Virtual Keyboard Opacity Adjustment via Device Tilt

Solution Overview

Problem

Virtual keyboards on portable electronic devices occupy significant on-screen space, limiting the visibility of underlying visual content, especially in applications like social networking where text entry is required, and existing solutions either obscure content or disrupt user interaction.

Innovation Solution

A touch-sensitive display system that detects the angle of tilt and adjusts the opacity of the virtual keyboard accordingly, allowing the underlying visual content to be visible to a greater or lesser extent, ensuring the keyboard remains visible at all angles and can be configured for user preferences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a virtual keyboard is provided on top of visual content, then character input functionality is enabled, but visibility of underlying visual content is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacter input functionalityVSAvoidvisibility of underlying visual content

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The keyboard opacity is dynamically adjusted based on the detected tilt angle of the device. When the device is tilted, the keyboard opacity decreases to reveal more underlying content; when held flat, the keyboard opacity increases for better visibility. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the keyboard visibility adaptive rather than static.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The optical property (opacity) of the keyboard is changed as a parameter in response to device orientation. By modifying the opacity parameter based on tilt angle detection, the system balances keyboard visibility with underlying content visibility, resolving the information loss problem while maintaining input functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If the opacity of the virtual keyboard is reduced to reveal underlying content, then visibility of visual content is improved, but visibility of the virtual keyboard deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of underlying visual contentVSAvoidvisibility of virtual keyboard

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The keyboard opacity is dynamically adjusted based on the detected tilt angle of the device. When the device is tilted, the keyboard opacity decreases to reveal more underlying content; when held flat, the keyboard opacity increases for better visibility. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the keyboard visibility adaptive rather than static.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically adjusts keyboard opacity based on device orientation without requiring manual user intervention. The tilt sensor and opacity adjustment work together in a self-service manner, where the device itself determines the appropriate keyboard visibility based on its physical state, eliminating the need for users to manually balance keyboard visibility against content visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If the virtual keyboard is made fully visible to ensure ease of use, then character input is facilitated, but more on-screen space is occupied reducing content display area

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of character inputVSAvoiddisplay area for visual content

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The keyboard opacity is dynamically adjusted based on the detected tilt angle of the device. When the device is tilted, the keyboard opacity decreases to reveal more underlying content; when held flat, the keyboard opacity increases for better visibility. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the keyboard visibility adaptive rather than static.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The optical property (opacity) of the keyboard is changed as a parameter in response to device orientation. By modifying the opacity parameter based on tilt angle detection, the system balances keyboard visibility with underlying content visibility, resolving the information loss problem while maintaining input functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8941601B2Apparatus and associated methods

Publication Date: 2015.01.27 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

AI summary

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:detect an angle of tilt of a device comprising a touch-sensitive display, the touch-sensitive display configured to provide visual content associated with an application and a virtual keyboard for inputting characters in connection with the application, wherein the virtual keyboard is provided on top of the visual content; andadjust the opacity of the virtual keyboard according to the angle of tilt such that the underlying visual content is visible to a greater or lesser extent.