Onscreen keyboard assistance method and system

• US 8,423,897 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rendahl, Randy Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARGA, WILSON V
• Application Number:
  US12/695,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/865
• 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

An assistance method and system. The method includes retrieving by a computer processor of a computing system comprising a touch screen display, an enable command for enabling a keyboard configuration menu for a virtual touch screen keyboard presented by the touch screen of said computing system. The computer processor presents the keyboard configuration menu to the user. The computer processor receives a modify command for modifying specified configuration settings associated with each key of the virtual touch screen keyboard. The computer processor generates and saves modified configuration settings associated with said specified configuration settings. The computer processor disables the keyboard configuration menu.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a user, by a computer processor of a computing system comprising a touch screen display, a first enable command for enabling a keyboard configuration menu for a virtual touch screen keyboard presented by said touch screen of said computing system, said keyboard configuration menu comprising user adjustable configuration sensitivity settings and automatic adjustable configuration sensitivity settings for key proximity sensitivity settings associated with said virtual touch screen keyboard, wherein said automatic adjustable configuration sensitivity settings are configured to automatically adjust sensitivity levels of said sensitivity settings based on past user key selection corrections;

presenting, by said computer processor to said user via said touch screen display in response to said first enable command, said keyboard configuration menu;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said configuration menu, a first modify command for modifying first specified configuration settings associated with each key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

generating, by said computer processor in response to said first modify command, first modified configuration settings associated with said first specified configuration settings;

saving, by said computer processor, said first modified configuration settings;

disabling, by said computer processor in response to said saving said first modified configuration settings, said keyboard configuration menu;

presenting, by said computer processor to said user via said touch screen display, said virtual touch screen keyboard;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display, a first touch command for enabling a key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

determining, by said computer processor, that a virtual keyboard assistance mode is enabled, said virtual keyboard assistance mode associated with assisting said user with enabling a correct key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

determining, by said computer processor, a first specified setting associated with said first modified configuration settings and said virtual keyboard assistance mode;

determining, by said computer processor, that said first touch command comprises a first ambiguous command associated with a first ambiguous zone, wherein said first ambiguous zone comprises an area on said touch screen display that is adjacent to said first plurality of keys and includes a portion of each key of said first plurality of keys, and wherein each said portion consists of an entire portion of each said key that completely surrounds but does not include a character on each said key;

enlarging, by said computer processor, a first plurality of keys of said virtual touch screen keyboard, said first plurality of keys selected based on said first specified setting and said first touch command;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display in response to said enlarging, a first modified touch command associated with said first touch command;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said first modified touch command a first key of said first plurality of keys; and

placing, by said computer processor in response to said enabling said first key of said first plurality of keys, a first character in an input field presented by said touch screen display, said first character associated with said first key of said first plurality of keys.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from said user, by said computer processor, a second enable command for enabling said keyboard configuration menu for said virtual touch screen keyboard;

presenting, by said computer processor to said user via said touch screen display in response to said second enable command, said keyboard configuration menu;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said configuration menu, a second modify command for modifying said first modified configuration settings;

generating, by said computer processor in response to said second modify command, second modified configuration settings associated with said first specified configuration settings, wherein said second modified configuration settings differ from said first modified configuration settings;

saving, by said computer processor, said second modified configuration settings; and

disabling, by said computer processor in response to said saving said second modified configuration settings, said keyboard configuration menu.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting, by said computer processor to said user via said touch screen display, said virtual touch screen keyboard;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display, a second touch command for enabling a key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

determining, by said computer processor, that said virtual keyboard assistance mode is enabled;

determining, by said computer processor, a second specified setting associated with said second modified configuration settings and said virtual keyboard assistance mode;

determining, by said computer processor, that said second touch command comprises a second ambiguous command associated with a second ambiguous zone differing from said first ambiguous zone;

enlarging, by said computer processor, a second plurality of keys of said virtual touch screen keyboard, said second plurality of keys selected based on said second specified setting and said second touch command;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display in response to said enlarging said second plurality of keys, a second modified touch command associated with said second touch command;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said second modified touch command a first key of said second plurality of keys; and

placing, by said computer processor in response to said enabling said first key of said second plurality of keys, a second character in said input field presented by said touch screen display, said second character associated with said first key of said second plurality of keys.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

automatically enabling, by said computer processor, an automated modification mode;

disabling, by said computer processor in response to said automated modification mode, said touch screen display;

automatically generating, by said computer processor in response to said automated modification mode, third modified configuration settings based on said first modified configuration settings and said second modified configuration settings, wherein said third modified configuration settings differ from said first modified configuration settings and said second modified configuration settings;

saving, by said computer processor, said third modified configuration settings; and

disabling, by said computer processor in response to said saving said third modified configuration settings, said automated modification mode.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

enabling, by said computer processor, said touch screen display;

presenting, by said computer processor to said user via said touch screen display, said virtual touch screen keyboard;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display, a third touch command for enabling a key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

determining, by said computer processor, that said virtual keyboard assistance mode is enabled;

determining, by said computer processor, a third specified setting associated with said third modified configuration settings and said virtual keyboard assistance mode;

determining, by said computer processor, that said third touch command comprises a third ambiguous command associated with a third ambiguous zone differing from said first ambiguous zone and said second ambiguous zone;

enlarging, by said computer processor, a third plurality of keys of said virtual touch screen keyboard, said third plurality of keys selected based on said third specified setting and said third touch command;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display in response to said enlarging said third plurality of keys, a third modified touch command associated with said third touch command;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said third modified touch command, a first key of said third plurality of keys; and

placing, by said computer processor in response to said enabling said first key of said third plurality of keys, a third character in said input field presented by said touch screen display, said third character associated with said first key of said third plurality of keys.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by said computer processor to said user via said touch screen display, said virtual touch screen keyboard;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display, a second touch command for enabling a key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

determining, by said computer processor, that said virtual keyboard assistance mode is enabled;

determining, by said computer processor, that said second touch command comprises a same command as said first touch command;

determining by said computer processor based on said first modified configuration settings, that said second touch command does not comprise an ambiguous command associated with any ambiguous zone;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said second touch command said first key of said first plurality of keys; and

placing, by said computer processor in response to said enabling said first key of said first plurality of keys, said first character in said input field presented by said touch screen display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first character comprises a masked character.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first specified configuration settings are selected from a specified range of numerical settings associated with distances from edges of said touch screen display, and wherein said first specified configuration settings are selected by selecting numerical settings from said specified range of numerical settings using a virtual selection tool within said keyboard configuration menu.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first specified configuration settings are selected from discrete character defined settings associated with a skill level of said user, and wherein said first specified configuration settings are selected by selecting a first discrete character defined setting of said discrete character defined settings using a virtual selection tool within said keyboard configuration menu.

10. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in said computing system, wherein the code in combination with said computing system is capable of performing the method of claim 1.

11. A computer program product, comprising a computer storage memory device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code configured to perform the method of claim 1 upon being executed by a processor of said computing system.

12. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to computer-readable memory, said memory comprising a computer readable code configured to be enabled by the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

13. A method comprising:

receiving from a user, by a computer processor of a computing system comprising a touch screen display, a first enable command for enabling a keyboard configuration menu for a virtual touch screen keyboard presented by said touch screen of said computing system, said keyboard configuration menu comprising user adjustable configuration sensitivity settings and automatic adjustable configuration sensitivity settings for key proximity sensitivity settings associated with said virtual touch screen keyboard, wherein said automatic adjustable

configuration sensitivity settings are configured to automatically adjust sensitivity levels of said sensitivity settings based on past user key selection corrections;

presenting, by said computer processor to said user via said touch screen display in response to said first enable command, said keyboard configuration menu;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said configuration menu, a first modify command for enabling a learning mode associated with first specified configuration settings associated with said key proximity sensitivity settings for each key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said configuration menu, first learning threshold settings associated with modifying said first specified configuration settings;

saving, by said computer processor, said first learning threshold settings; and

disabling, by said computer processor in response to said saving said first learning threshold settings, said keyboard configuration menu;

presenting, by said computer processor to said user via said touch screen display, said virtual touch screen keyboard;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display, a first touch command for enabling a key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

determining, by said computer processor, that a virtual keyboard assistance mode is enabled, said virtual keyboard assistance mode associated with assisting said user with enabling a correct key of said virtual touch screen keyboard;

determining, by said computer processor, a first learning threshold setting of said first learning threshold settings;

determining, by said computer processor, that said first touch command comprises a first ambiguous command associated with a first ambiguous zone, wherein said first ambiguous zone comprises an area on said touch screen display that is adjacent to said first plurality of keys and includes a portion of each key of said first plurality of keys, and wherein each said portion consists of an entire portion of each said key that completely surrounds but does not include a character on each said key;

logging, by said computer processor, a first sensitivity zone associated with said first learning threshold setting and said first touch command;

enlarging, by said computer processor, a first plurality of keys of said virtual touch screen keyboard, said first plurality of keys selected based on said first sensitivity zone and said first touch command;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user via said touch screen display in response to said enlarging, a first modified touch command associated with said first touch command;

logging, by said computer processor, said first modified touch command;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said first modified touch command a first key of said first plurality of keys; and

placing, by said computer processor in response to said enabling said first key of said first plurality of keys, a first character in an input field presented by said touch screen display, said first character associated with said first key of said first plurality of keys.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

enabling, by said computer processor, a usage analysis process associated with said virtual touch screen keyboard;

retrieving, by said computer processor, usage data comprising data associated with said first learning threshold settings, said first sensitivity zone, said first ambiguous zone, said first modified touch command, and said first touch command;

retrieving, by said computer processor, logged history data associated with key stroke corrections keystroke usage and past ambiguous zones for said virtual touch screen keyboard;

comparing, by said computer processor, said usage data to said logged history data;

generating, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing, a modified ambiguous zone; and

saving, by said computer processor, data associated with said modified ambiguous zone.

15. A computer program product, comprising a computer storage memory device comprising a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code configured to perform the method of claim 13 upon being executed by a processor of said computing system.

16. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to computer-readable memory, said memory comprising a computer readable code configured to be enabled by the processor to perform the method of claim 13.