System and method for improved user input on personal computing devices

• US 20050146508A1
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Ratliff, Emily Jane, Kirkland, Dustin C., Smith, Kylene Jo
• Granted Patent: US 7,250,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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

A user input mechanism is provided that allows a user to enter words as gestures on a virtual keyboard presented on the display device. The user input mechanism combines two existing and prevalent forms of user input: cursive handwriting and keyboard input. A familiar keyboard layout is presented on the display. A user then may place an implement, such as a stylus or the user'"'"'s finger, in contact with the display. Typically, the implement will first touch the screen at a position of a first character in a word. The user then may move the implement along the surface of the display from character to character, spelling out a word.

Claims

1. A method for user input, the method comprising:

receiving a user input, wherein the user input includes a gesture that represents a plurality of characters and wherein a shape of the gesture is related to positions of the plurality of characters within a keyboard layout;

identifying the plurality of characters associated with the gesture; and

providing the identified string as text input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a string associated with the gesture includes performing pattern recognition on the gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a string associated with the gesture includes:

identifying a starting position; and

recording a character based on the starting position with respect to the keyboard layout.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a string associated with the gesture includes:

identifying a change of direction; and

recording a character based on a position of the change of direction with respect to the keyboard layout.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a string associated with the gesture includes:

identifying a sub-gesture.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sub-gesture indicates a double letter.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying a string associated with the gesture further includes:

recording a character based on a position of the sub-gesture with respect to the keyboard layout.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a spell check on the identified string.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing a spell check on the identified string includes:

looking up the identified string in a dictionary;

determining whether the identified string exists in the dictionary; and

responsive to the identified string existing in the dictionary, accepting the identified string as input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein performing a spell check on the identified string further includes:

responsive to the identified string not existing in the dictionary, identifying a substitute string in the dictionary for the identified string; and

accepting the substitute string as input.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the identified string as input includes providing the identified string to an application.

12. An apparatus for user input, the apparatus comprising:

receipt means for receiving a user input, wherein the user input includes a gesture that represents a plurality of characters and wherein a shape of the gesture is related to positions of the plurality of characters within a keyboard layout;

identification means for identifying a string of characters associated with the gesture; and

providing means for providing the identified string as text input.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification means includes means for performing pattern recognition on the gesture.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification means includes:

means for identifying a starting position; and

means for recording a character based on the starting position with respect to the keyboard layout.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification means includes:

means for identifying a change of direction; and

means for recording a character based on a position of the change of direction with respect to the keyboard layout.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification means includes:

means for identifying a sub-gesture.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the sub-gesture indicates a double letter.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the identification means further includes:

means for recording a character based on a position of the sub-gesture with respect to the keyboard layout.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for performing a spell check on the identified string.

20. A computer program product for user input, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for receiving a user input, wherein the user input includes a gesture that represents a plurality of characters and wherein a shape of the gesture is related to positions of the plurality of characters within a keyboard layout;

instructions for identifying a string of characters associated with the gesture; and

instructions for providing the identified string as text input.