Dual input multilayer keyboard

• US 10,238,960 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawahara, Takanori, Kuroda, Junnosuke, Hosokawa, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Application Number:
  US15/497,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20180311574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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

Abstract

Aspects of the technology described herein provide an input mechanism that allows a user to select characters for input to a text area of a computing interface. The technology can be implemented as a virtual keyboard. Selecting a single output for the keyboard requires a user to provide two inputs. Each input is provided with reference to a different layer. Providing the first input to the first layer activates a second layer specific to the key selected with the first input. Each key in the first layer can be associated with a unique second layer. The output (e.g., a character) is determined from the second layer by providing a second input. The combination of the first and second input selects the ultimate output. In one aspect, the first input and the second input only have a directional component.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computing device perform a method for operating a dual input keyboard, the method comprising:

outputting for display a first keyboard layer comprising at least nine keys arranged in a grid comprising three rows of three keys;

receiving a first input comprising a first directional component;

mapping the first input to a first key in the first keyboard layer;

in response to the first input, outputting for display a second keyboard layer comprising at least two keys;

receiving a second input comprising a second directional component, wherein the first input is received from a first side of a touchscreen on a user device and the second input is received from a second side of the touchscreen on the user device, wherein the first side is opposite the second side;

mapping the second input to a second key; and

outputting a character associated with the second key for entry into a text field.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the first input is received from a first joy stick on a gamepad and the second input is received from a second joy stick on the gamepad.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the first side is a left-hand side of the touchscreen from a user'"'"'s perspective and the second side is the right-hand side of the touchscreen from the user'"'"'s perspective.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the first input is a swipe on a touchscreen that does not intersect the first key.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the first direction is a vector with a down-to-up component and a left-to-right component and the first key is located in a right most location in a top row of the three rows.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the first nine keys correspond to consonant sounds and the first key is an individual consonant sound and the second keyboard layer comprises characters corresponding to the individual consonant combined with one of several available vowel sounds.

7. A method for operating a dual input keyboard, the method comprising:

activating a multilayer keyboard comprising a first input mode wherein each of eight of nine keys in the first input mode are selectable through one of eight corresponding directional inputs;

receiving a first input with a first directional component;

mapping the first input to a first key in the first input mode;

in response to the first input, activating a second input mode comprising at least five keys;

receiving a second input with a second directional component, wherein the first input is received through a first input device and the second input is received through a second input device;

mapping the second input to a second key; and

outputting a character associated with the second key for entry into a text field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first input device is a first joy stick on a gamepad and the second input device is a second joy stick on the gamepad.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first input device is a first side of a touchscreen on a user device and the second input device is a second side of the touchscreen on the user device, wherein the first side is opposite the second side.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the multilayer keyboard is not output for display to a user providing the first input and the second input.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the nine keys correspond to consonant sounds and the first key is an individual consonant sound and the second input mode comprises five characters each corresponding to one of five vowel sounds.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a ninth key is selected by receiving a tap input.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first input is a swipe on a touchscreen, wherein the swipe does not rely on a designated starting point or stopping point to map to the first key.

14. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions which are not signal per se embodied thereon that when executed by a computing device perform a method for operating a dual input keyboard, the method comprising:

outputting for display a first keyboard layer comprising at least nine keys arranged in a grid comprising three rows of three keys;

receiving a first input with a first directional component;

mapping the first input to a first key in the first keyboard layer;

in response to the first input, outputting for display a second keyboard layer comprising at least two keys;

receiving a second input with a second directional component wherein the first input is received through a first interface and the second input is received through a second input interface;

mapping the second input to a second key; and

outputting a character associated with the second key for entry into a text field.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein the first interface is a first side of a touchscreen on a user device and the second interface is a second side of the touchscreen on the user device, wherein the first side is opposite the second side.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the first directional control does not overlap an area where the first keyboard layer is displayed.

17. The media of claim 14, wherein the first direction is a vector with a down-to-up component and left-to-right component and the first key is located in a right most location in a top row of the three rows.

18. The media of claim 14, wherein the first input is received from a first joy stick on a gampad and the second input is received from a second joy stick on the gamepad.

19. The media of claim 14, wherein the first input is a swipe on a touchscreen that does not intersect the first key.

20. The media of claim 14, wherein the first nine keys correspond to consonant sounds and the first key is an individual consonant sound and the and keyboard layer comprises characters corresponding to the individual consonant combined with one of several available vowel sounds.