Virtual Keyboard Segmentation for Touch Input Adaptation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays face challenges in efficiently utilizing limited screen space for virtual keyboards, particularly in reducing size while maintaining user-friendly input options.
Innovation Solution
The method involves detecting multiple touches or gestures on the touch-sensitive display to dynamically split and resize a virtual keyboard into sections, allowing for customizable layout and positioning based on user input, such as thumb placement, to optimize keyboard arrangement within the available display area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the display size of portable electronic devices is reduced to improve portability, then the device becomes more portable, but the available screen space for virtual keyboards is reduced making input less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual keyboard is divided into multiple sections that can be independently positioned and sized. Each section contains a subset of keys, allowing the keyboard layout to be optimized for smaller displays while maintaining all necessary input functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The keyboard layout is made dynamic and adaptive, automatically adjusting the position and size of key sections based on the available display area, device orientation, and detected touch locations. This allows the same keyboard to efficiently utilize space across different device sizes and usage scenarios.
2Device complexity
If the virtual keyboard is displayed in a fixed layout, then the implementation is simple, but the keyboard does not adapt to different user preferences and device sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The keyboard system dynamically adjusts its layout based on multiple parameters including device size, orientation, and detected touch locations. The keyboard transitions from a static fixed layout to an adaptive configuration that optimizes key placement for different usage scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses touch location detection as feedback to automatically adjust keyboard positioning and sizing. By monitoring where users naturally touch the display, the keyboard adapts its layout to match actual usage patterns, improving both accessibility and efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the keyboard occupies the entire display area, then all keys are easily accessible, but other interface elements have limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The keyboard is segmented into multiple sections that can be strategically positioned to leave specific display areas free for other interface elements. This segmentation allows optimal distribution of screen real estate between keyboard and other UI components.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of displaying the complete keyboard layout at full size, the system displays only the necessary key sections in optimized positions, using partial keyboard display to maintain accessibility while preserving space for other interface elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes detecting a first touch at a first location, and a second touch at a second location, on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device. In response to detecting the first and second touches, a first section of a virtual keyboard having a first boundary associated with the first location and a second section of the virtual keyboard having a second boundary associated with the second location are displayed on the touch-sensitive display.