Method of displaying a software keyboard

• US 20040130575A1
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tatung Company
• Original Assignee: Tatung Company
• Inventors: Chen, Hung-Ming, Tai, Lu-Yun
• Application Number:
  US10/395,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20040130575A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/773
• 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 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

An information device is used to execute at least one application program and has a display for displaying a software keyboard and a corresponding widow opened after one application program is executed. The window has at least one input area and one non-input area, and when a caret symbol appears in the input area, an input process can be performed after the caret symbol. If one input area on the active window has a caret symbol, then the software keyboard is presented on the display; otherwise, the software keyboard is hidden. The software keyboard appears near the caret symbol, or at a predetermined position.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a software keyboard in an information device, the information device being used to execute at least one application program and having a display for displaying the software keyboard and a corresponding widow opened after one application program is executed, wherein the window has at least one input area and one non-input area, and when a caret symbol appears in the input area, an input process can be performed after the caret symbol, the method comprising:

(A) detecting if one input area on the active window has a caret symbol, and if so proceeding to the next step; and

(B) displaying the software keyboard on the display.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the software keyboard is displayed at a position corresponding to a predetermined coordinate value.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (B) further comprises:

(B1) calculating a coordinate value of the caret symbol in the window; and

(B2) displaying the software keyboard near the position of the caret symbol according to the coordinate value of the caret symbol.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the software keyboard is capable of moving according to a movement of the caret symbol.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the coordinate value of the caret symbol is (x, y), and the software keyboard is displayed at the position with coordinate value (x+m, y+n), m being a predetermined horizontal distance, and n being a predetermined vertical distance.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (A), if the input area on the active window has no caret symbol, the software keyboard is hidden.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the active window switches to another window, step (A) is repeated.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display of the information device is a touch screen, and the input process is performed by touching keys of the software keyboard.

9. A computer readable memory media storing a software program and applied to an information device, the information device being used to execute at least one application program and having a display for displaying a software keyboard and a corresponding widow opened after one application program is executed, wherein the window has at least one input area and one non-input area, and when a caret symbol appears in the input area, an input process can be performed after the caret symbol, the soft ware program comprising:

a first program code, for detecting if one input area on the active window has a caret symbol; and

a second program code for displaying the software keyboard on the display in response to a detection performed in the first program code.

10. The readable memory media as claimed in claim 9, wherein the software keyboard is displayed at a position corresponding to a predetermined coordinate value.

11. The readable memory media as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second program code further comprises:

a 2A program code for calculating a coordinate value of the caret symbol in the window; and

a 2B program code for displaying the software keyboard near the position of the caret symbol according to the coordinate value of the caret symbol.

12. The readable memory media as claimed in claim 11, wherein the software keyboard movies capable of moving according to a movement of the caret symbol.

13. The readable memory media as claimed in claim 11, wherein the coordinate value of the caret symbol is (x, y), and the software keyboard is displayed at the position with coordinate value (x+m, y+n), m being a predetermined horizontal distance, and n being a predetermined vertical distance.

14. The readable memory media as claimed in claim 9, wherein in the first program code, if the input area on the active window has no caret symbol, the software keyboard is hidden.

15. The readable memory media as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the active window is switched to another window, the first program code is repeated.