Keyboardless Text Entry

• US 20150253987A1
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IDHL Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: HUNLETH, Frank A., WROBLEWSKI, Frank J., SIMPKINS, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/716,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253987A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

Keyboardless text entry methods and systems are described. Various display tools are used in conjunction with, for example, pointing, scrolling and/or clicking actions to enter text into an interface. Once display tool is a pie widget shape, another display tool uses a box like shape containing other box like shapes which are scaled according to a propationate chance of containing the desirable selection.

Claims

1. A method for entering characters into an interface, comprising the steps of:

displaying a text entry tool having a center and a plurality of sectors relative to said center, each of said sectors associated with at least one character;

selecting one of said characters by selecting an associated sector; and

entering said selected one of said characters into said interface in response to a predetermined event occurring subsequent to said selection step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said sectors is associated with one and only one of said plurality of characters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting one of said characters further comprises the step of:

positioning a cursor over said associated sector.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting one of said characters further comprises the step of:

moving between said plurality of sectors using a scroll wheel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined event is expiration of a timer which starts after said associated sector has been selected.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said timer has a value which is manually adjustable.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said timer has a value which is automatically adjustable based on a user'"'"'s previous character selection behavior.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the text entry tool is circular and contains the letters “

A”

to “

Z”

, each of which are associated with one of said plurality of sectors.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the cursor can be positioned outside of an area contained within a perimeter of said text entry tool to select a character.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying characters as they are entered in a text box; and

displaying a list of potential text entries based on previously entered characters

11. An interface input method, comprising the steps of;

selecting one of a plurality of objects provided on a display, said selected object being associated with at least one character from a first group of characters;

zooming into said selected object;

revealing a plurality of additional objects, each associated with one character from

a second group of characters, said second group of characters including those characters which are potentially selectable given said at least one character from said first group; and

selecting one of said plurality of additional objects to enter a text into an interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said objects have a rectangular shape.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

displaying each object with an area that is proportional to the probability of that object being selected.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

displaying each of said objects at a first magnification level; and

zooming into said additional objects by changing to a second magnification level.

15. An interface input method, comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of objects provided on a display, said selected object being associated with at least one character from a first group of characters;

zooming into said selected object; and

revealing a plurality of additional objects, each associated with a subsequent selection that is related to the selected at least one character.

16-37. -37. (canceled)