Method of remapping the input elements of a hand-held device

• US 20070051792A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aplix IP Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zeemote Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Marcus, Beth, Wheeler, Lorraine
• Granted Patent: US 7,669,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A technique for re-mapping the input elements disposed on a hand-held electronic device to an executable function that is different than the pre-loaded or pre-assigned function(s) provided in software applications may include receiving configuration settings for a software application or a class of software applications, including at least one physical input element, such as a key, rotary dial, or a button, associated with at least one function, such as a shifting or index function or insertion of a specific character; modifying a mapping function, such as a keyboard device driver, a device layout or a translation layer, based on the configuration settings; and executing the function associated with the physical input element upon an activation, e.g., a press or actuation, of the physical input element during operation of the software application.

Claims

1. A method for re-mapping a hand-held electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of configuration settings for a software application or a class of software applications, wherein the configuration settings include at least one physical input element associated with at least one function;

modifying a mapping function based on the defined plurality of configuration settings; and

executing the at least one function associated with the at least one physical input element upon an activation of the at least one physical input element during operation of the software application or a software application within the class of software applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping function comprises a keyboard device driver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the at least one function associated with the at least one physical input element upon an activation of the at least one physical input element during operation of the software application or a software application within the class of software applications comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of at least one physical input element during operation of the software application or a software application within the class of software applications;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the retrieved scan code to a virtual input element code using the modified keyboard device driver;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the at least one function.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one function comprises at least one shifting function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping function comprises a device layout.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the at least one function associated with the at least one physical input element upon an activation of the at least one physical input element during operation of the software application or a software application within the class of software applications comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the at least one physical input element during operation of the software application or a software application within the class of software applications;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the retrieved scan code to a virtual input element code using the modified device layout;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the at least one function.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one function comprises at least one shifting function.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping function is a translation layer of a keyboard device driver.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein executing the at least one function associated with the at least one physical input element upon an activation of the at least one physical input element during operation of the software application or a software application within the class of software applications comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the at least one physical input element during operation of the software application or a software application within the class of software applications;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the scan code to an original virtual input element code;

converting the original virtual input element code to a new input element code using the modified translation layer of the keyboard device driver;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the new virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the at least one function.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one function comprises at least one shifting function.

11. A method comprising:

associating at least one physical input element disposed on a hand-held electronic device with at a first executable function associated with a software application or a class of software applications;

causing a modification of a mapping function to form an association of the at least one physical input element with a second executable function to an association of the at least one physical input element with the first executable function so that the first executable function is configured to be initiated upon an activation of the at least one physical input element during operation of the software application or the a software application within the class of software applications.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mapping function comprises a keyboard device driver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first executable function comprises a shifting function and the second executable function is a default function association with the software application.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the mapping function comprises a device layout.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first executable function comprises a shifting function and the second executable function is a default function association with the software application.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the mapping function is a translation layer of a keyboard device driver.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first executable function comprises a shifting function and the second executable function is a default function association with the software application.

18. A method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface identifying a plurality of physical input elements and a plurality of functions;

receiving a user input through the graphical user interface identifying a first physical input element and a first function;

modifying a keyboard device driver based on the user input from an association of the first physical input element with a second function to an association of the first physical input element with the first function; and

initiating the first function upon the activation of the first physical input element.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein providing a graphical user interface identifying a plurality of physical input elements and a plurality of functions further comprises identifying a class of software applications.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein initiating the first function upon an activation of the first physical input element occurs during operation of a software application within the class of software applications.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of functions comprises at least one shifting function.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the keyboard device driver includes a model device driver.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating the first function upon the activation of the first physical input element comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the first physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the scan code to a first virtual input element code using the modified keyboard device driver;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the first virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the first function.

24. A method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface identifying a plurality of physical input elements and a plurality of functions;

receiving a user input through the graphical user interface identifying a first physical input element and a first function;

modifying a device layout from an association of the first physical input element with a second function to an association of the first physical input element with the first function; and

initiating the first function upon the activation of the first physical input element.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein providing a graphical user interface identifying a plurality of physical input elements and a plurality of functions further comprising identifying a class of software applications.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein initiating the first function upon an activation of the first physical input element occurs during operation of a software application within the class of software applications.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of functions comprises a plurality of shifting functions.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein modifying a device layout from an association of the first physical input element with a second function to an association of the first physical input element with the first function comprises:

selecting a device layout of a hand-held electronic device; and

changing a scan code to a virtual input element code translation associated with the first physical input based on the user input.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein initiating the first function upon the activation of the first physical input element comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the first physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the scan code to a virtual input element code based on the modified device layout;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the first function.

30. A method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface identifying a plurality of physical input elements and a plurality of functions;

receiving a user input through the graphical user interface identifying a first physical input element and a first function;

modifying a translation layer of a keyboard device driver based on the user input to provide a mapping of an original virtual input element code to a new virtual input element code associated with the first function; and

initiating the first function upon the activation of the first physical input element based on the modified translation layer.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein providing a graphical user interface identifying a plurality of physical input elements and a plurality of functions further comprises identifying a class of software applications.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein initiating the first function upon an activation of the first physical input element occurs during operation of a software application within the class of software applications.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of functions comprises a at least one shifting function.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein initiating the first function upon the activation of the first physical input element based on the modified translation layer comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the first physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the scan code to an original virtual input element code;

converting the original virtual input element code to a new input element code using the modified translation layer;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the new virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the first function.

35. A method for re-mapping a plurality of physical input elements on a hand-held electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface including a plurality of input element icons, each corresponding to one of the plurality of physical input elements, and a plurality of function icons, each corresponding to one of a plurality of executable functions, wherein each of the plurality of input element icons associated with the plurality of function icons;

receiving a user input via the graphical user interface selecting one of the plurality of input element icons and a corresponding one of the plurality of function icons;

modifying a mapping function based on the user input to provide a mapping of the physical input element corresponding to the selected input element icon with the executable function corresponding to the selected function icon; and

initiating the executable function mapped to the physical input element upon an activation of the physical input element.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein providing a graphical user interface further including a class of software application icons, each corresponding to a class of software applications operable on the hand-held electronic device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein initiating the executable function mapped to the physical input element upon an activation of the physical input element occurs during operation of a software application within the class of software applications.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the plurality of executable functions comprises a plurality of shifting functions.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the mapping function comprises a keyboard device driver.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein initiating the executable function mapped to the physical input element upon an activation of the physical input element comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the retrieved scan code to a virtual input element code using the modified keyboard device driver;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the executable function.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the mapping function comprises a device layout.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein initiating the executable function mapped to the physical input element upon an activation of the physical input element comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the retrieved scan code to a virtual input element code using the modified device layout;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the executable function.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein modifying a mapping function based on the user input to provide a mapping of the physical input element corresponding to the selected input element icon with the executable function corresponding to the selected function icon comprises:

modifying a translation layer of a keyboard device driver based on the user input to provide a mapping of an original virtual input element code to a new virtual input element code associated with the executable function corresponding to the selected function icon.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein initiating the executable function mapped to the physical input element upon an activation of the physical input element comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the scan code to the original virtual input element code;

converting the original virtual input element code to the new input element code using the modified translation layer;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the new virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the executable function corresponding to the function icon.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the activation of the physical input element comprises pressing the physical input element with a stylus or user'"'"'s finger or thumbs.

46. A computer-readable medium having stored therein one or more sequences of instruction for re-mapping one of a plurality of physical input elements on a hand-held electronic device to one of a plurality of executable functions associated with a software application, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of executable functions corresponding to one of the plurality of physical input elements;

modifying a mapping function based on the user input to map the selected executable function to the corresponding physical input element; and

initiating the selected executable function upon an activation of the corresponding physical input element.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46 further comprising:

providing a graphical user interface identifying a plurality of physical input elements and a plurality of executable functions.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the graphical user interface comprises:

a plurality of input element icons, each corresponding to one of the plurality of physical input elements; and

a plurality of function icons, each corresponding to one of a plurality of executable functions, wherein each of the plurality of input element icons being associated with the plurality of function icons.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein providing a graphical user interface further comprises:

identifying a class of software application icons, each corresponding to a class of software applications operable on the hand-held electronic device.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein initiating the selected executable function upon an activation of the corresponding physical input element occurs during operation of a software application within the class of software applications.

51. The method of claim 46, wherein the plurality of executable functions comprises a plurality of shifting functions.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein the mapping function comprises a keyboard device driver.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein initiating the selected executable function upon an activation of the corresponding physical input element comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the retrieved scan code to a virtual input element code using the modified keyboard device driver;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the selected executable function.

54. The method of claim 46, wherein the mapping function comprises a device layout.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein initiating the selected executable function upon an activation of the corresponding physical input element comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the retrieved scan code to a virtual input element code using the modified device layout;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the selected executable function.

56. The method of claim 46, wherein modifying a mapping function based on the user input to map the selected executable function to the corresponding physical input element comprises:

modifying a translation layer of a keyboard device driver based on the user input to provide a mapping of an original virtual input element code to a new virtual input element code associated with the selected executable function.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein initiating the executable function mapped to the physical input element upon an activation of the physical input element comprises:

writing a scan code to a buffer upon the activation of the physical input element;

retrieving the scan code from the buffer;

converting the scan code to the original virtual input element code;

converting the original virtual input element code to the new input element code using the modified translation layer;

calling a keyboard event with the scan code and the new virtual input element code; and

executing a function associated with the keyboard event, wherein the function is the selected executable function.

58. The method of claim 46, wherein the activation of the physical input element comprises pressing the physical input element.