Arc keyboard layout

• US 10,719,233 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Issued: 07/21/2020
• 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): Shiau, Shen
• Application Number:
  US15/215,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20170206003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 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 for providing an arc layout for a soft input panel are described. In some examples, an electronic device can transition from providing a substantially straight and/or horizontal layout for the soft input panel to an arc layout for the soft input panel. The electronic device can display a graphical element at a location on the soft input panel. The electronic device can receive input corresponding to, for example, a swipe of the graphical element in a curved manner across the soft input panel. Based on the input, the electronic device can transition from displaying the soft input panel using the substantially straight layout to displaying the soft input panel using the arc layout.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, via a touch surface, a keyboard in a substantially straight layout, the keyboard including a plurality of keys, wherein in the substantially straight layout the plurality of keys are arranged in one or more straight lines parallel to a side of the touch surface;

displaying a graphical element at a top portion of the keyboard in the substantially straight layout;

receiving, via the touch surface, a swipe input beginning at a location corresponding to the graphical element and continuing in a curved manner toward a bottom portion of the keyboard displayed in the substantially straight layout;

in response to receiving the swipe input, transitioning the display of the keyboard from the substantially straight layout to an arc layout, wherein transitioning the display of the keyboard from the substantially straight layout to the arc layout includes moving, over a period of time, each of the plurality of keys from being arranged in the one or more straight lines parallel to the side of the touch surface to being arranged in one or more arced curves;

displaying another graphical element at the bottom portion of the keyboard in the arc layout;

receiving, via the touch surface, another swipe input beginning at a location corresponding to the other graphical element and continuing in a curved manner toward the top portion of the keyboard; and

in response to receiving the other swipe input, transitioning the display of the keyboard from the are layout to the substantially straight layout.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the keyboard in the arc layout includes splitting the keyboard into a first section and a second section and displaying the first section in a first corner of the touch surface in the arc layout and displaying the second section in a second corner of the touch surface in the arc layout, the first section extending from a vertical side of the touch surface to a horizontal side of the touch surface and the second section extending from another vertical side of the touch surface to the horizontal side of the touch surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the top portion of the keyboard is above at least some of the plurality of keys, and the bottom portion of the keyboard is below at least some of the plurality of keys.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying input candidates for user input that is provided via the keyboard; and

displaying the input candidates along the top portion of the keyboard in the arc layout, each of the input candidates being displayed along an arc path.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting audio indicating that the keyboard has been changed to the arc layout.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting audio indicating that the keyboard has been changed back to the straight layout.

7. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a touch screen communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to display a soft input panel that includes a plurality of keys and a first graphical element, the first graphical element enabling a layout of the soft input panel to be changed from a substantially straight layout, in which the plurality of keys are arranged in one or more straight lines parallel to a side of the touch screen, to an arc layout in which the plurality of keys are arranged in one or more arced curves, the first graphical element being displayed a in top corner of the soft input panel in the substantially straight 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 touch screen, a first touch input of the first graphical element included with the soft input panel displayed in the substantially straight layout; and

in response to receiving the first touch input of the first graphical element, changing the layout of the soft input panel from the substantially straight layout to the arc layout, wherein changing the layout of the soft input panel from the substantially straight layout to the arc layout includes moving, over a period of time, each of the plurality of keys from being arranged in the one or more straight lines parallel to the side of the touch screen to being arranged in the one or more arced curves,

wherein the touch screen is configured to display a second graphical element in a bottom corner of the soft input panel in the arc layout, the second graphical element enabling the layout of the soft input panel to be changed from the arc layout to the substantially straight layout, and

in response to receiving, via the touch screen, a second touch input of the second graphical element, the one or more processors change the layout of the soft input panel from the arc layout to the substantially straight layout.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the touch screen is configured to display a third graphical element to enable display of emoticon candidates, and the operations further comprise:

receiving, via the touch screen, a selection of the third graphical element;

in response to receiving the selection of the third graphical element and while the soft input panel is displayed in the arc layout, replacing at least some keys of the soft input panel with the emoticon candidates;

receiving, via the touch screen, a selection of an emoticon candidate of the emoticon candidates; and

causing display of the emoticon candidate in an input field associated with the soft input panel.

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

enabling scrolling of the emoticon candidates in an arc manner according to the arc layout of the soft input panel.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the touch screen is configured to display the third graphical element at least one of above at least some of the keys of the soft input panel, below at least some of the keys of the soft input panel, or adjacent to a space key of the soft input panel.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a selection of a key of the soft input panel to invoke an accent character of the key; and

determining a row in which the key is positioned in the soft input panel;

and wherein the touch screen is configured to display the accent character for the key at a position that is based at least in part on the row in which the key is positioned in the soft input panel.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the determining the row comprises determining that the row is a top row of the soft input panel; and

the touch screen is configured to display the accent character to a side of the key in an arced manner.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the determining the row comprises determining that the row is not a top row of the keyboard; and

the touch screen is configured to display the accent character above the key in an arced manner.

14. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors;

a touch surface communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to display (i) a keyboard, including a plurality of keys, in a substantially straight layout in which the keys are arranged in one or more straight lines parallel to a side of the touch surface, and (ii) a graphical element at a top portion of the keyboard in the substantially straight 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 touch surface, a swipe motion beginning at a location corresponding to the graphical element and continuing in a curved manner toward a bottom portion of the keyboard displayed in the substantially straight layout; and

in response to receiving the swipe motion, instructing the touch surface to transition the display of the keyboard from the substantially straight layout to an arc layout, wherein the touch surface is configured to transition the display of the keyboard from the substantially straight layout to the arc layout by moving, over a period of time, each of the plurality of keys from being arranged in the one or more straight lines parallel to the side of the touch surface to being arranged in one or more arced curves,

wherein the touch surface is configured to display another graphical element at the bottom portion of the keyboard in the arc layout, and

in response to receiving, via the touch surface, another swipe motion beginning at a location corresponding to the other graphical element and continuing in a curved manner toward the top portion of the keyboard, the one or more processors instruct the touch surface to transition the display of the keyboard from the arc layout to the substantially straight layout.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the moving of each of the plurality of keys from being arranged in the one or more straight lines to being arranged in the one or more arced curves appears as an animation that transitions the keyboard from the substantially straight layout to the arc layout.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the touch surface is configured to display the keyboard in the arc layout by displaying a first section of the keyboard in a first corner of the touch surface in the arc layout and displaying a second section of the keyboard in a second corner of the touch surface in the arc layout, the first section extending from a vertical side of the touch surface to a horizontal side of the touch surface and the second section extending from another vertical side of the touch surface to the horizontal side of the touch surface.