Input precision method for minimizing erroneous entries stemming from instability of a mobile device using an accelerometer and apparatus to detect a shake and apparatus and computer program thereof

• US 9,535,510 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Andersson, Ola, Huber, Michael, Kwarnmark, Johan, Svedberg, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Giesy, Adam R
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIYABU, KARIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/641,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20150177850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A method of correcting an error in user input is described. The method includes monitoring for an occurrence of a shake in a user equipment, detecting a shake, comparing the detected shake with a threshold value, evaluating characters within a pre-determined distance of a character entered by the user during the shake, selecting a replacement character from the evaluated characters and replacing the entered character with the replacement character.

Claims

1. A user equipment comprising:

a transceiver for communicating data;

a memory for storing the data;

a sensor for detecting unintended movement of the user equipment; and

a processor for;

evaluating the detected unintended movement of the user equipment;

evaluating characters within a distance of a character entered by a user on a keyboard during the detected unintended movement, wherein the evaluated characters are selected from a set of characters based on a magnitude of the detected unintended movement or a number of a plurality of detected unintended movements;

selecting a replacement character from the evaluated characters; and

replacing the entered character with the replacement character.

2. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

3. The user equipment of claim 2, wherein the accelerometer detects a shake associated with the user equipment.

4. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises:

a database of words.

5. The user equipment of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface with a virtual onscreen keyboard.

6. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein an amount of the evaluated characters selected from the set of characters increases as the magnitude of the detected unintended movement increases.

7. A method of correcting an error in user input comprising:

detecting an unintended shake of the user equipment;

comparing the detected unintended shake with a threshold value;

evaluating characters within a distance of a character entered by a user on a keyboard during the detected unintended shake, wherein the evaluated characters are selected from a group of characters based on a magnitude of the detected unintended shake or a number of a plurality of detected unintended shakes;

selecting a replacement character from the evaluated characters; and

replacing the entered character with the replacement character.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the characters are evaluated if the detected unintended shake is greater than the threshold value.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

measuring the magnitude of the detected unintended shake;

determining the distance from the character entered during the detected unintended shake based on the magnitude of the detected unintended shake.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the distance is a linear distance on a virtual keyboard of the user equipment.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

providing a notification to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the notification is an aural notification.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the notification is a visual notification.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the detected unintended shake is monitored by a sensor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein an amount of the evaluated characters selected from the group of characters increases as the magnitude of the detected unintended shake increases.

17. A method for correcting an error in user input comprising:

evaluating a detected unintended movement of user equipment;

identifying a subset of characters from a set of characters based on a distance of characters from a character entered by a user on a keyboard during the detected unintended movement of the user equipment, and

a magnitude of the detected unintended movement or a number of a plurality of detected unintended movements; and

determining a replacement character for the character entered by the user from the subset of characters.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein an amount of the subset of characters identified from the set of characters increases as the magnitude of the detected unintended movement increases.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising computer readable program modules which when run on a user equipment causes the user equipment to:

detect an unintended shake of the user equipment;

evaluate characters within a distance of a character entered by a user on a keyboard during the unintended shake, wherein the evaluated characters are selected from a group of characters based on a magnitude of the detected unintended shake or a number of a plurality of detected unintended shakes;

select a replacement character from the evaluated characters; and

replace the character entered by the user with the replacement character.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein an amount of the evaluated characters selected from the group of characters increases as the magnitude of the detected unintended shake increases.