Abstract: The invention is a method for resolving ambiguity of predictive text entry, such as one used by a portable electronic device (100). A user interface of the portable electronic device (100) includes a processor (206) and an output device (208, 210). The processor (206) is configured to receive the first and second data inputs (304, 312, 404, 412) and determine a word pair corresponding to the first and second data inputs (320, 426). The first data input is associated with a first word and the second data input is associated with a second word. However, the second data input may also be associated with words other than the second word. Thus, the processor (206) identifies possible combinations of word pairs based on the first word and the candidates for the second word (318, 420) and, then, determines the intended word pair from these possible combinations (320, 426). Thereafter, the output device (208, 210) displays the intended word pair determined by the processor (206) (322, 428).

Abstract: An apparatus for inputting ideographic characters such as Chinese and Japanese characters, comprising an input pad having at least three rows and three columns of keys, forming a square with four corners and one corner key at each corner. At least two of the corner keys (1, 3, 7, 9) have corner-shaped stroke representions shaped approximately in correspondence with the corresponding corners. This gives a user a useful visual aid. Keys of a left-hand row (1, 4, 7) represent strokes that predominate in left-hand portions of characters and radicals, and keys of a right-hand row (3, 6, 9) represent strokes that predominate in right-hand portions of characters and radicals. A lower-left key (7) represents a stroke having a right hook and a lower-right key (9) represents a stroke having a left hook. These features lend themselves to ergonomic efficiency in character entry.