Self-adapting keypad

• US 9,448,725 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Amsterdam, Jeffrey D., Freeman, William C., O'Connell, Brian M., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leiby, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/777,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 345/174, 715/776, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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, apparatus and computer-usable medium for implementing a virtual keyboard for use with small input devices. A circular keyboard can be graphically displayed, in response to a user input by a user via a small input device. A circular and centrally located key can be graphically located and displayed within the center of the circular keyboard, wherein character keys radiate outward from the centrally located key (i.e., the “central key”). Character keys that are most commonly utilized by the user are preferably located closed to the circular and centrally located key within the circular keyboard. Character keys least commonly utilized by the user are preferably located at the edges of the keyboard, thereby permitting the circular keyboard to function as a self-adapting virtual keyboard for use with small input devices based on the usage of the keyboard by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a processor of a mobile computing device detecting a plurality of graphical keypad keys most commonly utilized on the mobile computing device;

the processor displaying, on a screen of the mobile computing device, the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to a central graphical key of a graphical keypad than a plurality of graphical keypad keys least commonly utilized on the mobile computing device; and

in response to a user entering text using one or more of the graphical keypad keys, the processor automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, at least one of the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device, such that the keys most commonly utilized on the mobile computing device are placed closer to the central graphical key of the graphical keypad than the keys least commonly utilized on the mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than a graphical delete key.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the processor automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, another plurality of graphical keys corresponding to characters most commonly utilized in combination with each other based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, at least one of the detected plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a first application, and wherein said automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, the another plurality of graphical keys corresponding to characters most commonly utilized in combination with each other based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a second application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first application comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) editing program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second application comprises a chat client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than a graphical caps lock key.

8. A computer-usable storage device having computer executable instructions stored therein, the computer executable instructions executable by a processor of a mobile computing device to implement a method comprising:

the processor detecting a plurality of graphical keypad keys most commonly utilized on the mobile computing device;

the processor displaying, on a screen of the mobile computing device, the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to a central graphical key of a graphical keypad than a plurality of graphical keypad keys least commonly utilized on the mobile computing device; and

in response to a user entering text using one or more of the graphical keypad keys, the processor automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, at least one of the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device, such that the keys most commonly utilized on the mobile computing device are placed closer to the central graphical key of the graphical keypad than the keys least commonly utilized on the mobile computing device.

9. The computer-usable storage device of claim 8, wherein said displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than a graphical delete key.

10. The computer-usable storage device of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

the processor automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, another plurality of graphical keys corresponding to characters most commonly utilized in combination with each other based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device.

11. The computer-usable storage device of claim 10, wherein said automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, at least one of the detected plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a first application, and wherein said automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, the another plurality of graphical keys corresponding to characters most commonly utilized in combination with each other based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a second application.

12. The computer-usable storage device of claim 11, wherein the first application comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) editing program.

13. The computer-usable storage device of claim 12, wherein the second application comprises a chat client.

14. The computer-usable storage device of claim 8, wherein said displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than a graphical caps lock key.

15. A mobile computing device comprising a processor and a computer-usable storage device coupled to the processor, the computer-usable storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to implement a method comprising:

the processor detecting a plurality of graphical keypad keys most commonly utilized on the mobile computing device;

the processor displaying, on a screen of the mobile computing device, the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to a central graphical key of a graphical keypad than a plurality of graphical keypad keys least commonly utilized on the mobile computing device; and

in response to a user entering text using one or more of the graphical keypad keys, the processor automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, at least one of the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device, such that the keys most commonly utilized on the mobile computing device are placed closer to the central graphical key of the graphical keypad than the keys least commonly utilized on the mobile computing device.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein said displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than a graphical delete key.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

the processor automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, another plurality of graphical keys corresponding to characters most commonly utilized in combination with each other based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 17, wherein said automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, at least one of the detected plurality of graphical keys based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a first application, and wherein said automatically relocating, on the graphical keypad, the another plurality of graphical keys corresponding to characters most commonly utilized in combination with each other based on usage patterns on the mobile computing device comprises optimizing placement of graphical keypad keys used with a second application.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein the first application comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) editing program, and wherein the second application comprises a chat client.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein said displaying comprises displaying the detected plurality of graphical keypad keys closer to the central graphical key than a graphical caps lock key.