Method and apparatus for operating a virtual keyboard

• US 10,402,065 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Geon-Soo, Jeon, Yong-Joon, Jeong, Jin-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Joy M
• Application Number:
  US14/503,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 715773, 715780, 715768, 715902
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

A method for operating an electronic device includes displaying a first input window on a screen, displaying a first input window in a first layer on a screen; displaying a virtual keyboard in a second layer over the first layer; determining whether the virtual keyboard is overlapped with the first input window; and in response to determine whether the virtual keyboard is overlapped with the first input window: displaying a second input window in a third layer over the second layer wherein the second input window is not overlapped with the virtual keyboard, or adjusting a transparency of the virtual keyboard. Other embodiments including an electronic device and a computer-readable medium are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a first input window and at least one content, on a screen;

displaying, in response to detecting an input on the first input window, a virtual keyboard covering at least a portion of the first input window, and a second input window spaced apart from the virtual keyboard that covers the at least the portion of the first input window, on the screen, wherein the second input window represents the first input window, and wherein the second input window is displayed in an indicator area of the screen that is spaced apart from the at least one content;

detecting at least one input on at least one key included in the virtual keyboard being displayed;

displaying, in response to detecting the at least one input, the first input window including at least one character indicated by the at least one key and the second input window representing the first input window including the at least one character inputted by the at least one input;

determining that a time interval in which no key input is detected exceeds a first preset time interval;

displaying, in response to the determination that the time interval exceeds the first preset time interval, the second input window in a flashing state;

after displaying the second input window in the flashing state, determining that the time interval exceeds a second preset time interval; and

removing, in response to the determination that the time interval exceeds the second preset time interval, the second input window from the indicator area of the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input window includes a cursor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the virtual keyboard and the second input window comprises:

in response to detecting the input on the first input window,

identifying whether a position of the cursor is located within another area where the virtual keyboard is displayed;

determining, based on an identification that the position of the cursor is located within the other area where the virtual keyboard is displayed, that the virtual keyboard covers the at least the portion of the first input window; and

displaying, based on the determination, the virtual keyboard covering the at least the portion of the first input window and the second input window spaced from the virtual keyboard that covers the at least the portion of the first input window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the virtual keyboard and the second input window comprises:

in response to detecting the input on the first input window, identifying an overlap ratio based on an area of the at least the portion of the first input window which is covered by the virtual keyboard;

upon determining that the identified overlap ratio is greater than a reference ratio, determining that the virtual keyboard covers the at least the portion of the first input window; and

displaying, based on the determination, the virtual keyboard covering the at least the portion of the first input window and the second input window spaced from the virtual keyboard that covers the at least the portion of the first input window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a horizontal length of the displayed second input window is gradually extended as a number of the at least one character increases.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a display; and

a processor, operatively coupled to the display, configured to;

control to display a first input window and at least one content, on a screen;

control to display, in response to detecting an input on the first input window, a virtual keyboard covering at least a portion of the first input window, and a second input window spaced apart from the virtual keyboard that covers the at least the portion of the first input window, on the screen, wherein the second input window represents the first input window, and wherein the second input window is displayed in an indicator area of the screen that is spaced apart from the at least one content;

control to detect at least one input on at least one key included in the virtual keyboard being displayed;

control to display, in response to detecting the at least one input, the first input window including at least one character indicated by the at least one key and the second input window representing the first input window including the at least one character inputted by the at least one input;

control to determine that a time interval in which no key input is detected exceeds a first preset time interval;

control to display, in response to the determination that the time interval exceeds the first preset time interval, the second input window in a flashing state;

after displaying the second input window in the flashing state, control to determine that the time interval exceeds a second preset time interval; and

control to remove, in response to the determination that the time interval exceeds the second preset time interval, the second input window from the indicator area of the screen.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first input window includes a cursor.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to:

in response to detecting the input on the first input window, identify whether a position of the cursor is located within another area where the virtual keyboard is displayed;

determine, based on identifying that the position of the cursor is located within the other area where the virtual keyboard is displayed, that the displayed virtual keyboard covers the at least the portion of the first input window; and

control to display, based on the determination, the virtual keyboard covering the at least the portion of the first input window and the second input window spaced from the virtual keyboard that covers the at least the portion of the first input window.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to:

in response to detecting the input on the first input window, identify an overlap ratio based on an area of the at least the portion of the first input window which is covered by the virtual keyboard;

upon determining that the identified overlap ratio is greater than a reference ratio, determine that the virtual keyboard covers the at least the portion of the first input window; and

control to display, based on the determination, the virtual keyboard covering the at least the portion of the first input window and the second input window spaced from the virtual keyboard that covers the at least the portion of the first input window.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein a horizontal length of the displayed second input window is gradually extended as a number of the at least one character increases.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more programs for executing an operation of:

displaying a first input window and at least one content, on a screen;

displaying, in response to detecting an input on the displayed first input window, a virtual keyboard covering at least a portion of the first input window, and a second input window spaced apart from the virtual keyboard that covers the at least the portion of the first input window, on the screen, wherein the second input window represents the first input window, and wherein the second input window is displayed in an indicator area of the screen that is spaced apart from the at least one content;

detecting at least one input on at least one key included in the virtual keyboard being displayed;

displaying, in response to detecting the at least one input, the first input window including at least one character indicated by the at least one key and the second input window representing the first input window including the at least one character inputted by the at least one input;

determining that a time interval in which no key input is detected exceeds a first preset time interval;

displaying, in response to the determination that the time interval exceeds the first preset time interval, the second input window in a flashing state;

after displaying the second input window in the flashing state, determining that the time interval exceeds a second preset time interval; and

removing, in response to the determination that the time interval exceeds the second preset time interval, the second input window from the indicator area of the screen.