SELF-ADAPTING KEYPAD

• US 20130167064A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Amsterdam, Jeffrey D., Freeman, William C., O'Connell, Brian M., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,448,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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 3/04886 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 method, apparatus and computer-usable medium for implementing a virtual keyboard for use with small input devices. A circular keyboard can be graphically displayed, in response to a user input by a user via a small input device. A circular and centrally located key can be graphically located and displayed within the center of the circular keyboard, wherein character keys radiate outward from the centrally located key (i.e., the “central key”). Character keys that are most commonly utilized by the user are preferably located closed to the circular and centrally located key within the circular keyboard. Character keys least commonly utilized by the user are preferably located at the edges of the keyboard, thereby permitting the circular keyboard to function as a self-adapting virtual keyboard for use with small input devices based on the usage of the keyboard by the user.

Claims

1. A method for arranging graphical keypad keys, the method comprising:

a processor of a data processing apparatus detecting a plurality of graphical keypad keys most commonly utilized in combination on the data processing apparatus; and

the processor displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to a central graphical key of a graphical keypad than a plurality of graphical keypad keys least commonly utilized on the data processing apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than at least one of a graphical shift key, a graphical delete key, a graphical enter key, and a graphical caps lock key.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the processor modifying a layout of the graphical keypad by relocating a plurality of graphical keys of the graphical keypad based on usage patterns.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

the processor modifying another layout of the graphical keypad by relocating another plurality of graphical keys of the graphical keypad based on usage patterns.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the relocating the plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a first application, and wherein the relocating the another plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a second application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first application comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) editing program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second application comprises a chat client.

8. A computer-usable storage device having computer executable instructions stored therein, the computer executable instructions executable by a processor of a data processing apparatus to implement a method for arranging graphical keypad keys, the method comprising:

the processor detecting a plurality of graphical keypad keys most commonly utilized in combination on the data processing apparatus; and

the processor displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to a central graphical key of a graphical keypad than a plurality of graphical keypad keys least commonly utilized on the data processing apparatus.

9. The computer-usable storage device of claim 8, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than at least one of a graphical shift key, a graphical delete key, a graphical enter key, and a graphical caps lock key.

10. The computer-usable storage device of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

the processor modifying a layout of the graphical keypad by relocating a plurality of graphical keys of the graphical keypad based on usage patterns.

11. The computer-usable storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

the processor modifying another layout of the graphical keypad by relocating another plurality of graphical keys of the graphical keypad based on usage patterns.

12. The computer-usable storage device of claim 11, wherein the relocating the plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a first application, and wherein the relocating the another plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a second application.

13. The computer-usable storage device of claim 12, wherein the first application comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) editing program.

14. The computer-usable storage device of claim 13, wherein the second application comprises a chat client.

15. A data processing apparatus comprising a processor and a computer-usable storage device coupled to the processor, the computer-usable storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to implement a method for arranging graphical keypad keys, the method comprising:

the processor detecting a plurality of graphical keypad keys most commonly utilized in combination on the data processing apparatus; and

the processor displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to a central graphical key of a graphical keypad than a plurality of graphical keypad keys least commonly utilized on the data processing apparatus.

16. The data processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than at least one of a graphical shift key, a graphical delete key, a graphical enter key, and a graphical caps lock key.

17. The data processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

the processor modifying a layout of the graphical keypad by relocating a plurality of graphical keys of the graphical keypad based on usage patterns.

18. The data processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

the processor modifying another layout of the graphical keypad by relocating another plurality of graphical keys of the graphical keypad based on usage patterns.

19. The data processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the relocating the plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a first application, and wherein the relocating the another plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a second application.

20. The data processing apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first application comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) editing program, and wherein the second application comprises a chat client.