overlaid one of the first and the second multi-segment displays;

activating segments of the one of the first and the second multi-segment displays, the segments corresponding to the touch gesture;

displaying a first character associated with the one of the first and the second multi-segment displays, the first character corresponding to the activated segments; and

modifying the other one of the first and the second multi-segment displays.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the other one of the first and the second multi-segment displays is modified based on the first character.

17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the other one of the first and the second multi-segment displays is modified to display a suggested character, the suggested character associated with the first character.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving an input to display a second character equivalent to the suggested character in association with the other one of the first and the second multi-segment displays.

19 . The method of claim 17 wherein the suggested character is associated with the first character based on data previously provided by a user.

20 . The method of claim 15 wherein:

the one of the first and the second multi-segment displays is the first multi-segment display and the other one of the first and the second multi-segment displays is the second multi-segment display;

the first character displayed is a numeral ‘3’; and

the second multi-segment display is modified by highlighting segments to display a numeral ‘0’.

21 . The method of claim 15 wherein:

the one of the first and the second multi-segment displays is the first multi-segment display and the other one of the first and the second multi-segment displays is the second multi-segment display;

the first character displayed is a numeral ‘1’; and

the second multi-segment display is modified by highlighting segments to display a numeral ‘5’.

22 . The method of claim 15 wherein:

the one of the first and the second multi-segment displays is the second multi-segment display and the other one of the first and the second multi-segment displays is the first multi-segment display; and

the first multi-segment display is modified by displaying a numeral ‘0’ or modified by no longer displaying the first multi-segment display.

23 . An electronic device comprising a processor, a touch-sensitive input mechanism and memory, the memory storing computer executable instructions for:

displaying a multi-segment display;

detecting a touch gesture overlaid the multi-segment display;

activating segments of the multi-segment display that correspond to the touch gesture; and

displaying the character that corresponds to the activated segments.