Concurrently displaying multiple characters for input field positions

• US 8,416,192 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilairat, Weerapan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suteerawongsa, Jarurat
• Application Number:
  US12/366,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345168-169, 345/179, 345172-173, 715/246
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

For each of multiple user inputs, multiple keys of a keyboard that are touched as part of the user input are identified. Additionally, for each of the multiple user inputs, multiple characters that are to be displayed concurrently are determined based on the multiple keys that are touched as part of the user input. Both a character input field and the multiple characters determined for each of the multiple user inputs are displayed. One or more suggested inputs can also be displayed, and a user-selected one of the suggested inputs identified as an input to the character input field.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a first user input via a keyboard, the first user input comprising at least one of selection of a single key, or selection of two or more keys;

responsive to receiving the first user input comprising selection of the single key, displaying a character corresponding to the single key in a first position of a character input field;

responsive to receiving the first user input comprising selection of the two or more keys, concurrently displaying a character corresponding to each of the two or more keys in a first character list field adjacent to the first position of the character input field, wherein the first character list field is displayed partially overlapping the first position of the character input field;

receiving a second user input via the keyboard, the second user input comprising a selection of two or more keys; and

responsive to receiving the second user input, concurrently displaying, in a second character list field adjacent to a second position of the character input field, a set of characters corresponding to the two or more keys selected via the second user input;

wherein the first character list field is a different field from the second character list field.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying, in a suggestion list field, one or more suggested inputs based at least in part on the characters in the first character list field, the suggestion list field being displayed concurrently with the first character list field and the character input field.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a character in the first character list field; and

entering the user selected character from the first character list field into the first position of the character input field.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising displaying the first character list field until a user selection of one of the one or more suggested inputs is received.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

assigning, to each of the characters corresponding to each of the two or more keys selected via the first user input, a ranking based on a portion of the one of the multiple keys corresponding to the character that was selected; and

displaying the characters in the first character list field according to the rankings of the characters.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the characters in the first character list field has a selection area larger than a selection area of the key of the keyboard associated with the character.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the keyboard comprises a touch input screen.

7. A device comprising:

a user input module to identify, for each of multiple user inputs, multiple keys of a keyboard that are touched as part of the user input;

a character determination module to determine, for each of the multiple user inputs, multiple characters that are to be displayed concurrently based on the multiple keys that are touched as part of the user input; and

a user interface display module to concurrently display both a character input field and, for each of the multiple user inputs, a character list field comprising the multiple characters determined for each of the multiple user inputs, wherein a first character list field of the character list fields is displayed partially overlapping a first position of the character input field;

wherein each character list field is a different field from the other.

8. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein the character determination module is further to:

determine a first one or more characters corresponding to multiple keys that are touched as part of a first user input;

determine a second one or more characters corresponding to multiple keys that are touched as part of a second user input;

determine a first character of the second one or more characters that cannot be combined with at least one of the first one or more characters to generate at least part of an input included in an input library; and

remove the first character from the second one or more characters.

9. A device as recited in claim 7, further comprising an input suggestion module to identify one or more input suggestions based at least in part on the multiple characters determined for each of the multiple user inputs, and wherein the user interface display module is further to display the one or more input suggestions in a suggestion list field concurrently with the character input field and the character list fields that correspond to each of the multiple user inputs.

10. A device as recited in claim 9, wherein the user input module is further to receive a user selection of one of the multiple characters displayed corresponding to a position of the character input field, wherein the character determination module is further to remove non-selected characters from the multiple characters displayed corresponding to the position of the character input field, and wherein the input suggestion module is further to remove, from the one or more input suggestions, each input suggestion having a non-selected character in a position corresponding to the position of the character input field.

11. A device as recited in claim 9, wherein the user interface display module is to continue displaying the multiple characters determined for each of the multiple user inputs until a user selection of one of the one or more input suggestions is received.

12. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein for each of the multiple user inputs, the character determination module is further to assign, to each of the multiple characters for the user input, a ranking based on a portion of the one of the multiple keys associated with the character that is touched as the user input, and the user interface display module is further to display the multiple characters according to the rankings of the multiple characters.

13. A device as recited in claim 12, further comprising an input suggestion module to determine an ordering of multiple suggested inputs based at least in part on the rankings of the multiple characters.

14. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein the user interface display module is further to display each of the multiple characters with a selection area larger than a selection area of the key of the keyboard associated with the character.

15. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein the keyboard comprises a touch input screen.

16. A computer storage hardware media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a first user input comprising a selection of two or more keys;

responsive to receiving the first user input, display a character corresponding to each of the two or more keys selected via the first user input in a first character list field adjacent to a first position of a character input field, wherein the first character list field is displayed partially overlapping the first position of the character input field;

receive a second user input comprising a selection of two or more keys; and

responsive to receiving the second user input, display a character corresponding to each of the two or more keys selected via the second user input in a second character list field adjacent to a second position of the character input field;

wherein the first character list field is a different field from the second character list field.

17. A computer storage hardware media of claim 16, having stored further instructions that cause the one or more processors to identify, based, at least in part, on the first user input and the second user input, a suggestion list that includes at least one character from the first character list field and at least one character from the second character list field.

18. A computer storage hardware media of claim 16, wherein the first and second character list fields are displayed concurrently with the character input field.

19. A computer storage hardware media of claim 16, having stored further instructions that cause the one or more processors to display, in a suggestion list field, one or more suggested inputs based at least in part on the characters in the first character list field, the suggestion list field being displayed concurrently with the first character list field and the character input field.