System, method, and computer program product for single-handed data entry

• US 20030184452A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MLGtext Inc.
• Original Assignee: Textm Incorporated
• Inventors: Goodgoll, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,170,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/036 Plural multifunctional miniature keys for one symbol

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product that permits a user, using the fingers of a single hand, to produce defined outputs such as generating characters for text input and executing commands. In a data processing system having plural input detectors, the invention comprises permitting the user to perform sequential gestures with the fingers of one hand to produce the defined outputs.

Claims

1. In a data processing system having at least two input detectors, a method that permits a user, using the fingers of a single hand, to produce defined outputs, such as generating characters and executing commands, comprising:

(a) generating a first single output with single activation of any one of the input detectors;

(b) generating a second single output with sequential activation of any two of the input detectors based on first timing conditions; and

(c) generating a third single output and a fourth single output with sequential activation of any two of the input detectors based on second timing conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) comprises detecting activation of the any one of the input detectors beyond a predetermined time period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises permitting sequential activation of the same detector.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first timing conditions of said step (b) comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors; and

followed within a first predetermined time period by detecting a second activation of one of the input detectors,

wherein neither said first nor said second activation lasts for more than a second predetermined time period, and said first activation ends one of before, after and simultaneously with an end of said second activation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first timing conditions of step (b) comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors, said first activation ending before an end of a first predetermined time period; and

followed within a second predetermined time period by a second activation of one of the input detectors, said second activation ending before an end of a third predetermined time period beginning at a start of said second activation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second timing conditions of said step (c) comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors; and

followed within a first predetermined time period by a second activation of another one of the input detectors,

wherein at least one of said first and said second activations last for more than a second predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein for said step (c),

if only said first activation lasts for more than the second predetermined time period, the second output is related to the one of the input detectors, otherwise

if one of both of said first and said second activations last for more than the second predetermined time period, and

only said second activation lasts for more than the second predetermined time period then the second output is related to the another one of the input detectors.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the third single output is produced at a start of said second activation and the fourth single output is produced at end of the second predetermined time period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second timing conditions of said step (c) comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors, said first activation ending before an end of a first predetermined time period; and

followed within a second predetermined time period by a second activation of one of the input detectors, said second activation ending after an end of a third predetermined time period beginning at a start of said second activation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the third single output is produced at a start of said second activation and the fourth single output is produced at end of the third predetermined time period.

11. The method as in any one of claims 1, 4, 5, 6, and 9, further comprising providing a number of input detectors selected from the group consisting of 5, 6 or 7 input detectors.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising concatenating sequential enactments of step (b) followed by step (c), wherein at least one of said first through said fourth activations lasts for more than a fourth predetermined time period.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a diagram to the user, wherein the diagram depicts the characters or commands corresponding to possible activations.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the diagram depicting each of the characters of an alphabet capable of being activated with only five detectors.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the diagram depicting a matrix of cells arranged in rows and columns, wherein each grouping of cells in a given row represents activations associated with a corresponding detector.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein single gesture outputs are prominently depicted in cells along a diagonal of the matrix.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein one cell of each row is distinguished by an attribute to represent the final activation of a sequence of two activations of any two detectors, wherein the attribute is size, color, shape or font.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least five input detectors; and

arranging the at least five input detectors so that the user need not laterally extend any fingers to activate the detectors once the user orients those fingers with a corresponding detector.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a diagram to the user, wherein the diagram depicts the characters or commands corresponding to possible activations, wherein the diagram depicts a matrix of cells arranged in rows and columns, and wherein each cells in a given row represents activations associated with a corresponding detector.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing an additional information on the diagram to depict activations associated with the further detector.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising

generating no output upon a first activation of any one of the input detectors that lasts less than a predetermined period and said first activation is not following within a further predetermined period by a second activation of any one of the input detectors.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first through fourth single outputs relate to any writing system of multiple languages.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising relating sequential activations of detectors to digraph probabilities of a language writing system, resulting maximal ratio of digraphs output to total activations.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the first through fourth single outputs are sequentially combined to represent a different single defined output.

25. A data processing system that permits a user, using the fingers of a single hand, to produce defined outputs, such as generating characters and executing commands, comprising:

at least two input detectors;

an activation recognition unit, coupled to said at least two input detectors, that receives signals from said detectors and determines whether an activation was produced by the user'"'"'s fingers; and

a converter, coupled to said activation recognition unit, that produces

a first single output with single activation of any one of the input detectors;

a second single output with sequential activation of any two of the input detectors based on first timing conditions; and

a third single output and a fourth single output with sequential activation of any two of the input detectors based on second timing conditions.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a display coupled to said converter to display said outputs.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said display displays a diagram to the user, wherein said diagram depicts the characters or commands corresponding to possible activations.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said diagram depicts each of the characters of an alphabet capable of being activated with only five detectors.

29. The system of claim 38, wherein said diagram comprises matrix of cells arranged in rows and columns, wherein each grouping of cells in a given row represents activations associated with a corresponding detector.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein single gesture outputs are prominently depicted in cells along a diagonal of the matrix.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein one cell of each row is distinguished by an attribute to represent the final activation of a sequence of two activations of any two detectors, wherein the attribute is size, color, shape or font.

32. The system of claim 25, further comprising a memory coupled to said converter to store said outputs.

33. The system of claim 25, further comprising a transmitter coupled to said converter to transmit said outputs.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein said first single output is produced by activation of any one of the input detectors beyond a predetermined time period.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein said second single output is produced by sequential activation of the same detector.

36. The system of claim 25, wherein the first timing conditions comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors; and

followed within a first predetermined time period by detecting a second activation of one of the input detectors,

wherein neither said first nor said second activation lasts for more than a second predetermined time period, and said first activation ends one of before, after and simultaneously with an end of said second activation.

37. The system of claim 25, wherein the first timing conditions comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors, said first activation ending before an end of a first predetermined time period; and

followed within a second predetermined time period by a second activation of one of the input detectors, said second activation ending before an end of a third predetermined time period beginning at a start of said second activation.

38. The system as in any one of claims 4, 5, 36, and 37 wherein the second single output is produced at a start of said second activation.

39. The system of claim 25, wherein the second timing conditions comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors; and

followed within a first predetermined time period by a second activation of another one of the input detectors,

wherein at least one of said first and said second activations last for more than a second predetermined time period.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein for said second single output,

if only said first activation lasts for more than the second predetermined time period, the second output is related to the one of the input detectors, otherwise

if one of both of said first and said second activations last for more than the second predetermined time period, and

only said second activation lasts for more than the second predetermined time period then the second output is related to the another one of the input detectors.

41. The system as in any one of claims 4, 6, 36 and 39, wherein the second predetermined time period begins at a start of said second activation.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the third single output is produced at a start of said second activation and the fourth single output is produced at end of the second predetermined time period.

43. The system as in any one of claims 4, 6, 36 and 39, wherein the first and second predetermined time periods are of approximately the same duration.

44. The system of claim 25, wherein the second timing conditions comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors, said first activation ending before an end of a first predetermined time period; and

followed within a second predetermined time period by a second activation of one of the input detectors, said second activation ending after an end of a third predetermined time period beginning at a start of said second activation.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the third single output is produced at a start of said second activation and the fourth single output is produced at end of the third predetermined time period.

46. The system as in any one of claims 5, 9, 37 and 44, wherein the first and third predetermined time periods are of approximately the same duration.

47. The system as in any one of claims 5, 9, 37 and 44, wherein the first, second and third predetermined time periods are of approximately the same duration.

48. The system as in any one of claims 5, 9, 37 and 44, wherein the second predetermined time period begins at an end of said first activation.

49. The system as in any one of claims 25, 36, 37, 42 and 44 further comprising providing a number of input detectors selected from the group consisting of 5, 6 or 7 input detectors.

50. The system of claim 25, comprising concatenating sequential enactments activations corresponding to the first timing conditions followed by activations corresponding to the second timing conditions, wherein at least one of said first through said fourth activations lasts for more than a fourth predetermined time period.

51. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

at least five input detectors arranged so that the user need not laterally extend any fingers to activate the detectors once the user orients those fingers with a corresponding detector.

52. The system of claim 49, further comprising a display that displays a diagram to the user, wherein the diagram depicts the characters or commands corresponding to possible activations, wherein the diagram depicts a matrix of cells arranged in rows and columns, and wherein each cells in a given row represents activations associated with a corresponding detector.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein said display provides additional information depicting activations associated with a further input detector.

54. The system of claim 25, wherein said converter further produces a null output upon a first activation of any one of the input detectors that lasts less than a predetermined period and said first activation is not following within a further predetermined period by a second activation of any one of the input detectors.

55. The system of claim 25, wherein the first through fourth single outputs relate to any writing system of multiple languages.

56. The system of claim 25, wherein the first through fourth single outputs relate sequential activations of detectors to digraph probabilities of a language writing system, resulting in an increased ratio of digraphs output to the number of activations.

57. The system of claim 25, wherein the first through fourth single outputs are sequentially combined to represent a different single defined output.

58. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer, having at least two input detectors, to permit a user, using the fingers of a single hand, to produce defined outputs, such as generating characters and executing commands, the computer control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to generate a first single output with single activation of any one of the input detectors;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to generate a second single output with sequential activation of any two of the input detectors based on first timing conditions; and

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to generate a third single output and a fourth single output with sequential activation of any two of the input detectors based on second timing conditions.

59. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein said first computer readable program code means causes the computer to detect activation of any one of the input detectors beyond a predetermined time period.

60. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein said second computer readable program code means causes the computer to permit sequential activation of the same detector.

61. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the first timing conditions comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors; and

followed within a first predetermined time period by detecting a second activation of one of the input detectors,

wherein neither said first nor said second activation lasts for more than a second predetermined time period, and said first activation ends one of before, after and simultaneously with an end of said second activation.

62. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the first timing conditions comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors, said first activation ending before an end of a first predetermined time period; and

followed within a second predetermined time period by a second activation of one of the input detectors, said second activation ending before an end of a third predetermined time period beginning at a start of said second activation.

63. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the second timing conditions comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors; and

followed within a first predetermined time period by a second activation of another one of the input detectors,

wherein at least one of said first and said second activations last for more than a second predetermined time period.

64. The computer program product of claim 63, wherein in connection with said third computer readable program code means,

if only said first activation lasts for more than the second predetermined time period, the second output is related to the one of the input detectors, otherwise

if one of both of said first and said second activations last for more than the second predetermined time period, and

only said second activation lasts for more than the second predetermined time period then the second output is related to the another one of the input detectors.

65. The computer program product of claim 63, wherein the third single output is produced at a start of said second activation and the fourth single output is produced at end of the second predetermined time period.

66. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the second timing conditions of comprise:

detecting a first activation of one of the input detectors, said first activation ending before an end of a first predetermined time period; and

followed within a second predetermined time period by a second activation of one of the input detectors, said second activation ending after an end of a third predetermined time period beginning at a start of said second activation.

67. The computer program product of claim 66, wherein the third single output is produced at a start of said second activation and the fourth single output is produced at end of the third predetermined time period.

68. The computer program product as in any one of claims 58, 61, 62, 63, and 66, further comprising providing a number of input detectors selected from the group consisting of 5, 6 or 7 input detectors.

69. The computer program product of claim 58, comprising concatenating sequential enactments of said second computer readable program code means followed by enactments of said third computer readable program code means, wherein at least one of said first through said fourth activations lasts for more than a fourth predetermined time period.

70. The computer program product of claim 58, further comprising:

fourth computer readable program code means for displaying a diagram to the user, wherein the diagram depicts the characters or commands corresponding to possible activations.

71. The computer program product of claim 70, further comprising further computer readable program code means for displaying the diagram depicting each of the characters of an alphabet capable of being activated with only five detectors.

72. The computer program product of claim 71, further comprising still further computer readable program code means for displaying the diagram depicting a matrix of cells arranged in rows and columns, wherein each grouping of cells in a given row represents activations associated with a corresponding detector.

73. The computer program product of claim 72, wherein single gesture outputs are prominently depicted in cells along a diagonal of the matrix.

74. The computer program product of claim 72, wherein one cell of each row is distinguished by an attribute to represent the final activation of a sequence of two activations of any two detectors, wherein the attribute is size, color, shape or font.

75. The computer program product of claim 58, further comprising:

fourth computer readable program code means for receiving activations from at least five input detectors, wherein the at least five input detectors are arranged so that the user need not laterally extend any fingers to activate the detectors once the user orients those fingers with a corresponding detector.

76. The computer program product of claim 75, further comprising:

fourth computer readable program code means for displaying a diagram to the user, wherein the diagram depicts the characters or commands corresponding to possible activations, wherein the diagram depicts a matrix of cells arranged in rows and columns, and wherein each cells in a given row represents activations associated with a corresponding detector.

77. The computer program product of claim 76, further comprising:

further computer readable program code means for providing additional information on the diagram to depict activations.

78. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the computer program product does not generate an output upon a first activation of any one of the input detectors that lasts less than a predetermined period and said first activation is not following within a further predetermined period by a second activation of any one of the input detectors.

79. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the first through fourth single outputs relate to any writing system of multiple languages.

80. The computer program product of claim 58, further comprising fourth computer readable program code means for relating sequential activations of detectors to digraph probabilities of a language writing system, resulting maximal ratio of digraphs output to total activations.

81. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the first through fourth single outputs are sequentially combined to represent a different single defined output.