Method and apparatus for implementing a graphical user interface keyboard and a text buffer on electronic devices

• US 6,169,538 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Sponsoring Entity: Motorola, Inc.
• Inventors: Rawlins, Sheridan, Nowlan, Steven, Parthasarathy, Kannan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, FRANCIS N
• Time in USPTO: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 345/174, 345/179, 345/326, 345/334, 345/342, 345/347, 345/130, 345/127, 345/901-902, 345/358, 341/22-23, 341/24-25, 341/20, 708/142, 128/19.01, 128/19.04, 128/19.05, 382/298-299
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 : Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 : Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method and apparatus for implementing a graphical user interface keyboard (10) and a text buffer (12) on an electronic device. A character that is active upon pointer-up is accepted as a text character, even though the character that is active upon pointer-up is different from a character that was active and inserted in the text buffer (12) upon pointer-down.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard and a text buffer on an electronic device comprising:

providing a plurality of keys on the GUI keyboard, wherein each key corresponds to a character;

receiving a first pair of Cartesian coordinates that is representative of a current location of a pointer upon pointer-down;

enhancing a first key on the GUI keyboard that corresponds to the first pair of Cartesian coordinates;

inserting a first character in the text buffer that corresponds to the first key to identify an active character;

subsequently receiving a second pair of Cartesian coordinates that is representative of the current location of the pointer prior to pointer-up;

enhancing a second key instead of the first key that corresponds to the second pair of Cartesian coordinates;

replacing the active character with a second character that corresponds to the second key, thus making the second character the active character; and

accepting a character that is active upon pointer-up as a text character, wherein the first character that was active upon pointer-down is different from the character that is active upon pointer-up,

the enhancing step comprising enlarging a key that is enhanced and further comprising enlarging a predetermined number of keys surrounding the key that is enhanced, wherein the predetermined number of keys is eight.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the pointer is a stylus.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising highlighting a key on the GUI keyboard that represents the location of the pointer and wherein the character that is active corresponds to the key that is highlighted.

4. A method for implementing a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard and a text buffer on an electronic device comprising:

providing a plurality of keys on the GUI keyboard, wherein each key corresponds to a character;

receiving a first pair of Cartesian coordinates that is representative of a current location of a pointer upon pointer-down;

enhancing a first key on the GUI keyboard that corresponds to the first pair of Cartesian coordinates;

inserting a first character in the text buffer that corresponds to the first key to identify an active character;

subsequently receiving a second pair of Cartesian coordinates that is representative of the current location of the pointer prior to pointer-up;

enhancing a second key instead of the first key that corresponds to the second pair of Cartesian coordinates;

replacing the active character with a second character that corresponds to the second key, thus making the second character the active character; and

accepting a character that is active upon pointer-up as a text character, wherein the first character that was active upon pointer-down is different from the character that is active upon pointer-up;

the enhancing step comprising enlarging a key that is enhanced and further comprising enlarging a predetermined number of keys surrounding the key that is enhanced, wherein the predetermined number of keys is five.

5. A method for implementing a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard and a text buffer on an electronic device comprising:

providing a plurality of keys on the GUI keyboard, wherein each key corresponds to a character;

receiving a first pair of Cartesian coordinates that is representative of a current location of a pointer upon pointer-down;

enhancing a first key on the GUI keyboard that corresponds to the first pair of Cartesian coordinates;

inserting a first character in the text buffer that corresponds to the first key to identify an active character;

subsequently receiving a second pair of Cartesian coordinates that is representative of the current location of the pointer prior to pointer-up;

enhancing a second key instead of the first key that corresponds to the second pair of Cartesian coordinates;

replacing the active character with a second character that corresponds to the second key, thus making the second character the active character; and

accepting a character that is active upon pointer-up as a text character, wherein the first character that was active upon pointer-down is different from the character that is active upon pointer-up;

the enhancing step comprising enlarging a key that is enhanced and further comprising enlarging a predetermined number of keys surrounding the key that is enhanced, wherein the predetermined number of keys is three.

6. A method for implementing a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard and a text buffer on an electronic device, comprising:

providing a plurality of keys on the GUI keyboard, wherein each key corresponds to a character;

enlarging a key on the GUI keyboard that represents the current location of the pointer and wherein the character that is active corresponds to the key that is enlarged;

enlarging a predetermined number of keys around the key that represents the current location of the pointer, wherein the predetermined number of keys is eight;

receiving a key selection from a pointer upon pointer-down that corresponds to a location of the pointer;

inserting a character in the text buffer that corresponds to the key selection to identify an active character;

as the pointer changes its location by moving across the plurality of keys, replacing the active character with a subsequent character that corresponds to the location of the pointer;

inserting a character in the text buffer that corresponds to the key selection to identify an active character.

7. An apparatus for implementing a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard and a text buffer on an electronic device, wherein the GUI keyboard has a plurality of keys, comprising:

a display unit;

a touch sensitive surface overlaid on top of the display unit;

an input interface, coupled to the touch sensitive surface, for translating pressure on the touch sensitive surface into Cartesian coordinates;

a processing unit, coupled to the input interface, programmed to highlight a key that represents a current location of a pointer, select and insert a character into an active position within a text buffer that corresponds to the key highlighted to identify an active character, replace the active character, as the pointer moves across the GUI keyboard, with a subsequent character that corresponds to the current location of the pointer prior to pointer-up, thus making the subsequent character the active character, and accept a character that is active upon pointer-up as a text character, wherein the character active upon pointer-down is different from the character active upon pointer-up;

a keyboard graphic module coupled to the processing unit; and

a display driver coupled to the processing unit and to the display unit.