Configurable Touchscreen Keyboard

• US 20130285926A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GRIFFIN, Jason Tyler, PASQUERO, Jerome, MCKENZIE, Donald Somerset, HAMILTON, Alistair Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/459,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285926A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 for configuring a virtual keyboard on a display, comprising: detecting a touch input associated with a location in the virtual keyboard on the display; adjusting, when the touch input is a designated touch gesture, a position of the virtual keyboard within a user interface screen in which the virtual keyboard is located in accordance with a direction of the touch input.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a virtual keyboard on a display, comprising:

detecting a touch input associated with a location in the virtual keyboard on the display;

adjusting, when the touch input is a designated touch gesture, a position of the virtual keyboard within a user interface screen in which the virtual keyboard is located in accordance with a direction of the touch input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises:

moving the virtual keyboard upwards relative to the user interface screen when an upward touch gesture is detected;

moving the virtual keyboard downwards relative to the user interface screen when a downward touch gesture is detected.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

hiding the virtual keyboard when the virtual keyboard is moved downwards from a bottom of the user interface screen.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying a visual cue associated with the hidden virtual keyboard; and

re-displaying the virtual keyboard when an upward touch gesture having a starting location associated with the visual cue is detected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an input field is displayed above the virtual keyboard in a default position, wherein a continuation input field is displayed below the virtual keyboard when the virtual keyboard is moved upwards from the default position, wherein text continues seamlessly between the input field and the continuation input field.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the default position is a bottom of the user interface screen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated touch gesture is a two-finger drag gesture.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying additional content below the virtual keyboard when the virtual keyboard is moved upwards from a default position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the default position is a bottom of the user interface screen.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the additional content is one or more additional rows of keys.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the virtual keyboard includes character keys in accordance with an input character set, wherein the input character set is an alphabetic character set and the one or more rows of keys are number keys, symbol keys or a combination of number and symbol keys.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the virtual keyboard includes character keys in accordance with an input character set, wherein the input character set is an alphabetic character set and the one or more rows of keys comprise emoticons.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual keyboard includes character keys in accordance with a first input character set in a first language, wherein the additional content is a menu bar including an icon to change the character keys to a second input character set in a second language.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the additional content is a menu bar including icons for calling or invoking non-keyboard related functions, actions or commands and/or device settings.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor and having a virtual keyboard displayed thereupon;

wherein the processor is configured to;

detect a touch input associated with a location in the virtual keyboard on the display;

adjust, when the touch input is a designated touch gesture, a position of the virtual keyboard within a user interface screen in which the virtual keyboard is located in accordance with a direction of the touch input.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to move the virtual keyboard upwards relative to the user interface screen when an upward touch gesture is detected, and move the virtual keyboard downwards relative to the user interface screen when a downward touch gesture is detected.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to hide the virtual keyboard when the virtual keyboard is moved downwards from a bottom of the user interface screen.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to display a visual cue associated with the hidden virtual keyboard, and re-display the virtual keyboard when an upward touch gesture having a starting location associated with the visual cue is detected.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to display an input field above the virtual keyboard in a default position, and display a continuation input field below the virtual keyboard when the virtual keyboard is moved upwards from the default position, wherein text continues seamlessly between the input field and the continuation input field.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to display additional content below the virtual keyboard when the virtual keyboard is moved upwards from a default position.