Dynamic space bar

• US 10,234,985 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts-Hoffman, Katie Leah, Mooney, Charles Zimmer
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheng, Tom V
• Application Number:
  US15/429,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for implementing a dynamic space bar are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of determining, by a computing device that includes a touchscreen keyboard and trackpad, a context of the computing device. The actions further include receiving touch input on the trackpad. The actions further include designating, by the computing device and based on the previously-determined context of the computing device, the touch input on the trackpad to be a selection of a space bar of the touchscreen keyboard. The actions further include providing, for output to a display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the touch input on the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, an indication of the selection of the space bar.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computing device that includes a touch sensitive input device that includes outlines of keys of a touchscreen keyboard and a region designated as a trackpad, a context of the computing device, wherein the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard include an outline of a space bar;

receiving touch input within the region designated as the trackpad;

designating, by the computing device and based on the previously-determined context of the computing device, the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar; and

providing, for output to a display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, an indication of the selection of the space bar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that a complete word precedes a location of a cursor, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that a complete word precedes the cursor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad is a tapping action rather than a dragging action, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad is a tapping action rather than a dragging action.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that user fingers are touching within outlines of a predetermined number of home keys of the touchscreen keyboard, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the user fingers are touching within the outlines of the predetermined number of the home keys of the touchscreen keyboard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that user palms are touching portions within the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard on either side of the outline of the trackpad, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the user palms are touching portions within the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard on either side of the trackpad.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the computing device and the touch sensitive input device are separate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving touch input within the region designated as the trackpad comprises not receiving the touch input at a location that is within the outline of the space bar.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the region designated as the trackpad is adjacent to and underneath the outline of the space bar.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining an additional context of the computing device;

receiving additional touch input within the region designated as the trackpad;

designating, by the computing device and based on the additional context, the additional touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the trackpad; and

providing, for output to the display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the additional touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the trackpad, an indication of the selection of the trackpad.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

receiving another touch input within the outline of the space bar;

based on designating the additional touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the trackpad, designating, by the computing device, the other touch input within the outline of the space bar to be a selection of the trackpad; and

providing, for output to the display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the other touch input within the outline of the space bar to be a selection of the trackpad, an additional indication of the selection of the trackpad.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that a prefix of a word precedes the cursor, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the trackpad is based further on determining that a prefix of a word precedes the cursor.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

based on receiving the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad and based on the computing device having designated the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, not performing an action associated with a touchscreen gesture.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the region designated as the trackpad is defined by an outline of the trackpad.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the region designated as the trackpad is distinct from the outline of the spacebar.

15. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

determining, by a computing device that includes a touch sensitive input device that includes outlines of keys of a touchscreen keyboard and a region designated as a trackpad, a context of the computing device, wherein the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard include an outline of a space bar;

receiving touch input within the region designated as the trackpad;

designating, by the computing device and based on the previously-determined context of the computing device, the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar; and

providing, for output to a display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, an indication of the selection of the space bar.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that a complete word precedes a location of a cursor, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that a complete word precedes the cursor.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad is a tapping action rather than a dragging action, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad is a tapping action rather than a dragging action.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that user fingers are touching within outlines of a predetermined number of home keys of the touchscreen keyboard, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the user fingers are touching within the outlines of the predetermined number of the home keys of the touchscreen keyboard.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that user palms are touching portions within the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard on either side of the outline of the trackpad, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the user palms are touching portions within the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard on either side of the trackpad.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining, by a computing device that includes a touch sensitive input device that includes outlines of keys of a touchscreen keyboard and a region designated as a trackpad, a context of the computing device, wherein the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard include an outline of a space bar;

receiving touch input within the region designated as the trackpad;

designating, by the computing device and based on the previously-determined context of the computing device, the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar; and

providing, for output to a display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, an indication of the selection of the space bar.