Key selection of a graphical keyboard based on user input posture

• US 9,244,612 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Azenkot, Shiri, Zhai, Shumin, Chelba, Ciprian Ioan, Ouyang, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsai, James T
• Application Number:
  US13/769,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

In one example, a method includes outputting, by a computing device and for display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, and receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a gesture detected at a presence-sensitive input device. The method further includes determining, by the computing device, an input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device, and applying, by the computing device and based at least in part on the input posture, at least one offset to a location associated with a key from the plurality of keys to determine an offset location associated with the key, and in response to receiving the indication of the gesture, selecting, by the computing device and based at least in part on the offset location, the key as a selected key.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting, by a computing device and for display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, wherein a first key of the plurality of keys is output for display at a particular region of a presence-sensitive input device;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a gesture detected at the presence-sensitive input device;

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on a detected input posture in which a user is holding the computing device to provide the gesture to select one or more of the plurality of keys at the presence-sensitive input device, at least one of a magnitude or a direction of at least one offset;

applying, by the computing device and based at least in part on the input posture, the at least one offset to a first location associated with the first key from the plurality of keys to determine a first offset location associated with the first key;

determining, by the computing device, a first distance between the first offset location and a second location of at least a portion of the gesture;

determining, by the computing device, a second distance between a second offset location for a second key and the second location of at least the portion of the gesture; and

selecting, by the computing device, based at least in part on a determination that the first distance is less than the second distance, and while the first key is output for display at the particular region, the first key as a selected key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input posture comprises at least one of a single-finger input posture, a single-thumb input posture, and a bimodal input posture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first offset and the second offset comprise one of a horizontal offset, a vertical offset, and a combination of a horizontal offset and a vertical offset.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device comprises determining a single-finger input posture,

wherein applying the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key comprises applying a first vertical offset to the first location associated with the first key included in a first row of keys from the plurality of keys,

wherein the method further comprises applying, by the computing device, a second vertical offset to a third location associated with the second key included in a second row of keys from the plurality of keys, and

wherein a magnitude of the second vertical offset is greater than a magnitude of the first vertical offset.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

applying, by the computing device, a third vertical offset to a fourth location associated with a third key included in a third row of keys from the plurality of keys, wherein a magnitude of the third vertical offset is greater than the magnitude of the second vertical offset.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first vertical offset, the second vertical offset, and the third vertical offset are each applied in a vertical direction from a top region of the graphical keyboard to a bottom region of the graphical keyboard with respect to an orientation of the graphical keyboard.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device comprises determining a bimodal input posture,

wherein applying the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key comprises applying a first vertical offset to the first location associated with the first key, wherein the first key is included within a center region of the graphical keyboard,

wherein the method further comprises:

applying a second vertical offset to a third location associated with the second key included within a first outer region of the graphical keyboard; and

applying a third vertical offset to a fourth location associated with a third key included within a second outer region of the graphical keyboard,

wherein a magnitude of the first vertical offset is greater than a magnitude of each the second vertical offset and the third vertical offset, and

wherein the center region is positioned between the first outer region and the second outer region.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device comprises determining a single-thumb input posture,

wherein the method further comprises determining, by the computing device, that a profile associated with the single-thumb input posture corresponds to a right-thumb input posture,

wherein applying the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key comprises applying a first vertical offset to the first location associated with the first key, wherein the first key is included within a right region of the graphical keyboard positioned right of a left region of the graphical keyboard with respect to an orientation of the graphical keyboard,

wherein the method further comprises applying, by the computing device, a second vertical offset to a third location associated with the second key included within a left region of the graphical keyboard, and

wherein a magnitude of the first vertical offset is greater than a magnitude of the second vertical offset.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device comprises determining a single-thumb input posture,

wherein the method further comprises determining, by the computing device, that a profile associated with the single-thumb input posture corresponds to a left-thumb input posture,

wherein applying the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key comprises applying a first vertical offset to the first location associated with the first key, wherein the first key is included within a left region of the graphical keyboard positioned left of a right region of the graphical keyboard with respect to an orientation of the graphical keyboard,

wherein the method further comprises applying, by the computing device, a second vertical offset to a third location associated with the second key included within a right region of the graphical keyboard, and

wherein a magnitude of the first vertical offset is greater than a magnitude of the second vertical offset.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device comprises determining at least one of a single-finger input posture and a single-thumb input posture,

wherein applying the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key comprises applying, based at least in part on a first distance between the first location associated with the first key and a substantially center region of the graphical keyboard positioned between a left region of the graphical keyboard and a right region of the graphical keyboard with respect to an orientation of the graphical keyboard, a first horizontal offset to first the location associated with the first key,

wherein the method further comprises applying, by the computing device and based at least in part on a second distance between a third location associated with the second key and the substantially center region of the graphical keyboard, a second horizontal offset to the third location associated with the second key, and

wherein a magnitude of the first horizontal offset is greater than a magnitude of the second horizontal offset.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that a profile associated with the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device corresponds to at least one of a right-finger input posture and a right-thumb input posture, wherein each of the first key and the second key are included within the left region, and wherein each of the first horizontal offset and the second horizontal offset are applied in a horizontal direction from the left region of the graphical keyboard to the right region of the graphical keyboard.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that a profile associated with the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device corresponds to at least one of a left-finger input posture and a left-thumb input posture,

wherein each of the first key and the second key are included within the right region of the graphical keyboard, and

wherein each of the first horizontal offset and the second horizontal offset are applied in a horizontal direction from the right region of the graphical keyboard to the left region of the graphical keyboard.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device comprises determining a bimodal input posture,

wherein the first key is included within a left region of the graphical keyboard that is positioned left of a right region of the graphical keyboard with respect to an orientation of the graphical keyboard,

wherein applying the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key comprises applying a first horizontal offset to the first location associated with the first key in a horizontal direction from the right region of the graphical keyboard to the left region of the graphical keyboard,

wherein the method further comprises applying, by the computing device, a second horizontal offset to a third location associated with a second key included within the right region of the graphical keyboard in a direction from left region of the graphical keyboard to the right region of the graphical keyboard, and

wherein a magnitude of the first horizontal offset is greater than a magnitude of the second horizontal offset.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key comprises applying the at least one offset to a centroid of the first key.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key comprises:

adjusting, by the computing device and based at least in part on the at least one offset, a spatial model that indicates a probability that the first location is associated with the first key to determine an adjusted spatial model,

wherein the adjusted spatial model indicates a first probability that the first location is associated with the first key,

wherein the adjusted spatial model indicates a second probability that the first offset location is associated with the first key, and

wherein the second probability is greater than the first probability.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the input posture of the gesture at the presence-sensitive input device comprises determining the input posture of the gesture based at least in part on one or more of a profile of an area of the presence-sensitive input device that detects the gesture, acceleration information from an accelerometer of the computing device, physical orientation information from a gyroscope of the computing device, and touch information from one or more touch sensors of the computing device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the gesture detected at the presence-sensitive input device comprises an indication of a first gesture detected at the presence-sensitive input device, wherein the selected key comprises a first selected key, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device and subsequent to receiving the indication of the first gesture, an indication of a second gesture detected at the presence-sensitive input device;

selecting, by the computing device and in response to receiving the indication of the second gesture, a second key as a second selected key;

modifying, by the computing device and in response to selecting the second key as the second selected key, the at least one offset to the first location associated with the first key to determine a modified offset location associated with the second key.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a presence-sensitive display comprises the presence-sensitive input device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing device to:

output, for display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, wherein a first key of the plurality of keys is output for display at a particular region of a presence-sensitive input device;

receive an indication of a gesture detected at the presence-sensitive input device;

determine, based at least in part on a detected input posture in which a user is holding the computing device to provide the gesture to select one or more of the plurality of keys at the presence-sensitive input device, at least one of a magnitude or a direction of at least one offset;

apply, based at least in part on the input posture, the at least one offset to a first location associated with the first key from the plurality of keys to determine a first offset location associated with the first key;

determine a first distance between the first offset location and a second location of at least a portion of the gesture;

determine a second distance between a second offset location for a second key and the second location of at least the portion of the gesture; and

select, based at least in part on a determination that the first distance is less than the second distance and while the first key is output for display at the particular region, the first key as a selected key.

20. A device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one module operable by the at least one processor to;

output, for display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, wherein a first key of the plurality of keys is output for display at a particular region of a presence-sensitive input device;

receive an indication of a gesture detected at the presence-sensitive input device;

determine, based at least in part on a detected input posture in which a user is holding the computing device to provide the gesture to select one or more of the plurality of keys at the presence-sensitive input device, at least one of a magnitude or a direction of at least one offset;

apply, based at least in part on the input posture, the at least one offset to a first location associated with the first key from the plurality of keys to determine a first offset location associated with the first key;

determine a first distance between the first offset location and a second location of at least a portion of the gesture;

determine a second distance between a second offset location for a second key and the second location of at least the portion of the gesture; and

select, based at least in part on a determination that the first distance is less than the second distance and while the first key is output for display at the particular region, the first key as a selected key.