KEYBOARD INPUT CONTROL METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20130222250A1
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Donald Somerset Mcculloch Mckenzie
• Inventors: Pasquero, Jerome, McKenzie, Donald Somerset McCulloch, Griffin, Jason Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,631 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A method for processing input from a keyboard of a hand-held computing device includes receiving a plurality of key input events and, from the plurality of key input events, determining whether there is a double selection event corresponding to a specified key from the keyboard. Further, the method includes, when it is determined that there is the double selection event corresponding to the specified key, determining a key selection offset between a first and second key selection action of the double selection. The method also includes deciding whether the key selection offset is substantially equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and, when it is decided that the key selection offset is substantially equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, using at least a first key as key input of the double selection event. The first key and the specified key are different.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for processing input from a keyboard of a hand-held computing device, comprising:

receiving a key input event;

determining whether the key input event is a double selection event, wherein the double selection event includes a first key selection action of a specified key and a second key selection action of the specified key, and a time difference between the first key selection action and the second key selection action of the double selection event is within a predetermined time period;

determining a key selection offset between the first key selection action and the second key selection action; and

outputting at least a first punctuation, corresponding to a first key, based on the determination that the key selection offset is substantially equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, wherein the first key is different from the specified key.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the specified key reflects a spacebar input and the first key reflects a comma input.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein outputting at least a comma in the double selection event further includes:

outputting a comma followed by a space instead of two spaces corresponding to the double selection of the spacebar.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

outputting at least a second punctuation, corresponding to a second key, based on the determination that the key selection offset is less than the predetermined threshold, wherein the second key is different from the specified key and the first key.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the specified key reflects a spacebar input;

the first key reflects a comma input; and

the second key reflects a period input.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein outputting at least a period in the double selection event further includes:

outputting a period followed by a space instead of two spaces corresponding to the double selection of the spacebar.

27. The method of claim 25, further including:

marking a key input sequence corresponding to the double selection event as one of double selection without offset and double selection with offset;

editing the key input sequence marked with double selection without offset to output a period followed by a space corresponding to the double selection of the spacebar; and

editing the key input sequence marked with double selection with offset to output a comma followed by a space corresponding to the double selection of the spacebar.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the keyboard is a virtual keyboard on a touch screen;

the first key selection action is a first key touching action;

the second key selection action is a second key touching action; and

the key selection offset is a time difference between the first key touching action and the second key touching action.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein determining a key selection offset further includes:

determining the key selection offset based on a first point of the first key selection action and a second point of the second key selection action.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the first key selection action is a first key touching action;

the second key selection action is a second key touching action; and

the key selection offset is a distance between two coordinates of the first point and the second point, respectively.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of key input events; and

outputting key input corresponding to the plurality of key input events, based on a determination that the key input events does not include the double selection event.

32. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining whether the first key selection action of the specified key follows a character key input in the double key selection event; and

outputting key input corresponding to the specified key, based on a determination that the first key selection action does not follow the character key input.

33. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

cancelling the outputting of the first punctuation by selecting a cancelling key, the cancelling key different from the first key and the specified key.