Keyboard for portable devices allowing text entry from limited number of keys, uses distribution of text characters over numeric keys determined by association of characters with phonemes

摘要

The keyboard (2) has fewer keys (7) than there are characters (9) in an alphabet. Each key carries multiple characters, organized in groups based on characters associated a common phoneme. Characters groups are distributed by row number or by sets of phonemes to permit access to characters by activation of a combination of keys or by activation of one or more keys.