Virtual Keyboard Key Resizing via Device Tilt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays face challenges in user input due to limited space, leading to typographical errors and difficulty in accessing keys, especially when used with one hand.
Innovation Solution
The method involves detecting the tilt of a portable electronic device and associating it with a keyboard transformation function to resize keys, either by increasing the size of keys on one side and decreasing on the other, or by grouping and uniformly resizing keys, to simulate a gravity effect and facilitate easier one-handed operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the keyboard is displayed in a standard layout with uniform key sizes, then the keyboard fits within the limited display space, but the keys become difficult to access and increase typographical errors when using one hand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different regions of the keyboard have different key sizes. Specifically, keys in the thumb-reachable region (typically the lower half or bottom row) are enlarged to facilitate easy access, while keys in other regions maintain standard or reduced sizes. This non-uniform distribution optimizes one-handed operation without requiring the entire display area to be dedicated to large keys.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements asymmetry by creating an asymmetric keyboard layout where the distribution of key sizes is intentionally unbalanced. The enlarged keys are concentrated in specific zones (such as the bottom or lower-middle portion) that correspond to thumb reachability, while the upper portions maintain smaller keys. This asymmetric arrangement solves the contradiction by prioritizing ease of operation in the most frequently accessed regions while preserving overall display space efficiency.
2Reliability
If the key size is increased to reduce typographical errors, then key accessibility improves, but the number of keys that can be displayed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively enlarging only the keys that are most critical for one-handed operation and most frequently accessed by the thumb. Rather than uniformly increasing all key sizes, the invention creates a gradient or zoned approach where key size varies by location, ensuring that reliability is improved in the most important regions while maintaining adequate key coverage across the entire keyboard.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the contradiction by transitioning from a uniform key size approach to a dimensional variation approach, where key size becomes a variable dimension rather than a constant. By introducing size variation across the keyboard plane, the system can prioritize larger keys for thumb-accessible regions while keeping smaller keys in less frequently accessed areas, thus maintaining both input accuracy and comprehensive key availability.
3Ease of operation
If the keyboard layout is modified to facilitate one-handed operation, then ease of use improves, but the keyboard complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing a zoned or regional approach to key sizing, where the keyboard is divided into distinct areas (such as thumb zone, index finger zone, etc.) with different key size characteristics. This creates a structured complexity rather than random variation, making the layout systematically optimized for one-handed operation while remaining relatively simple to implement and understand.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method includes displaying a keyboard on a display of an electronic device, detecting a tilt of the device, and when the detected tilt is associated with a keyboard transformation function, resizing one or keys of the keyboard.