Method and apparatus for operating a virtual keyboard

• US 6,677,933 B1
• Filed: 11/15/1999
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Espial Group Incorporated (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Espial Group Incorporated (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Yogaratnam, Kumanan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US09/440,174
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 345/174, 345/762, 345/763, 345/764, 345/765, 345/766, 345/767, 345/773
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

In a Java™ environment, a virtual keyboard is provided which is platform independent and which operates without modification to the Java™ applications with which it interacts. The virtual keyboard is integral to an embedded desktop which communicates between the Java™ Virtual Machine and any Java™ applications running on the system. The virtual keyboard comprises a simulated keyboard which is presented to a user on a touch screen and a virtual keyboard manager. The virtual keyboard manager acts as a focus listener for all components generated by the user interface of the applications running on the system. As a user engages components, focus events are tracked by the virtual keyboard manager, so that that the simulated keyboard will always reference the component selected by the user. The virtual keyboard manager also acts as a container listener, adding and removing containers (and their children) as applications are opened and closed or as the user interface of an application changes dynamically during use. The tracking of containers serves to facilitate garbage collection of Java™ objects.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of operating a platform independent virtual keyboard allowing input to a plurality of open Java™

applications running under one instance of a Java™

Virtual Machine comprising the steps of;

(a) launching an embedded desktop comprising a core, and at least a service vendor plug-in and a user interface plug-in, wherein said embedded desktop communicates with said plurality of open Java™

applications and said Java™

Virtual Machine;

(b) generating input means for presentation on a touch sensitive display screen and presenting the user interface of said open Java™

applications to said touch sensitive display screen;

(c) invoking a virtual keyboard manager which communicates with said virtual keyboard and said embedded desktop;

(d) adding said virtual keyboard manager as a focus listener to all active components and a container listener to all active containers;

(e) upon selection of a first component by a user, updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus gained event;

(f) referencing said virtual keyboard to said selected first component;

(g) communicating a simulated key event to said referenced component for each key on said virtual keyboard selected by a user;

(h) upon selection of a second component by said user, updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus lost event associated with said first component and updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus gained event associated with said second component;

(i) referencing said virtual keyboard to said selected second component;

(j) upon the removal of a container or its children, updating said virtual keyboard manager; and

(k) upon the addition of a container or its children, updating said virtual keyboard manager.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a global root user interface container is generated when said embedded desktop is launched.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein an application root container is generated when each of said applications are opened, and wherein said application root container is a child to said global root user interface container.

5. The virtual keyboard of claim 1 wherein said input means is an opaque character display superimposed on the user interface of said respective open Java™

applications.

6. The virtual keyboard of claim 1 wherein said input means is a semi-transparent character display superimposed on the user interface of said respective open Java™

applications.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said virtual keyboard manager is stored in read only memory.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of open applications are stored locally in an optical storage device or remotely at a server in a network.

2. A computer implemented method of operating a platform independent virtual keyboard allowing input to an open Java™

application running on top of a Java™

Virtual Machine comprising the steps of;

(a) generating input means for presentation on a touch sensitive display screen and presenting the user interface of said open Java™

application to said touch sensitive display screen;

(b) invoking a virtual keyboard manager which communicates with said virtual keyboard and said open Java™

application;

(c) adding said virtual keyboard manager as a focus listener to all active components, and a container listener to all active containers;

(d) upon selection of a first component by a user, updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus gained event;

(e) referencing said virtual keyboard to said selected first component;

(f) communicating a simulated key event to said referenced component for each key on said virtual keyboard selected by a user;

(g) upon selection of a second component by said user, updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus lost event associated with said first component and updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus gained event associated with said second component;

(h) referencing said virtual keyboard to said selected second component;

(i) upon removal of a container or its children, updating said virtual keyboard manager; and

(j) upon addition of a container or its children, updating said virtual keyboard manager.

9. In a computer comprising storage means, a central processing unit, an operating system, a Java™

Virtual Machine, an embedded desktop running a plurality of Java™

applications under one instance of a Java™

Virtual Machine, said embedded desktop stored in said storage means and comprising at least a core, a service vendor plug-in and a user interface plug-in, a virtual keyboard comprising;

(a) input means; and

(b) a virtual keyboard manager communicating with said input means and said embedded desktop;

wherein said embedded desktop communicates with said plurality of Java™

applications and said Java™

Virtual Machine;

and wherein said input means and the user interface of said Java™

applications are presented to a touch sensitive display screen when said embedded desktop and said plurality of Java™

applications are opened;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is added as a focus listener for all active components, and a container listener for all active containers;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is updated with a focus gained event upon selection of a first component by a user;

and wherein said virtual keyboard is referenced to said selected first component;

and wherein a simulated key event is communicated to said referenced component for each key on said virtual keyboard selected by a user;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is updated with a focus lost event associated with said first component and said virtual keyboard manager is updated with a focus gained event associated with said second component;

and wherein said virtual keyboard is referenced to said selected second component;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is updated upon the removal of a container or its children;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is updated upon the addition of a container or its children.

11. The virtual keyboard of claim 9 wherein said input means is an opaque character display superimposed on the user interface of said respective open Java™

applications.

12. The virtual keyboard of claim 9 wherein said input means is a semi-transparent character display superimposed on the user interface of said respective open Java™

applications.

13. The virtual keyboard of claim 9 wherein said storage means includes read only memory and said virtual keyboard manager is stored in said read only memory.

14. The virtual keyboard of claim 9 wherein said storage means includes an optical storage device and said plurality of applications are resident locally in said optical storage device or remotely at a server in a network.

10. In a computer comprising storage means, a central processing unit, an operating system, a Java™

Virtual Machine, and a Java™

application running on top of said Java™

Virtual Machine, a virtual keyboard comprising;

(c) input means; and

(d) a virtual keyboard manager communicating with said input means and said Java application;

and wherein said input means and the user interface of said Java™

applications are presented to a touch sensitive display screen when said Java™

application is opened;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is added as a focus listener for all active components, and a container listener for all active containers;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is updated with a focus gained event upon selection of a first component by a user;

and wherein said virtual keyboard is referenced to said selected first component;

and wherein a simulated key event is communicated to said referenced component for each key on said virtual keyboard selected by a user;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is updated with a focus lost event associated with said first component and said virtual keyboard manager is updated with a focus gained event associated with said second component;

and wherein said virtual keyboard is referenced to said selected second component;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is updated upon the removal of a container or its children;

and wherein said virtual keyboard manager is updated upon the addition of a container or its children.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

(a) launching an embedded desktop comprising a core and at least a service vendor plug-in and a user interface plug-in, wherein said embedded desktop communicates with a plurality of open Java™

applications and a Java™

Virtual Machine;

(b) generating a virtual keyboard for presentation on a touch sensitive display screen and presenting the user interface of said open Java™

applications to said touch sensitive display screen;

(c) invoking a virtual keyboard manager which communicates with said virtual keyboard;

(d) adding said virtual keyboard manager as a focus listener to all active components and as a container listener to all active containers;

(e) upon selection of a first component by a user, updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus gained event;

(f) referencing said virtual keyboard to said selected first component;

(g) communicating a simulated key event to said referenced component for each key on said virtual keyboard selected by a user;

(h) upon selection of a second component by said user, updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus lost event associated with said first component and updating said virtual keyboard manager with a focus gained event associated with said second component;

(i) referencing said virtual keyboard to said selected second component;

(j) updating said virtual keyboard manager upon the removal of a container; and

(k) updating said virtual keyboard manager upon the addition of a container.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein a global root user interface container is generated when said embedded desktop is launched.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein an application root container is generated when each of said application is opened, and wherein said application root container is a child to said global root user interface container.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said computer-readable medium is a read only memory.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said plurality of open applications are stored locally in an optical storage device or remotely at a server in a network.