Keyboard with input-sensitive display device

• US 8,451,242 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kong, Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K
• Application Number:
  US13/014,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 715/530, 715/533, 400/485, 400/486, 400/489, 341/22, 341/23, 341/33
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation

Abstract

An input/output device is disclosed that includes an input-sensitive display screen and alphanumeric keys for entering characters. The input-sensitive display screen may be positioned proximate the alphanumeric keys and be capable of displaying graphical information and sensing user selection of the graphical information. The input-sensitive display screen may include a combination display/input region and a non-display input region. The touch sensitive display screen may be detachable from the alphanumeric region and may be operable in a detached configuration. The input/output device may usable with a method of input correction. The method may include displaying, on a secondary display, a first text unit, such as a character or a word, which corresponds with a second text unit shown on a primary display screen of a computing device. The method further involves receiving user selection of the first text unit and replacing the first text unit with a second text unit.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with a computer system in communication with a primary display and a supplemental display, the method comprising:

displaying a display text on the primary display;

displaying user-selectable inputs on the supplemental display located proximate a plurality of alphanumeric keys, wherein displaying the user-selectable inputs on a supplemental display located proximate to the plurality of alphanumeric keys comprises displaying possible correct text units for correcting the display text;

receiving user-selection of one of the user-selectable inputs; and

identifying the user-selection to the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the display text comprises displaying the displayed text in response to character inputs to the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user-selection comprises receiving the user-selection of one of the possible correct text units for correcting the displayed text.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising replacing the display text on the primary display with one of the possible correct text units corresponding to the selected one of the user-selectable inputs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user-selection includes sensing a user'"'"'s touch of the one of the user-selectable inputs.

6. A system for interacting with a computer system in communication with a primary display and a supplemental display, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, the processing unit being configured to;

configure a display of virtual input keys;

display the virtual input keys on the supplemental display, wherein the displayed virtual input keys on the supplemental display correspond to possible correct text units of text displayed on the primary display;

receive a user selection of one of the virtual input keys;

translate the user selection into one of the following;

a command and a character input for the computer system; and

provide the one of the following;

the command and the character input to the computer system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processing unit being configured to configure the display of the virtual input keys comprises the processing unit being configured to configure the display of the virtual input keys based on the text displayed on the primary display.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the processing unit being configured to provide the one of the following:

the command and the character input to the computer system comprises processing unit being configured to provide an instruction for causing a replacement of the displayed text with the user-selected virtual input key.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising the supplemental display, wherein the supplemental display comprises at least one of the following:

a touch-sensitive display device, a proximity-sensitive display device, a resistance-sensitive display device, a digitizer-sensing display device, and an optical-sensing display device.

10. An input-sensing display device comprising:

an input-sensing display;

a communications interface; and

a processor coupled to the input-sensing display and the communications interface, the processor being configured to;

provide independent computing functionality for the input-sensing display device while the input-sensing display device is in an independent mode of operation,

provide, while the input-sensing display device is in an input/output device mode of operation with a host computer system, to the input-sensing display, displays supplemental to a primary display of the host computer system, wherein the supplemental displays correspond to possible correct text units of text displayed on the primary display, and

receive display inputs from the host computer system based on the supplemental displays.

11. The input-sensing display device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to determine when the input-sensing display device is connected to the host computer system.

12. The input-sensing display device of claim 11, wherein the processor being configured to provide the independent computing functionality for the input-sensing display device while the input-sensing display device is in the independent mode of operation comprises the processor being operative to provide the independent computing functionality when the input-sensing display device is not connected to the host computer system.

13. The input-sensing display device of claim 11, wherein the processor being configured to provide, to the in the input sensing display, displays supplemental to the primary display of the host computer system and receive the display inputs from the host computer system based on the supplemental displays comprises the processor being configured to provide the supplemental displays when the input-sensing display device is connected to the host computing system.

14. The input-sensing display device of claim 10, wherein the input-sensing display is configured to display a plurality of alphanumeric keys for receiving character inputs.

15. The input-sensing display device of claim 10, wherein the input-sensing display comprises at least one of the following:

a touch-sensitive display device, a proximity-sensitive display device, a resistance-sensitive display device, a digitizer-sensing display device, and an optical-sensing display device.

16. The input-sensing display device of claim 10, wherein the communication interface comprises one of the following:

a wireless interface comprising at least one of the following;

a BLUETOOTH interface, a wireless personal area network (WPAN) interface, a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface, a wireless fidelity network (WiFi) interface, a cellular interface, and an infrared interface, and

a wired interface with the computer system comprising at least one of the following;

a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a FIREWIRE interface, and a home audio video interoperability (HAVI) interface.