Activating virtual keys of a touch-screen virtual keyboard

• US 7,844,914 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Andre, Bartley K., Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin; Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US11/228,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/771, 715/773, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 of operating a touch screen to activate one of a plurality of virtual keys is provided. A touch location is determined based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of the plurality of virtual keys. Each of the plurality of virtual keys has a set of at least one key location corresponding to it. For each of the virtual keys, a parameter (such as physical distance) is determined for that virtual key that relates the touch location and the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key. The determined parameters are processed to determine one of the virtual keys. For example, the determined one virtual key may be the virtual key with a key location (or more than one key location, on average) being closest to the touch location. A signal is generated indicating activation of the determined one of the virtual keys.

Claims

1. A method of operating a touch screen to activate a virtual GUI item, comprising:

displaying a plurality of activatable virtual GUI items on the touch screen, wherein at least one of the activatable virtual GUI items in the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items has a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations;

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items;

for each of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items, determining a distance parameter for that respective activatable virtual GUI item that relates the touch location and one or more GUI item locations corresponding to that respective activatable virtual GUI item, wherein;

determining the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations includes for each of these GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item, determining a distance parameter relating the touch location and that GUI item location, and processing the determined distance parameters for each of the set of greater than one GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item to determine the distance parameter for that activatable virtual GUI item, and

the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations is a statistical parameter characterizing the distribution of the GUI item locations within the set of greater than one GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item;

processing the determined distance parameters of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items to determine one of the activatable virtual GUI items; and

generating a signal indicating activation of the determined one of the activatable virtual GUI items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items are virtual keys of a virtual keyboard, and the set of greater than one GUI items locations is a set of one or more key locations;

the determined distance parameter for each virtual key indicates, when considered relative to the determined distance parameters for the other virtual keys, a likelihood that virtual key is the one the touch input is intended to activate; and

processing the determined distance parameters for the virtual keys includes determining from the determined distance parameters the virtual key for which the determined distance parameter indicates a highest likelihood.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining the distance parameter for each virtual key includes,

for each key location of the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key, determining a distance parameter relating the touch location and that key location; and

processing the determined distance parameters for each of the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key to determine the distance parameter for that virtual key.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the determined distance parameter for each virtual key includes an indication of a relationship between a touch location and a distribution of key locations corresponding to that virtual key.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the distribution of key locations corresponding to that virtual key is represented by at least one statistical parameter characterizing the distribution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one statistical parameter includes standard deviation.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the determined distance parameter for each virtual key is an average of the determined distance parameters for the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein:

for each key location, the determined distance parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of a physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein:

for each key location, the determined distance parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of a physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the distance parameter for each virtual key is an average of the determined distance parameters for the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key, weighted to account for a relative size of that virtual key.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein:

for each of at least one of the plurality of virtual keys, at least one of the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key is a touch location determined previously to be intended to activate that virtual key.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining a distance parameter for each virtual key includes accounting for a relative size of that virtual key.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining a distance parameter for each virtual key includes heuristic considerations for that virtual key.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the heuristic considerations include considering a meaning of collective input to the touch screen.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

considering the collective input includes matching the collective input to a dictionary.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

considering the collective input includes considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of input includes considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of a rolling window of input.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

considering the collective input includes a combination of considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequence of input and matching the collective input to a dictionary.

19. The method of claim 5, wherein:

determining from the determined distance parameters the virtual key for which the determined distance parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined distance parameter indicates a smallest physical distance.

20. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining from the determined distance parameters the virtual key for which the determined distance parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined distance parameter indicates a smallest physical distance.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein:

determining from the determined distance parameters the virtual key for which the determined distance parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined distance parameter indicates a smallest physical distance.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initially determining at least some of the GUI item locations.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

initially determining at least some of the key locations includes, for each of the at least some of the key locations, setting that key location to be a touch location.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

setting a key location to be a touch location occurs based on detection of touch locations determined based on a plurality of simultaneous touch input.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items are virtual keys of a virtual keyboard, and the one or more GUI item locations corresponding to each of the activatable virtual GUI items are one or more key locations.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations is weighted by a weighting factor to account for a size of that activatable virtual GUI item relative to the sizes of the other activatable virtual GUI items in the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items.

27. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a electronic device with a touch screen display, cause the electronic device to perform a method comprising:

displaying a plurality of activatable virtual GUI items on the touch screen, wherein at least one of the activatable virtual GUI items in the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items has a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations;

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items;

for each of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items, determining a distance parameter for that respective activatable virtual GUI item that relates the touch location and one or more GUI item locations corresponding to that respective activatable virtual GUI item, wherein;

determining the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations includes for each of these GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item, determining a distance parameter relating the touch location and that GUI item location, and processing the determined distance parameters for each of the set of greater than one GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item to determine the distance parameter for that activatable virtual GUI item, and

the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations is a statistical parameter characterizing the distribution of the GUI item locations within the set of greater than one GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item;

processing the determined distance parameters of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items to determine one of the activatable virtual GUI items; and

generating a signal indicating activation of the determined one of the activatable virtual GUI items.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein:

the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items are virtual keys of a virtual keyboard, and the set of greater than one GUI items locations is a set of one or more key locations;

the determined distance parameter for each virtual key indicates, when considered relative to the determined distance parameters for the other virtual keys, a likelihood that virtual key is the one the touch input is intended to activate; and

processing the determined distance parameters for the virtual keys includes determining from the determined distance parameters the virtual key for which the determined distance parameter indicates a highest likelihood.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein:

determining the distance parameter for each virtual key includes,

for each key location of the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key, determining a distance parameter relating the touch location and that key location; and

processing the determined distance parameters for each of the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key to determine the distance parameter for that virtual key.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein:

the determined distance parameter for each virtual key is an average of the determined distance parameters for the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein:

for each key location, the determined distance parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of a physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein:

for each key location, the determined distance parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of a physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein:

the distance parameter for each virtual key is an average of the determined distance parameters for the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key, weighted to account for a relative size of that virtual key.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein:

for each of at least one of the plurality of virtual keys, at least one of the set of one or more key locations corresponding to that virtual key is a touch location determined previously to be intended to activate that virtual key.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein:

determining a distance parameter for each virtual key includes accounting for a relative size of that virtual key.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein:

determining a distance parameter for each virtual key includes heuristic considerations for that virtual key.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein:

the heuristic considerations include considering a meaning of collective input to the touch screen.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein:

considering the collective input includes matching the collective input to a dictionary.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein:

considering the collective input includes considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of input.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein:

determining from the determined distance parameters the virtual key for which the determined distance parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined distance parameter indicates a smallest physical distance.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein:

determining from the determined distance parameters the virtual key for which the determined distance parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined distance parameter indicates a smallest physical distance.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein:

for each key location, the determined distance parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of a physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein:

determining from the determined distance parameters the virtual key for which the determined distance parameter indicates a highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined distance parameter indicates a smallest physical distance.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

initially determining at least some of the GUI item locations.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein:

initially determining at least some of the GUI item locations includes, for each of the at least some of the GUI item locations, setting that GUI item location to be a touch location.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein:

setting a GUI item location to be a touch location occurs based on detection of a touch locations determined based on a plurality of simultaneous touch input.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations is weighted by a weighting factor to account for a size of that activatable virtual GUI item relative to the sizes of the other activatable virtual GUI items in the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items.

48. A electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

a processor;

a memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a plurality of activatable virtual GUI items on a touch screen, wherein at least one of the activatable virtual GUI items in the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items has a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations;

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items;

for each of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items, determining a distance parameter for that respective activatable virtual GUI item that relates the touch location and one or more GUI item locations corresponding to that respective activatable virtual GUI item, wherein;

determining the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations includes for each of these GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item, determining a distance parameter relating the touch location and that GUI item location, and processing the determined distance parameters for each of the set of greater than one GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item to determine the distance parameter for that activatable virtual GUI item, and

the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations is a statistical parameter characterizing the distribution of the GUI item locations within the set of greater than one GUI item locations corresponding to that activatable virtual GUI item;

processing the determined distance parameters of the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items to determine one of the activatable virtual GUI items; and

generating a signal indicating activation of the determined one of the activatable virtual GUI items.

49. The electronic device of claim 48, wherein the distance parameter for each of the at least one activatable virtual GUI items having a corresponding set of greater than one GUI item locations is weighted by a weighting factor to account for a size of that activatable virtual GUI item relative to the sizes of the other activatable virtual GUI items in the plurality of activatable virtual GUI items.