Angular sensitized keypad

• US 9,134,811 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Causey, Mark Edward, Howard, Jeffrey Norbert, Smoak, Andrew Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bibbins, Latanya
• Application Number:
  US14/461,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224

Abstract

Devices and methods are disclosed which relate to improving the efficiency of text input by measuring the angle of each key press and rejecting improbable keys pressed at an off-center angle. Examples include a text-entry device which has logic for resisting error while the user enters text on a keyboard of the text-entry device. Each key determines the angle at which the key is pressed. Logic on the text-entry device assigns a range of acceptable angles to each key. If a key is pressed within the range of acceptable angles, then the entry is permitted. If a key is pressed outside the range of acceptable angles, then the entry is denied. Once text is entered, logic assigns a prediction value to each key based on a statistical probability that the key will be entered next. The keyboard logic then adjusts the range of acceptable angles based on that statistical probability.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a selection of a key of a plurality of keys, wherein the key is associated with a question and wherein the selection of the key indicates an answer to the question,

after receiving the selection of the key of the plurality of keys, assigning a prediction value to at least a portion of the plurality of keys based on the answer to the question associated with the key selected; and

adjusting an acceptable angle for one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys relative to the prediction value assigned to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, the acceptable angle being measured by a plurality of electrical contacts arranged around a center of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, the plurality of electrical contacts comprising a plurality of upper electrical contacts and a plurality of lower electrical contacts, wherein adjusting the acceptable angle comprises;

in response to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys being assigned a lower prediction value, increasing a number of the plurality of upper electrical contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys required to contact a number of the plurality of lower electrical contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys to constitute an entry of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, and

in response to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys being assigned a higher prediction value, decreasing the number of the plurality of upper electrical contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys required to contact the number of the plurality of lower electrical contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys to constitute the entry of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise adjusting the acceptable angle for each of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys to a proportion of the prediction value assigned to each of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise illuminating an indicator associated with the question based on the selection of the key associated with the question.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the question is associated with an age of a user of the device.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the transceiver uses one of cellular RF access technology and WiFi access technology.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of keys is associated with questions regarding medical problems.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by a text-entry device comprising a processor, a selection of a key of a plurality of keys, wherein the key is associated with a question and wherein the selection of the key indicates an answer to the question;

after receiving the selection of the key of the plurality of keys, assigning, by the processor, a prediction value to at least a portion of the plurality of keys based on the answer to the question associated with the key selected; and

adjusting, by the processor, an acceptable angle for one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys relative to the prediction value assigned to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, the acceptable angle being measured by a plurality of contacts arranged around a center of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, the plurality of contacts comprising a plurality of upper contacts and a plurality of lower contacts, wherein adjusting the acceptable angle comprises;

in response to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys being assigned a lower prediction value, increasing a number of the plurality of upper contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys required to contact a number of the plurality of lower contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys to constitute an entry of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, and

in response to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys being assigned a higher prediction value, decreasing the number of the plurality of upper contacts of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys required to contact the number the plurality of lower contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys to constitute the entry of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, wherein the plurality of keys is coupled with the text-entry device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting the acceptable angle for each of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys to a proportion of the prediction value assigned to each of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising measuring an angle of a key press.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising illuminating an indicator associated with the question based on the selection of the key associated with the question.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the question is associated with an age of a user of the text-entry device.

13. The method of claims 8, further comprising resetting the plurality of keys such that the acceptable angle of each of the plurality of keys is substantially similar.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of keys is associated with questions regarding medical problems.

15. A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon computer instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of a key of a plurality of keys, wherein the key is associated with a question and wherein the selection of the key indicates an answer to the question;

after receiving the selection of the key of the plurality of keys, assigning a prediction value to at least a portion of the plurality of keys based on the answer to the question associated with the key selected; and

adjusting an acceptable angle for one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys relative to the prediction value assigned to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, the acceptable angle being measured by a plurality of contacts arranged around a center of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, the plurality of contacts comprising a plurality of upper contacts and a plurality of lower contacts, wherein adjusting the acceptable angle comprises;

in response to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys being assigned a lower prediction value, increasing a number of the plurality of upper contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys required to contact a number of the plurality of lower contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys to constitute an entry of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys, and

in response to the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys being assigned an higher prediction value, decreasing the number of the plurality of upper contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys required to contact the number of the plurality of lower contacts of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys to constitute the entry of the one of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys.

16. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting the acceptable angle for each of the portion of the plurality of keys to a proportion of the prediction value assigned to each of the at least a portion of the plurality of keys.

17. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise measuring an angle of a key press.

18. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise illuminating an indicator associated with the question based on the selection of the key associated with the question.

19. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the question is associated with an age of a user of the device.

20. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise resetting the plurality of keys such that the acceptable angle of each of the plurality of keys is substantially similar.