PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING VIRTUAL KEYBOARD AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20130286573A1
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: ADAMS, Neil Patrick, KRZEMINSKI, Marek Andrzej
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 includes displaying a keyboard on a display of an electronic device, detecting a tilt of the device, and when the detected tilt is associated with a keyboard transformation function, resizing one or keys of the keyboard.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a keyboard on a display of an electronic device;

detecting a tilt of the device; and

when the detected tilt is associated with a keyboard transformation function, resizing one or more keys of the keyboard.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resizing comprises changing the width of the keys.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more keys proximate a first tilted up side of the device are resized to be larger than one or more keys proximate a second tilted down side of the device to simulate an effect of gravity on the keys of the keyboard.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the detected tilt is associated with a keyboard transformation function when the detected title comprises a sideward tilt.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the detected tilt is associated with a keyboard transformation function when the detected title comprises one of a frontward or backward tilt.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the keys gradually decrease in size from the first, tilted up side to the second, tilted down side.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected tilt is associated with a keyboard transformation function when the detected title meets a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined threshold is a predetermined tilt angle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resizing is animated at a rate dependent on the tilt detected.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the keys of the keyboard are divided into one or more groups, and resizing comprises resizing all keys within one group.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein all keys within one group are resized by one factor.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising reducing the number of keys of the keyboard when the detected tilt is associated with a keyboard transformation function.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the reduced keyboard comprises one or more keys proximate a tilted up side of the device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein resizing comprises graphically animating a change in size or movement of the keys.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard is resized according to the available display width.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard is in a portrait orientation.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard is in a landscape orientation.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to perform the method according to claim 1.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

at least one processor coupled to the touch-sensitive display and configured to display a keyboard on a display of an electronic device;

to detect a tilt of the device; and

, when the detected tilt is associated with a keyboard transformation function, to resize one or more keys of the keyboard.