Predictive Letter Input UI With Expanded Active Areas

Solution Overview

Problem

Modern electronic devices face challenges in providing user convenience during letter input as they offer numerous letter options, requiring significant user attention to select the correct letter.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a processor that predicts the next letter to be input based on a combination rule for a specific language, expanding the active area of the corresponding key and highlighting it differently to facilitate user selection, using touch point data and language-specific letter combinations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a standard virtual keyboard with all letters is displayed, then complete letter input capability is provided, but user attention and selection time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveletter input capabilityVSAvoidselection time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by predicting the next letter to be input based on language combination rules before the user actually selects it. The keyboard proactively highlights predicted letters in advance, allowing users to confirm selections faster without reviewing all available options.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies local quality by differentiating the visual appearance of specific key areas. Predicted letters are highlighted with distinct visual properties (such as background color or border styling) compared to regular letters, making them stand out and reducing the cognitive load required for selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If a standard virtual keyboard with all letters is displayed, then complete letter input capability is provided, but user attention and selection effort increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveletter input capabilityVSAvoidselection effort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by predicting the next letter to be input based on language combination rules before the user actually selects it. The keyboard proactively highlights predicted letters in advance, allowing users to confirm selections faster without reviewing all available options.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies local quality by differentiating the visual appearance of specific key areas. Predicted letters are highlighted with distinct visual properties (such as background color or border styling) compared to regular letters, making them stand out and reducing the cognitive load required for selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11599204B2Electronic device that provides a letter input user interface (UI) and control method thereof

Publication Date: 2023.03.07 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes a display, a storage unit configured to store a combination rule of letters constituting a word; and a processor configured to provide a letter input UI of a specific language, to predict a first letter inputted on the letter input UI and a second letter to be selected based on the letter combination rule of the specific language stored in the storage unit, and to control the display such that an active area of a key corresponding to the second letter is expansively provided.