Electronic device including touch-sensitive display and method of facilitating input at the electronic device

• US 8,947,380 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pasquero, Jerome, Walker, David Ryan, Inglis, Scott Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMPSON, LIXI CHOW
• Application Number:
  US13/363,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20130194187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

A method includes displaying keys of a keyboard in a keyboard area on a touch-sensitive display, at least one of the keys being associated with multiple letter characters, the keyboard area located adjacent to a first side of the touch-sensitive display, detecting a touch in a keyboard area of the touch-sensitive display, the touch being associated with a character input, detecting a gesture in a gesture input area of a touch-sensitive display, the gesture area located adjacent to a second side of the touch-sensitive display, the second side opposite to the first side; wherein the gesture is associated with a keyboard-related function at the processor and the keyboard-related function is operable on the character input or a next character input.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a touch at a key in a keyboard area on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device, the key being associated with multiple characters, and adding ones of the multiple characters to character strings;

determining candidate character strings by identifying objects in reference data that have initial portions that match the character strings;

displaying a single one of the candidate character strings on the touch-sensitive display, others of the candidate character strings being viewable in response to detection of a touch at another key in a keyboard area;

receiving a gesture input in a gesture input area on the touch-sensitive display, a keyboard-related function associated with the gesture input being determined at a processor of the electronic device, no duplication of functionality being provided between the keyboard area and the gesture input area;

in response to the gesture input, entering the single one of the candidate character strings in a display area of the touch-sensitive display;

wherein the keyboard area is located adjacent a first side of the touch-sensitive display and the gesture input area is located adjacent a second side of the touch-sensitive display, the first side being opposite to the second side.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second gesture input is associated with a second keyboard-related function.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one of the candidate character strings is displayed in the keyboard area.

4. A non-transient computer readable medium comprising instructions executable on a processor of an electronic device for implementing the method of claim 1.