GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR IMPROVED TEXT CHARACTER ENTRY

• US 20140181721A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F-Secure Corporation (F-Secure Oyj)
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Buck, Brian James
• Granted Patent: US 9,367,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• 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 graphical user interface for improved text character entry is disclosed. In some embodiments, the graphical user interface may be displayed on a mobile communications device. The graphical user interface may display a message field, a soft keyboard, and at least one visual foveal echo field. The message field may display text characters of a message being authored by a user interacting with the soft keyboard. The visual foveal echo field may be placed adjacent to a soft keyboard row and contain a portion of the message being authored by the user.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for display on a mobile communications device visual display comprising:

a) a message field that displays text characters representing a message being authored by the mobile communications device user;

b) a soft keyboard made up of rows of text character keys which when touched by the user enter text characters into the message field; and

c) at least one visual foveal echo field adjacent a soft keyboard row, the echo field containing at least a portion of the text characters entered by the user into the message field.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1 further comprising:

a vertical up down key that when touched presents separate up and down keys to permit the user to select the row of text characters in the message field that are presented in the at least one visual foveal echo field.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1 further comprising:

a horizontal left right key that when touched presents separate left and right keys to permit the user to select the text characters in a particular row in the message field that are presented in the at least one visual foveal echo field.

4. A graphical user interface for display on a mobile communications device visual display comprising:

a) a message field that displays text characters representing a message being authored by the mobile communications device user; and

b) a soft keyboard made up of six rows of text character keys,

the first row having only the text characters Q, W, E, R and T;

the second row having only the text characters Y, U, I, O and P;

the third row having only the text characters A, S, D, F and G;

the fourth row having only the text characters H, J, K and L;

the fifth row having only the text characters Z, X, C, V and B; and

the sixth row having the text characters N and M.

5. The graphical user interface for display on a mobile communications device visual display of claim 4 wherein the first, third and fifth rows are arranged left justified, the second row first character Y is positioned below the first row characters Q and W, the fourth row first character H is positioned below the third row characters S and D, and the sixth row first character N is positioned below the fifth row character C.

6. The graphical user interface for display on a mobile communications device visual display of claim 4 wherein the first, third and fifth rows are arranged left justified, the second row first character Y is positioned below the first row characters W and E, the fourth row first character H is positioned below the third row characters D and F, and the sixth row first character N is positioned below the fifth row characters V and B.

7. A graphical user interface for display on a mobile communications device visual display comprising:

a) a message field that displays text characters representing a message being authored by the mobile communications device user;

b) a soft keyboard made up of six rows of text character keys which when touched by the user enter text characters into the message field, the rows arranged such that

the first row has only the text characters Q, W, E, R and T;

the second row has only the text characters Y, U, I, O and P;

the third row has only the text characters A, S, D, F and G;

the fourth row has only the text characters H, J, K and L;

the fifth row has only the text characters Z, X, C, V and B; and

the sixth row has the text characters N and M; and

c) at least one visual foveal echo field adjacent a soft keyboard row, the echo field containing at least a portion of the text characters entered by the user into the message field.

8. The graphical user interface for display on a mobile communications device visual display of claim 7 wherein the first, third and fifth rows are arranged left justified, the second row first character Y is positioned below the first row characters Q and W, the fourth row first character H is positioned below the third row characters S and D, and the sixth row first character N is positioned below the fifth row character C.

9. The graphical user interface for display on a mobile communications device visual display of claim 7 wherein the first, third and fifth rows are arranged left justified, the second row first character Y is positioned below the first row characters W and E, the fourth row first character H is positioned below the third row characters D and F, and the sixth row first character N is positioned below the fifth row characters V and B.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 7 further comprising:

a vertical up down key that when touched presents separate up and down keys to permit the user to select the row of text characters in the message field that are presented in the at least one visual foveal echo field.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 7 further comprising:

a horizontal left right key that when touched presents separate left and right keys to permit the user to select the text characters in a particular row in the message field that are presented in the at least one visual foveal echo field.