VIRTUAL KEYBOARD PROVIDING AN INDICATION OF RECEIVED INPUT

• US 20130187858A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler, Pasquero, Jerome, Mckenzie, Donald Somerset McCulloch
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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 virtual keyboard providing an indication of received input and method of controlling the same is provided. The method comprises receiving an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display, and highlighting a key in the virtual keyboard which corresponds to the input character when the input character belongs to a current set of characters which is incomplete.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display; and

highlighting a key in the virtual keyboard which corresponds to the input character when the input character belongs to a current set of characters which is incomplete.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

adjusting the highlighting of one or more highlighted keys based on one or more predetermined criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined criteria comprises a duration of time since a last input was received from the virtual keyboard.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined criteria comprises occurrence of a predetermined number of subsequent character inputs since a last input was received from the virtual keyboard.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the last input is associated with one of the highlighted keys.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined criteria may comprise a duration of time since a last interaction with the particular keys in the virtual keyboard which correspond to the input characters in the current set of characters.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting comprises decreasing an intensity of the highlighting.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the intensity of the highlighting is decreased progressively over time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the intensity of the highlighting of one or more particular keys in the virtual keyboard is decreased progressively from a last interaction with the one or more particular keys in the virtual keyboard.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating one or more sets of predicted input characters based on the input character; and

wherein the highlighting comprises;

highlighting in a first format one or more keys of the virtual keyboard which match the one or more sets of predicted input characters; and

highlighting in a second format one or more keys of the virtual keyboard which do not match the one or more sets of predicted input characters.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the highlighting comprises:

highlighting in the first format one or more keys of the virtual keyboard which match a set of predicted input characters having a highest predictive rank; and

highlighting in the second format one or more keys of the virtual keyboard which do not match the set of predicted input characters having the highest predictive rank.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, after receiving the input of the character from the virtual keyboard, whether the current set of characters is incomplete;

wherein the key in the virtual keyboard which corresponds to the input character is only highlighted when the current set of characters is incomplete.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

unhighlighting all highlighted keys in the virtual keyboard when the current set of characters is complete.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a touchscreen display coupled to the processor, the touchscreen having a virtual keyboard displayed thereon;

wherein the processor is configured to receive an input of a character from the virtual keyboard, and highlight a key in the virtual keyboard which corresponds to the input character when the input character belongs to a current set of characters which is incomplete.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the highlighting of one or more highlighted keys based on one or more predetermined criteria.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to generate one or more sets of predicted input characters based on the input character, wherein the highlighting comprises:

highlighting in a first format one or more keys of the virtual keyboard which match the one or more sets of predicted input characters; and

highlighting in a second format one or more keys of the virtual keyboard which do not match the one or more sets of predicted input characters.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the highlighting comprises:

highlighting in the first format one or more keys of the virtual keyboard which match a set of predicted input characters having a highest predictive rank; and

highlighting in the second format one or more keys of the virtual keyboard which do not match the set of predicted input characters having the highest predictive rank.

18. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to determine, after receiving the input of the character from the virtual keyboard, whether the current set of characters is incomplete;

wherein the key in the virtual keyboard which corresponds to the input character is only highlighted when the current set of characters is incomplete.

19. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to unhighlight all highlighted keys in the virtual keyboard when the current set of characters is complete.

20. A keyboard rendered on a display of an electronic device, the keyboard comprising:

a plurality of keys, each key corresponding to one or more different characters of a plurality of characters;

wherein in response to receiving an input of a character, the keyboard is configured to highlight a key in the virtual keyboard which corresponds to the input character when the input character belongs to a current set of characters which is incomplete.