DYNAMIC ARRANGEMENT OF CHARACTERS IN AN ON-SCREEN KEYBOARD

• US 20070245259A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 9,354,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

The characters on an on-screen keyboard are dynamically rearranged to facilitate text entry based on context. Specifically, a home position is established among a plurality of characters displayed on the screen. A user'"'"'s selection of one of the characters is received by the system, and then the characters are rearranged with respect to the home position in response to the user'"'"'s selection. The rearranging may be based on the next statistically most likely characters to be selected based on what characters the user has already entered. Statistical analysis of a word list may be applied to the text already entered by the user and then the characters displayed on the keyboard are reordered to place the most likely desired character under or near the cursor. The other characters may be arranged in order of probability of selection from the home or starting position for the cursor.

Claims

1. A method for use in data entry, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of characters on a screen;

establishing a home position among the characters;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of one of the characters; and

rearranging one or more of the characters with respect to the home position in response to the user'"'"'s selection.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of rearranging comprises the step of:

rearranging the one or more of the characters with respect to the home position based on a next statistically most likely character to be selected.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of rearranging comprises the step of:

placing a next statistically most likely character to be selected in the home position.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the step of rearranging further comprises the step of:

placing a second next statistically most likely character to be selected in a position next to the home position.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of rearranging comprises the step of:

arranging the one or more of the characters in order of probability of selection from the home position.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying a cursor on the screen that is initially positioned in the home position.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

resetting a cursor to the home position after receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the characters.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the characters comprise alphanumeric characters.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first five of the plurality of characters comprise “

s”

, “

c”

, “

p”

, “

d” and

“

r” and

which are initially displayed in that order with “

s”

being in the home position.

10. A computer program product comprising a medium for embodying a computer program for input to a computer and a computer program embodied in the medium for causing the computer to perform steps of:

displaying a plurality of characters on a screen;

establishing a home position among the characters;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of one of the characters; and

rearranging one or more of the characters with respect to the home position in response to the user'"'"'s selection.

11. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the step of rearranging comprises the step of:

rearranging the one or more of the characters with respect to the home position based on a next statistically most likely character to be selected.

12. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the step of rearranging comprises the step of:

placing a next statistically most likely character to be selected in the home position.

13. A computer program product in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of rearranging further comprises the step of:

placing a second next statistically most likely character to be selected in a position next to the home position.

14. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein the step of rearranging comprises the step of:

arranging the one or more of the characters in order of probability of selection from the home position.

15. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the step of:

displaying a cursor on the screen that is initially positioned in the home position.

16. A computer program product in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the step of:

resetting a cursor to the home position after receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the characters.

17. A system for use in data entry, comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of characters on a screen;

means for establishing a home position among the characters;

means for receiving a user'"'"'s selection of one of the characters; and

means for rearranging one or more of the characters with respect to the home position in response to the user'"'"'s selection.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the means for rearranging comprises:

means for rearranging the one or more of the characters with respect to the home position based on a next statistically most likely character to be selected.

19. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the means for rearranging comprises:

means for placing a next statistically most likely character to be selected in the home position.

20. A system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the means for rearranging further comprises:

means for placing a second next statistically most likely character to be selected in a position next to the home position.

21. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the means for rearranging comprises:

means for arranging the one or more of the characters in order of probability of selection from the home position.

22. A system in accordance with claim 17, further comprising:

means for displaying a cursor on the screen that is initially positioned in the home position.

23. A system in accordance with claim 17, further comprising:

means for resetting a cursor to the home position after receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the characters.