Virtual Keyboard Geometric Layout for Controller Input Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual keyboards, especially those operated with game controllers or television remote controllers having a reduced number of keys, suffer from slow text input as they require frequent directional key presses to select characters, necessitating an improvement in typing performance.
Innovation Solution
A method for a virtual keyboard that involves defining geometric shapes with character icons along their outlines, generating lines crossing these shapes to highlight pairs of icons, and automatically successively highlighting them for user input using a limited number of keys, allowing quicker text entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a reduced number of keys is used on the controller, then the device becomes more compact and portable, but text input speed decreases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual keyboard is segmented into multiple geometric shapes (e.g., circles, polygons) arranged in a compact layout. Each shape contains multiple character icons positioned at specific locations, allowing efficient grouping and selection of characters without requiring a full-size physical keyboard
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a linear one-dimensional key arrangement to a two-dimensional geometric arrangement of character icons. Multiple lines can simultaneously highlight pairs of character icons across different geometric shapes, enabling parallel processing of character selection and significantly reducing the number of sequential operations needed for text input
2Ease of operation
If directional keys are pressed multiple times to select each character, then character selection becomes possible, but text entry becomes extremely slow
Solution Approach 1:
Character icons are pre-positioned at specific locations on geometric shapes, and multiple lines are pre-configured to cross these shapes. This preliminary arrangement allows the system to automatically highlight pairs of character icons without requiring users to perform repeated directional key presses to navigate to each character
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback by automatically highlighting pairs of character icons on the display. This feedback mechanism guides users in selecting characters without requiring multiple trial directional key presses, as the highlighted pairs clearly indicate which characters are currently selectable with the available keys
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for a virtual keyboard, the method being characterized in that it comprises the steps of: defining at least two geometric shapes wherein each geometric shape is a closed geometric shape, which is a space that is totally enclosed by lines, or unbroken contours; placing, along the outline of each geometric shape, a plurality of character icons corresponding to alphanumeric characters; generating, at least one line, crossing said at least two geometric shapes, and having at least two crossing points with each geometric shape and with two of its character icons per line, which are thereby designated as currently highlighted character icons; assigning each of said highlighted character icons to distinct keys on a controller; automatically, successively highlighting pairs of said character icons on each of the at least two geometric shapes; awaiting a user input selecting one of the currently highlighted character icons.