Activating virtual keys of a touch-screen virtual keyboard

• US 20060085757A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Andre, Bartley K., Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

Abstract

A method of operating a touch screen to activate one of a plurality of virtual keys is provided. A touch location is determined based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of the plurality of virtual keys. Each of the plurality of virtual keys has a set of at least one key location corresponding to it. For each of the virtual keys, a parameter (such as physical distance) is determined for that virtual key that relates the touch location and the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key. The determined parameters are processed to determine one of the virtual keys. For example, the determined one virtual key may be the virtual key with a key location (or more than one key location, on average) being closest to the touch location. A signal is generated indicating activation of the determined one of the virtual keys.

Claims

1. A method of operating a touch screen to activate one of a plurality of virtual GUI items, comprising:

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of the plurality of virtual GUI items;

for each of the plurality of virtual GUI items, each virtual GUI items having a set of at least one GUI item location corresponding to it, determining a parameter for that virtual GUI item that relates the touch location and the set of at least one item location corresponding to that virtual GUI item;

processing the determined parameters to determine one of the virtual GUI items; and

generating a signal indicating activation of the determined one of the virtual GUI items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of virtual GUI items are virtual keys of a virtual keyboard, and the set of at least one items locations is a set of at least one key location;

the determined parameter for each virtual key indicates, when considered relative to the determined parameters for the other virtual keys, a likelihood that virtual key is the one the touch input is intended to activate; and

processing the determined parameters for the virtual keys includes determining from the determined parameters the virtual key for which the determined parameter indicates the highest likelihood.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining the parameter for each virtual key includes

for each key location of the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key, determining a parameter relating the touch location and that key location; and

processing the determined parameters for each of the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key to determine the parameter for that virtual key.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the determined parameter for each virtual key includes an indication of a relationship between a touch location and a distribution of key locations corresponding to that virtual key.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the distribution of key locations corresponding to that virtual key is represented by at least one statistical parameter characterizing the distribution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one statistical parameter includes standard deviation.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the determined parameter for each virtual key is an average of the determined parameters for the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein:

for each key location, the determined parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of the physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein:

for each key location, the determined parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of the physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the parameter for each virtual key is an average of the determined parameters for the set at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key, weighted to account for a relative size of that virtual key.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein:

for each of at least one of the plurality of virtual keys, at least one of the set of key locations corresponding to that virtual key is a touch location determined previously to be intended to activate that virtual key.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining a parameter for each virtual key includes accounting for a relative size of that virtual key.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining a parameter for each virtual key includes heuristic considerations for that virtual key.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the heuristic considerations include considering the meaning of collective input to the touch screen.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

considering the collective input includes matching the collective input to a dictionary.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

considering the collective input includes considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of input.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of input includes considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of a rolling window of input.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

considering the collective input includes a combination of considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequence of input and matching the collective input to a dictionary.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of input includes considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of a rolling window of input

20. The method of claim 5, wherein:

determining from the determined parameters the virtual key for which the determined parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined parameter indicates the smallest physical distance.

21. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining from the determined parameters the virtual key for which the determined parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined parameter indicates the smallest physical distance.

22. The method of claim 9 wherein:

for each key location, the determined parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of the physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein:

determining from the determined parameters the virtual key for which the determined parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined parameter indicates the smallest physical distance.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initially determining at least some of the key locations.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the step of initially determining at least some of the key locations includes, for each of the at least some of the key locations, setting that key location to be a touch location.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the step of setting a key location to be a touch location occurs based on detection of a touch locations determined based on a plurality of simultaneous touch input.

27. A method of operating a touch screen to selectively activate a virtual GUI item, comprising:

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input may be intended to activate the GUI item;

for each item location of a set of at least one item locations corresponding to the virtual GUI item, determining a distance between the touch location and that item location; and

processing the determined distances to determine whether the GUI items is activated.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

processing the determined distances to determine whether the GUI items is activated includes

determining whether a representative distance is within a particular threshold; and

based thereon, selectively activating the virtual GUI item.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the representative distance is determined by averaging the determined distances.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the representative distance is determined based on the determined distances and also based on a weighting factor, to account for a relative size of the virtual GUI item.

31. A computer-readable medium having a computer program tangibly embodied thereon, the computer program including steps for operating a touch screen to activate one of a plurality of virtual GUI items, the steps of the computer program comprising:

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of the plurality of virtual GUI items;

for each of the plurality of virtual GUI items, each virtual GUI items having a set of at least one GUI item location corresponding to it, determining a parameter for that virtual GUI item that relates the touch location and the set of at least one item location corresponding to that virtual GUI item;

processing the determined parameters to determine one of the virtual GUI items; and

generating a signal indicating activation of the determined one of the virtual GUI items.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein:

the plurality of virtual GUI items are virtual keys of a virtual keyboard, and the set of at least one items locations is a set of at least one key location;

the determined parameter for each virtual key indicates, when considered relative to the determined parameters for the other virtual keys, a likelihood that virtual key is the one the touch input is intended to activate; and

processing the determined parameters for the virtual keys includes determining from the determined parameters the virtual key for which the determined parameter indicates the highest likelihood.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein:

determining the parameter for each virtual key includes

for each key location of the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key, determining a parameter relating the touch location and that key location; and

processing the determined parameters for each of the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key to determine the parameter for that virtual key.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein:

the determined parameter for each virtual key is an average of the determined parameters for the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein:

for each key location, the determined parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of the physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein:

for each key location, the determined parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of the physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein:

the parameter for each virtual key is an average of the determined parameters for the set at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key, weighted to account for a relative size of that virtual key.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein:

for each of at least one of the plurality of virtual keys, at least one of the set of key locations corresponding to that virtual key is a touch location determined previously to be intended to activate that virtual key.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein:

determining a parameter for each virtual key includes accounting for a relative size of that virtual key.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein:

determining a parameter for each virtual key includes heuristic considerations for that virtual key.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein:

the heuristic considerations include considering the meaning of collective input to the touch screen.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein:

considering the collective input includes matching the collective input to a dictionary.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein:

considering the collective input includes considering a likelihood of occurrence of sequences of input.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein:

determining from the determined parameters the virtual key for which the determined parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined parameter indicates the smallest physical distance.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein:

determining from the determined parameters the virtual key for which the determined parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined parameter indicates the smallest physical distance.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein:

for each key location, the determined parameter relating the touch location and that key location is an indication of the physical distance between the touch location and that key location.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein:

determining from the determined parameters the virtual key for which the determined parameter indicates the highest likelihood includes determining for which virtual key the determined parameter indicates the smallest physical distance.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising:

initially determining at least some of the key locations.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein:

the step of initially determining at least some of the key locations includes, for each of the at least some of the key locations, setting that key location to be a touch location.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein:

the step of setting a key location to be a touch location occurs based on detection of a touch locations determined based on a plurality of simultaneous touch input.

51. A computer-readable medium having a computer program tangibly embodied thereon, the computer program including steps for operating a touch screen to selectively activate a virtual GUI item, comprising:

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input may be intended to activate the GUI item;

for each item location of a set of at least one item locations corresponding to the virtual GUI item, determining a distance between the touch location and that item location; and

processing the determined distances to determine whether the GUI items is activated.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 51, wherein:

processing the determined distances to determine whether the GUI items is activated includes

determining whether a representative distance is within a particular threshold; and

based thereon, selectively activating the virtual GUI item.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 52, wherein:

the representative distance is determined by averaging the determined distances.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 52, wherein:

the representative distance is determined based on the determined distances and also based on a weighting factor, to account for a relative size of the virtual GUI item.

55. A method of operating a touch screen, comprising:

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of a plurality of virtual keys of a virtual keyboard provided on the touch screen;

for each of the plurality of virtual keys, each virtual key having a set of at least one key location corresponding to it, determining a parameter for that virtual key that relates the touch location and the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key; and

generating a signal indicating activation of a determined one of the virtual keys based on processing the determined parameters.

56. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a program to operate a touch screen of a touch screen computer, the program comprising steps of:

determining a touch location based on location data pertaining to touch input on the touch screen, wherein the touch input is intended to activate one of a plurality of virtual keys of a virtual keyboard provided on the touch screen;

for each of the plurality of virtual keys, each virtual key having a set of at least one key location corresponding to it, determining a parameter for that virtual key that relates the touch location and the set of at least one key location corresponding to that virtual key; and

generating a signal indicating activation of a determined one of the virtual keys based on processing the determined parameters.