SWIPEABLE KEY LINE

• US 20120081305A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: IMERJ LLC (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schrock, Rodney W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,866,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

Abstract

Methods and devices for the display of virtual keyboards are provided. More particularly, virtual keyboards that include selectable sets of virtual keys that can be selected or changed through direct input by a user are provided. The user input can include a touch screen input or gesture applied to an area of a display in which a selectable set of virtual keys is presented. The touch screen input or swipe can cause the displayed selectable set of virtual keys to be replaced by an alternate selectable set of virtual keys.

Claims

1. A method for providing an input device, comprising:

presenting by a touch screen display of a first device a first selectable set of virtual keys;

receiving a first input from a user, wherein the first input includes a touch input in an area of the touch screen display corresponding to the displayed first selectable set of virtual keys;

in response to the received first input, presenting by the touch screen display a second selectable set of virtual keys.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input includes a gesture.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gesture includes a swipe gesture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch screen display includes first and second touch screen displays, wherein a first portion of the first selectable set of virtual keys is presented by the first touch screen display during a first time interval, wherein a second portion of the first selectable set of virtual keys is presented by the second touch screen display during the first time interval, wherein a first portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys is presented by the first touch screen display during a second time interval, wherein a second portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys is presented by the second touch screen display during the second time interval, wherein the second time interval is after the first time interval, and wherein at least some portion of the second time interval is after the first input is received from the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first selectable set of virtual keys is presented as a row of virtual keys, wherein the second selectable set of virtual keys is presented as a row of virtual keys.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a portion of the first selectable set of virtual keys and a portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys are simultaneously presented during at least a first time interval corresponding to the receipt of the first input from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second input from the user, wherein the second input includes a touch input in an area of the first touch screen corresponding to the displayed second selectable set of virtual keys.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein in response to the received second input one of the first selectable set of virtual keys and a third selectable set of virtual keys is presented.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first selectable set of virtual keys is presented as a row of virtual keys, wherein the second selectable set of virtual keys is presented as a row of virtual keys, wherein the third selectable set of virtual keys is presented as a row of virtual keys, wherein the first input is in a first direction along the row of virtual keys of the first selectable set of virtual keys and causes the second selectable set of virtual keys to be presented, wherein the second input is in the first direction along the row of virtual keys of the second selectable set of virtual keys and causes the third selectable set of virtual keys to be presented.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving third input from the user, wherein the third input includes a touch input in an area of the first touch screen display corresponding to the displayed third selectable set of virtual keys, wherein the third input is in the first direction along the row of virtual keys of the third selectable set of virtual keys and causes the first selectable set of virtual keys to be presented.

11. A device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

memory;

a processor;

application programming stored in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein the application programming is operable to;

display a first selectable set of virtual keys;

receive first touch screen input entered in an area including the displayed first selectable set of virtual keys;

in response to the received first touch screen input, display a second selectable set of virtual keys.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a first touch screen display;

a second touch screen display, wherein the first and second touch screen displays are operated by the application programming to display the first selectable set of virtual keys during a first interval of time, and wherein the first and second touch screen displays are operated by the application programming to display the second selectable set of virtual keys during a second interval of time.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the first selectable set of virtual keys is displayed as a row of virtual keys extending across at least a portion of the first touch screen display and across at least a portion of the second touch screen display, wherein the first touch screen input is received by at least one of the first and second touch screen displays.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first touch screen input is in a first direction along the row of virtual keys, wherein the application programming is further operable to receive second touch screen input in an area including at least a portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys, wherein the second touch screen input is in the first direction along the row of virtual keys, wherein in response to the received second touch screen input the application programming is operable to display a third selectable set of virtual keys.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the first touch screen input is in a first direction along the row of virtual keys, wherein the application programming is further operable to receive second touch screen input in an area including at least a portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys, wherein the second touch screen input is in a second direction along the row of virtual keys, wherein in response to the received second touch screen input the application programming is operable to display first selectable set of virtual keys.

16. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for displaying selectable virtual key sets, the computer executable instructions comprising:

instructions to display a first set of virtual keys on a touch screen;

instructions to determine whether at least a first touch screen input has been received in an area of the touch screen corresponding to the displayed first selectable set of virtual keys;

instructions to display a second selectable set of virtual keys on the touch screen in place of the first selectable set of virtual keys in response to the at least a first touch screen input.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first selectable set of virtual keys is displayed as a row of virtual keys, wherein the at least a first touch screen input includes a swipe gesture along the first selectable set of virtual keys.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein during at least a portion of receiving the first touch screen input a portion of the first selectable set of virtual keys and a portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys are displayed simultaneously.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, the computer executable instructions further comprising:

instructions to display the first selectable set of virtual keys on a touch screen that includes first and second touch screens during a first time interval, wherein a first portion of the first selectable set of virtual keys is displayed on the first touch screen and a second portion of the first selectable set of virtual keys is displayed on the second touch screen during the first time interval;

instructions to display the second selectable set of virtual keys on the touch screen that includes first and second touch screens during a second time interval, wherein a first portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys is displayed on the first touch screen and a second portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys is displayed on the second touch screen during the second time interval, wherein the first time interval is before the first touch screen input is received, and wherein the second time interval is after the first touch screen input is received.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, the computer readable instructions further comprising:

instructions to display at least some of the second portion of the first selectable set of virtual keys on the first touch screen display while the first touch screen input is being received;

instructions to display at least some of the first portion of the second selectable set of virtual keys on the second touch screen display while the first touch screen input is being received.