Virtual keypad systems and methods

• US 8,065,624 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JOY Power Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Veprek, Peter, Rigazio, Luca, Kryze, David, Morin, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Application Number:
  US11/977,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20090007001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/805, 715/816, 715/864, 345/156, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 455/151.1
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself

Abstract

Accordingly, a virtual keypad system for inputting text is provided. A virtual keypad system includes a remote controller having at least one touchpad incorporated therein and divided into a plurality of touch zones. A display device is in data communication with the remote controller and is operable to display a user interface including a keypad, where each key of the keypad is mapped to a touch zone of the touchpad. A prediction module, in response to an operator pressing a given touch zone to select a particular character, performs one or more key prediction methods to predict one or more next plausible keys. A key mapping module remaps the touch zones of the touchpad to the keys of the keypad based on the one or more next plausible keys.

Claims

1. A virtual keypad system for inputting text, comprising:

a remote controller including at least one touchpad incorporated therein and divided into a plurality of touch zones;

a display device in data communication with the remote controller and operable to display a user interface including a keypad on which each of the keys is mapped to a corresponding one of mutually different areas in the touch zones of the touchpad;

a prediction module performing one or more key prediction methods in response to an operator pressing a given one of the touch zones to select a particular character, the one or more key prediction methods including predicting one or more next plausible keys; and

a key mapping module remapping the areas in the touch zones of the touchpad to the keys of the keypad, based on the one or more next plausible keys,

wherein the touchpad is divided into two operating zones and wherein the key mapping module maps a first subset of keys of the keypad to a first operating zone of the touchpad and maps a second subset of keys of the keypad to a second operating zone of the touchpad,

wherein the first operating zone corresponds to a right zone of the touchpad and wherein the second operating zone corresponds to a left zone of the touchpad, and

wherein the remote controller further includes;

an accelerometer obtaining data indicating a position of the remote controller;

a holding sensor obtaining data indicating a portion that is of the remote controller and being touched by a user;

an orientation recognition module determining an orientation of the remote controller, based on the data from the holding sensor and the data from the accelerometer; and

a hand recognition module recognizing a style of holding the remote controller, based on the data from the holding sensor and the data from the accelerometer, and

in the case where the orientation recognition module and the hand recognition module recognize that the remote controller is held horizontally with both hands of the user, the first operating zone is mapped to the right zone of the touchpad, and the second operating zone is mapped to the left zone of the touchpad.