Unified Soft Keyboard Interface for Seamless Character Insertion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional user interfaces for portable electronic devices with touch screens are often complex, inflexible, and cumbersome, making it difficult for users to easily interact with multifunction devices, particularly when switching between different soft keyboards for character insertion.
Innovation Solution
A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display that allows users to switch between soft keyboards by detecting finger contacts and gestures, enabling seamless selection and insertion of characters from alternate keyboards through a graphical user interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional user interfaces with multiple soft keyboards are used, then character insertion capability is provided, but switching between keyboards becomes tedious and awkward
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple soft keyboards into a single unified keyboard interface. Instead of requiring users to switch between separate letter and number/symbol keyboards, the unified keyboard displays both types of keys simultaneously in an integrated layout, allowing direct access to all characters without keyboard switching operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified keyboard serves multiple functions by incorporating both letter keys and number/symbol keys in a single interface. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate keyboards for different character types, providing universal access to all input needs within one keyboard structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more pushbuttons are added to portable devices, then more functions are available, but the user interface becomes more complicated and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The unified keyboard provides multi-functionality by integrating both letter and number/symbol input capabilities into a single interface. This allows the device to maintain versatile character insertion functions while simplifying the user interface, as users interact with one unified keyboard rather than multiple separate controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a visual representation of a physical keyboard layout on the touch screen display, creating a virtual copy of traditional keyboard interfaces. This allows users to interact with familiar keyboard concepts through touch, providing versatility in character input while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive visual feedback.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises displaying a first soft keyboard. While displaying the first soft keyboard, a key for selecting a second soft keyboard different from the first soft keyboard is displayed. A first contact is detected on the key for selecting the second soft keyboard. In response to detecting the first contact, the second soft keyboard is displayed. Movement of the first contact is detected to a character-insertion key in the second soft keyboard. Lift off of the first contact is detected at the character-insertion key in the second soft keyboard to which the first contact moved. In response to detecting the lift off, a character is inserted that corresponds to the character-insertion key in the second soft keyboard to which the first contact moved and the display of the second soft keyboard is ceased.