VIRTUAL SYMBOLS-BASED KEYBOARD

• US 20120056816A1
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avi Ettinger
• Original Assignee: Avi Ettinger
• Inventors: Ettinger, Avi
• Granted Patent: US 8,896,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• 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 system for allowing a user to input text related data using a mobile device having an input and presentation unit. The system includes a virtual symbols keyboard, which includes virtual keys, each indicative of a graphical symbol, each graphically represents at least a part of a character, where the virtual symbols keyboard is configured to allow a user to input each character by touching a designated intermediate area between adjacent keys or by directly touching a virtual key using a single touch for inputting each character; and a processing module, which enables identifying a touch event over the virtual symbols keyboard, occurring over each virtual key and/or over each intermediate area and associating each touch event with a respective associated character according to the identified touch area. The processing module further allows presenting each identified associated character over the input and presentation unit.

Claims

1. A system for allowing a user to input text related data using a mobile device having an input and presentation unit, said system comprising:

a) a virtual symbols keyboard, which includes virtual keys, each indicative of a graphical symbol, said virtual keys are presented over said input and presentation unit according to a predefined order, each respective graphical symbol graphically represents at least a part of a character, said virtual symbols keyboard is configured to allow a user to input each character by touching a designated intermediate area between two adjacent keys or by directly touching a virtual key using a single touch for inputting each character; and

b) a processing module, which enables identifying a touch event over said virtual symbols keyboard, occurring over each virtual key and over each said intermediate area between said respective adjacent virtual keys, and associating each touch event with a respective associated character according to the identified touch area, said processing module allows presenting each said identified associated character over said input and presentation unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said virtual symbols keyboard comprises twelve virtual symbol keys for inputting Latin Alphabet letters arranged as a table comprising four rows and three columns wherein:

a) a first row of said table includes the symbols;

in the respective order;

b) a second row of said table includes the symbols;

in the respective order;

c) a third row of said table includes the symbols;

in the respective order; and

d) a fourth row of said table includes the symbols;

in the respective order.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein each vertical and horizontal adjacent pair of virtual keys and each of some of said virtual keys is associated with a Latin letter, according to a predefined association index, wherein said processing module enables identifying and presenting each input Latin letter according to its corresponding touch area over said virtual symbols keyboard using said index.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said input and presentation unit comprises at least one of:

touch screen, a set including a computer mouse and a screen.

5. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a software application enabling to operate said virtual symbols keyboard and said processing module.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said software application is operated by at least one of:

a mobile device comprising said input and presentation unit, a remote server communicating with said mobile device over at least one communication link, in which case said software application is uploaded to and by the mobile device that comprises said input and presentation unit.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processing module further allows associating additional touch events with additional functions, according to predefined rules defining said touch events and their respective associated functions.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said virtual symbols keyboard comprises a letter keys cluster including said symbol virtual keys and additional virtual keys including at least one type of:

function keys, punctuation marks keys, number keys.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said touching of a designated intermediate area between two adjacent virtual keys includes at least one of:

clicking and dragging in at least one direction, dragging in at least one direction, and/or pressing over a designated intermediate area.

10. The system according to claim 1 further allows identifying by allowing using at least one of:

finger, designated touch tool operatively associated with said input and presentation unit.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processing module further enables receiving parameters indicative of characteristics of a display area of said input and presentation unit and determining and setting display characteristics of said virtual symbols keyboard thereover, according to said parameters.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said virtual symbols keyboard allows a user to select at least one output type and said processing module enables adapting presentation according to said output type, said output type comprises at least one of:

audio output, visual output including text output.

13. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a user interface including said virtual symbols keyboard and a text window, for allowing presentation of each said identified input character over said text window according to order of inputting thereof.

14. The system of claim 1 further enabling indicating an unrecognized touch event when the user touches an area of said virtual symbols keyboard that is not associated with any character, punctuation mark or function, said indication includes at least one of:

visual indication, auditory indication.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said virtual symbols keyboard comprises twelve virtual symbol keys for inputting Latin Alphabet letters comprising the following symbols:

and —

.

16. A computer implemented method for allowing a user to input text related data using at least one input and presentation unit, said method comprising:

a) providing a virtual symbols keyboard including virtual keys, each indicative of a graphical symbol, said virtual keys are presented over said input and presentation unit according to a predefined order, each respective graphical symbol graphically represents at least a part of a character, said virtual symbols keyboard is configured to allow a user to input each character by touching a designated intermediate area between two adjacent keys or by directly touching a virtual key using a single touch for each input character;

b) identifying each touch event over said virtual symbols keyboard, occurring over each virtual key and over each said intermediate area between said respective adjacent virtual keys, and associating each touch event with a respective associated character according to the identified touch area; and

c) displaying each said respective identified input character over said input and presentation unit.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising receiving parameters indicative of characteristics of a display area of said input and presentation unit and determining display characteristics of said virtual symbols keyboard over said display area, according to said parameters.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said display characteristics comprise dimensions of each said virtual key and dimensions of intermediate areas between the virtual keys, wherein the display characteristics are additionally determined according to predefined threshold dimensions related parameters of each virtual key, and each intermediate area between the virtual keys.

19. The method according to claim 16 further comprising interfacing at least one linguistic tool for allowing automotive spell checking and/or translation of input text.

20. A system for allowing a user to input text related data using at least one input and presentation unit, said system comprising:

virtual keys, each indicative of a graphical symbol, said virtual keys are presented over said input and presentation unit according to a predefined symbols presentation order, each respective graphical symbol graphically represents at least a part of a character, said virtual symbols keyboard is configured to allow a user to input each character by touching a designated intermediate area between two adjacent keys or by directly touching a key using a single touch for each input character.