ADAPTIVE VIRTUAL KEYBOARD

• US 20150301740A1
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: BOZZINI, Roger Dominik, KELLER, Anton Werner
• Granted Patent: US 9,965,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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 allows a portion of a virtual keyboard to be partially invisible and allows a user to activate keys in that portion when the invisible part is hit. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method is used in a touch screen device and includes steps of: presenting a virtual keyboard, wherein all of the virtual keyboard is displayed on the screen and falls on a first portion of touch-sensitive elements; moving the virtual keyboard, in response to a user input, to a position in which some keys including a first key of the virtual keyboard are partially displayed on the screen and are visible, the visible portions of those partially displayed keys fall on the first portion of the touch-sensitive elements and invisible portions fall on the second portion of the touch-sensitive elements, the first key covers a first portion of the first portion of the touch-sensitive elements and a first portion of the second portion of the touch-sensitive elements; and when the first key is hit, performing a particular function assigned to the first key.

Claims

1. A touch screen device (1) comprising:

a screen;

touch-sensitive elements, a first portion of said touch-sensitive elements being arranged inside said screen and a second portion of said touch-sensitive elements is arranged outside of said screen; and

a processor coupled to said screen and said touch-sensitive elements, said processor outputting a first virtual key to a first portion of said screen and moving said first virtual key from said first portion of said screen responsive to a user input to a position in which said first virtual key is partially displayed on said screen and covers a first portion of said first portion of said touch-sensitive elements and an invisible portion of said first virtual key covers a first portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements, said first virtual key if hit causing said processor to perform a particular function.

2. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein said processor is operative to detect a signal indicating which one of said touch-sensitive elements has been hit.

3. The touch screen device of claim 2, wherein responsive to detecting of said first portion of said first portion of said touch-sensitive elements being hit, said processor executes said particular function.

4. The touch screen device of claim 2, wherein responsive to detecting of said first portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements being hit, said processor executes said particular function.

5. The touch screen device of claim 2, wherein said processor moves said first virtual key to a position in which all of said first virtual key is invisible and covers a second portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements.

6. The touch screen device of claim 5, wherein responsive to detecting of said second portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements being hit, said processor executes said particular function.

7. The touch screen device of claim 2, wherein said processor outputs a virtual keyboard including said first virtual key and moves said virtual keyboard to a position in which some virtual keys including said first virtual key are partially displayed on said screen and fall on said first portion of the touch-sensitive elements, and invisible portions of said some virtual keys fall on said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements.

8. The touch screen device of claim 7, wherein responsive to detecting of said first portion of said first portion of said touch-sensitive elements being hit, said processor executes said particular function.

9. The touch screen device of claim 7, wherein responsive to detecting of said first portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements being hit, said processor executes said particular function.

10. The touch screen device of claim 7, wherein said processor moves said virtual keyboard to a position in which said some virtual keys are completely invisible and fall on said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements.

11. The touch screen device of claim 10, wherein said first virtual key covers a second portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements, and responsive to detecting of said second portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements being hit, said processor executes said particular function.

12. The touch screen device of claim 7, wherein said virtual keyboard comprises a plurality of rows, and said some keys are arranged in one of said rows.

13. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein said first and second portions are next to each other in a consecutive manner.

14. The touch screen device of claim 1, wherein said first and second portions are non-consecutive.

15. The touch screen device of claim 14, wherein said screen is located in a first side of said touch screen device and said second portion is located on a second side other than said first side of said touch screen device.

16. The touch screen device of claim 15, wherein said second portion includes a second key and said processor displays on said screen a third key indicating a location of said second key in said second side.

17. The touch screen device of claim 16, wherein when one of said second and third keys is hit, said processor performs a second function assigned to said second key.

18. A method for presenting a virtual keyboard comprising a plurality of keys on a touch screen device comprising a screen and touch-sensitive elements, a first portion of said touch-sensitive elements being arranged inside said screen and a second portion of said touch-sensitive elements is arranged outside of said screen, said method comprising:

presenting said virtual keyboard, wherein all of said virtual keyboard is displayed on said screen and falls on said first portion of said touch-sensitive elements;

moving said virtual keyboard, in response to a user input, to a position in which some keys including a first key of said virtual keyboard are partially displayed on said screen and are visible, said visible portions of said some keys fall on said first portion of said touch-sensitive elements and invisible portions of said some virtual keys fall on said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements, said first key covers a first portion of said first portion of said touch-sensitive elements and a first portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements; and

when said first key is hit, performing a particular function assigned to said first key.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said virtual keyboard comprises a plurality of rows, and said some keys are arranged in one of said rows.

20. The method of claim 19, said performing step is performed if a hit on one of said first portion of said first portion of said touch-sensitive elements and said first portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements is detected.

21. The method of claim 19, said moving step moves said virtual keyboard to a position in which said some virtual keys are completely invisible and fall on said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said first key covers a second portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements and if a hit on said second portion of said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements is detected, said performing step is performed.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said screen is located on a first side of said touch screen device, said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements is located on a second side of said touch screen device other than said first side, said second portion of said touch-sensitive elements include a second key, and said method further comprises displaying on said screen a third key indicating a location of said second key in said second side.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising when said second key is hit, performing a second function assigned to said second key.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising when said third key is hit, performing a second function assigned to said second key.