Enhanced touch sensitive interface and methods and software for making and using the same

• US 8,335,993 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Tan, Kien Beng
• Primary Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Application Number:
  US12/579,987
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/835, 715/837, 715/841, 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/773
• 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

Interfaces, circuits, architectures, devices, systems and methods for displaying, controlling, using and/or designing a virtual keyboard are disclosed. The interface generally includes a touch sensitive display having a virtual keyboard area and a viewing area. The virtual keyboard area includes a plurality of the virtual buttons. Prior to selection of a virtual button, each of the virtual buttons has a first appearance and includes a plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters. The interface further includes logic configured to receive an input from the touch sensitive display in response to a virtual button being selected, and send an output to instruct the touch sensitive display to display a second appearance of the selected virtual button. The circuits, architectures, devices, systems, and methods generally include those that embody and/or implement one or more of the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A user interface comprising:

a touch screen display having i) a virtual keyboard area and ii) a viewing area, the virtual keyboard area comprising a plurality of virtual buttons, wherein each virtual button has a plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters displayed in accordance with a first appearance; and

logic configured to

receive a first input from the touch screen display in response to a virtual button being selected by a touching instrument,

in response to the first input, instruct the touch screen display to alter the first appearance of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button as displayed in the virtual keyboard area so that the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button are displayed in accordance with a second appearance, and

receive a second input from the touch screen display in response to the touch instrument selecting a first character of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button, wherein the first character is selected by the touching instrument sliding over the touch screen display in a manner away from a center area of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button as displayed in accordance with the second appearance and in a direction corresponding to the first character;

wherein sliding the touching instrument in the direction corresponding to the first character provides visual feedback to a user indicating that the first character will be selected, the visual feedback comprising an enlargement of a first area of the second appearance and a shrinking of a second area of the second appearance, and wherein an amount of enlargement and an amount of shrinking is based on a distance that the touching instrument is slid away from the center area of the second appearance.

2. The interface of claim 1, wherein the first appearance of each of the virtual buttons comprises a first polygonal shape, a first circular shape, or a first elliptical shape.

3. The interface of claim 2, wherein the second appearance of each of the virtual buttons comprises a second polygonal shape, a second circular shape, or a second elliptical shape.

4. The interface of claim 1, wherein the second appearance of the virtual button has a button size larger than the first appearance.

5. The interface of claim 1, wherein the second appearance of the virtual button contains characters having a character size larger than non-selected characters and/or corresponding characters in the first appearance.

6. The interface of claim 1, wherein each of the virtual buttons includes a group of two or more of the alphanumeric, iconic, and/or graphical characters.

7. The interface of claim 1, wherein the touch screen display comprises a sensor operably coupled to the logic.

8. The interface of claim 1, wherein the touch screen display has a first virtual keyboard area in a first orientation of the touch screen display, and a second virtual keyboard area in a second orientation of the touch screen display.

12. The interface of claim 1, wherein sliding the touching instrument in the direction corresponding to the first character provides haptic feedback to a user indicating that the first character will be selected.

13. The interface of claim 12, wherein the haptic feedback is a vibration that occurs as the touching instrument is slid away from the center area of the second appearance.

14. The interface of claim 13, wherein an amount of the vibration is based on a distance that the touching instrument is slid away from the center area of the second appearance.

9. A user interface comprising:

a touch screen display having i) a virtual keyboard area and ii) a viewing area, the virtual keyboard area comprising a plurality of virtual buttons, wherein each virtual button has a plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters displayed in accordance with a first appearance; and

logic configured to

receive a first input from the touch screen display in response to a virtual button being selected by a touching instrument,

in response to the first input, instruct the touch screen display to alter the first appearance of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button as displayed in the virtual keyboard area so that the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button are displayed in accordance with a second appearance, and

receive a second input from the touch screen display in response to the touch instrument selecting a first character of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button, wherein the first character is selected by the touching instrument sliding over the touch screen display in a manner away from a center area of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button as displayed in accordance with the second appearance and in a direction corresponding to the first character;

wherein sliding the touching instrument in the direction corresponding to the first character provides visual feedback to a user indicating that the first character will be selected, the visual feedback comprising a changing of a background color of an area of the second appearance, and wherein an amount of the changing of the background color is based on a distance that the touching instrument is slid away from the center area of the second appearance.

10. A user interface comprising:

a touch screen display having i) a virtual keyboard area and ii) a viewing area, the virtual keyboard area comprising a plurality of virtual buttons, wherein each virtual button has a plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters displayed in accordance with a first appearance; and

logic configured to

receive a first input from the touch screen display in response to a virtual button being selected by a touching instrument,

in response to the first input, instruct the touch screen display to alter the first appearance of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button as displayed in the virtual keyboard area so that the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button are displayed in accordance with a second appearance, and

receive a second input from the touch screen display in response to the touch instrument selecting a first character of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button, wherein the first character is selected by the touching instrument sliding over the touch screen display in a manner away from a center area of the plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters of the selected virtual button as displayed in accordance with the second appearance and in a direction corresponding to the first character;

wherein sliding the touching instrument in the direction corresponding to the first character provides visual feedback to a user indicating that the first character will be selected, the visual feedback comprising a change in a size, a font, or a stylization of a character of the second appearance, and wherein an amount of the change in the size, the font, or the stylization is based on a distance that the touching instrument is slid away from the center area of the second appearance.

11. The interface of claim 10, wherein the change in the stylization is a capitalization, an italicization, or a bolding.