Soft Keyboard Control

• US 20100141590A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Matthews, Dave, Sivaji, Vishnu, Townsend, Reed, Markiewicz, Jan-Kristian
• Granted Patent: US 9,041,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

This document describes tools associated with soft keyboard control functions. In some implementations, the tools recognize a keyboard launch gesture on a touch sensitive screen and present a preview of a keyboard on the touch sensitive screen responsive to the launch gesture. The tools can also display the keyboard on the touch sensitive screen responsive to cessation of the launch gesture.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, perform acts comprising:

evaluating a plurality of tactile contacts from a touch screen against a first keyboard launch parameter;

presenting a preview of a keyboard on the touch screen when the first keyboard launch parameter is satisfied;

comparing the plurality of tactile contacts against a second keyboard launch parameter; and

,

displaying the keyboard on the touch screen when the second predefined keyboard launch parameter is satisfied.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the first keyboard launch parameter relates to spatial relationships of the plurality of tactile contacts on the touch screen.

3. The media of claim 2, wherein the spatial relationships relate to one of:

relative distance between individual contacts of the plurality and a shape of a line connecting individual contacts of the plurality.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises presenting the preview with a high degree of transparency.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises presenting the preview in an outline form.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the second keyboard launch parameter relates to a duration of time.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the keyboard under the plurality of tactile contacts.

8. The media of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tactile contacts comprise a left set and a right set and wherein the displaying comprises displaying the keyboard under the plurality of tactile contacts such that an “

f”

key of the keyboard is positioned under a rightmost member of the left set and a “

j”

key of the keyboard is positioned under a leftmost member of the right set.

9. A method comprising:

receiving two simultaneous sets of contacts on a touch sensitive screen; and

,

displaying a keyboard on the touch sensitive screen responsive to the receiving, wherein the keyboard has a position and size based upon the two simultaneous sets of contacts.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving comprises receiving two sets of contacts with each set of contacts comprising four contacts arranged in an arcuate relationship.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a left set of four contacts and a right set of four contacts.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the keyboard so that “

a”

, “

s”

, “

d”

, and “

f”

keys are positioned under the four contacts of the left set and “

j”

, “

k”

, “

l”

, and “

;

”

keys are positioned under the four contacts of the right set.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising resizing the keyboard in an instance where a user slides the left and rights sets apart or together.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising repositioning the keyboard in an instance where a user slides the left and rights sets across the screen while maintaining relative spacing therebetween.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising repositioning the keyboard in an instance where a user slides both the left and rights sets across the screen and resizing the keyboard to address relative spacing between the left and right sets.

16. A method comprising:

recognizing a keyboard launch gesture on a touch sensitive screen;

presenting a preview of a keyboard on the touch sensitive screen responsive to the launch gesture; and

,

displaying the keyboard on the touch sensitive screen responsive to cessation of the launch gesture.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the recognizing comprises recognizing one of:

three fingers of one hand in a typing position, four fingers of one hand in a typing position, four fingers and a thumb of one hand in a typing position, four fingers from each hand of a pair of hands in a typing position and four fingers and a thumb from each hand of a pair of hands in a typing position.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the presenting comprises presenting the preview as an outline of the keyboard.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the presenting comprises presenting the preview at a location on the touch sensitive screen where the launch gesture is received.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing the keyboard when the launch gesture is repeated.