On-Screen Keyboard Input via Remote Controller Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for using a remote controller to input characters on an on-screen keyboard are time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially when inputting a large number of characters, as they require multiple button presses to navigate across the keyboard.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize an on-screen keyboard with a receiving unit to receive key information from a remote controller, a highlight-setting unit to highlight corresponding keys, and a moving unit to efficiently move the highlighted portion, allowing for rapid character input by reducing the number of button presses needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the user pushes the direction button multiple times to move the highlighted portion across the on-screen keyboard, then the character can be selected, but the time and effort required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a numerical mapping dimension that maps on-screen keyboard keys to number pad keys. Instead of moving the highlighted portion horizontally across the keyboard (one-dimensional navigation), the user inputs numbers directly (activating a second dimension of input), which instantly jumps the highlight to the corresponding key, eliminating the need for repeated direction button presses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a numerical mapping system as an intermediary between the user and the on-screen keyboard. The number pad serves as a mediator that translates numerical inputs into corresponding keyboard key selections, allowing indirect but efficient access to any key without physical navigation across the keyboard layout.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the on-screen keyboard displays all keys, then complete character input is possible, but the number of keys makes navigation difficult with a remote controller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the on-screen keyboard into multiple groups based on numerical mapping (e.g., number pad 0-9 corresponding to different key regions). This segmentation allows the user to access different portions of the keyboard by entering different numbers, effectively dividing the large keyboard into manageable sections without physically reconfiguring the display.
Solution Approach 2:
The number pad is given universal functionality, serving both as a numerical input method and as a navigation mechanism for the on-screen keyboard. Each number key on the remote controller serves multiple purposes: it can input numbers directly and simultaneously navigate to corresponding keyboard keys, making the input device multi-functional and reducing the need for separate navigation controls.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus using an on-screen keyboard as an input unit. A method of using an on-screen keyboard as an input unit comprises receiving information on a first key that is selected through the input unit that has fewer input keys than the on-screen keyboard, highlighting a predetermined key in a predetermined group of keys including a number key on the on-screen keyboard that corresponds to the first key, and moving a highlighted portion on the on-screen keyboard when a second key is selected through the input unit.