ADJUSTABLE TOUCH SCREEN KEYBOARD

• US 20120144337A1
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: ARCHER, Donald Gene, YORK, William D.
• Application Number:
  US12/957,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144337A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• 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

Abstract

A device displays keys, in a standard keyboard layout, on a touch screen of the device, and detects interaction of fingers, associated with a user of the device, with the touch screen. The device determines a type of interaction by the fingers, and reduces sizes of one or more of the keys when a finger contraction is the type of interaction by the fingers. The device displays, on the touch screen, a first reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the one or more keys that are reduced in size.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a device, the method comprising:

displaying display elements, in a standard keyboard layout, on a touch screen associated with the device;

detecting interaction of fingers, associated with a user of the device, with the touch screen;

determining, by the device, a type of interaction by the fingers;

reducing, by the device, sizes of one or more of the display elements when a finger contraction is the type of interaction by the fingers; and

displaying, on the touch screen, a first reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the one or more display elements that are reduced in size.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enlarging sizes of one or more of the display elements when a finger separation is the type of interaction by the fingers; and

displaying, on the touch screen and when the finger separation is the type of interaction by the fingers, a second reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the one or more display elements that are enlarged in size.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reconfiguring the display elements when a finger rotation is the type of interaction by the fingers, where reconfiguring the display elements includes;

defining a first portion of the display elements,

rotating the first portion of the display elements in a counterclockwise direction,

defining a second, different portion of the display elements, and

rotating the second portion of the display elements in a clockwise direction; and

displaying, on the touch screen and when the finger rotation is the type of interaction by the fingers, a third reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the reconfigured display elements.

4. The method of claim 3, where the third reconfigured keyboard layout comprises an ergonomic keyboard layout.

5. The method of claim 1, where each of the one or more display elements comprises a key associated with the standard keyboard layout displayed on the touch screen.

6. The method of claim 1, where detecting interaction of fingers comprises:

providing instructions to the user to contract the fingers, spread the fingers, or rotate the fingers;

receiving, based on the instructions, user performance of one of the finger contraction, a finger separation, or a finger rotation; and

detecting the interaction of the fingers with the touch screen based on the user performance.

7. The method of claim 1, where determining a type of interaction by the fingers comprises:

determining the finger contraction when movement of the fingers towards each other is detected;

determining a finger separation when movement of the fingers away from each other is detected; and

determining a finger rotation when rotational movement of the fingers is detected.

8. The method of claim 1, where the touch screen comprises a capacitive touch screen.

9. A device comprising:

a touch screen;

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

display keys, in a standard keyboard layout, on the touch screen,

detect interaction of fingers, associated with a user of the device, with the touch screen,

determine a type of interaction by the fingers,

enlarge sizes of one or more of the keys when a finger separation is the type of interaction by the fingers, and

display, on the touch screen and when the finger separation is the type of interaction by the fingers, a first reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the one or more keys that are enlarged in size.

10. The device of claim 9, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

reduce sizes of one or more of the keys when a finger contraction is the type of interaction by the fingers, and

display, on the touch screen and when the finger contraction is the type of interaction by the fingers, a second reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the one or more keys that are reduced in size.

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

reconfigure the keys when a finger rotation is the type of interaction by the fingers, and

display, on the touch screen and when the finger rotation is the type of interaction by the fingers, a third reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the reconfigured keys.

12. The device of claim 11, where, when reconfiguring the keys, the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

define a first portion of the keys,

rotate the first portion of the keys in a counterclockwise direction,

define a second, different portion of the keys, and

rotate the second portion of the keys in a clockwise direction.

13. The device of claim 12, where the third reconfigured keyboard layout comprises an ergonomic keyboard layout.

14. The device of claim 9, where, when detecting interaction of fingers, the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide instructions to the user to contract the fingers, spread the fingers, or rotate the fingers,

receive, based on the instructions, user performance of one of a finger contraction, the finger separation, or a finger rotation, and

detect the interaction of the fingers with the touch screen based on the user performance.

15. The device of claim 9, where, when determining a type of interaction by the fingers, the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

determine a finger contraction when movement of the fingers towards each other is detected,

determine the finger separation when movement of the fingers away from each other is detected, and

determine a finger rotation when rotational movement of the fingers is detected.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors of a device, the media storing one or more instructions for:

displaying display elements, in a standard keyboard layout, on a touch screen associated with the device;

detecting interaction of fingers, associated with a user of the device, with the touch screen;

determining a type of interaction by the fingers;

reducing sizes of one or more of the display elements when a finger contraction is the type of interaction by the fingers; and

displaying, on the touch screen, a first reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the one or more display elements that are reduced in size.

17. The media of claim 16, where the media further stores one or more instructions for:

enlarging sizes of one or more of the display elements when a finger separation is the type of interaction by the fingers; and

displaying, on the touch screen and when the finger separation is the type of interaction by the fingers, a second reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the one or more display elements that are enlarged in size.

18. The media of claim 16, where the media further stores one or more instructions for:

reconfiguring the display elements when a finger rotation is the type of interaction by the fingers; and

displaying, on the touch screen and when the finger rotation is the type of interaction by the fingers, a third reconfigured keyboard layout that includes the reconfigured display elements.

19. The media of claim 18, where the one or more instructions for reconfiguring the display elements comprises one or more instructions for:

defining a first portion of the display elements,

rotating the first portion of the display elements in a counterclockwise direction,

defining a second, different portion of the display elements, and

rotating the second portion of the display elements in a clockwise direction

20. The media of claim 18, where the third reconfigured keyboard layout comprises an ergonomic keyboard layout.

21. The media of claim 16, where each of the one or more display elements comprises a key associated with the standard keyboard layout displayed on the touch screen.

22. The media of claim 16, where the one or more instructions for detecting interaction of fingers comprise one or more instructions for:

providing information to the user to contract the fingers, spread the fingers, or rotate the fingers;

receiving, based on the information, user performance of one of the finger contraction, a finger separation, or a finger rotation; and

detecting the interaction of the fingers with the touch screen based on the user performance.

23. The media of claim 16, where the one or more instructions for determining a type of interaction by the fingers comprise one or more instructions for:

determining the finger contraction when movement of the fingers towards each other is detected;

determining a finger separation when movement of the fingers away from each other is detected; and

determining a finger rotation when rotational movement of the fingers is detected.