Dynamic Virtual Keyboard Layout Adaptation for Typing Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Standard virtual keyboards often fail to accommodate users with varying hand sizes and shapes, leading to reduced typing accuracy, speed, and comfort due to inadequate key spacing and size, resulting in diminished user experience.

Innovation Solution

A dynamic virtual keyboard system that adjusts key sizes, shapes, and placements based on user-specific touch data and biometric profiles, using a processor to detect and correct mistyped characters by incrementing counters for frequent errors and reconfiguring the keyboard layout accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a standard virtual keyboard layout is used, then device simplicity and ease of manufacture are maintained, but typing accuracy and user comfort deteriorate for users with varying hand sizes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvekeyboard layout consistencyVSAvoidtyping accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic keyboard configuration where key sizes, shapes, and positions are automatically adjusted based on detected user typing patterns and physiological characteristics. The system transitions from a static standard layout to a dynamic adaptive layout that evolves with user interaction data, resolving the contradiction between layout consistency and typing accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes multiple keyboard parameters simultaneously including key size, key position, key shape, and inter-key spacing based on user biometric data and typing error analysis. This multi-parameter adaptation allows the keyboard to optimize for individual user physiology while maintaining functional consistency through algorithmic control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If key sizes and spacing are increased for users with larger hands, then typing comfort improves, but keyboard area and device size increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetyping comfortVSAvoidkeyboard area
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different key configurations to different regions of the keyboard based on user-specific typing patterns. Rather than uniformly increasing all key sizes, the system locally adjusts key parameters in specific areas where typing errors occur, optimizing comfort while minimizing overall keyboard area expansion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system optimizes keyboard configuration by utilizing the two-dimensional display space more efficiently through non-uniform key distribution and adaptive positioning. Keys are strategically placed and sized within the available screen real estate, allowing improved ergonomics without proportionally increasing total keyboard area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the virtual keyboard dynamically adapts to user physiology, then typing accuracy and comfort improve, but system complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetyping accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback loop where the system continuously monitors user typing input, detects errors and patterns, and uses this information to automatically adjust keyboard configuration. The feedback mechanism processes typing data in real-time and triggers adaptive changes, managing system complexity through event-driven architecture rather than constant computation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The keyboard system performs self-adjustment based on its own collected typing data without requiring external configuration or complex user profiling. The system serves itself by automatically analyzing its own performance metrics and making configuration changes, reducing the need for complex external control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Ease of operation

If key positions are adjusted to accommodate finger reach, then ease of operation improves, but keyboard layout consistency and learning curve worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefinger reach accessibilityVSAvoidlayout consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary analysis of user typing patterns and physiological characteristics to pre-configure optimal key positions before actual typing begins. By anticipating user needs based on initial interaction data or biometric input, the system establishes an optimized layout in advance, reducing the disruption to layout consistency while improving finger reach accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3876074B1Dynamic configuration of a virtual keyboard
Publication Date: 2023.12.06 INTEL CORP
  • EP3876074B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3876074B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3876074B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system includes an electronic display to display a virtual keyboard and a processor communicatively coupled to the electronic display. In some embodiments, the virtual keyboard includes a plurality of keys. In certain embodiments, the electronic display receives a first string of erased characters and a second string of replacement characters. In certain embodiments, the processor compares the first string and the second string to determine a difference at corresponding character locations of the first string and the second string. In some embodiments, the processor increments a counter based on the comparison, the counter corresponding to a first character of the first string and a second character of the second string. In certain embodiments, the processor adjusts at least one of the plurality of keys of the virtual keyboard in response to the counter meeting a threshold.