Virtual Interface Devices

• US 20130174079A1
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RealVNC Ltd.
• Original Assignee: RealVNC Ltd.
• Inventors: Morley, Jason Barrie, Lee, Andrew S.T., Boxall, Mark, Harter, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 9,342,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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 touch screen device configured to implement an auxiliary virtual keyboard on a touch screen, the device having touch/gesture sensing and image display functions, a processor, and memory storing control code and data defining the keyboard comprising a set of keys and a key layout map. The processor is configured to determine a size of a window in which the keyboard is to be displayed as a strip of keys; send instructions to display a partial view of the keyboard within the window so that a subset of keys are displayed, whereby the keyboard is scrollable in response to user input to alter the partial view to display a different subset of keys; receive touch data; map said touch data to a key using the key layout map to identify a touched key; and provide a response dependent on the identified touched key.

Claims

1. A touch screen device configured to implement an auxiliary virtual keyboard on a touch screen of said device, wherein said device has an operating system configured to provide touch and gesture sensing and image display functions, the device comprising:

a processor coupled to a touch sensitive display screen and to non-volatile memory storing processor control code and data defining said auxiliary virtual keyboard comprising a set of auxiliary keys and an auxiliary key layout map of said auxiliary keys;

wherein

said processor control code, when running on the processor is such that the processor is configured to;

receive a signal from said operating system that said auxiliary virtual keyboard is to be displayed on said touch screen;

determine a size of an auxiliary keyboard window in which said auxiliary virtual keyboard is to be displayed as a strip of auxiliary keys;

instruct said operating system to display a partial view of said auxiliary virtual keyboard within said window so that a subset of said auxiliary keys are displayed to a user, whereby said auxiliary virtual keyboard is scrollable in response to user input to alter the partial view of said auxiliary virtual keyboard to display a different subset of said auxiliary keys;

receive touch data from said operating system;

map said touch data to a key of said auxiliary keyboard using said auxiliary key layout map to identify a touched auxiliary key; and

provide a response to said operating system dependent on said identified touched auxiliary key.

2. A touch screen device according to claim 1, wherein the response provided to the operating system comprises generating an associated key-code and at least one key event corresponding to each identified touched auxiliary key.

3. A touch screen device according to claim 2, wherein the key event is one or more of a key-down event, a key-repeat event or a key-up event.

4. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said code to provide said response is configured to modify an appearance of said virtual keyboard by co-animating a secondary auxiliary keyboard.

5. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary keyboard window comprises a strip window along an edge of said display screen and wherein said auxiliary virtual keyboard is slidable longitudinally within said strip window.

6. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said processor control code is configured to provide markers defining groups of auxiliary keys within said auxiliary keyboard and to instruct said operating system to snap to said one or more groups of said auxiliary keys.

7. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said code to determine a size of an auxiliary keyboard window is configured such that at least one edge of said auxiliary keyboard window only a portion of a said auxiliary key is displayed.

8. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary keys comprise at least one key configured to perform the function of a combination of keys, wherein the combined keys comprise two or more keys selected from the group comprising tab, shift, Control, Escape, Alt, a function key, Insert, Delete, a cursor/arrow key, an Apple key, and a Windows key, an alphanumeric key.

9. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said linear strip of auxiliary keys forms a continuous loop which is scrollable within said auxiliary keyboard window.

10. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary keyboard is implemented together with a virtual keyboard.

11. A touch screen device as claimed claim 10 wherein said code comprises code to determine a dimension of said virtual keyboard, and wherein said code to determine a size of said auxiliary keyboard view comprises code to adjust said size dependent on said dimension of said virtual keyboard.

12. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 11 wherein said code to determine a dimension of said virtual keyboard comprises code to receive from said operating system data defining an orientation of said device.

13. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said identified touched auxiliary key is a modifier key and said code to provide said response is configured to modify a value of a key touched on said virtual keyboard responsive to said identified touched modifier key.

14. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 13 wherein said code to modify said response comprises code to receive a value of a touched key of said virtual keyboard from said operating system and code to provide a modified value of said touched key back to said operating system dependent on said identified touched modified key.

15. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said code to instruct said operating system to display a partial view of said auxiliary keyboard is configured to co-animate appearance of said auxiliary keyboard with said virtual keyboard on said display screen.

16. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said auxiliary keyboard view comprises a strip window adjacent a boundary of said virtual keyboard.

17. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 1, which is connected to a remote device having an operating system and wherein said processor control code is further configured to

provide a response to said operating system on said remote device dependent on said identified touched auxiliary key.

18. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 17, wherein said processor control code is further configured to

implement a remote access protocol which provides a mechanism for receiving a visual representation of the remote operating system on the touch screen device.

19. A touch screen device as claimed in claim 17, wherein said processor control code is further configured to provide a response in the form of a key-code together with a key-down event, key-up event or key-repeat event corresponding to each identified touched key on the remote device.

20. A method of providing a virtual keyboard on a display view of touch sensitive device with a set of auxiliary keys, the method comprising

providing a window for displaying the auxiliary keys in conjunction with the virtual keyboard,

displaying a subset of the set of auxiliary keys within the window as a keyboard accessory comprising a strip, said window displaying a partial view of said strip;

scrolling said strip within said window in response to user touch on said display to alter said partial view and to alter said subset of displayed said keys;

receiving user input from a touched displayed one of said auxiliary keys.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said displaying further comprising displaying a visual cue that said strip is scrollable.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein said auxiliary key comprises a key to be pressed in conjunction with a key on said virtual keyboard, and wherein said method comprises modifying a key press of a key on said virtual keyboard responsive to said detected auxiliary key press.

23. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein said displaying of said subset of said auxiliary keys comprises arranging said auxiliary keys such that an edge of said strip window passes through a said auxiliary key to display a partial image of a said auxiliary key.

24. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein said displaying of said auxiliary keys comprises scrolling said strip of said auxiliary keys into said window when said auxiliary keys are first displayed in said touch screen.

25. (canceled)

26. A data carrier carrying processor control code for a touch screen device to implement an auxiliary virtual keyboard on a touch screen of said device, wherein said device has an operating system configured to provide touch and gesture sensing and image display functions, the device including:

a processor coupled to a touch sensitive display screen and to non-volatile memory storing processor control code and data defining an image of a set of auxiliary keys and an auxiliary key layout map of said auxiliary keys; and

wherein said processor control code comprises code configured to;

receive a signal from said operating system that an auxiliary virtual keyboard is to be displayed on said touch screen;

determine a size of an auxiliary keyboard window in which said auxiliary keyboard is to be displayed as a strip of auxiliary keys;

instruct said operating system to display a partial view of said auxiliary virtual keyboard within said window so that a subset of said auxiliary keys are displayed to a user, whereby said auxiliary virtual keyboard is scrollable in response to user input to alter the partial view of said auxiliary virtual keyboard to display a different subset of said auxiliary keys;

receive touch data from said operating system;

map said touch data to a key of said auxiliary keyboard using said auxiliary key layout map to identify a touched auxiliary key; and

provide a response to said operating system dependent on said identified touched auxiliary key.