Dynamic Virtual Input Device Configuration

• US 20090070098A1
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Patryshev, Vlad
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

In one aspect, a virtual input device can be configured by detecting a language identifier associated with a selected data entry field, determining a key mapping corresponding to the detected language identifier, configuring a virtual input device in accordance with the key mapping, wherein the virtual input device includes one or more controls and the key mapping specifies a character corresponding to at least one of the plurality of controls, and presenting the virtual input device to a user. The language identifier can comprise one of an Extensible Markup Language tag and a Hypertext Markup Language tag. Further, user input selecting a second data entry field can be received, wherein a second language identifier is associated with the second data entry field, a second key mapping corresponding to the second language identifier can be determined, and the virtual input device can be configured in accordance with the second key mapping.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting a language identifier associated with a selected data entry field;

determining a key mapping corresponding to the detected language identifier;

configuring a virtual input device in accordance with the key mapping, wherein the virtual input device includes one or more controls and the key mapping specifies a character corresponding to at least one of the plurality of controls; and

presenting the virtual input device to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual input device is presented in a window that includes the selected data entry field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the language identifier comprises one of an Extensible Markup Language tag and a Hypertext Markup Language tag.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the language identifier with the selected data entry field based on a user preference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring further comprises defining a layout of the virtual input device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

defining the layout of the virtual input device in accordance with a display area in which the virtual input device is presented to the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the key mapping includes a plurality of characters associated with an alphabet corresponding to the language identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving user input selecting a control included in the virtual input device; and

entering a character associated with the selected control in the selected data entry field.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input selecting a second data entry field, wherein a second language identifier is associated with the second data entry field;

determining a second key mapping corresponding to the second language identifier; and

configuring the virtual input device in accordance with the second key mapping.

10. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

detecting a language identifier associated with a selected data entry field;

determining a key mapping corresponding to the detected language identifier;

configuring a virtual input device in accordance with the key mapping, wherein the virtual input device includes one or more controls and the key mapping specifies a character corresponding to at least one of the plurality of controls; and

presenting the virtual input device to a user.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the virtual input device is presented in a window that includes the selected data entry field.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the language identifier comprises one of an Extensible Markup Language tag and a Hypertext Markup Language tag.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

associating the language identifier with the selected data entry field based on a user preference.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein configuring further comprises defining a layout of the virtual input device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

defining the layout of the virtual input device in accordance with a display area in which the virtual input device is presented to the user.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the key mapping includes a plurality of characters associated with an alphabet corresponding to the language identifier.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input selecting a control included in the virtual input device; and

entering a character associated with the selected control in the selected data entry field.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input selecting a second data entry field, wherein a second language identifier is associated with the second data entry field;

determining a second key mapping corresponding to the second language identifier; and

configuring the virtual input device in accordance with the second key mapping.

19. A system comprising:

a display; and

processor electronics configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting a language identifier associated with a selected data entry field;

determining a key mapping corresponding to the detected language identifier;

configuring a virtual input device in accordance with the key mapping, wherein the virtual input device includes one or more controls and the key mapping specifies a character corresponding to at least one of the plurality of controls; and

presenting the virtual input device on the display.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the language identifier comprises one of an Extensible Markup Language tag and a Hypertext Markup Language tag.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a user input device; and

wherein the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving input through the user input device selecting a second data entry field, wherein a second language identifier is associated with the second data entry field;

determining a second key mapping corresponding to the second language identifier; and

configuring the virtual input device in accordance with the second key mapping.