Touchscreen keyboard providing selection of word predictions in partitions of the touchscreen keyboard

• US 9,116,552 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler, Pasquero, Jerome, Mckenzie, Donald Somerset
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): HONG, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US13/534,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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, including receiving an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display; generating at least two sets of predicted input characters based on the input character; displaying at least two of the generated sets of predicted input characters at an input field, wherein each displayed set is displayed at a position in a defined arrangement; and selecting one of the displayed sets of predicted input characters in accordance with a gesture received at a partition of the virtual keyboard is disclosed. An electronic device and a non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform the method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display;

generating at least two sets of predicted input characters based on the input character;

displaying at least two of the generated sets of predicted input characters at an input field, wherein each displayed set is displayed at a position in a defined arrangement;

partitioning the virtual keyboard into partitions, each partition corresponding to one of the displayed sets and configured for receiving a selection of the displayed set; and

receiving selection of one of the displayed sets of predicted input characters in accordance with a gesture detected at one of the partitions of the virtual keyboard, wherein the position of the partition within the area of the virtual keyboard corresponds to the position of the selected set within the defined arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the input character;

wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets comprises displaying the at least two of the generated sets proximate to the input character.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets in the defined arrangement comprises displaying the at least two of the generated sets horizontally;

and wherein the virtual keyboard is partitioned into at least two columns.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets in the defined arrangement comprises displaying the at least two of the generated sets vertically;

and wherein the virtual keyboard is partitioned into at least two rows.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard is partitioned into at least two partitions, the method further comprising highlighting the at least two partitions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least two partitions are highlighted in different colors, and wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets comprises displaying each of the displayed sets in the color of the corresponding partition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets comprises highlighting the displayed set having a highest ranking, and wherein selecting one of the displayed sets comprises selecting the displayed set having the highest ranking when a predefined gesture is received.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein highlighting the displayed set having the highest ranking comprises displaying the displayed set having the highest ranking in-line with the input character.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of each of the displayed sets in the defined arrangement is associated with a different gesture, and wherein selecting the one of the displayed sets comprises selecting the displayed set in the position corresponding to the received gesture.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on the display;

generate at least two sets of predicted input characters based on the input character;

display at least two of the generated sets of predicted input characters at an input field, wherein each displayed set is displayed at a position in a defined arrangement;

partition the virtual keyboard into partitions, each partition corresponding to one of the displayed sets and configured for receiving a selection of the displayed sets; and

receive selection of one of the displayed sets of predicted input characters in accordance with a gesture detected at one of the partitions of the virtual keyboard, wherein the position of the partition within the area of the virtual keyboard corresponds to the position of the input set within the defined arrangement.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to display the input character;

wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets comprises displaying the at least two of the generated sets proximate to the input character.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets in the defined arrangement comprises displaying the at least two of the generated sets horizontally;

and wherein the virtual keyboard is partitioned into at least two columns.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets in the defined arrangement comprises displaying the at least two of the generated sets vertically;

and wherein the virtual keyboard is partitioned into at least two rows.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the virtual keyboard is partitioned into at least two partitions, and the processor is further configured to highlight the at least two partitions.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the at least two partitions are highlighted in different colors, and wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets comprises displaying each of the displayed sets in the color of the corresponding partition.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein displaying the at least two of the generated sets comprises highlighting the displayed set having a highest ranking, and wherein inputting one of the displayed sets comprising inputting the displayed set having the highest ranking when a predefined gesture is received.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein highlighting the displayed set having the highest ranking comprises displaying the displayed set having the highest ranking in-line with the input character.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the position of each of the displayed sets in the defined arrangement is associated with a different gesture, and wherein inputting the one of the displayed sets comprises inputting the displayed set in the position corresponding to the received gesture.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display;

generating at least two sets of predicted input characters based on the input character;

displaying at least two of the generated sets of predicted input characters at an input field, wherein each displayed set is displayed at a position in a defined arrangement;

partitioning the virtual keyboard into partitions, each partition corresponding to one of the displayed sets and configured for receiving a selection of the displayed set; and

receiving selection of one of the displayed sets of predicted input characters in accordance with a gesture detected at one of the partitions of the virtual keyboard, wherein the position of the partition within the area of the virtual keyboard corresponds to the position of the input set within the defined arrangement.