PREDICTIVE KEYPAD/KEYBOARD LIGHTING TO GUIDE INPUT

• US 20100149107A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: PERRY, Paul O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,786,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A device receives one or more input keys via a keypad associated with the device, where the keypad is separate from a display associated with the device. The device also determines one or more predicted words based on the received one or more input keys, and illuminates one or more keys associated with the keypad that correspond to one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words.

Claims

1. A computing device-implemented method, comprising:

receiving one or more input keys via a keypad associated with the computing device, where the keypad is separate from a display associated with the computing device;

determining one or more predicted words based on the received one or more input keys; and

accentuating one or more keys associated with the keypad that correspond to one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words.

2. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where accentuating one or more keys comprises one or more of:

illuminating one or more keys associated with the keypad that correspond to one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words,

highlighting one or more keys associated with the keypad that correspond to one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words,

raising one or more keys associated with the keypad that correspond to one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words, or

lowering one or more keys associated with the keypad that correspond to one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words.

3. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the display, one or more predicted characters that correspond to the one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words.

4. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the determining and the accentuating when at least one more input key is received via the keypad;

determining if a word associated with the received one or more input keys is contained in a database associated with the computing device when no more input keys are received via the keypad; and

storing the word in the database when the word is not contained in the database.

5. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where determining one or more predicted words comprises:

comparing the received one or more input keys with a dictionary of words contained in a database associated with the computing device; and

determining the one or more predicted words based on the comparison.

6. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where determining one or more predicted words comprises:

using a Text on 9 keys (T9) predictive text dictionary to determine the one or more predicted words based on the received one or more input keys.

7. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where accentuating one or more keys comprises:

generating one or more backlit keys associated with the keypad and corresponding to the one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words;

providing the one or more backlit keys to a light source associated with the keypad;

energizing one or more light segments associated with the light source and corresponding to the one or more backlit keys; and

illuminating, via the one or more energized light segments, one or more keys of the keypad that correspond to the one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words.

8. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where the computing device comprises one or more of:

a radiotelephone,

a personal communications system (PCS) terminal,

a personal digital assistant (PDA),

a laptop computer,

a personal computer,

a tablet computer,

an ultra-mobile personal computer,

a remote control,

a personal gaming system, or

a global positioning system (GPS) unit.

9. A device comprising:

a keypad that includes a plurality of keys;

a light source that includes a plurality of light segments, the light source being configured to illuminate the keypad;

a display separate from the keypad;

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

receive one or more input keys via the keypad,

determine one or more predicted words based on the received one or more input keys, and

activate the light source to accentuate one or more of the plurality of keys that correspond to one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words.

10. The device of claim 9, where the device comprises one or more of:

a radiotelephone,

a personal communications system (PCS) terminal,

a personal digital assistant (PDA),

a laptop computer,

a personal computer,

a tablet computer,

an ultra-mobile personal computer,

a remote control,

a personal gaming system, or

a global positioning system (GPS) unit.

11. The device of claim 9, where the processor further executes instructions in the memory to:

display, on the display, one or more predicted characters that correspond to the one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words.

12. The device of claim 9, where the processor further executes instructions in the memory to:

repeat the determining and the activating when at least one more input key is received via the keypad,

determine if a word associated with the received one or more input keys is contained in a database provided in the memory when no more input keys are received via the keypad, and

store the word in the database when the word is not contained in the database.

13. The device of claim 9, where, when determining one or more predicted words, the processor further executes instructions in the memory to:

compare the received one or more input keys with a dictionary of words contained in the memory; and

determine the one or more predicted words based on the comparison.

14. The device of claim 9, where, when determining one or more predicted words, the processor further executes instructions in the memory to:

use a Text on 9 keys (T9) predictive text dictionary to determine the one or more predicted words based on the received one or more input keys.

15. The device of claim 9, where, when activating the light source to accentuate one or more keys the processor further executes instructions in the memory to:

generate one or more backlit keys associated with the keypad and corresponding to the one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words,

provide the one or more backlit keys to the light source,

energize one or more of the plurality of light segments that correspond to the one or more backlit keys, and

illuminate, via energizing the one or more of the plurality of light segments, one or more of the plurality of keys that correspond to the one or more characters provided in the one or more predicted words.

16. The device of claim 9, where the keypad comprises one or more of:

a standard telephone keypad,

a QWERTY-like layout keypad, or

a QWERTY-like layout keyboard.

17. The device of claim 9, where the light source comprises one or more of:

one or more incandescent light bulbs,

one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs),

one or more organic LEDs (OLEDs),

an electroluminescent panel (ELP),

one or more cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL), or

one or more hot cathode fluorescent lamps (HCFL).

18. The device of claim 9, where one or more of the plurality of light segments are integrable with each of the plurality of keys.

19. The device of claim 9, where the plurality of keys is provided on a touch membrane formed over the plurality of light segments.

20. The device of claim 9, where, when determining one or more predicted words, the processor further executes instructions in the memory to:

determine one or more predicted words based on the received one or more input keys using a predictive text input technology.

21. A system comprising:

means for receiving input keys via a keypad associated with a device, where the keypad is separate from a display associated with the device;

means for determining a predicted word based on the received input keys;

means for accentuating a key associated with the keypad that corresponds to a character provided in the predicted word;

means for displaying, on the display, a predicted character that corresponds to the character provided in the predicted word;

means for determining if a word associated with the received input keys is contained in a database associated with the device when no more input keys are received via the keypad; and

means for storing the word in the database when the word is not contained in the database.