Accelerated data entry for constrained format input fields

• US 9,529,528 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fox, Joshua, Gordon, Itai
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, DAEHO D
• Application Number:
  US14/059,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20150113465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/780, 715/812
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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

Abstract

A method enables a user to fill an input field on a single display. An input field is generated on a user interface, wherein the input field has a plurality of character entry subfields and at least one constraint for at least one of said plurality of character entry subfields. A set of characters selected for input from said input field according to said at least one constraint of at least one of said plurality of character entry subfields is received, and a virtual keyboard on a single display is generated and presented, wherein only said set of characters are presented on said virtual keyboard.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user to fill an input field on a user interface, the method comprising:

generating, by one or more processors, an input field on a user interface, wherein the input field has a plurality of numeric entry subfields and at least one constraint for at least one of said plurality of numeric entry subfields, and wherein the plurality of numeric entry subfields combine to form a numeric representation of a date;

generating and displaying, by one or more processors, a virtual keyboard on the user interface, wherein the virtual keyboard comprises multiple numeric rows, wherein all of the multiple numeric rows are displayed simultaneously on the virtual keyboard, and wherein each numeric row from the multiple numeric rows is specific for a particular numeric entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date;

receiving, by one or more processors, a first numeral for the plurality of numeric entry subfields, wherein the first numeral is selected by a user from a first numeric row displayed on the virtual keyboard on the user interface, wherein the first numeric row is from the multiple numeric rows, and wherein the first numeric row includes only numerals that may be used as the first numeral for a respective first entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date;

in response to receiving the first numeral, altering, by one or more processors, numerals in a second numeric row according to predicted second numerals from which a second numeral entered in the plurality of numeral entry subfields will be selected by the user, wherein the second numeric row is from the multiple numeric rows, and wherein the second numeral is predicted according a constraint on the second numeral for a respective second numeric entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date based on the first numeral that was selected by the user; and

adjusting and displaying, by one or more processors, all other numeric rows, beyond the first numeric row and the second numeric row, from the multiple numeric rows according to constraints on said all other numeric rows, wherein each subsequent numeric row is adjusted according to which numeral for a respective numeric entry subfield is selected by a user from a preceding numeric row until all numeric entry subfields in the entry field are filled for the numeric representation of the date.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple numeric rows are displayed vertically such that a top numeric row from the multiple numeric rows contains possible numerals for the first numeral in the numeric representation of the date and a bottom numeric row from the multiple numeric rows contains possible numerals for a last numeral in the numeric representation of the date.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

visually encoding, by one or more processors, each numeral selected by the user from each of the multiple numeric rows, wherein said visually encoding alters an appearance of each numeral selected while continuing to display on the user interface said each numeral selected by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a touch screen, wherein the multiple numeric rows are displayed vertically such that an upper numeric row from the multiple numeric rows is positioned above a lower numeric row from the multiple numeric rows, wherein contents of the lower numeric row are dependent upon a selection of a numeral from the upper numeric row, and wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, by one or more processors, a maneuvered stroke from the user, wherein the maneuvered stroke inputs a first numeral from the upper numeric row and a second numeral from the lower numeric row by a single stroke across the upper numeric row and the lower numeric row, wherein the single stroke is performed by the user maintaining continuous pressure against the touch screen while swiping across the upper numeric row and the lower numeric row.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said input field is automatically filled when only one option for filling said input field exists according to said at least one constraint and numerals previously selected by said user.

6. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer readable memories, and one or more computer readable storage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to generate an input field on a user interface, wherein the input field has a plurality of numeric entry subfields and at least one constraint for at least one of said plurality of numeric entry subfields, and wherein the plurality of numeric entry subfields combine to form a numeric representation of a date;

program instructions to generate and display a virtual keyboard on the user interface, wherein the virtual keyboard comprises multiple numeric rows, wherein all of the multiple numeric rows are displayed simultaneously on the virtual keyboard, and wherein each numeric row from the multiple numeric rows is specific for a particular numeric entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date;

program instructions to receive a first numeral for the plurality of numeric entry subfields, wherein the first numeral is selected by a user from a first numeric row displayed on the virtual keyboard on the user interface, wherein the first numeric row is from the multiple numeric rows, and wherein the first numeric row includes only numerals that may be used as the first numeral for a respective first entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date;

program instructions to, in response to receiving the first numeral, alter numerals in a second numeric row according to predicted second numerals from which a second numeral entered in the plurality of numeral entry subfields will be selected by the user, wherein the second numeric row is from the multiple numeric rows, and wherein the second numeral is predicted according to a constraint on the second numeral for a respective second numeric entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date based on the first numeral that was selected by the user; and

program instructions to adjust and display all other numeric rows, beyond the first numeric row and the second numeric row, from the multiple numeric rows according to constraints on said all other numeric rows, wherein each subsequent numeric row is adjusted according to which numeral for a respective numeric entry subfield is selected by a user from a preceding numeric row until all numeric entry subfields in the entry field are filled for the numeric representation of the date.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the multiple numeric rows are displayed vertically such that a top numeric row from the multiple numeric rows contains possible numerals for the first numeral in the numeric representation of the date and a bottom numeric row from the multiple numeric rows contains possible numerals for a last numeral in the numeric representation of the date.

8. The computer system of claim 6, further comprising:

program instructions to visually encode each numeral selected by the user from each of the multiple numeric rows, wherein said program instructions to visually encode alters an appearance of each numeral selected while continuing to display on the user interface said each numeral selected by the user.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the user interface is a touch screen, wherein the multiple numeric rows are displayed vertically such that an upper numeric row from the multiple numeric rows is positioned above a lower numeric row from the multiple numeric rows, wherein contents of the lower numeric row are dependent upon a selection of a numeral from the upper numeric row, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

program instructions to detect a maneuvered stroke from the user, wherein the maneuvered stroke inputs a first numeral from the upper numeric row and a second numeral from the lower numeric row by a single stroke across the upper numeric row and the lower numeric row, wherein the single stroke is performed by the user maintaining continuous pressure against the touch screen while swiping across the upper numeric row and the lower numeric row.

10. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer readable storage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to generate an input field on a user interface, wherein the input field has a plurality of numeric entry subfields and at least one constraint for at least one of said plurality of numeric entry subfields, and wherein the plurality of numeric entry subfields combine to form a numeric representation of a date;

program instructions to generate and display a virtual keyboard on the user interface, wherein the virtual keyboard comprises multiple numeric rows, wherein all of the multiple numeric rows are displayed simultaneously on the virtual keyboard, and wherein each numeric row from the multiple numeric rows is specific for a particular numeric entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date;

program instructions to receive a first numeral for the plurality of numeric entry subfields, wherein the first numeral is selected by a user from a first numeric row displayed on the virtual keyboard on the user interface, wherein the first numeric row is from the multiple numeric rows, and wherein the first numeric row includes only numerals that may be used as the first numeral for a respective first entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date;

program instructions to, in response to receiving the first numeral, alter numerals in a second numeric row according to predicted second numerals from which a second numeral entered in the plurality of numeral entry subfields will be selected by the user, wherein the second numeric row is from the multiple numeric rows, and wherein the second numeral is predicted according to a constraint on the second numeral for a respective second numeric entry subfield in the numeric representation of the date based on the first numeral that was selected by the user; and

program instructions to adjust and display all other numeric rows, beyond the first numeric row and the second numeric row, from the multiple numeric rows according to constraints on said all other numeric rows, wherein each subsequent numeric row is adjusted according to which numeral for a respective numeric entry subfield is selected by a user from a preceding numeric row until all numeric entry subfields in the entry field are filled for the numeric representation of the date.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the multiple numeric rows are displayed vertically such that a top numeric row from the multiple numeric rows contains possible numerals for the first numeral in the numeric representation of the date and a bottom numeric row from the multiple numeric rows contains possible numerals for a last numeral in the numeric representation of the date.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

program instructions to visually encode each numeral selected by the user from each of the multiple numeric rows, wherein said program instructions to visually encode alters an appearance of each numeral selected while continuing to display on the user interface said each numeral selected by the user.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the user interface is a touch screen, wherein the multiple numeric rows are displayed vertically such that an upper numeric row from the multiple numeric rows is positioned above a lower numeric row from the multiple numeric rows, wherein contents of the lower numeric row are dependent upon a selection of a numeral from the upper numeric row, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

program instructions to detect a maneuvered stroke from the user, wherein the maneuvered stroke inputs a first numeral from the upper numeric row and a second numeral from the lower numeric row by a single stroke across the upper numeric row and the lower numeric row, wherein the single stroke is performed by the user maintaining continuous pressure against the touch screen while swiping across the upper numeric row and the lower numeric row.