Number Keypad

• US 20120274579A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Akihiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

Embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture for arranging keys of a number keypad based on movement of another key. In various embodiments, a contact may be detected, and a key associated with the contact moved to a second location in accordance with movement of the contact. Based on the second location a second key may be arranged.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch sensitive display;

a processor coupled to the touch sensitive display; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including a plurality of programming instructions that, if executed by the processor, enable the apparatus to;

detect a contact with the touch sensitive display at a first location, wherein the first location corresponds to a first number key of a number keypad displayed by the touch sensitive display;

move the first number key of the number keypad displayed by the touch sensitive display in accordance with movement of the contact to a second location; and

arrange a second number key of the number keypad based on a direction of movement of the contact after the first key reaches the second location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second location is a corner of the touch sensitive display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movement of the contact to the second location is along an undefined path.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, if executed by the processor, further enable the apparatus to:

arrange a third number key of the number keypad.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, if executed by the processor, further enable the apparatus to:

detect another contact with the touch sensitive display at a third location, wherein the third location corresponds to a zero number key of the number keypad; and

move the zero number key on the touch sensitive display in accordance with movement of the another contact to a fourth location.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, if executed by the processor, further enable the apparatus to:

display a visual cue to communicate a predefined path for moving the first number key to the second location.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first location corresponds to an upper, left corner of the touch sensitive display, and the second location corresponds to a lower, left corner the number keypad displayed by the touch sensitive display.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the direction of movement of the contact after the first number key reaches the second location is toward the lower, right corner of the number keypad displayed by the touch sensitive display.

9. A method, comprising:

detecting a contact with a touch sensitive display at a first location, wherein the first location corresponds to a first number key of a number keypad;

moving the first number key on the touch sensitive display in accordance with movement of the contact to a second location; and

arranging other number keys of the number keypad based on the second location and a direction of movement of the contact after the first number key reaches the second location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the moving comprises moving the contact along an undefined path.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the moving comprises moving the first number key to a corner location on the touch sensitive display.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the arranging comprises sequentially aligning the other number keys in accordance with the direction of movement of the contact after the first number key reaches the second location.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting another contact with the touch sensitive display at a third location, wherein the third location corresponds to a zero number key of the number keypad; and

moving the zero number key on the touch sensitive display in accordance with movement of the another contact to a fourth location.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying a visual cue to communicate a predefined path for moving the first number key to the second location.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of programming instructions stored thereon, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

detect a contact with a touch sensitive display at a first location for a period of time, wherein the first location corresponds to a first key of a number keypad displayed by the touch sensitive display;

move the first key of the number keypad displayed by the touch sensitive display in accordance with movement of the contact to a second location; and

arrange a second key of the number keypad based on the movement of the first key to the second location.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the first key corresponds to a numerical one.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, if executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:

arrange the second key of the number keypad based on a direction of movement of the contact after the first key reaches the second location.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the first location corresponds to a lower, left corner of the number keypad displayed by the touch sensitive display.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the second location corresponds to an upper, left corner of the number keypad displayed by the touch sensitive display.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the period of time is greater than two seconds.