Keyboard input control method and system

• US 9,335,833 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pasquero, Jerome, McKenzie, Donald Somerset McCulloch, Griffin, Jason Tyler
• Primary Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US13/490,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A method for processing input from a keyboard of a hand-held computing device includes receiving a plurality of key input events and, from the plurality of key input events, determining whether there is a double selection event corresponding to a specified key from the keyboard. Further, the method includes, when it is determined that there is the double selection event corresponding to the specified key, determining a key selection offset between a first and second key selection action of the double selection. The method also includes deciding whether the key selection offset is substantially equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and, when it is decided that the key selection offset is substantially equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, using at least a first key as key input of the double selection event. The first key and the specified key are different.

Claims

1. A method for processing input from a keyboard of a hand-held computing device, comprising:

receiving a plurality of key input events;

determining whether the key input events include a double selection event, wherein the double selection event includes a first key selection action of a specified key at a first time instance and a second key selection action of the specified key at a second, different time instance within a predetermined time period;

determining a key selection offset between the first key selection action and the second key selection action in the double selection event, wherein the key selection offset is a distance between a first point on the specified key associated with the first key selection action at the first time instance and a second point on the specified key associated with the second key selection action at the second, different time instance, the key selection offset defining a key input of the double selection event;

determining whether the key selection offset is less than a predetermined threshold; and

using at least a character associated with a first key, different from the character associated with the specified key, as the key input of the double selection event based on the determination that the key selection offset is less than a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using at least a character associated with a second key, different from characters associated with the specified key and the first key, as the key input of the double selection event based on the determination that the key selection offset is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the specified key is a spacebar;

the character associated with the first key is a period; and

the character associated with the second key is a comma.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein using at least a period as the key input of the double selection event further includes:

entering a period followed by a space instead of two spaces corresponding to the double selection of the spacebar.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein using at least a comma as the key input of the double selection event further includes:

entering a comma followed by a space instead of two spaces corresponding to the double selection of the spacebar.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether there is a double selection event further includes:

determining a time difference between the first key selection action and the second key selection action;

comparing the time difference with the predetermined time period;

when the time difference is within the predetermined time period, determining that there is a double selection event; and

when the time difference is not within the predetermined time period, determining that there is not a double selection event.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

the keyboard is a virtual keyboard on a touch screen;

the first key selection action is a first key touching action;

the second key selection action is a second key touching action; and

the time difference is between the first key touching action and the second key touching action.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the first point is at a left side of a spacebar;

the second point is at a right side of the spacebar; and

the key selection offset is determined as the length of the spacebar.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the first key selection action is a first key touching action;

the second key selection action is a second key touching action; and

the key selection offset is a distance between two coordinates of the first point and the second point, respectively.

10. A hand-held computing device, comprising:

a wireless communication module;

a memory module;

a keyboard; and

a processor coupled to the memory module, the wireless communication module, and the keyboard,

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a plurality of key input events;

determine whether, from the plurality of key input events, there is a double selection event corresponding to a specified key from the keyboard, wherein the double selection includes a first key selection action at a first time instance and a second key selection action at a second, different time instance within a predetermined time period;

when there is the double selection event corresponding to the specified key, determine a key selection offset between the first key selection action and the second key selection action in the double selection event, wherein the key selection offset is a distance between a first point on the specified key associated with the first key selection action at the first time instance and a second point on the specified key associated with the second key selection action at the second, different time instance, the key selection offset defining a key input of the double selection event; and

decide whether the key selection offset is substantially equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold;

when the key selection offset is greater than the predetermined threshold, use at least a character associated with a first key, different from a character associated with the specified key, as the key input of the double selection event; and

when the key selection offset is less than the predetermined threshold, use at least a character associated with a second key, different from characters associated with the specified key and the first key, as the key input of the double selection event.

11. The hand-held computing device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

when there is not the double selection event corresponding to the specified key, use actual key characters corresponding to the plurality of key input events.

12. The hand-held computing device according to claim 10, wherein:

the specified key is a spacebar;

the character associated with the first key is a period; and

the character associated with the second key is a comma.

13. The hand-held computing device according to claim 12, wherein, to use at least a period as the key input of the double selection event, the processor is further configured to:

enter a period followed by a space instead of two spaces corresponding to the double selection of the spacebar.

14. The hand-held computing device according to claim 12, wherein, to use at least a comma as the key input of the double selection event, the processor is further configured to:

enter a comma followed by a space instead of two spaces corresponding to the double selection of the spacebar.

15. The hand-held computing device according to claim 12, wherein, to determine whether there is a double selection event, the processor is further configured to:

determine a time difference between the first key selection action and the second key selection action;

compare the time difference with the predetermined time period;

when the time difference is within the predetermined time period, determine that there is a double selection event; and

when the time difference is not within the predetermined time period, determine that there is not a double selection event.

16. The hand-held computing device according to claim 15, further including:

a touch screen coupled to the processor, wherein;

the keyboard is a virtual keyboard on the touch screen;

the first key selection action is a first key touching action;

the second key selection action is a second key touching action; and

the time difference is between the first key touching action and the second key touching action.

17. The hand-held computing device according to claim 10, wherein:

the first point is at a left side of a spacebar;

the second point is at a right side of the spacebar; and

the key selection offset is determined as the length of the spacebar.

18. The hand-held computing device according to claim 10, wherein:

the first key selection action is a first key touching action;

the second key selection action is a second key touching action; and

the key selection offset is a distance between two coordinates of the first point and the second point, respectively.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of key input events;

determining whether the key input events include a double selection event, wherein the double selection event includes a first key selection action of a specified key at a first time instance and a second key selection action of the specified key at a second, different time instance within a predetermined time period;

determining a key selection offset between the first key selection action and the second key selection action in the double selection event, wherein the key selection offset is a distance between a first point on the specified key associated with the first key selection action at the first time instance and a second point on the specified key associated with the second key selection action at the second, different time instance, the key selection offset defining a key input of the double selection event;

determining whether the key selection offset is less than a predetermined threshold; and

using at least a character associated with a first key, different from the character associated with the specified key, as the key input of the double selection event based on the determination that the key selection offset is less than a predetermined threshold.