Background Art Character systems of Korean, English, French, German, Japanese except Chinese characters are relatively simple and clearly definite. On the other hand, Chinese characters are substantially unlimited to their shapes and the number of strokes. Therefore, it is very hard to digitalize the Chinese characters.

For the last several decades, Chinese computer users have been wresting with the alphabetic keyboard, trying to squeeze the Chinese characters into a computer screen. Conventionally, several ways to input the Chinese characters using the computer keyboard have been used.

Particularly, the"sound-borrowing way (E)"and"classification way ()"are well known in the art. In the"sound-borrowing way", a sound of an input-desired Chinese character is inputted using the phonogram such as English, Korean or Japanese. A group of Chinese

characters corresponding to the sound is displayed. Out of the displayed group, the input-desired Chinese character is pointed and inputted. In the"classification way", a classification number is given to each Chinese character depending upon its shape characteristic and root. An input-desired Chinese character is inputted by reference to a manual in which the classification numbers are entered.

In China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, the"sound-borrowing way" is being used widely as a way to input sounds of Chinese characters by English or native language. However, although a user clearly knows input-desired Chinese character, he/she inputs a Chinese character sound by other language, and selects the input-desired Chinese character from a group of homophonous Chinese characters. This causes an inconvenience for the user. Further, a sound of even an isomorphic Chinese character may be pronounced differently in each country, so that a Chinese character input method using the"sound-borrowing way" adopts a different system in each country. In countries only using Chinese characters (e. g., China, Taiwan, etc.), their native languages must be inputted by a foreign language.

The"classification way"is disclosed in U. S. Patent No.

4,684,926, issued on August 4,1978, U. S. Paten No. 5,970,926, issued on August 4,1998, and Korean Publication Patent No. 00-6943, opened on February 7,2000.

In U. S. Patent No. 4,684,926, the invention relates to a method of coding Chinese characters by giving each of them 8-digits based on five basic strokes and topological patterns of each Chinese character.

The five basic strokes constitute basic roots that are frequently presented and used. In U. S. Patent No. 5,970,926, the invention relates

to a method of coding Chinese characters by giving each of them 8- digits consisting of 4-digits"ID"code that are classified by four corner shapes out of Chinese character shapes. In Korean Publication Patent No. 00-6943, the invention relates to a method of inputting Chinese characters by coding basic forms of first two strokes and last two strokes. The basic forms are extracted from strokes of Chinese characters.

Unfortunately, a Chinese character input method adopting the "classification way"is very inconvenient for a user in that a plurality of Chinese characters of the same code number must exceptionally be processed and Chinese characters cannot be inputted without memorizing their code numbers or without reference to a code number list. Particular, the Chinese character input method adopting the "classification way"is scarcely applied to, for example, mobile phones.

Disclosure of Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for inputting Chinese characters, of smaller number of input keys, with the same manner as a handwriting manner without conscious memorization.

The present invention for achieving the object relates to a method of coding Chinese characters so as to input the coded Chinese characters to an electronic equipment.

The coding method comprises the steps of analyzing shapes of Chinese characters to extract at least eight basic figures, and deciding a Chinese character code based on a permutation made by arranging parts of each Chinese character according to a sequence of strokes to correspond to the extracted basic figures.

A method of inputting Chinese characters according to the present invention comprises the steps of (a) receiving a key signal from a Chinese character stroke input key including at least eight basic stroke keys to which at least eight basic figures extracted by analyzing shapes of Chinese characters are respectively allocated, and one key to which one figure informing end of one Chinese character input is allocated, and (b) deciding a Chinese character corresponding to a permutation of inputted basic stroke key signal by temporarily storing the permutation and searching the permutation when inputting the completion key signal in database storing information coded by the above-described coding method.

Basic figures constituting Chinese characters may be variable with standpoints. Owing to in-depth study of Chinese characters, inventors of the present invention found out the fact that all Chinese characters can be expressed by eight basic ,"-,',"*, and Although basic figures consisting Chinese characters will be described hereinbelow by reference to only the eight basic figures, a few basic figures may be added to them.

The following"table 1"illustrates topological characters and random numbers of the selected basic figures. TABLE 1 > Topological Characteristics of Basic Basic Figure Random Number Topological Character 1 Right-Falling Point 2 Horizontal Shot Bar 3 Vertical Line 4 Horizontal Long Bar 6 Left-Falling Point 7 Left-Falling Line 8 Left-Faced Hook 9 Right-Falling Line

Since the number of strokes for each Chinese character is not fixed, a signal for informing the end of key input for one Chinese character must be generated when the Chinese. character is inputted to an electronic equipment. Therefore, the apparatus for inputting Chinese characters according to the invention essentially requires a completion key for the end of one Chinese character input. For convenience of the description, assuming that a Chinese character"xk"is printed on the completion key.

According to the invention, at least eight basic figures are extracted by analyzing shapes of Chinese characters. Parts of each Chinese character are arranged according to the number of strokes thereof. The arranged parts correspond to the extracted basic figures, making permutations decided as codes of Chinese characters. As a result, a specific Chinese character is coded by the number of strokes and a basic figure corresponding to each stroke. The following"table 2"

illustrates the basic figures and an example of coding Chinese characters according to their order.

<TABLE 2> Relationship between Exemplary Chinese Characters and Input Code Decided by Coding Method according to the Present Invention Chinese Character Code Code Number 8 _ | | _ _ _ J k _ | _ 43322479234 tk _ | J \-43792 43322479234 H-§ _ _ J | Z Z Z 2273666 El | _ | _ _ 32322 43792 34311794 2273666 32322 B 34344 323822 3437979 147278 111234741

According to the present invention, if all Chinese characters are previously set as codes as the"table 1", a user can input all Chinese characters only by watching keys without memorizing the code or searching a code list. For example,. because the Chinese character"S" is coded with"43322479234", if the user sequentially inputs, l, like a handwriting manner, an input signal is converted into"43322479234". By reference to database, the Chinese character"|"corresponding to the code number is extracted to be stored or displayed.

Brief Description of Drawings FIG. 1 is an arrangement diagram of keys for applying a Chinese character input method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a Chinese input apparatus adopting the Chinese character input method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of inputting a Chinese character according to the Chinese character input method of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to accompanying drawings. For convenience of the description of the present invention, assuming that keys for applying the Chinese character input method are arranged the same as shown in FIG. 1, and all Chinese characters are coded by a coding method according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a Chinese character input apparatus adopting the Chinese character input method according to the present invention. The apparatus comprises a Chinese character input unit having eight basic stroke keys to which eight basic figures are allocated and one completion key, a database unit storing information of each Chinese character coded by the eight basic figures, and a Chinese character decision unit receiving a basic stroke key signal of the Chinese character input unit, temporarily storing a signal combination, and searching a basic stroke key permutation (code) in the database unit to extract a Chinese character corresponding to the code when a completion

key is inputted. The apparatus may further comprise a device for displaying the steps of deciding a Chinese character.

The components of the alphabet input apparatus are merely divided in function, so that they may not be physically independent. For example, it will be understood that the database unit and the alphabet decision unit are fabricated by one monolithic program or part.

Further, a person skilled in the art will readily add input keys or add separate functions in order to input special characters such as a quotation mark, a rest, a period, etc., shift Korean-English-Number input, shift from alphabet upper-case letters to lower-case letters, make a space, and change to Deutsch umlaut.

An alarm system may be added for coping with an abnormal case that, for example, a Chinese character cannot be decided because a completion key signal is inputted when inputting a signal combination which does not correspond to a Chinese character. When the abnormal case occurs, the alarm system alarms a user to use the alphabet input apparatus correctly.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of inputting a Chinese character according to the Chinese character input method of the present invention.

For convenience of description of the invention, assuming that there is no abnormal input and an initial input signal is generated from a basic stroke key. It is clear that the Chinese input apparatus is used for inputting only Chinese characters or its mode is changed to a Korean input mode in order to star inputting the Chinese character.

If a signal is generated from a key, input signals are sequentially and temporarily stored, and it is determined whether second-later key signals are completion key signals. If the second-later key signals are not the completion key signals, the input signals are continuously,

sequentially, and temporarily stored. If the second-later key signals are the completion key signals, a Chinese character corresponding to an inputted signal permutation (code) is extracted by searching database to decide an Nth Chinese character and delete the temporarily stored input signal. The decided Chinese character is displayed in the display device or simply stored. If an input key signal is then generated, the input signal is temporarily and sequentially stored to decide an (N+l) th Chinese character.

The above-described steps are repeated to make words and phrase of Chinese characters.

Industrial Usability According to the method of inputting Chinese characters, minimal and sufficient basic figures are used to conveniently input Chinese characters with the same order as a handwriting order. As a result, countries using Chinese characters can enhance interchange of electronic information based on Chinese characters and Chinese characters can be inputted to small-sized and multi-functional electronic equipments such as a mobile phone.