Portable electronic device including touch-sensitive display and method of controlling same

• US 8,659,569 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pasquero, Jerome, Pinheiro, Gil, McKenzie, Donald Somerset McCulloch, Griffin, Jason Tyler, Fyke, Steven Henry, McCarty, Stephanie Elizabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US13/563,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 341 22- 34, 3404071-4072, 455/186.2, 715/252, 715788-801, 715/773
• 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 includes displaying a first keyboard on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device, detecting a moving touch on the first keyboard, and, as the touch moves, changing the first keyboard into a second keyboard by moving keys of the first keyboard relative to other keys of the first keyboard, from first locations, along respective key paths, to second locations on the touch-sensitive display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a first keyboard on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device;

detecting a moving touch associated with the first keyboard; and

as the touch moves, changing the first keyboard into a second keyboard by moving keys of the first keyboard from first locations, along a plurality of directions based on respective key paths, to second locations on the touch-sensitive display, wherein;

the keys of the first keyboard move at a rate based on the speed of the moving touch,

changing the first keyboard into the second keyboard changes spacing between the keys of the first keyboard as compared with the second keyboard, and

a space is provided to display an additional key row while displaying all keys of the first keyboard.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving touch comprises a moving multi-touch.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving touch comprises a moving touch beginning at a predetermined location for changing the first keyboard.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein changing comprises resizing the keys.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein resizing the keys comprises changing a width of the keys.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the width of the keys is changed based on the available display width.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the keys are arranged in rows and changing the keyboard comprises:

moving at least one of the keys from one of the rows to another of the rows; and

changing the number of keys included in at least one or more of the rows.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving touch comprises a gesture in a first direction, beginning on the first keyboard and wherein the keys are moved in the first direction to provide a space for the additional key row.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein ones of the keys move back in a second direction opposite the first direction, into the additional key row, after being moved in the first direction.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein changing comprises resizing the keys after the ones of the keys are moved into the additional key row.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein others of the keys are moved in a third direction different from both the first direction and the second direction after the ones of the keys are moved.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein further keys that were not included in the first keyboard are added to the additional key row.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving touch comprises a gesture in a direction beginning on the first keyboard to remove a key row.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving touch comprises a gesture beginning on the first keyboard to add or remove a key row.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein a distance of movement of the keys along respective key paths is based on a distance of movement of the touch.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

while detecting a moving touch associated with the first keyboard, reversing movement of the keys along their respective key paths in response to a change in direction of movement of the touch.

17. The method according to claim 1, comprising detecting an end of the touch and displaying one of the first keyboard and the second keyboard associated with a last-detected location of the touch.

18. The method according to claim 1, comprising detecting an end of the touch and displaying the first keyboard again when the distance moved by the moving touch does not meet a threshold.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein displaying the first keyboard again comprises moving the keys back along their respective key paths to their starting locations.

20. The method according to claim 18, comprising displaying the second keyboard when the distance moved by the moving touch meets the threshold.