Radial Virtual Keypad with Guide Lines for Character Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional input devices for character input, such as keyboards and touch screens, face challenges in providing an intuitive and convenient interface, especially when dealing with multiple languages, due to limited button arrangements and accuracy issues with virtual buttons, leading to errors and decreased usability.
Innovation Solution
A virtual keypad in a circular menu form is introduced, featuring a central item and peripheral items with guide lines of different forms and directions, allowing for the selection of characters through drag gestures, which enhances intuition and convenience by enabling the arrangement of more items without width restrictions, thus accommodating various languages effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional linear or circular menu with limited buttons is used, then the device structure remains simple, but the number of items that can be arranged is limited to eight or less, reducing adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional linear or circular menu arrangements to a radial menu structure where items are positioned at different distances from the center and at various angles. This dimensional reorganization allows more than eight items to be arranged by utilizing angular positioning and radial depth, effectively increasing the capacity without proportionally increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The menu is segmented into multiple radial sections or quadrants, with each section containing a subset of items. This segmentation allows the system to manage and display a larger number of items by dividing them into manageable groups arranged radially around the center, improving both capacity and user navigation
2Quantity of substance
If virtual buttons with small touch areas are used to accommodate more characters, then the quantity of characters increases, but the measurement precision of touch input decreases, leading to errors
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the number of buttons in a linear arrangement (which would reduce individual button size and accuracy), the patent arranges character groups radially around the center. This radial distribution increases the effective input area by utilizing angular space, allowing more character groups to be accommodated while maintaining adequate touch target sizes for accurate input
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-organizes characters into groups arranged in the radial menu structure before input begins. This preliminary organization allows users to navigate to the desired character group and make selections without dealing with densely packed individual characters, thereby maintaining precision while increasing the total number of accessible characters
3Quantity of substance
If characters are classified into multiple groups requiring repeated button presses, then the quantity of characters that can be input increases, but the time required for input increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radial menu structure pre-organizes character groups in a visually accessible radial arrangement around the center. Users can directly navigate to and select from multiple character groups in a single interaction sequence, eliminating the need for repeated button presses to access different character sets. This preliminary organization significantly reduces input time while maintaining the ability to handle multiple languages and character types
Data Source
AI summary
An input device is provided. The input device includes a display that displays a keypad for input of a character and a character input window showing a character string input through the keypad; a gesture sensor that senses a gesture of a user; and a controller that controls the display, based on the gesture, wherein the keypad comprises: a central item; a plurality of peripheral items arranged while being spaced from one another around the central item; and a plurality of guide lines corresponding to the plurality of the peripheral items, the plurality of the guide lines are in a straight or curved line form directed from each of the plurality of the peripheral items toward the central item, and have different forms and directions.