Dynamic Generation of Soft Keyboards for Mobile Devices

• US 20110078613A1
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bangalore, Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• 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

Abstract

Devices and methods are disclosed which relate to improving the efficiency of text input by dynamically generating a visually assistive virtual keyboard. Exemplary variations display a soft keyboard on a touchscreen of a text-entry device. The touchscreen works with the soft keyboard as a form of text input. Keyboard logic on the text-entry device is programmed to change the visual appearance of each key within the soft keyboard based on the prior entry. The keyboard logic assigns a prediction value to each key based on a statistical probability that the key will be entered next. The touchscreen displays a visually enhanced keyboard based on these prediction values. Enhancements include resizing keys relative to their prediction value, rearranging the keys a distance from the previous key entered inverse to its prediction value, etc.

Claims

1. A text-entry device for generating a visually assistive dynamic keyboard comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a touchscreen in communication with the processor; and

a keyboard logic stored on the memory;

wherein the keyboard logic;

displays a dynamic keyboard having a plurality of keys substantially the same size on the touchscreen;

assigns a prediction value to each key after a user enters a key; and

visually assists the user in entering the next key by enhancing each key relative to the assigned prediction value.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein the keyboard logic enhances the dynamic keyboard by resizing each key to a proportion of its prediction value.

3. The device in claim 1, wherein the keyboard logic enhances the dynamic keyboard by reassigning the location of each key to a distance from a last key entered relative to the inverse of its prediction value.

4. The device in claim 1, wherein the keyboard logic enhances the dynamic keyboard by changing a color of each key to a visibility to a proportion of its prediction value.

5. The device in claim 1, wherein the keyboard logic assigns a prediction value to each key by referencing a language database.

6. The device in claim 5, wherein the database is referenced using the context of relevant keys that have been entered.

7. The device in claim 1, further comprising a transceiver.

8. The device in claim 7, wherein the transceiver uses one of cellular RF, BLUETOOTH, and WiFi.

9. A method of visually assisting a dynamic keyboard comprising;

displaying a dynamic keyboard having a plurality of keys substantially the same size;

assigning a prediction value to each key after each key entry; and

visually assisting the user in entering the next key by enhancing each key relative to the assigned prediction value;

wherein the dynamic keyboard is displayed one of a touchscreen of a text-entry device and a surface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the assisting further comprises enhancing the dynamic keyboard by resizing each key to a proportion of its prediction value.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the assisting further comprises enhancing the dynamic keyboard by reassigning the location of each key to a distance from a last key entered relative to the inverse of its prediction value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the assisting further comprises enhancing the dynamic keyboard by reassigning the color of each key such that its visibility is a proportion of its prediction value.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising resetting a dynamic keyboard to a display of keys having substantially the same size.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the assigning further comprises referencing a language database.

15. The method in claim 14, wherein the database is referenced using the context of relevant keys that have been entered.

16. A text-entry device for generating a visually assistive dynamic keyboard comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a display in communication with the processor;

a laser keyboard system in communication with the processor; and

a keyboard logic stored on the memory;

wherein the keyboard logic;

displays a dynamic keyboard having a plurality of keys substantially the same size on a surface;

assigns a prediction value to each key after a user enters a key; and

visually assists the user in entering the next key by enhancing each key relative to the assigned prediction value.

17. The device in claim 16, wherein the keyboard logic enhances the dynamic keyboard by resizing each key to a proportion of its prediction value.

18. The device in claim 16, wherein the keyboard logic enhances the dynamic keyboard by reassigning the location of each key to a distance from a last key entered relative to the inverse of its prediction value.

19. The device in claim 16, wherein the keyboard logic enhances the dynamic keyboard by changing a color of each key to a visibility to a proportion of its prediction value.

20. The device in claim 16, wherein the keyboard logic assigns a prediction value to each key by referencing a language database.