Method, system, and graphical user interface for selecting a soft keyboard

• US 7,602,378 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Williamson, Richard, Kocienda, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam; Abbas I
• Application Number:
  US11/553,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20080259039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/171, 345/173, 715/702, 715/780, 715/808, 715/840, 715/864, 400/485, 178/18.01, 341/22, 341/28, 379/93.19
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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 portable electronic device may display one of a plurality of soft keyboards in a first display area and input characters in a second display area. The user may select a key on the soft keyboard, causing a plurality of objects corresponding to the plurality of soft keyboards to be displayed. The user may then select one of the objects, and the soft keyboard corresponding to the selected object is displayed and made operational. The soft keyboards corresponding to the objects not selected are not made operational.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device,

displaying a single soft keyboard in a first area and a window in a second area on a display of the portable electronic device, wherein the window is configured to display characters selected using a plurality of soft keyboards, wherein the plurality of soft keyboards include a keyboard that is primarily letters, a keyboard that is primarily numbers, and a keyboard that is primarily symbols other than letters and numbers;

in response to selection of a keyboard selection soft key by a user, displaying simultaneously a plurality of objects that correspond to the plurality of soft keyboards;

in response to selection of one of the plurality of objects by the user, displaying in the first area the soft keyboard that corresponds to the selected object and making operational, of the plurality of soft keyboards, only the soft keyboard corresponding to the selected object.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device,

displaying a single soft keyboard in a first area and a window in a second area on a display of the portable electronic device, wherein the window is configured to display characters selected using a plurality of soft keyboards;

in response to an input by a user, displaying simultaneously a plurality of objects that correspond to the plurality of soft keyboards;

in response to selection of one of the plurality of objects by the user, displaying in the first area the soft keyboard that corresponds to the selected object and making operational, of the plurality of soft keyboards, only the soft keyboard corresponding to the selected object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first area is beneath the second area.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of soft keyboards includes a keyboard that is primarily letters.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of soft keyboards includes a keyboard that is primarily numbers.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of soft keyboards includes a keyboard that is primarily symbols other than letters and numbers.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the input by the user is selection of a keyboard selection soft key.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of objects are simultaneously displayed in the first area.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of objects are simultaneously displayed in the second area.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of objects are demagnified images of the plurality of soft keyboards.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of objects are icons with symbols that are representative of the plurality of soft keyboards.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of objects do not overlap each other when displayed simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the display is a touch screen display.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the user selects one of the plurality of objects by placing or tapping a finger on one of the plurality of objects on the touch screen display.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the single soft keyboard in the first area is demagnified in response to the input by the user.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected object is magnified so that it becomes the only soft keyboard in the first area.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the device is a portable communications device.

18. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device, comprising:

a first area that displays a soft keyboard;

a keyboard selection soft key;

an area that, in response to selection of the keyboard selection soft key by a user, displays simultaneously a plurality of objects that correspond to a plurality of soft keyboards; and

a second area with a window that is configured to display characters selected using the plurality of soft keyboards;

wherein selection of an object in the plurality of objects by the user determines the soft keyboard displayed in the first area.

19. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program including;

instructions for displaying a single soft keyboard in a first area and a window in a second area on a display of the portable electronic device, wherein the window is configured to display characters selected using a plurality of soft keyboards;

instructions for, in response to an input by a user, displaying simultaneously a plurality of objects that correspond to the plurality of soft keyboards;

instructions for, in response to selection of one of the plurality of objects by the user, displaying in the first area the soft keyboard that corresponds to the selected object and making operational, of the plurality of soft keyboards, only the soft keyboard corresponding to the selected object.

20. A computer-program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device with a display, cause the device to;

display a single soft keyboard in a first area and a window in a second area on a display of the portable electronic device, wherein the window is configured to display characters selected using a plurality of soft keyboards;

in response to an input by a user, display simultaneously a plurality of objects that correspond to the plurality of soft keyboards;

in response to selection of one of the plurality of objects by the user, display in the first area the soft keyboard that corresponds to the selected object and making operational, of the plurality of soft keyboards, only the soft keyboard corresponding to the selected object.

21. A portable electronic device with a display, comprising:

means for displaying a single soft keyboard in a first area and a window in a second area on a display of the portable electronic device, wherein the window is configured to display characters selected using a plurality of soft keyboards;

in response to an input by a user, means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of objects that correspond to the plurality of soft keyboards;

in response to selection of one of the plurality of objects by the user, means for displaying in the first area the soft keyboard that corresponds to the selected object and making operational, of the plurality of soft keyboards, only the soft keyboard corresponding to the selected object.