Method and System for Virtual Keyboard

• US 20130249821A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Inventors: Dharmaraja, Sohan, Duran, Adam, Lew, Adrian
• Application Number:
  US13/628,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249821A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• 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: G09B 21/002 Writing aids for blind persons devices for Braille writing G09B21/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/025 wherein one tactile input is associated to a single finger

Abstract

In an embodiment of the invention, a virtual Braille keyboard is disclosed that makes use of a touch-sensitive computing device. In an embodiment of the invention, a calibration procedure is initiated by a user for determining the general position of various finger tips that will subsequently be used for the input of Braille characters. After calibration, the operation of a physical Braille keyboard is mimicked using methods according to an embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing a virtual keyboard, comprising:

receiving a predetermined input that indicates the initiating of a calibration procedure;

receiving input from a touch-sensitive device that identifies a predetermined gesture of a predetermined number of fingertips of a user on the touch-sensitive device; and

calibrating a position of a user'"'"'s predetermined number of fingertips for use with the virtual keyboard.

receiving tactile information from the predetermined number of fingertips.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating the size of each of the predetermined number of fingertips.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining an allowed range of movement on the touch-sensitive device for movement of each of the predetermined number of fingertips

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of fingertips is eight.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of fingertips is ten.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received tactile information is in accordance with a Braille keyboard.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received tactile information is in accordance with a QWERTY keyboard.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received tactile information is in accordance with a Dvorak keyboard.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined input is input responsive to tapping a predetermined number of fingertips on a touch-sensitive device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined gesture is tapping a predetermined number of fingertips on a touch-sensitive device.

11. A computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to execute a method for implementing a virtual keyboard, by performing the steps of:

receiving a predetermined input that indicates the initiating of a calibration procedure;

receiving input from a touch-sensitive device that identifies a predetermined gesture of a predetermined number of fingertips of a user on the touch-sensitive device; and

calibrating a position of a user'"'"'s predetermined number of fingertips for use with the virtual keyboard.

receiving tactile information from the predetermined number of fingertips.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising calibrating the size of each of the user'"'"'s predetermined number of fingertips.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising determining an allowed range of movement on the touch-sensitive device for movement of each of the predetermined number of fingertips

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the predetermined number of fingertips is eight.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the predetermined number of fingertips is ten.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the received tactile information is in accordance with a Braille keyboard.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the received tactile information is in accordance with a QWERTY keyboard.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the received tactile information is in accordance with a Dvorak keyboard.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the predetermined input is input responsive to tapping a predetermined number of fingertips on a touch-sensitive device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the predetermined gesture is tapping a predetermined number of fingertips on a touch-sensitive device.

21. A computing device comprising:

a data bus;

a memory unit coupled to the data bus;

a processing unit coupled to the data bus and configured to

receive a predetermined input that indicates the initiating of a calibration procedure;

receive input from a touch-sensitive device that identifies a predetermined gesture of a predetermined number of fingertips of a user on the touch-sensitive device; and

calibrate a position of a user'"'"'s predetermined number of fingertips for use with the virtual keyboard.

receive tactile information from the predetermined number of fingertips.