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Handset Input Interface Methods and Technologies: 2007 - 2011

Published by: ARCchart

Published: Dec. 1, 2006 - 147 Pages


Table of Contents



A. INTRODUCTION

Some definitions

Types of interaction

Data entry

Command & Control

Control surfaces

A.2 History of interfacing technologies

Input on the desktop

The keyboard

The mouse

The rise and fall of the PDA

Early handwriting recognition

The Apple Newton

Microsoft and pen computing

Reduced stroke alphabets

Voice control

Chording

A.3 Mobile phone input interface technologies

Traditional keypads

MultiTap

micro-QWERTY keyboards

Pen Interfaces

A.4 Report scope

Overview

B. THE IMPORTANCE OF INPUT

B.1 The current state of play: messaging is King

The need for annotation

B.2 Increasing use of data-centric applications

Case Study - RIM’s Blackberry

Summary

Case Study - The Nokia 3650

The power of the tech journalist

Summary

B.3 Increased opportunities for value-chain players

Value for the user

Value for the network operator

Value for the handset vendor

B.4 Changing role of the handset

B.5 Style and fashion

C. DATA INPUT INTERFACE TECHNOLOGIES

C.1 Regional issues

Character sets

Latin alphabets

Cyrillic

Logographic languages

Pinyin

BoPoMoFo/ Zhuyin

Outlook

Advances in predictive text

C.2 The keypad

Keypad and keyboard component manufacturers

C.3 Solving the challenges of keypad data input

MultiTap

The future of MultiTap

Next Key

Predictive text

Predictive text technology providers

Tegic

Zi Corporation

Core technology

Customer base

Deployment plans

Prospects

The future of predictive text

The ‘speed’ dialling boost to voice

Sloppy type

Predictive search and discovery

C.4 Mini-QWERTY keyboards

Keyboard usage

The future of mini-keyboards

Email driving the keyboard

Predictive text moves to Mistype

Demand from operators

Logographic languages

Soft keyboards

C.5 Innovative and alternative input interfaces

Lumio (formerly VKB Incorporated)

Core technology

Customer base

Deployment plans

Outlook

The Fastap keyboard

Digit Wireless

Core Technology

Customer Base

Prospects

Voice data-entry

Discrete and contiguous systems

Outlook

Chording

Chording on the Twiddler 2

C.6 Handwriting recognition with pen interfaces

Handwriting recognition solutions

Graffiti

Jot

Decuma

Handwriting recognition outlook

Joined-up writing

C.7 Niche technologies

C.8 Outlook for data input technologies

The objective of input

Input technology comparison

Data entry speeds

Data entry simplicity

Integration decision

D. COMMAND & CONTROL INPUT INTERFACE TECHNOLOGIES

D.1 Directional navigation: wheels, pads and sticks

Scroll wheels

Side-mounted

The jog-dial

Surface-mounted

Scroll-wheel outlook

5-way navigation

Outlook

Trackball

Outlook

D.2 Voice Command & Control

Voice recognition technology suppliers

Voice Tags

Speaker-independent recognition

Natural language interpretation

Outlook

Voice control usage models

Microsoft’s approach

Posture shifting

VoiceSignal’s approach

VoiceSignal

Core technology

Customer base

Deployment Plans

Prospects

The future of voice

Social challenging of voice control

Speech synthesis

Voice searching

Voice APIs

D.3 Motion sensing

The MyOrigio

Sharp

Nintendo Wii

Outlook for motion sensing

D.4 Fingerprint sensors

Beyond biometric security - navigating with fingers

AuthenTec

Technology

Customers

Prospects

Outlook for fingerprint sensors

D.5 Haptics

Haptic deployments

Immersion

Core technology

Customer base

Deployment plans

Prospects

The future of haptics

E. CONTROL SURFACES

E.1 Technologies

Thin-film resistive

Capacitance detection

Haptics

Finger vs. stylus

The advantages of finger control

The advantages of stylus control

Microsoft and UIQ

Outlook for screen-based control surfaces

E.2 Control surface implementations

Soft interfacing

Soft keyboards

Keyboard replacement opportunities

Soft controls

Outlook for soft interfacing

Discrete zone control surfaces

Multifunction control surfaces

Case study - The Alloy’s Polygon concept design

Deployment plans

E.3 Control surface companies

Quantum Research Group

Core technology

Customer base

Deployment plans

Prospects

Synaptics

Core technology

Customer base

Deployment Plans

Prospects

Eleksen

Core technology

Customer base

Deployment plans

Prospects

F. MARKET TRENDS: 2007 TO 2011

F.1 Device fragmentation and specialisation

F.2 The growth of control surfaces

F.3 The ultra-conservative user

Posture shifting

F.4 Gaming

F.5 Input interface forecasts: 2007 to 2011

Methodology

Results

F.6 How many buttons will the handsets have in 5 years?




List of Figures




Figure 1 - A typical 12-key phone keypad

Figure 2 - Popular phone handset form factors

Figure 3 - Two soft keys mounted directly below the screen

Figure 4 - The Maltron Keyboard combines a DVORAK layout with a bowl shape

Figure 5 - The Kinesis Keyboard is bowl-shaped but with a standard QWERTY layout

Figure 6 - The PF-3000, the first PDA

Figure 7 - The Psion Organiser

Figure 8 - The Psion Series 5, featuring a fold-out keyboard capable of supporting touch typing

Figure 9 - The Casio PF-8000

Figure 10 - The Apple Newton

Figure 11 - The Palm Pilot

Figure 12 - The Graffiti reduced-stroke alphabet

Figure 13 - The HalfKeyboard from Matias

Figure 14 - The AgendaA PDA featuring a chording keyboard in addition to "ABC" buttons

Figure 15 - The traditional 12-button keypad

Figure 16 - The Nokia 6800 features an innovative folding keyboard

Figure 17 - The JAM from iMate offers a pen-driven interface

Figure 18 - Breakdown of handset messages composition by input technology - 2006

Figure 19 - Blackberry 5810 (early model)

Figure 20 - Micro-QWERTY keyboard on the Blackberry 7100g

Figure 21 - The Nokia E61 supports the Blackberry push email client

Figure 22 - The Nokia 3650’s a distinctive keypad

Figure 23 - Nokia 3660; similar to the 3650 but different keypad

Figure 24 - The LG Chocolate Phone features buttons based on a capacitance control surface for style

Figure 25 - The Sony Ericsson W850i with dedicated media buttons

Figure 26 - The Nokia 7380

Figure 27 - Nokia’s AEON concept design handset with no physical keys, only control surfaces

Figure 29 - Handwriting recognition on the Sony Ericsson K558

Figure 30 - The traditional 12-button keypad

Figure 31 - Schematic of a handset button

Figure 32 - The Motorola RAZR, with flat keypad

Figure 33 - Selection of keypad designs from Silitech

Figure 34 - Keypad supplier market share: 2006

Figure 50 - Zi’s Qix uses predictive text to search for handset applications and content

Figure 51 - Decuma handwriting recognition

Figure 35 - Email-centric handsets with slab form factor: Blackberry 8700, Motorola Q, Nokia E61, Samsung SGH-i320 and HTC’s Excalibur

Figure 36 - Mini-keyboard slider and swiveler: O2’s XDA IIs and T-Mobile’s MDA IV

Figure 37 - The Nokia Communicator: part phone, part laptop

Figure 38 - The Sony Ericsson P910 and P990

Figure 39 - A micro-QWERTY keyboard on the Blackberry 7100

Figure 40 - The Ogo, a micro-QWERTY keyboard for a data-centric device

Figure 41 - UIQ soft keyboard

Figure 42 - SR keyboard on a Pocket PC handset using Spb’s Full Screen Keyboard application

Figure 43 - A mock-up showing how the VKB Keyboard could be integrated into a handset

Figure 44 - VKB keyboard projector box

Figure 45 - A Fastap keypad

Figure 46 - The LG 6190 has been deployed with a Fastap keyboard

Figure 47 - Contemporary handset design featuring Fastap

Figure 48 - The Twiddler 2 chording interface

Figure 49 - Proof of concept handset design incorporating a Twiddler 2 chording interface

Figure 52 - The Nokia 7280: minimalist interfacing fitted into the ‘lipstick’ phone

Figure 53 - Two soft keys mounted directly below the screen

Figure 54 - Scroll-wheel on the Blackberry 8700

Figure 55 - A jog dial

Figure 56 - Scroll-wheel on the Samsung SGH-i300

Figure 57 - Side-mounted scrolling control surface on the HTC Excalibur

Figure 58 - 5-way navigation control surface on the LG Chocolate (KG800)

Figure 59 - Trackball on the HTC Artemis

Figure 60 - MyOrigo offered a motion-sensing-driven interface

Figure 61 - Sharp V603SH, using motion sensing to enhance games

Figure 62 - The Nintendo Wii

Figure 63 - The WX 310J and LG LP3800 handsets with built in fingerprint readers

Figure 64 - The layers making up a resistive touch-screen

Figure 66 - Stylus-driven (left) and finger-driven (right) user interfaces compared

Figure 67 - A soft keyboard in the Pocket PC SIP

Figure 68 - Soft keyboard on a Pocket PC handset using Spb’s Full Screen Keyboard application

Figure 69 - The FITALY Keyboard, designed to be perfect

Figure 70 - Changeable media player controls on Pocket PC

Figure 71 - The Apple iPod is renowned for its control surface

Figure 72 - The clamshell version of the LG Chocolate Phone is equally stylish

Figure 73 - The dual-function keypad and control surface on the Pantech PG-2800

Figure 74 - The Polygon concept phone from The Alloy

Figure 75 - The Polygon’s changing application input interfaces

Figure 76 - Control surface buttons on the Samsung SPH-B3100

Figure 77- Eleksen control surface built into a jacket

Figure 78 - The Tabbed Panel solves no problems, but has quickly become essential

Figure 79 - Proportion of handset models containing the main interface technologies: 2006

Figure 80 - Keypad and keyboard handset model forecast: 2006 - 2011

Figure 81 - 5-way and fingerprint sensor navigation handset model forecast: 2006 - 2011

Figure 82 - Control surface handset model forecast: 2006 - 2011

Figure 83 - Voice dialling handset model forecast: 2006 - 2011




List of Tables




Table 1 - The ASCII character set

Table 2 - Main keypad suppliers to Tier-1 handset OEMs

Table 3 - Handwriting recognition support by the leading smartphone operating systems

Table 4 - Input speeds (words per minute) of text entry technologies compared

Table 5 - Voice Command & Control functions available by date

Table 6 - Handset models using AuthenTec’s TrueNav

Table 7 - Factors driving and opposing take-up of each input interface

Table 8 - The impact the deployment of each interface has on other interfaces

Abstract

With the 12-key numeric keypad appearing on 95% of all handsets shipped, it is easy to take input interface technologies on the mobile phone for granted. However, it is the handset's physical input interfaces through which users accomplish their fundamental data entry and Command & Control tasks, such as entering characters to construct text messages or navigating through the device's menu system and launching applications. Keypads, keyboards, touch-screens, joypads, joysticks and jog dials are the main interfaces delivering these capabilities today. But as the handset feature-set continues to expand and the number and variety of applications on a phone grows, the mechanisms for interacting and controlling them are put under ever-greater strain: the need for application-specific controls and shortcuts is increased while the user demand for ease of use has never been greater.

This report examines the current state of input interface technologies on mobile phones and provides a view of how input technologies and methods will evolve over the coming years, up to 2011. ARCchart examines interfaces falling under three categories: interfaces for data entry, Command & Control and control surfaces. It discusses the benefits which improved interfacing deliver to the main value-chain players - operators, manufactures and end users - and profiles the various technology vendors providing innovative interface solutions for mobile phones.

Topics of coverage include:
  • A history of input interfaces on handheld devices
  • Input mechanisms delivering value to operators and OEMs
  • How language differences impact data entry
  • Keypad augmentations aimed at boosting the ease and speed of text entry
  • How predictive text is evolving
  • Mini-keyboards and email-centric devices
  • Soft interfaces: on-screen keypads, keyboards and controls
  • Assessment of end user reaction to new and modified interfaces
  • The increasing use of control surfaces to substitute buttons, keypads and scroll wheels
  • The challenges of voice recognition
  • The importance of minimising posture-shifting
  • 5-way navigation using fingerprint sensors
  • Capacitance detection versus resistive technology
  • Finger-driven versus stylus-driven user interfaces
  • Interface BOM impact and potential cost savings


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