Reduced keypad entry apparatus and method

摘要

A reduced keypad entry method and apparatus provides a method and apparatus for entry of words using a small number of keypresses on a reduced keypad (210) having multiple symbols associated with at least one key. The method and apparatus uses validity rules (242) to rearrange the order of presentation of the multiple alphabet symbols associated with a single key on the keypad (210), automatically eliminates the presentation of invalid alphabet symbols, and allows the entry of additional information such as a tone markers. Additionally, the method and apparatus uses a dictionary (244) to convert phonetic syllables into Chinese characters.