INPUT METHOD, INPUT DEVICE, AND COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20120098743A1
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Lai, Pei-Ling, Chen, Yang-Peng, Hsu, Hung-Yang
• Application Number:
  US13/280,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098743A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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

An input method for a software keyboard is disclosed. The input method includes dividing the software keyboard into a plurality of character areas and displaying the software keyboard, generating a first touch signal, generating a first touch operation signal according to the first touch signal, selecting a first character area from the plurality of character areas according to the first touch operation signal, generating a second touch signal, generating a second operation signal according to the second touch signal, selecting a target character key from the first character area according to the second touch operation signal, and transmitting a character control signal corresponding to the target character key to a host for an input of the software keyboard.

Claims

1. An input method for a software keyboard comprising:

dividing the software keyboard into a plurality of character areas and displaying the software keyboard;

generating a first touch signal;

generating a first touch operation signal according to the first touch signal;

selecting a first character area from the plurality of character areas according to the first touch operation signal;

generating a second touch signal;

generating a second operation signal according to the second touch signal;

selecting a target character key from the first character area according to the second touch operation signal; and

transmitting a character control signal corresponding to the target character key to a host for an input of the software keyboard.

2. The input method of claim 1, wherein the first touch signal is generated by operating in a first direction, and the first direction is a direction toward a neighboring character area from a start character area.

3. The input method of claim 2, wherein the start character area is one of the plurality of character areas, and the start character area is selected when the software keyboard is activated.

4. The input method of claim 2, wherein the start character area is one of the plurality of character areas, and the start character area is selected during the last operation period of the software keyboard.

5. The input method of claim 1, wherein the second touch signal is generated by operating in a second direction, and the second direction is a direction toward a neighboring character key from a beginning character key.

6. The input method of claim 5 further comprising moving a character selection cursor to a position of the beginning character key.

7. The input method of claim 6, wherein the beginning character key is one of a plurality of character keys of the first character area, and the beginning character key is selected when the first character area has been selected.

8. The input method of claim 6, wherein the beginning character key is one of a plurality of character keys of the first character area, and the beginning character key is a character key selected during the last operation period of the software keyboard.

9. An input method for a software keyboard comprising:

dividing the software keyboard into a plurality of character areas and displaying the plurality of character areas of the software keyboard;

controlling a plurality of cursors for performing character key selection in the plurality of character areas respectively; and

transmitting a plurality of character control signals corresponding to the selected character keys respectively for an input of the software keyboard.

10. The input method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of cursors move into positions of a plurality of beginning character keys when the software keyboard is activated.

11. The input method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of beginning character keys is a central character key of the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas.

12. The input method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of beginning character keys is selected in the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas during the last operation period of the software keyboard.

13. The input method of claim 9 comprising outputting the plurality of character control signals corresponding to a plurality of target character keys selected by a plurality of touch input devices.

14. An input device for a software keyboard, comprising:

a plurality of touch input devices for generating a plurality of touch signals corresponding to user operations; and

an input control device for generating a plurality of touch operation signals according to the plurality of touch signals;

wherein a plurality of character control signals corresponding to the plurality of touch operation signals is utilized as an input of the software keyboard.

15. The input device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of touch input devices controls a plurality of cursors to respectively select a target character key from the corresponding character area, and generate the corresponding character control signal according to the target character key.

16. The input device of claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of touch input devices chooses a first character area, another touch input device controls a character selection cursor to select a target character key in the first character area, and the character control signal corresponding to the target character key is generated accordingly.

17. The input device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of cursors move into positions of a plurality of beginning character keys when the software keyboard is activated.

18. The input device of claim 16, wherein the character selection key is moved to a position of a beginning character key.

19. The input device of claim 17, wherein each of the beginning character keys is a central character key of the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas.

20. The input device of claim 19, wherein each of the beginning character keys is selected in the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas during the last operation period of the software keyboard.

21. The input device of claim 18, wherein each of the beginning character keys is a central character key of the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas.

22. The input device of claim 21, wherein each of the beginning character keys is selected in the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas during the last operation period of the software keyboard.

23. A computer system, comprising:

a display device for displaying a software keyboard, the display device comprising a host for dividing the software keyboard into a plurality of character areas;

a plurality of touch input devices for generating a plurality of touch signals corresponding to user operations; and

an input control device for generating a plurality of touch operation signals according to the plurality of touch signals;

wherein the host selects at least one character control signal corresponding to the plurality of touch operation signals as an input of the software keyboard.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of touch input devices controls the plurality of cursors to respectively select a plurality of character keys in a plurality of character areas.

25. The computer system of claim 23, wherein one of the plurality of touch input devices chooses a first character area, another touch input device controls a character selection cursor to select a target character key in the first character area, and the character control signal corresponding to the target character key is generated accordingly.

26. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of cursors move into positions of a plurality of beginning character keys when the software keyboard is activated.

27. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the character selection key is moved to a position of a beginning character key when the software keyboard is activated.

28. The computer system of claim 26, wherein each of the beginning character keys is a central character key of the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein each of the beginning character keys is selected in the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas during the last operation period of the software keyboard.

30. The computer system of claim 27, wherein each of the beginning character keys is a central character key of the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein each of the beginning character keys is selected in the corresponding character area of the plurality of character areas during the last operation period of the software keyboard.