CURSOR-BASED CHARACTER INPUT INTERFACE

• US 20150135123A1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carr, Joshua M., Foley, Emma L., Messa, Josephine D., Wright, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,372,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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 cursor-based character input interface inputs a character selected by a cursor. A character prediction unit is adapted to predict one or more next characters based on a current input character, wherein the input interface is adapted to present the one or more predicted next characters as a supplementary interface in proximity to the current input character, and wherein the one or more predicted next characters of the supplementary interface are selectable by the cursor.

Claims

1. A cursor-based character input interface for inputting a character selected by a cursor, the cursor-based character input interface comprising:

a character prediction unit adapted to predict one or more next characters based on a current input character, wherein the input interface is adapted to present the one or more predicted next characters as a supplementary interface in proximity to the current input character, and wherein the one or more predicted next characters of the supplementary interface are selectable by the cursor.

2. The input interface of claim 1, wherein the cursor-based character input interface comprises a software-based keyboard.

3. The input interface of claim 1, wherein the supplementary interface is positioned such that the one or more predicted next characters are selected by moving the cursor no more than once from the current input character.

4. The input interface of claim 3, wherein the supplementary interface is positioned such that at least one of the one or more predicted next characters at least partially overlaps the current input character.

5. The input interface of claim 1, further adapted to remove the supplementary interface in response to an input command indicating that none of the one or more predicted next characters are required to be input next.

6. A method of controlling a cursor-based character input interface for inputting a character selected by a cursor, the method comprising:

predicting, by one or more processors, one or more next characters based on a current input character; and

presenting, by one or more processors, the one or more predicted next characters as a supplementary interface in proximity to the current input character, wherein the one or more predicted next characters of the supplementary interface are selectable by the cursor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cursor-based character input interface comprises a software-based keyboard.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said presenting the one or more predicted next characters comprises positioning the supplementary interface such that the one or more predicted next characters are selected by moving the cursor no more than once from the current input character.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said presenting the one or more predicted next characters comprises positioning the supplementary interface such that at least one of the one or more predicted next characters at least partially overlaps the current input character.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

removing, by one or more processors, the supplementary interface in response to an input command indicating that none of the one or more predicted next characters are required to be input next.

11. A computer program product for controlling a cursor-based character input interface for inputting a character selected by a cursor, wherein said computer program product comprises a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein said computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and wherein said program code is readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

predicting one or more next characters based on a current input character; and

presenting the one or more predicted next characters as a supplementary interface in proximity to the current input character, wherein the one or more predicted next characters of the supplementary interface are selectable by the cursor.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the cursor-based character input interface comprises a software-based keyboard.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said presenting the one or more predicted next characters comprises positioning the supplementary interface such that the one or more predicted next characters are selected by moving the cursor no more than once from the current input character.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said presenting the one or more predicted next characters comprises positioning the supplementary interface such that at least one of the one or more predicted next characters at least partially overlaps the current input character.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

removing the supplementary interface in response to an input command indicating that none of the one or more predicted next characters are required to be input next.