Indic Script Virtual Keyboard Adaptation for Input Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Indic language virtual keyboards are complex due to hundreds or thousands of unique characters, making user input slow and cumbersome, especially when handling consonants and diacritics, as users need to navigate through multiple keys and layouts.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and device that displays a first virtual keyboard for Indic scripts, modifying it to show diacritic forms of vowels when a consonant is selected and displaying a second virtual keyboard with diacritic forms and similar-sounding vowels upon a prolonged touch input for vowels, improving user input efficiency by separating consonants and vowels into distinct areas and using contextual diacritics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a complete virtual keyboard with all Indic script characters is displayed, then all characters are accessible, but the keyboard becomes very complex and difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual keyboard is segmented into multiple pages, with each page containing a subset of characters. Users can navigate between pages to access different character sets. This divides the complete character set into manageable portions, reducing the complexity visible at any one time while maintaining comprehensive character coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The keyboard layout is made dynamic by allowing users to switch between different pages and configurations. The keyboard adapts its display based on user interaction, showing only relevant characters for the current input context. This dynamic reconfiguration reduces perceived complexity while preserving access to all necessary characters.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all vowel forms and diacritics are included on the keyboard, then complete phonetic representation is possible, but navigation becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically selecting and displaying only the relevant vowel forms and diacritics based on the previously selected consonant. Instead of requiring users to search through all possible vowel combinations, the keyboard pre-configures the appropriate options, significantly reducing navigation time while maintaining complete phonetic representation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the keyboard are assigned specific functions based on local quality principles. When a consonant is selected, the keyboard automatically adjusts the vowel section to display only the relevant diacritic forms needed for that consonant. This localized adaptation reduces the search space for users while preserving the ability to represent all phonetic combinations.
3Ease of operation
If a simple keyboard layout is used, then ease of use is improved, but support for hundreds of unique Indic characters is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual keyboard is designed as a universal interface that can display different character sets and layouts depending on the selected script and language. The same keyboard structure serves multiple functions by dynamically loading appropriate character pages, maintaining simple usability while supporting hundreds of unique Indic characters across different scripts.
Data Source
AI summary
A first touch input can indicate a selection of a character from a first virtual keyboard configured for an Indic script. A modified first virtual keyboard can be displayed in response to the first touch input when the selected character is a consonant, the modified first virtual keyboard including diacritic forms of vowels from the first virtual keyboard. A second virtual keyboard can be displayed in response to the first touch input when the selected character is a vowel and a duration of the first touch input is greater than or equal to a predetermined duration, the second virtual keyboard including at least one of (i) diacritic forms of the selected character and (ii) vowels having similar sounds as the selected character. A second touch input can indicate a selection of (i) a vowel from the modified first virtual keyboard or (ii) a vowel from the second virtual keyboard.