Vertical Candidate Bar with Split On-Screen Keyboard
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional on-screen keyboards with horizontal candidate bars occupy significant screen space, making it difficult for users to type efficiently, especially when using a tablet computer, as users may need to change their grip to reach candidate characters, reducing typing speed and convenience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a vertically aligned candidate bar with a split keyboard that allows users to select candidates without changing their grip, enabling easier thumb typing and minimizing screen space usage by positioning the candidate bar adjacent to the keyboard, which can be scrollable to display additional candidates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a horizontal candidate bar is displayed above the on-screen keyboard, then candidate characters can be presented to users, but the candidate bar occupies a large region of the display screen, reducing the space for other objects and making it difficult for users to reach candidates without changing grip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional horizontal candidate bar into a vertical candidate bar, changing the orientation from horizontal (x-axis) to vertical (y-axis). This dimensional change allows the candidate bar to be positioned along the side of the keyboard rather than above it, enabling users to access candidates with their thumbs while maintaining a compact footprint that doesn't obstruct the upper portion of the display screen.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional layout by placing the candidate bar vertically alongside the keyboard rather than horizontally above it. This inversion fundamentally changes the user interaction model, allowing thumb typing and candidate selection to occur simultaneously without requiring the user to lift their thumbs or change grip, while minimizing the screen space consumed by the candidate interface.
2Productivity
If a horizontal candidate bar is used, then all candidate characters can be displayed, but users need to change their grip to reach candidates that are not within thumb reach, reducing typing speed
Solution Approach 1:
By reorienting the candidate bar vertically and positioning it adjacent to the keyboard, the patent brings all candidate characters within easy thumb reach. Users can type on the keyboard with one hand while simultaneously accessing candidates with the same hand, eliminating the need to change grip or use the other hand, thereby maintaining high typing speed and convenience throughout the typing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical candidate bar is positioned in advance alongside the keyboard in a location that is predetermined to be within thumb reach. This preliminary positioning ensures that regardless of which candidate needs to be selected, it will always be accessible without requiring grip changes, allowing users to maintain their typing rhythm and speed.
3Productivity
If the candidate bar is positioned to be accessible by thumbs, then typing efficiency improves, but the candidate bar may still obstruct other content on the screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the candidate bar vertically along the side of the keyboard, utilizing the vertical space that would otherwise be available for content display. This side-alignment approach minimizes horizontal obstruction, allowing the majority of the screen width to remain available for content, while the candidate bar occupies only a narrow vertical strip that does not significantly impact overall content visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The candidate bar is designed with a compact vertical layout that concentrates candidate characters in a small, localized area adjacent to the keyboard. This localized positioning ensures that only a minimal portion of the screen is dedicated to the candidate interface, while the rest of the screen maintains full content visibility, achieving a balance between accessibility and information display.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for providing a vertical candidate bar with an on-screen keyboard are presented. In some embodiments, a computing device may display a keyboard on a touch-sensitive display screen. The keyboard may be a split keyboard that includes two panels of keys displayed on opposite sides of the display screen. The device also may display a candidate bar on the display screen, and the candidate bar may be vertically aligned with the keyboard. As character input is received via the keyboard, the device may update the candidate bar to include various candidate characters that are determined based on the received character input.