Text input on touch sensitive interface

• US 9,064,436 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Nirmal, Starner, Thad Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suteerawongsa, Jarurat
• Application Number:
  US13/590,968
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345173-174, 359/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/00 Holographic processes or apparatus using light, infrared or ultraviolet waves for obtaining holograms or for obtaining an image from them; Details peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

Methods and systems for text input are provided. In one example, a head-mountable device (HMD) having a touch interface may be configured to receive touch inputs from a user to enter text. The touch interface may include input areas corresponding to characters. The HMD may be configured to determine characters and words the user wishes to enter according to different touch inputs, including land inputs, lift inputs, flick inputs, drag inputs, tap inputs, and scratch inputs. In one case, the HMD may determine subsets of characters for each letter in a word the user wishes to enter, and determine the word the user wishes to enter according to the subsets of characters. In another case, the HMD may determine a vector array corresponding to the word the user wishes to enter, and determine the word the user wishes to enter by comparing the vector array against word vector templates.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

a head-mountable display that provides a wearer field-of-view when worn;

a touch interface arranged on the head-mountable display such that the touch interface is outside of the wearer field-of-view when the head-mountable display is worn;

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to perform functions comprising;

providing, on the touch interface, a user-interface comprising a set of input areas, wherein each of the input areas is associated with a character from a set of characters;

receiving, on the touch interface, first touch input data indicating a selection of a first input area from the set of input areas and a direction relative to the first input area;

determining a first subset of input areas from the set of input areas, wherein the first subset includes a range of one or more adjacent input areas extending from the selected first input area in the indicated direction relative to the selected first input area;

receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas from the set of input areas and respective directions relative to each selected second input area, wherein each selected second input area is located to a first side of a previously selected second input area;

determining one or more second subsets of input areas from the set of input areas, wherein each second subset includes a range extending from the selected second input area in the indicated direction relative to the second input area, wherein the range is exclusive of input areas that are located to a second side of previously selected second input area, and wherein the second side is opposite the first side;

determining a word that includes respective characters corresponding to input areas within the first subset of input areas and the one or more second subsets of input areas; and

causing a visual depiction of the determined word to be provided on a head-mountable graphical display.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a lift input upwards from a given second input area, and wherein the respective range consists of the given second input area.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the set of input areas extends linearly between two terminating input areas, and wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a flick input towards a given terminating input area of the of the set of input areas, wherein the respective range consists of one or more second input areas between the selected second input area and the terminating input area.

4. The system of claim 1,

wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a drag input across one or more second input areas adjacent to the selected second input area, wherein the respective range consists of the one or more second input areas.

5. The system of claim 1,

wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a dwell input towards from a given second input area, and wherein the respective range consists of the given second input area.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a drag input towards a particular input area and a lift input upwards from a given second input area, and wherein the respective range consists of the given second input area.

7. The system of claim 1,

wherein determining the word comprises determining a sequence of characters beginning with a first character corresponding to an input area from the first subset of input areas and followed by one or more second characters corresponding to a respective input area from each of the one or more second subsets of input areas.

8. The system of claim 1,

wherein determining the word comprises determining a sequence of characters, and wherein determining the sequence of characters comprises:

determining a first character of the word, wherein determining the first character comprises selecting, from the first subset of input areas, a first input area that corresponds to the first character; and

determining one or more second characters of the word, wherein determining the or more second characters comprises selecting, from each of the one or more second subsets of input areas, a respective second input area that corresponds to a second character.

9. The system of claim 1,

wherein selecting, from each of the one or more second subsets of input areas, a respective second input area that corresponds to a second character comprises determining that the character corresponding to the respective second input area has the highest prevalence of use among the characters corresponding to the input areas of the second subset of input areas.

10. The system of claim 1,

wherein determining the word comprises:

assigning, to respective second input areas of the one or more second subsets, a respective probability ranking that is proportional to the distance from the selected second input area to each second input area of the range.

11. The system of claim 1,

wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises receiving data indicating a drag input across between the second input area and a third input area, and wherein the second subset consists of the one or more input areas, and wherein determining the word comprises assigning, to respective second input areas of the one or more second subsets, a respective probability ranking that is proportional to the distance from the third input area to each second input area of the range.

12. The system of claim 1,

wherein the set of input areas comprises input areas that are aligned linearly in a one-dimensional arrangement.

13. The system of claim 1,

causing a visual depiction of at least one of the first subset or the one or more second subsets to be provided on a head-mountable graphical display.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a frame supporting the head-mountable display, the frame comprising a first support and a second support that are perpendicular to the head-mountable display, wherein the touch interface is mounted to one of the first support or the second support.

15. A method comprising:

providing, on a touch interface arranged on a head-mountable display such that the touch interface is outside of a wearer field-of-view when the head-mountable display is worn, a user-interface comprising a set of input areas, wherein each of the input areas is associated with a character from a set of characters;

receiving, on the touch interface, first touch input data indicating a selection of a first input area from the set of input areas and a direction relative to the first input area;

determining a first subset of input areas from the set of input areas, wherein the first subset includes a range of one or more adjacent input areas extending from the selected first input area in the indicated direction relative to the selected first input area;

receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas from the set of input areas and respective directions relative to each selected second input area, wherein each selected second input area is located to a first side of a previously selected second input area;

determining one or more second subsets of input areas from the set of input areas, wherein each second subset includes a range extending from the selected second input area in the indicated direction relative to the second input area, wherein the range is exclusive of input areas that are located to a second side of previously selected second input area, and wherein the second side is opposite the first side;

determining a word that includes respective characters corresponding to input areas within the first subset of input areas and the one or more second subsets of input areas; and

causing a visual depiction of the determined word to be provided on a head-mountable graphical display.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the set of input areas extends linearly between two terminating input areas, and wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a flick input towards a given terminating input area of the of the set of input areas, wherein the respective range consists of one or more second input areas between the selected second input area and the terminating input area.

17. The method of claim 15,

wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a drag input across one or more second input areas adjacent to the selected second input area, wherein the respective range consists of the one or more second input areas.

18. The method of claim 15,

wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a lift input upwards from a given second input area, and wherein the respective range consists of the given second input area.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

providing, on a touch interface arranged on a head-mountable display such that the touch interface is outside of a wearer field-of-view when the head-mountable display is worn, a user-interface comprising a set of input areas, wherein each of the input areas is associated with a character from a set of characters;

receiving, on the touch interface, first touch input data indicating a selection of a first input area from the set of input areas and a direction relative to the first input area;

determining a first subset of input areas from the set of input areas, wherein the first subset includes a range of one or more adjacent input areas extending from the selected first input area in the indicated direction relative to the selected first input area;

receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas from the set of input areas and respective directions relative to each selected second input area, wherein each selected second input area is located to a first side of a previously selected second input area;

determining one or more second subsets of input areas from the set of input areas, wherein each second subset includes a range extending from the selected second input area in the indicated direction relative to the second input area, wherein the range is exclusive of input areas that are located to a second side of previously selected second input area, and wherein the second side is opposite the first side;

determining a word that includes respective characters corresponding to input areas within the first subset of input areas and the one or more second subsets of input areas; and

causing a visual depiction of the determined word to be provided on a head-mountable graphical display.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19,

wherein the set of input areas extends linearly between two terminating input areas, and wherein receiving, on the touch interface, second touch input data indicating a sequence of one or more successive selections of respective second input areas comprises, for at least one of the one or more successive selections of second input areas, receiving data indicating a flick input towards a given terminating input area of the of the set of input areas, wherein the respective range consists of one or more second input areas between the selected second input area and the terminating input area.