Reconfiguration of virtual keyboard

• US 8,648,809 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Kwang-Su
• Application Number:
  US12/817,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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

Various embodiments for configuring a virtual keyboard on a display surface are provided. In one such embodiment, at least one coordinate value mapped to a delimited area of the virtual keyboard, is determined. The at least one coordinate value corresponds to a touch input by the user on the display surface. The at least one coordinate value is compared to at least one historical coordinate value previously obtained for the delimited area. At least one of a location of and the delimited area of the virtual keyboard as projected on the display surface is adjusted to minimize a change between the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a virtual keyboard projected on a display surface, comprising:

displaying an original virtual keyboard layout on the display surface;

receiving a touch input on the display surface within the original virtual keyboard layout, the touch input representing a keystroke;

determining at least one coordinate value mapped to a delimited area of an original virtual keyboard, the at least one coordinate value corresponding to the touch input by a user on the display surface, and the delimited area of the original virtual keyboard representing a virtual key;

comparing the at least one coordinate value to at least one historical coordinate value previously obtained for the delimited area;

adjusting at least one of a location of and the delimited area of the virtual keyboard as projected on the display surface to minimize a change between the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value by modifying the location of or the delimited area of the virtual keyboard one pixel in response to receipt of the keystroke to thereby display an adjusted virtual keyboard layout;

receiving an additional touch input on the display surface within the adjusted virtual keyboard layout, the touch input representing an additional keystroke;

repeating the steps of determining, comparing and adjusting for the additional touch input; and

modifying the location of or the delimited area of the virtual keyboard another pixel in response to receipt of the additional keystroke to thereby display an updated adjusted virtual keyboard layout.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of comparing the at least one coordinate value to the at least one historical coordinate value includes considering the at least one coordinate value as an additional value in a statistical calculation of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value, and

the step of adjusting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard includes adjusting the delimited area such that a coordinate result of the statistical calculation of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value is centered in the delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as the additional value in the statistical calculation includes considering one of using a backspace function and an arrow function subsequent to the touch input by the user in the statistical calculation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as the additional value in the statistical calculation includes considering use of an autocorrect function subsequent to the touch input by the user in the statistical calculation.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as an additional value in a statistical calculation includes formulating one of an average, a moving average, a weighted average, a harmonic average, a geometric average, a median, and a mode of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard includes resizing the delimited area of the virtual keyboard vis-à

-vis another delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of resizing the delimited area includes performing one of expanding and contracting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, and one of expanding and contracting the another delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the delimited area of the virtual keyboard is a key boundary, and the step of adjusting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard includes adjusting at least one dimension of the key boundary.

9. A system for configuring a virtual keyboard projected on a display surface, comprising:

a processor device, wherein the processor device is configured for;

displaying an original virtual keyboard layout on the display surface;

receiving a touch input on the display surface within the original virtual keyboard layout, the touch input representing a keystroke;

determining at least one coordinate value mapped to a delimited area of an original virtual keyboard, the at least one coordinate value corresponding to the touch input by a user on the display surface, and the delimited area of the original virtual keyboard representing a virtual key;

comparing the at least one coordinate value to at least one historical coordinate value previously obtained for the delimited area;

adjusting at least one of a location of and the delimited area of the virtual keyboard to minimize a change between the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value by modifying the location of or the delimited area of the virtual keyboard one pixel in response to receipt of the keystroke to thereby display an adjusted virtual keyboard layout;

receiving an additional touch input on the display surface within the adjusted virtual keyboard layout, the touch input representing an additional keystroke;

repeating the steps of determining, comparing and adjusting for the additional touch input; and

modifying the location of or the delimited area of the virtual keyboard another pixel in response to receipt of the additional keystroke to thereby display an updated adjusted virtual keyboard layout.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured for:

pursuant to the step of comparing the at least one coordinate value to the at least one historical coordinate value, considering the at least one coordinate value as an additional value in a statistical calculation of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value, and,

pursuant to the step of adjusting at least one of the location of and the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, adjusting the delimited area such that a coordinate result of the statistical calculation of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value is centered in the delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured for, pursuant to the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as the additional value in the statistical calculation, considering one of using a backspace function and an arrow function subsequent to the touch input by the user in the statistical calculation.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured for, pursuant to the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as the additional value in the statistical calculation, considering use of an autocorrect function subsequent to the touch input by the user in the statistical calculation.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured for, pursuant to the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as an additional value in a statistical calculation, formulating one of an average, a moving average, a weighted average, a harmonic average, a geometric average, a median, and a mode of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor device is further configured for, pursuant to the step of adjusting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, resizing the delimited area of the virtual keyboard vis-à

-vis another delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured adapted for, pursuant to the step of resizing the delimited area, performing one of expanding and contracting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, and one of expanding and contracting the another delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the delimited area of the virtual keyboard is a key boundary, and the processor is further configured for, pursuant to the step of adjusting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, adjusting at least one dimension of the key boundary.

17. A computer program product for configuring a virtual keyboard projected on a display surface, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for displaying an original virtual keyboard layout on the display surface;

a second executable portion for receiving a touch input on the display surface within the original virtual keyboard layout, the touch input representing a keystroke;

a third executable portion for determining at least one coordinate value mapped to a delimited area of an original virtual keyboard, the at least one coordinate value corresponding to the touch input by a user on the display surface, and the delimited area of the original virtual keyboard representing a virtual key;

a fourth executable portion for comparing the at least one coordinate value to at least one historical coordinate value previously obtained for the delimited area;

a fifth executable portion for adjusting at least one of a location of and the delimited area of the virtual keyboard to minimize a change between the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value by modifying the location of or the delimited area of the virtual keyboard one pixel in response to receipt of the keystroke to thereby display an adjusted virtual keyboard layout;

a sixth executable portion for receiving an additional touch input on the display surface within the adjusted virtual keyboard layout, the touch input representing an additional keystroke;

a seventh executable portion for repeating the steps of determining, comparing and adjusting for the additional touch input; and

an eighth executable portion for modifying the location of or the delimited area of the virtual keyboard another pixel in response to receipt of the additional keystroke to thereby display an updated adjusted virtual keyboard layout.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further including a ninth executable portion for:

pursuant to the step of comparing the at least one coordinate value to the at least one historical coordinate value, considering the at least one coordinate value as an additional value in a statistical calculation of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value, and

pursuant to the step of adjusting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, adjusting the delimited area such that a coordinate result of the statistical calculation of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value is centered in the delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a tenth executable portion for, pursuant to the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as the additional value in the statistical calculation, considering one of using a backspace function and an arrow function subsequent to the touch input by the user in the statistical calculation.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a tenth executable portion for, pursuant to the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as the additional value in the statistical calculation, considering use of an autocorrect function subsequent to the touch input by the user in the statistical calculation.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, further including a tenth executable portion for, pursuant to the step of considering the at least one coordinate value as an additional value in a statistical calculation, formulating one of an average, a moving average, a weighted average, a harmonic average, a geometric average, a median, and a mode of the at least one coordinate value and the at least one historical coordinate value.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, further including a ninth executable portion for, pursuant to the step of adjusting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, resizing the delimited area of the virtual keyboard vis-à

-vis another delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, further including a tenth executable portion for, pursuant to the step of resizing the delimited area, performing one of expanding and contracting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, and one of expanding and contracting the another delimited area of the virtual keyboard.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the delimited area of the virtual keyboard is a key boundary, and further including a fifth executable portion for, pursuant to the step of adjusting the delimited area of the virtual keyboard, adjusting at least one dimension of the key boundary.