GLOW TOUCH FEEDBACK FOR VIRTUAL INPUT DEVICES

• US 20100081476A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: CLEMENT, Manuel, MARKIEWICZ, Jan-Kristian, SILVIS, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

The claimed subject matter is directed to providing feedback in a touch screen device in response to an actuation of a virtual unit in a virtual input device. Specifically, the claimed subject matter provides a method and system for providing visual feedback in response to an actuation of a virtual key in a virtual keyboard. One embodiment of the claimed subject matter is implemented as a method for providing luminescent feedback in response to an actuation of a virtual key in a virtual keyboard. User input in a virtual keyboard corresponding to a virtual key is received. The corresponding virtual key is actuated and registered in response to the user input, and a luminescent feedback is displayed to the user as confirmation of the actuation of the virtual key.

Claims

1. A method for providing visual feedback in response to an actuation of a virtual key in a virtual keyboard, the method comprising:

receiving a user input corresponding to a first virtual key of a plurality of virtual keys, the plurality of virtual keys comprising a virtual keyboard;

actuating the first virtual key in response to the user input;

registering an actuation of the first virtual key; and

displaying a luminescent confirmation in response to registering the actuation, wherein the luminescent confirmation has a brightness greater than a brightness of a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of virtual keys.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a luminescent confirmation comprises instantly displaying a luminescent confirmation immediately following a registration of the actuation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying a luminescent confirmation comprises displaying a visible glow effect over a portion of the image of the first virtual key.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying a luminescent confirmation comprises illuminating an area proximate to an image of the first virtual key.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein illuminating an area proximate to an image of the first virtual key comprises illuminating the area between an image of the first virtual key and a plurality of adjacent virtual key images adjacent to the image of first virtual key.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying a luminescent confirmation comprises displaying an image of an actuation indicator, wherein the image is disposed on an image of the virtual keyboard.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying a luminescent confirmation comprises illuminating the area between each of a plurality of images, each image of the plurality of images corresponding to a virtual key of the plurality of virtual keys comprising the virtual keyboard.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying a luminescent confirmation comprises illuminating an outline of an image of the virtual keyboard.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying a luminescent confirmation comprises temporarily displaying a luminescent image.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the brightness of the luminescent image decreases at a constant rate over time.

11. A method for providing feedback in response to an actuation of a virtual graphical unit of a virtual graphical user interface, the method comprising:

registering an actuation corresponding to a virtual graphical unit in a virtual graphical user interface; and

instantly providing an actuation indication in response to registering the actuation.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein instantly providing an actuation indication comprises instantly providing a visual indication.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein instantly providing an actuation indication comprises instantly providing a haptic indication

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein instantly providing a visual indication comprises instantly providing a visible luminescent indication in response to registering the actuation.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein instantly providing a visible luminescent indication comprises instantly adjusting a size of an image of the virtual graphical unit corresponding to the user input.

16. A computer readable media having computer executable components to implement a touch screen system, the touch screen system comprising:

a virtual keyboard, the virtual keyboard having an image; and

a plurality of distinct virtual keys, each of the plurality of distinct virtual keys having an image displayed in the image of the virtual keyboard and operable to register an actuation,

wherein a portion of the image of the virtual keyboard is illuminated when an actuation of a distinct virtual key from the plurality of distinct virtual keys is registered.

17. The computer readable media according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable media is instantiated in a display unit of a computing device.

18. The computer readable media according to claim 17, wherein the display unit is a computer display screen.

19. The computer readable media according to claim 17, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile computing device.

20. The computer readable media according to claim 19, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a mobile telephone.