Providing visual keyboard guides according to a programmable set of keys

• US 7,831,923 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McBrearty, Gerald F., Mullen, Shawn P., Shieh, Johnny M., Keohane, Susann M., Murillo, Jessica C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Riegler; Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US11/563,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/822, 345/168
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

Mechanisms for providing visual keyboard guides according to a programmable set of keys are provided. With the mechanisms of the illustrative embodiments, a user may select for which keys of a keyboard the user wishes to receive visual guides on a display of a data processing device associated with the keyboard. Thereafter, when the user'"'"'s fingers are in proximity to keys of the keyboard, a comparison of the keys in proximity to the user'"'"'s instrument to the keys for which visual guides are to be provided is made. If the keys in proximity to the user'"'"'s instrument match keys for which visual guides are to be provided, a visual guide is displayed on the display of the data processing device. A graphical user interface may be provided to the user for setting which keys are to have associated visual guides.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing device, for providing visual keyboard guides, comprising:

receiving an input specifying one or more keys of a smart keyboard, less than a total number of keys of the smart keyboard, for which visual guides are to be provided in response to detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s instrument over the one or more keys; and

storing an identifier of the one or more keys in a data structure for use in determining if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard;

receiving an input from the smart keyboard indicating at least one key of the smart keyboard with which a user'"'"'s instrument is in proximity, the smart keyboard having sensors for detecting a presence of the user'"'"'s instrument in proximity to the at least one key of the smart keyboard;

determining if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard based on a comparison of the at least one key to identifiers of one or more keys in the data structure;

outputting a visual keyboard guide on a display of the data processing device if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard, wherein a visual keyboard guide is not output for the at least one key if the at least one key does not match an identifier of one or more keys in the data structure; and

sending a control signal to the smart keyboard to turn on/off sensors of the smart keyboard based on the user input specifying the one or more keys, wherein the control signal causes sensors associated with the one or more keys specified in the user input to be turned on and sensors associated with keys that are not in the one or more keys specified by the user input to be turned off.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual keyboard guide is one of an opaque image represented on the display having a displayed character matching a character corresponding to the at least one key or a visual display of a keyboard with the at least one key being emphasized in the visual display of the keyboard.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying a delay time for indicating the presence of the user'"'"'s instrument over keys of the smart keyboard, wherein the presence of the user'"'"'s instrument over keys of the smart keyboard must be detected by sensors of the smart keyboard for a time corresponding to the delay time before the smart keyboard sends an input to the data processing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the smart keyboard detects a presence of the user'"'"'s instrument in proximity to the at least one key of the smart keyboard using at least one of a pressure sensor, a heat sensor, a light beam based sensor, or a motion sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the smart keyboard is a light projected virtual keyboard that is projected onto a flat surface using a light source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a first portion of a user interface for specifying which keys of the smart keyboard are associated with visual guides to be output by the display in response to detecting the presence of the user'"'"'s instrument over the keys of the smart keyboard;

providing a second portion of a user interface for specifying a portion of a visual representation generated by the display in which the visual guides are to be output; and

providing a third portion of the user interface for specifying characteristics of the visual guides to be output.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s instrument is one of a finger tip, a prosthetic device, a pointing device, or a stylus.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer useable storage medium having a computer readable program stored thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a data processing device, causes the data processing device to:

receive an input specifying one or more keys of a smart keyboard, less than a total number of keys of the smart keyboard, for which visual guides are to be provided in response to detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s instrument over the one or more keys; and

store an identifier of the one or more keys in a data structure for use in determining if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard;

receive an input from the smart keyboard indicating at least one key of the smart keyboard with which a user'"'"'s instrument is in proximity, the smart keyboard having sensors for detecting a presence of the user'"'"'s instrument in proximity to the at least one key of the smart keyboard;

determine if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard based on a comparison of the at least one key to identifiers of one or more keys in the data structure;

output a visual keyboard guide on a display of the data processing device if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard, wherein a visual keyboard guide is not output for the at least one key if the at least one key does not match an identifier of one or more keys in the data structure; and

send a control signal to the smart keyboard to turn on/off sensors of the smart keyboard based on the user input specifying the one or more keys, wherein the control signal causes sensors associated with the one or more keys specified in the user input to be turned on and sensors associated with keys that are not in the one or more keys specified by the user input to be turned off.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the visual keyboard guide is one of an opaque image represented on the display having a displayed character matching a character corresponding to the at least one key or a visual display of a keyboard with the at least one key being emphasized in the visual display of the keyboard.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program causes the data processing device to output the visual keyboard guide on the display of the data processing device by:

identifying a character currently being output by the display, in a visual representation of a textual document, that corresponds to a character associated with the at least one key of the smart keyboard; and

emphasizing, in the output of the display, a representation of the character, within the visual representation of the textual document, currently being output by the display.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program further causes the data processing device to:

receive user input specifying a delay time for indicating the presence of the user'"'"'s instrument over keys of the smart keyboard, wherein the presence of the user'"'"'s instrument over keys of the smart keyboard must be detected by sensors of the smart keyboard for a time corresponding to the delay time before the smart keyboard sends an input to the data processing device.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the smart keyboard detects a presence of the user'"'"'s instrument in proximity to the at least one key of the smart keyboard using at least one of a pressure sensor, a heat sensor, a light beam based sensor, or a motion sensor.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive an input specifying one or more keys of a smart keyboard, less than a total number of keys of the smart keyboard, for which visual guides are to be provided in response to detecting a presence of a user'"'"'s instrument over the one or more keys;

store an identifier of the one or more keys in a data structure for use in determining if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard;

receive an input from the smart keyboard indicating at least one key of the smart keyboard with which a user'"'"'s instrument is in proximity, the smart keyboard having sensors for detecting a presence of the user'"'"'s instrument in proximity to the at least one key of the smart keyboard;

determine if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard based on a comparison of the at least one key to identifiers of one or more keys in the data structure;

output a visual keyboard guide on a display associated with the apparatus, if visual keyboard guides are to be provided for the at least one key of the smart keyboard, wherein a visual keyboard guide is not output for the at least one key if the at least one key does not match an identifier of one or more keys in the data structure; and

send a control signal to the smart keyboard to turn on/off sensors of the smart keyboard based on the user input specifying the one or more keys, wherein the control signal causes sensors associated with the one or more keys specified in the user input to be turned on and sensors associated with keys that are not in the one or more keys specified by the user input to be turned off.