Method for switching touch keyboard and handheld electronic device and storage medium using the same

• US 8,576,180 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Hui-Wen, Li, Chia-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANK, EMILY J
• Application Number:
  US12/342,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 switching a touch keyboard and a handheld electronic device and a storage medium using the method are provided. The method is suitable for a handheld electronic device having a touch screen. In the method, a character input function is first activated to display a first type touch keyboard on a side of the touch screen. A touch signal produced within a display area of the first type touch keyboard is then received and it is determined whether the touch signal moves to another side of the touch screen. If the touch signal is determined to move to the another side of the touch screen, a second type touch keyboard is displayed on the another side of the touch screen. Accordingly, the users can switch the touch keyboard to another one conveniently so as to input characters.

Claims

1. A method for switching a touch keyboard, adapted for a handheld electronic device having a touch screen, the method comprising:

activating a character input function and displaying a first type touch keyboard on a side of the touch screen;

receiving a touch signal produced within a display area of the first type touch keyboard;

determining whether the touch signal moves to another side of the touch screen; and

displaying a second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen if it is determined that the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen,

wherein the step of determining whether the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen comprises determining whether the touch point moves to the display area of the second type touch keyboard,

wherein the display area of the second type touch keyboard is displayed along the another side of the touch screen, and the display area of the first type touch keyboard is displayed along the side of the touch screen,

wherein a location of the second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen is different from the location of the first type touch keyboard on the side of the touch screen.

2. The method for switching a touch keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the touch signal is produced by continuously touching a touch point within the display area of the first type touch keyboard.

3. The method for switching a touch keyboard according to claim 2, wherein the touch point is located in a specific area within the display area of the first type touch keyboard excluding a key.

4. The method for switching a touch keyboard according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen and displaying the second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen further comprises closing the first type touch keyboard.

5. The method for switching a touch keyboard according to claim 1, wherein, after the step of activating a character input function and displaying the first type touch keyboard on the side of the touch screen, the method further comprises receiving a key input from the first type touch keyboard and displaying a corresponding character on the touch screen.

6. The method for switching a touch keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen and displaying the second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen further comprises:

changing a display direction of a plurality characters in a character editing area of the touch screen, wherein the character editing area is an area of the touch screen excluding the second type touch keyboard; and

changing a display direction of the characters in the second type touch keyboard.

7. The method for switching a touch keyboard according to claim 1, wherein, after the step of determining the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen and displaying the second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen, the method further comprises:

enabling the second type touch keyboard when the touch signal is terminated; and

receiving a key input from the second type touch keyboard and displaying a corresponding character on the touch screen.

8. A handheld electronic device capable of switching a touch keyboard, comprising:

a touch screen for detecting a touch signal; and

a processing unit for switching a touch keyboard displayed on the touch screen to another one based on the touch signal detected by the touch screen, wherein

when a character input function is activated, a first type touch keyboard is displayed on a first side of the touch screen,

if the touch signal is produced within a display area of the first type touch keyboard and moves to another side of the touch screen, a second type touch keyboard is displayed on the another side of the touch screen,

wherein the processing unit determines whether the touch point moves to the display area of the second type touch keyboard to determine whether the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen,

wherein the display area of the second type touch keyboard is displayed along the another side of the touch screen, and the display area of the first type touch keyboard is displayed along the side of the touch screen,

wherein a location of the second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen is different from the location of the first type touch keyboard on the side of the touch screen.

9. The handheld electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the touch signal is produced by continuously touching a touch point within the display area of the first type touch keyboard.

10. The handheld electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the touch point is located in a specific area within the display area of the first type touch keyboard excluding a key.

11. The handheld electronic device according to claim 9, wherein, after displaying the second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen, the processing unit closes the first type touch keyboard.

12. The handheld electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the processing unit receives a key input from the first type touch keyboard and displays a corresponding character on the touch screen.

13. The handheld electronic device according to claim 8, wherein, when it is determined that the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen, the processing unit changes a display direction of a plurality of characters in a character editing area of the touch screen and changes a display direction of the characters in the second type touch keyboard, wherein the character editing area is an area of the touch screen excluding the second type touch keyboard.

14. The handheld electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the processing unit further enables the second type touch keyboard when the touch signal is terminated, and receives a key input from the second type touch keyboard and displays a corresponding character on the touch screen.

15. The handheld electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the side of the touch screen comprises upper, lower, left, or right sides of the touch screen.

16. The handheld electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the first type touch keyboard and the second type touch keyboard comprises an English letter keyboard, a phonetic symbol keyboard, a numeric keyboard, a T9 keyboard, or a twenty-key keyboard.

17. The handheld electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the touch screen comprises a long side and a short side, the touch screen displays the English letter keyboard or the phonetic symbol keyboard when the touch point moves to the long side, and the touch screen displays one of the numeric keyboard, the T9 keyboard and the twenty-key keyboard when the touch point moves to the short side.

18. A non-transitory storage medium for storing a computer program, the computer program comprising a plurality of codes to be loaded into a computer system to enable the computer system to implement a method for switching a touch keyboard, adapted for a handheld electronic device having a touch screen, the method comprising:

activating a character input function and displaying a first type touch keyboard on a side of the touch screen;

receiving a touch signal produced within a display area of the first type touch keyboard;

determining whether the touch signal moves to another side of the touch screen; and

displaying a second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen if it is determined that the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen, wherein the step of determining whether the touch signal moves to the another side of the touch screen comprises determining whether the touch point moves to the display area of the second type touch keyboard, wherein the display area of the second type touch keyboard is displayed along the another side of the touch screen, and the display area of the first type touch keyboard is displayed along the side of the touch screen, wherein a location of the second type touch keyboard on the another side of the touch screen is different from the location of the first type touch keyboard on the side of the touch screen.