Keyboard customization

• US 10,628,036 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Paek, Timothy S., Rudchenko, Dmitry, Oligschlaeger, Zach, Gunawardana, Asela J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blaufeld, Justin R.
• Application Number:
  US15/215,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics

Abstract

Techniques are provided for customizing a design of a soft input panel. An electronic device can provide a keyboard customization interface to enable a user to specify a color, font, background image, and the like for the soft input panel. The user may provide input through the keyboard customization interface to customize the design (e.g., theme) of the soft input panel. The user may provide an image to be used as a background for the soft input panel. The electronic device can analyze the image to determine a most prominent color of the image. A portion of the soft input panel can be set to a color that is based on the most prominent color of the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a computing device, a keyboard customization interface to customize a design of a soft input panel of a keyboard that is configured to be displayed in an arc layout;

receiving, via the keyboard customization interface, an image;

setting the image as a background of the soft input panel;

receiving, via the keyboard customization interface, first user input specifying a color for a border of the soft input panel;

setting the border of the soft input panel to the color specified in the first user input;

receiving, via the keyboard customization interface, second user input specifying a color for characters of the soft input panel;

setting the characters of the soft input panel to the color specified in the second user input;

receiving, via the keyboard customization interface, third user input specifying a color for a swipe graphical element designating a location for receiving a swipe input that causes the keyboard to transition between being displayed in a straight layout and being displayed in the arc layout, the swipe graphical element being displayed (i) at a top portion of the soft input panel when the keyboard is in the straight layout and (ii) at a bottom portion of the soft input panel when the keyboard is in the arc layout;

setting the color for the swipe graphical element to the color specified in the third user input; and

causing, by the computing device, the soft input panel of the keyboard to be implemented.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing the soft input panel of the keyboard to be implemented comprises displaying keys of the keyboard overlaid on the image, the keys being displayed with the characters according to the color set for the characters of the soft input panel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a filter to the image to at least one of (i) soften the image, (ii) sharpen the image, (iii) change a color of the image, and (iv) change a contrast of the image.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the image;

selecting a most prominent color of the image based at least in part on the analysis; and

setting a color of a portion of the soft input panel of the keyboard based at least in part on the most prominent color of the image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the setting the color of the portion of the soft input panel of the keyboard comprises setting the color of the portion of the soft input panel of the keyboard to be a particular percentage darker or lighter than the most prominent color of the image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the border of the soft input panel comprises at least one of (i) a bottom row of keys of the keyboard, (ii) a top row of keys of the keyboard, and (iii) an input field portion of the keyboard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyboard customization interface presents a color wheel to enable the user to select at least one of (i) the color for the border of the soft input panel, (ii) the color for the characters of the soft input panel, and (iii) the color for the swipe graphical element.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving an image;

analyzing the image to identify a color of the image;

setting the image as a background for a soft keyboard that is configured to be displayed in (i) a straight layout or (ii) an arc layout based on a detected swipe input beginning at a location designated by a graphical element displayed in conjunction with the soft keyboard, the graphical element displayed at a top portion of the soft keyboard in the straight layout and at a bottom portion of the soft keyboard in the arc layout; and

setting a color of a portion of the soft keyboard based at least in part on the color of the image.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the setting the image as the background for the soft keyboard comprises:

applying a filter to the image to at least one of (i) soften the image, (ii) sharpen the image, and (iii) change the color of the image; and

setting the filtered image as the background for the soft keyboard.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the analyzing the image comprises analyzing the image to determine a most prominent color of the image; and

the setting the color of the portion of the soft keyboard comprises setting the color of the portion of the soft keyboard to be a particular percentage darker or lighter than an intensity of the most prominent color of the image.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the portion of the soft keyboard comprises at least one of (i) a bottom row of keys of the soft keyboard, (ii) a top row of keys of the soft keyboard, (iii) an input field portion of the soft keyboard, and (iv) characters for the soft keyboard.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

creating a theme based at least in part on the image that is set as the background for the soft keyboard and the color that is set for the portion of the soft keyboard; and

sharing the theme with one or more devices.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a theme icon representing a predetermined theme, the theme icon including a background sample representing a background for the predetermined theme and a color sample representing a color to be used for the portion of the soft keyboard for the predetermined theme;

receiving a selection of the theme icon; and

setting a theme of the soft keyboard to the predetermined theme.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a theme from a device, the theme defining at least a background and a color for the portion of the soft keyboard; and

making the theme available to another device.

15. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors;

a display communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to display a keyboard customization interface to customize a theme of a soft keyboard, the soft keyboard configured to be displayed in (i) a straight layout or (ii) an arc layout based on a detected swipe input beginning at a location designated by a graphical element displayed in conjunction with the soft keyboard, the graphical element displayed at a top portion of the soft keyboard in the straight layout and at a bottom portion of the soft keyboard in the arc layout; and

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via the keyboard customization interface, an image;

receiving, via the keyboard customization interface, user input specifying a color for a border of the soft keyboard and a color for characters of the soft keyboard;

creating a theme for the soft keyboard based at least in part on the image and the user input; and

causing the display to display the soft keyboard according to the theme.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a most prominent color of the image;

and wherein the creating the theme comprises setting a color of a portion of the soft keyboard based at least in part on the most prominent color of the image.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the setting the color of the portion of the soft keyboard comprises setting the color of the portion of the soft keyboard to be a particular percentage darker or lighter than the most prominent color of the image.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the portion of the soft keyboard comprises the graphical element for enabling the soft keyboard to be displayed in (i) the straight layout or (ii) the arc layout.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the border of the soft keyboard comprises at least one of (i) a bottom row of keys of the soft keyboard, (ii) a top row of keys of the soft keyboard, and (iii) an input field portion of the soft keyboard.

20. The mobile device of 15, wherein the keyboard customization interface presents a color wheel to enable a user to select at least one of (i) the color for the border of the soft keyboard and (ii) the color for characters of the soft keyboard.