Adaptive Touch Keyboard Dynamic Hotspot Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Touch-screen keyboards face challenges in accurately detecting keystrokes due to variations in user finger positions, leading to reduced typing accuracy and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves analyzing contact characteristics of keystrokes to determine the user's finger position and dynamically adjusting key hotspots based on a finger-position profile, allowing the keyboard to adapt to the user's specific interaction patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If fixed key hotspots are used on touch-screen keyboard, then device complexity is reduced, but keystroke detection accuracy deteriorates due to variations in user finger positions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvekeystroke detection accuracyVSAvoidkeyboard system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic key hotspot positioning by analyzing contact characteristics of keystrokes and adjusting hotspot locations in real-time based on detected finger position patterns. This transforms the static hotspot system into a dynamic one that adapts to user typing behavior, resolving the contradiction between fixed simplicity and detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the positional parameters of key hotspots based on analyzed contact characteristics and finger position profiles. By modifying hotspot coordinates dynamically according to detected typing patterns, the system improves detection accuracy without requiring fundamental structural changes to the keyboard.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If standard key hotspot positions are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but typing accuracy deteriorates due to mismatch with user's natural finger position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetyping accuracyVSAvoidkeyboard operation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The keyboard system performs self-adjustment by automatically analyzing contact characteristics and repositioning key hotspots based on detected finger position patterns. This self-service capability allows the system to optimize typing accuracy without requiring manual user configuration or intervention, maintaining ease of operation while improving precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring contact characteristics of keystrokes and using this information to adjust hotspot positions. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the keyboard to learn from user typing patterns and adapt hotspot locations accordingly, improving typing accuracy while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If dynamic hotspot adjustment is implemented, then keystroke detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvekeystroke detection accuracyVSAvoidhotspot positioning system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the touch-screen keyboard into multiple finger position zones and associates different hotspot positioning strategies with each zone. By dividing the keyboard surface into distinct regions corresponding to different finger positions, the system manages complexity through modular organization while maintaining high detection accuracy across all zones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8508481B1Adaptive touch keyboard
Publication Date: 2013.08.13 T MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC
  • US8508481B1 patent drawing
  • US8508481B1 patent drawing
  • US8508481B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A method, system, and medium are provided for improving the accuracy of keystroke detection by determining what finger position a person is using to type. The finger, or fingers, used to contact the keys may define a finger position. Once the finger position is detected, hot spots for individual keys may be positioned according to a profile associated with the finger position. The hot spot is the portion of the touch screen that needs to be contacted in order to register a keystroke for the associated key. Each key has its own hot spot. The hot spot for a key may change without the display of the key on the touch-screen keyboard changing.