Touchscreen user interface

• US 20020149569A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Kamper, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,724,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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

A customizable touchscreen keyboard, and method, system, and computer program product for customizing the touchscreen keyboard is provided. In one embodiment, a data processing system receives customization characteristics from a user through the touchscreen interface. The data processing system then creates a customized touchscreen keyboard layout based on the customization characteristics and presents the customized touchscreen keyboard layout to a user. For example, the user may customize the keyboard such that the letters are presented in a U-shape with the letters arranged in alphabetical order, thus aiding a user in finding a desired letter. The user may later recustomize the keyboard if desired. Furthermore, the data processing system may reconfigure the keyboard based on past usage by the user.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a touchscreen keyboard, the method comprising:

receiving customization characteristics;

creating a customized touchscreen keyboard layout from the customization characteristics; and

presenting the customized touchscreen keyboard layout to a user.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customization characteristics include a shape of the keyboard.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customization characteristics include an arrangement of characters.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customization characteristics include a size of keys.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customization characteristics include a shape of keys.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customization characteristics are chosen from a menu.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customization characteristics are selected by dragging and dropping letters in a desired position.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a reconfigured keyboard in response to a peculiar habit of a user; and

presenting the reconfigured keyboard to the user.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the peculiar habit of the user is frequent mistyped words and the reconfigured keyboard is arranged to emphasize frequently mistyped symbols.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customization characteristics include arranging the letters in a U-shape.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the letters are arranged in alphabetical order in a clockwise direction around the U-shape.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the letters are arranged in alphabetical order in a counterclockwise direction around the U-shape.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customization characteristics include arranging the letters in a substantially circular shape.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the letters are arranged in alphabetical order in a clockwise direction around the substantially circular shape.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the letters are arranged in alphabetical order in a counter clockwise direction around the substantially circular shape.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input of a partial entry through the touchscreen interface;

predicting one or more candidates to complete the partial entry; and

presenting the one or more candidates in a prominent manner on the touchscreen interface.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more candidates include candidate letters and the prominent manner includes emphasized candidate letters on a touchscreen keyboard.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the emphasized candidate letters have a larger font size than the other letters on the touchscreen keyboard.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the emphasized candidate letters have a different font than the other letters on the touchscreen keyboard.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the emphasized candidate letters are shaded a different color from other letters on the touchscreen keyboard.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the emphasized candidate letters are highlighted.

22. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the emphasized candidate letters are animated.

23. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the emphasized candidate letters are blinking.

24. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more candidates include endings which when matched with the partial entry form a word.

25. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more candidates include a plurality of letters which when matched with the partial entry form a phoneme.

26. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more candidates include letters that are displayed separate from the letters of a touchscreen keyboard.

27. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to selection of one of the one or more candidates, placing the selected one of the one or more candidates proximate to the partial entry to form a more complete entry.

29. The data processing system as recited in claim 28, wherein the user selected fashion comprises a plurality of letter keys in a substantially U-shaped arrangement.

30. The data processing system as recited in claim 29, wherein the letter keys are arranged alphabetically.

31. The data processing system as recited in claim 29, wherein the letter keys are arranged according to frequency of use.

32. The data processing system as recited in claim 28, wherein the user selected fashion comprises a plurality of letter keys in a substantially circular arrangement.

33. The data processing system as recited in claim 28, wherein the user selected fashion comprises an array of letter keys.

35. The computer program product as recited in claim 34, further comprising:

fourth instructions for generating a reconfigured keyboard in response to a peculiar habit of a user; and

fifth instructions for presenting the reconfigured keyboard to the user.

36. The computer program product as recited in claim 34, further comprising:

fourth instructions for receiving user input of a partial entry through the touchscreen interface;

fifth instructions for predicting one or more candidates to complete the partial entry; and

sixth instructions for presenting the one or more candidates in a prominent manner on the touchscreen interface.

38. The system as recited in claim 37, further comprising:

a keyboard reconfiguration unit which generates a reconfigured keyboard in response to a peculiar habit of a user; and

a reconfiguration presentation unit which presents the reconfigured keyboard to the user.

39. The system as recited in claim 37, further comprising:

a data input unit which receives user input of a partial entry through the touchscreen interface;

a prediction unit which predicts one or more candidates to complete the partial entry; and

a prediction presentation unit which presents the one or more candidates in a prominent manner on the touchscreen interface.

28. A data processing system, comprising:

a touchscreen display; and

a dynamically customizable keyboard displayed on the touchscreen display wherein the keys are arranged in a user selected fashion.

34. A computer program product in a computer readable media for use in a data processing system for customizing a touchscreen keyboard, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving customization characteristics;

second instructions for creating a customized touchscreen keyboard layout from the customization characteristics; and

third instructions for presenting the customized touchscreen keyboard layout to a user.

37. A system for customizing a touchscreen keyboard, the system comprising:

a customization receiver which receives customization characteristics;

a keyboard generator which creates a customized touchscreen keyboard layout from the customization characteristics; and

a presentation unit which presents the customized touchscreen keyboard layout to a user.