SPLIT KEYBOARD FOR THUMB TYPING

• US 20130057475A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Seung, Chandrasekaran, Vasudha, Odell, Dan, Hofmeester, Gerrit, Sherman, Gary, Duggan, Finbarr, Weir, Jeff, Kushner, Moneta Ho, Murphy, John
• Application Number:
  US13/223,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057475A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• 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

In one embodiment, a split virtual keyboard may be optimized for thumb typing. A processor 120 may determine a virtual key layout for a split virtual keyboard based on a thumb range of a user. A touch screen 502 may display the split virtual keyboard 504 to the user.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

determining a virtual key layout for a split virtual keyboard based on a thumb range of a user; and

displaying the split virtual keyboard to the user on a touch screen of a portable computer device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the virtual key layout with a user profile of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the user based on a thumb identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a virtual key layout selection from the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user gesture indicating a virtual key layout adjustment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of a key size, a key spacing, and an edge offset of the split virtual keyboard.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the virtual key layout based on at least one of a thumb range, a thumb size, and a grip.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a keyboard view selection of at least one of an alphabetical view, a numerical view, a symbol view, and an emoticon view.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a split virtual keyboard formation to at least one of a QWERTY formation, an alphabetized formation, and an ergonomic formation.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

weighting a key distribution between panels of the split virtual keyboard based on a hand dominance of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an orientation of the portable computer device; and

selecting the virtual key layout based on the orientation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable computer device is at least one of a tablet computer and a handheld computer.

13. A tangible machine-readable medium having a set of instructions detailing a method stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform the method, the method comprising:

displaying a split virtual keyboard to a user on a touch screen of a portable computer device, and

adjusting a virtual key layout for the split virtual keyboard based on a thumb range of the user.

14. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

associating the virtual key layout with a user profile of the user.

15. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a virtual key layout selection from the user.

16. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

adjusting at least one of a key size, a key spacing, and an edge offset of the split virtual keyboard.

17. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

adjusting the virtual key layout based on at least one of a thumb size and a grip.

18. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

determining an orientation of the portable computer device; and

selecting the virtual key layout based on the orientation.

19. A portable computer device, comprising:

a processor that determines a virtual key layout option for a split virtual keyboard based on a thumb range of a user; and

a touch screen that displays the split virtual keyboard to the user and receives a virtual key layout selection from the user.

20. The portable computer device of claim 19, wherein the touch display screen detects a user gesture to indicate the virtual key layout adjustment.