ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF CHARACTER ENTRY

• US 20130111390A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GRIFFIN, Jason Tyler, PASQUERO, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US13/285,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20130111390A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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 includes displaying, on a touch-sensitive display, a keyboard including selectable keys associated with primary characters, responsive to detecting a touch at a location associated with one of the keys, entering one of the primary characters associated with the one of the keys, and responsive to detecting a gesture on the keyboard, moving at least a first key of the keys of the keyboard while maintaining a location of at least a second key of the keys of the keyboard, to facilitate selection of one of a plurality of secondary characters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, on a touch-sensitive display, a keyboard including selectable keys associated with primary characters;

responsive to detecting a touch at a location associated with one of the keys, entering one of the primary characters associated with the one of the keys; and

responsive to detecting a gesture on the keyboard, moving at least a first key of the keys of the keyboard while maintaining a location of at least a second key of the keys of the keyboard, to facilitate selection of one of a plurality of secondary characters.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising moving the first key back to a keyboard position when a further touch is detected at a location associated with one of the secondary characters.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising, when a further touch is detected at a location associated with the one of the secondary characters, entering the one of the secondary characters, and moving the first key back to a keyboard position.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein moving at least the first key comprises increasing a separation between columns of keys or between rows of keys.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein moving comprises moving one of columns and rows of keys when the gesture comprises a swipe between the one of the columns and the rows of keys.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein moving comprises separating one of rows and columns of keys by a distance determined based on the gesture.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the gesture comprises a gesture originating on the first key, moving comprises moving one of rows and columns of keys including the first key.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, when a further touch is detected at a location associated with the one of the secondary characters, entering the one of the secondary characters, and maintaining the one of rows and columns in a moved position.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the one of rows and columns of keys are maintained in a moved position until a further gesture to return the keys to the keyboard position, is detected.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the gesture comprises a multi-touch gesture originating on the first key and an adjacent key, moving comprises moving one of rows and columns of keys including the first key and the adjacent key by separating the one of rows and columns of keys including the first key and the adjacent key.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parts of the secondary characters are displayed between the keys.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parts of the secondary characters are displayed between the keys at lower contrast than the keyboard.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying comprises displaying utilizing attributes such that the keyboard appears on one level and the secondary characters appear on a second level that is below the keyboard.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of the electronic device to perform the method of claim 1.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display to display a keyboard including selectable keys associated with primary characters, and at least parts of secondary characters between the keys; and

a processor coupled to the display to enter one of the primary characters associated with one of the keys when a touch is detected at a location associated with the one of the keys, and move at least one of the keys of the keyboard while maintaining a location of at least one other of the keys of the keyboard, to facilitate selection of one of the secondary characters when a gesture is detected on the keyboard.