Method and apparatus for displaying and retrieving input on visual displays

• US 6,326,952 B1
• Filed: 04/24/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Van Eaton, Miller Paul, Amro, Hatim Yousef
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US09/065,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/170, 345/172, 345/145, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/168
• 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 and apparatus for implementing the keys of a visual keyboard so that each key can perform multiple functions without the prior or simultaneous selection of differing visual keys. Each key is divided into quadrants each of which provide a different function which is well recognized and understood by the end user.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving input from a visual keyboard, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a plurality of keys each of which are divided into at least four distinct quadrants, each of the quadrants having a function equivalent to the represented key being used in combination with another differing key;

selecting one of the quadrants of one of a key; and

producing the corresponding combination for the selected quadrant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating includes the step of:

creating, for each one of the keys, a first quadrant representing the combination of the key with the control key.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of creating includes the step of:

creating, for each one of the keys, a second quadrant representing the combination of the key with the Shift key.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of creating includes the step of:

creating, for each one of the keys, a third quadrant representing the combination of the key with the Alt key.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of selecting one of the quadrants of a key includes the step of:

selecting the first quadrant of a key.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of producing the corresponding combination includes the step of:

producing the control key in combination with the selected key.

7. An apparatus for retrieving input from a visual keyboard, the apparatus comprising:

means for creating a plurality of keys each of which are divided into at least four distinct quadrants, each of the quadrants having a function equivalent to the represented key being used in combination with another differing key;

means for selecting one of the quadrants of one of said key; and

means for producing the corresponding combination for the selected quadrant.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the means for creating includes:

means for creating, for each one of the keys, a first quadrant representing the combination of the key with the control key.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the means for creating includes:

means for creating, for each one of the keys, a second quadrant representing the combination of the key with the Shift key.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for creating includes:

means for creating, for each one of the keys, a third quadrant representing the combination of the key with the Alt key.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means for selecting one of the quadrants of a key includes:

means for selecting the first quadrant of a key.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for producing the corresponding combination includes:

means for producing the control key in combination with the selected key.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for retrieving input from a visual keyboard, the computer readable program code means including;

means for creating a plurality of keys each of which are divided into at least four distinct quadrants, each of the quadrants having a function equivalent to the represented key being used in combination with another differing key;

means for selecting one of the quadrants of one of a key; and

means for producing the corresponding combination for the selected quadrant.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the means for creating includes:

means for creating, for each one of the keys, a first quadrant representing the combination of the key with the control key.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the means for creating includes:

means for creating, for each one of the keys, a second quadrant representing the combination of the key with the Shift key.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the means for creating includes:

means for creating, for each one of the keys, a third quadrant representing the combination of the key with the Alt key.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the means for selecting one of the quadrants of a key includes:

means for selecting the first quadrant of a key.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the means for producing the corresponding combination includes:

means for producing the control key in combination with the selected key.