Method and apparatus for efficient data input

• US 20070252818A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AiTech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Joseph Zlotnicki
• Inventors: Zlotnicki, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

Visual and/or audible cues are used to assist users with data input on keyboards having keys associated with multiple input symbols or functions. Each input symbol or function has a correspondence to an input object, such as a finger. During key actuation, one or more input objects are detected. Candidate input symbols or functions are determined based on identification of the key being actuated. The candidate input symbols or functions are presented to the user in the form of cues having visual and/or audible features. The detected input objects may be optionally identified and presented to the user in the form of cues having visual and/or audible features as well.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating user data entry on a electronic device having at least one output unit and an input unit having one or more key regions, wherein each key region is associated with multiple input symbols or functions, and further wherein each input symbol or function has a correspondence to an input object for actuating key regions, comprising at least one of:

presenting the input symbols or functions to the user in the form of cues having user-distinguishable features via the output unit of the device; and

presenting the input objects to the user in the form of cues having user-distinguishable features via the output unit of the device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the individual input symbols or functions having a correspondence to the same input object share the same user-distinguishable features.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the input symbols or functions presented to the user comprise candidate input symbols or functions, the method further comprising:

detecting one or more candidate input objects positioned proximate one of the key regions;

identifying the proximate key region as a candidate key region for actuation; and

determining candidate input symbols or functions as those associated with the candidate key region.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the input objects presented to the user comprise candidate input objects, the method further comprising identifying the candidate input objects.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising identifying among the candidate input objects a most probable input object.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a most probable input symbol or function among the candidate input symbols or functions as the symbol or function having a correspondence to the most probable input object identified; and

highlighting the most probable input symbol or function identified using a differentiating feature.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the differentiating feature is a visual feature.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the differentiating visual feature is selected from the group consisting of:

displaying the most probable input symbol or function in bold font, displaying the most probable input symbol or function in italics font, displaying the most probable input symbol or function as flashing text, and displaying the most probable input symbol or function while the remaining candidate input symbols or functions are not displayed.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising highlighting the most probable input object identified using a differentiating feature.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the differentiating feature is a visual feature.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the differentiating visual feature is selected from the group consisting of:

flashing an LED of certain color, flashing an LED of certain size, flashing an LED of certain shape, flashing an LED of certain brightness, representing the most probable input object as a line of certain color, representing the most probable input object as a line of certain type, representing the most probable input object as a line of certain width, and representing the most probable input object as a flashing line.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the differentiating feature is an audible feature.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the differentiating audible feature is selected from the group consisting of:

emitting audio tones of certain loudness, emitting audio tones of certain pitch, emitting audio tones of certain duration, emitting certain musical notes, and rendering certain audio clips or patterns.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the differentiating feature is multi-modal, deriving from a combination of visual and audible features.

15. The method of claim 3 wherein the user-distinguishable features indicate positions of the candidate input objects relative to those of the key regions.

16. The method of claim 3 wherein the cues further comprise at least one of:

reduced representations of the candidate input objects and reduced representations of the key regions.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the input objects are fingers.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the user-distinguishable features of cues are configurable by the user.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a computing device.

20. The method of claims 12 wherein the electronic device is a musical device.