KR20050016691A - Automatically adaptable virtual keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a data processing device (100) that enables a user to enter text, the device comprising a contact sensitive member (200) arranged to serve as a virtual keyboard, the member contacting on the member. At least one contact sensor 160 for detecting the area of interest. The device also comprises key assignment means 110 for assigning at least two reference keys 220 of the virtual keyboard in response to the detection of the contacted area. The device includes at least one pressure sensor 170 that senses a finger 250 that causes a force on the contact sensitive member that is higher than another finger when two or more fingers are in contact with the member. Recognition of key hitting can be realized. The reference key may be reassigned upon detection of the user's request or a predetermined condition. The invention also relates to a method for allowing a user to enter text.

Description

Automatically adaptable virtual keyboard {AUTOMATICALLY ADAPTABLE VIRTUAL KEYBOARD}

The present invention relates to a data processing device that enables a user to enter text, the device comprising a touch sensing element arranged to act as a virtual keyboard, the element for detecting a contacted area on the element. At least one touch sensor.

The invention also relates to a method for enabling a user to enter text, comprising detecting a contacted area on a touch sensing element arranged to act as a virtual keyboard.

US 6,121,960 discloses a screen peripheral system comprising an input device activated by a contact for generating and displaying a composite image that is visible to the user. The composite image simultaneously contains at least one key, a representation of the Qwerty keyboard activating the input function and a main image provided by the computing device. The keyboard display is preferably placed on the main image. The letters of the keyboard itself, for example the letters associated with each key or zone, may be turned off if the user has for example remembered the keyboard layout. The keyboard can even be used without making it visible to the user who can type effectively without seeing the indication of the key / zone itself. In such a case, the user can only rely on his memory where the keyboard is located, thus causing many problems. After typing for some time on such a screen, the user is likely to make a lot of mistakes by pressing keys that cannot find the desired key or see the wrong key. If the user removes his hand from the screen, he can easily forget the position of the invisible keyboard on the screen. If the user is presented with an indication of the keyboard, he must keep an eye on the screen to ensure correct typing.

1 is a functional block diagram of a data processing device suitable for implementing the present invention.

2 illustrates one embodiment of a virtual keyboard with keys assigned on a contact sensitive member of a data processing device according to the present invention.

3 illustrates one embodiment of a virtual keyboard with two groups of assigned keys having different orientations on the contact sensitive member.

4 illustrates one embodiment of a method for allowing a user to enter text.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a kind of data processing device defined in the preamble in which the user can enter characters in an improved and more user friendly manner, which does not include the drawbacks of the prior art.

This object is realized with a device comprising key assignment means for assigning at least two keys of a virtual keyboard to each zone on the member in response to the detection of the contacted zone.

Whenever the user wants to use the virtual keyboard to enter characters, the touch sensitive member is touched with the user's finger. The contact sensitive member senses the area on the contacted member with a finger. The virtual keyboard may have a reference key, for example a key that serves as a reference when typing, such as the "F" and "J" keys on a standard Qwerty keyboard. If a finger is detected in contact with the member, the key assignment means assigns at least two reference keys to the detected zone. Therefore, the device “knows” where the reference keys of the virtual keyboard are located on the contact sensitive member and what the function of the reference keys is. It is an advantage of the present invention that the user can define the position of the reference keys on the contact member according to their preference.

The layout of the virtual keyboard, such as Qwerty, German Qwertz, French Azerty, etc., may be predetermined in such a device such that the position and function of the keys in addition to the reference keys are known for the reference keys. The size, shape, etc. of the keys may also be known. Therefore, the areas on the contact sensitive member according to the non-reference keys can be determined. The key assignment means can assign keys other than the reference keys to the corresponding zones on the member. In that way, the position of all the keys of the virtual keyboard on the contact sensitive member, the corresponding zone, is known. It is an advantage of the present invention that the user himself sets the position of the virtual keyboard on the touch sensitive member. The position of the key is related to the position of the reference key, not the edge, shape, shape, etc. of the contact sensitive member.

The user can use the device according to the invention in different ways. The touch sensitive member may also include display means known in the prior art, known as a touch-sensitive screen, arranged to display an indication of at least one reference key and / or other key of the virtual keyboard. Some users may type without looking at the keyboard and with two or more fingers, for example with ten fingers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved means for recognizing key strokes of a virtual keyboard. This object is also realized with a data processing device comprising at least one pressure sensor for sensing the force of at least one finger on the contact sensitive member. Using the pressure sensor, when two or more fingers are in contact with the member, a finger exerting a stronger force on the contact sensitive member than other fingers can be identified. The device comprises key strike recognizing means arranged to recognize key strikes, for example by analyzing the relative position of the zones in contact with the greater force with respect to the position of at least one other zone in contact with the smaller force. . Only this relative position needs to be known, and the absolute position of the fingers does not necessarily have to be determined. In fact, if the key corresponding to the relative position and the position of the fingers generating the small force is known, the key corresponding to the area contacted by the finger generating the large force can be found as the position of all the keys as described above. As such, it can be easily determined. The key corresponding to the location of the low force fingers can be known, for example when the low force fingers are located on the reference key region of the contact sensitive member. The user can type “blindly” using the known ten finger method.

According to another aspect of the invention, the data processing device may comprise key correction means for correcting the position of the at least one reference key by repeatedly assigning at least one reference key. That is, when one or more reference keys have been detected, for example, from the at least one reference key, the position of the user's finger which causes a smaller force on the touch sensitive screen is substantially changed, so that the user's request will be reinstated upon request. Can be assigned. Therefore, a new position of the virtual keyboard on the contact sensitive member is determined, and the user can start using the keyboard at the new position on the member.

The object of the invention is also realized in a method, which allows a user to enter characters, comprising assigning at least two reference keys of the virtual keyboard in response to the detection of the contacted area. This method describes the operation of the data processing device of the present invention.

These and other aspects of the invention will be more apparent and described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same or corresponding components.

Referring to FIG. 1, an example of a hardware implementation of a data processing device 100 in accordance with the present invention is shown. The device comprises a microcontroller 110 having an input / output function 120, through which the contact sensor 160, optional pressure sensor 170 and display means 150. ) Is interfaced to the microcontroller. The contact sensor 160 and the pressure sensor 170 may be used as an overlay on the display means 150 as known from the prior art. The contact sensor, the pressure sensor and the display means may also be items that are not repeated if provided by the same device. The microcontroller 110 has a built-in random access memory 130 and a built-in read only memory 140 used for program storage. When the program stored in the memory 140 is executed, the microcontroller 110 will function as described later. The block in FIG. 1 is known in the art and is not further described herein. Device 100 may have other means known to those skilled in the art.

According to the present invention, the device 100 allows a user to use a virtual keyboard to enter text. The keyboard is not provided visually but is made possible by a contact pad and a touch sensitive member comprising a touch sensor. When a user wishes to use a contact pad as a virtual keyboard, the user may simply place at least two fingers on a pad in a position where the user can otherwise type or use, which is illustrated with reference to FIG. 2. Therefore, the device may sense the user's finger at the "reference location" and the contact zones on the pad 200, and the number of such contact zones may correspond to the number of fingers of the user. These areas on the pad 200 are detected by the contact sensor 160. Preferably, the user contacts the pad 200 with at least two fingers such that at least two contact zones are detected. The microcontroller 110 is arranged to function as a key assignment means for assigning reference keys of the virtual keyboard to the detected contact zones, where the number of keys may be equal to the number of detected zones. At least some keys of the virtual keyboard are given some functions so that the user can realize the desired input by using these keys. The virtual keyboard may have a predetermined layout, such as Qwerty, German Qwertz, French Azerty, etc., which define the location, size and function of each key of the keyboard. Many alternative layouts of keyboards are also known. For example, the "Dvorak" keyboard layout and the "Darwin" keyboard layout are ergonomic alternatives to typewriters and layouts commonly found on computers known as "Qwerty." Keyboard layout may also vary in different countries.

The contact sensors of the contact pads 200 may be arranged as an array of sensors that detect contact. The resolution of the arrangement need not be very high, but should be sufficient for the purpose of detecting touch with acceptable accuracy. The arrangement of sensors can be arranged to determine a finger-mark 210 that is a parameter of the area on the pad that is touched by the finger. The parameter may be the physical size of the zone, such as width, length, shape, square area, or the like. Such measurement of the finger-mark region can determine the size of the reference key 220 which is convenient enough for use by a particular user. The width of the key can be variable for more efficient use. The width may be determined according to the magnitude of the distance between the detected finger mark and / or the detected finger.

As an example, the size of the reference key may be proportional to the size of the finger mark. Clearly, the area of the key 220 should not be smaller than the area 210 of the detected finger mark. If the size of the reference key is found, the area of each reference key is determined on the pad. Preferably, the area of the key substantially covers the area of the corresponding finger mark on the pad, whereas the position of the reference keys relative to each other depends on the predetermined layout. The memory 140 may store different keyboard layouts having only different types of keys or reference keys. For example, a keyboard layout with keys in the form of rectangles, circles, rectangles with rounded corners, ellipses, etc. may be predetermined and stored. The shape of the key may depend on the shape of the detected finger mark. Further details regarding assigning the reference key to the detected contact zones will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Keys of the keyboard other than the reference key can be easily assigned on the contact pad when the reference key has already been assigned by the key assignment means, and the layout of the virtual keyboard to be used is known. Once the layout is selected, the size, position, etc. of the keys relative to each other are also known. For example, according to one layout of the keyboard, the height of all keys must be the same, so if the height of the reference key is determined, the size of the other keys is also known. The size and height of the other key may depend on the distance between the size and the reference key. That is, the size of the other key may be made at a constant proportional to the size of the reference key.

The virtual keyboard can have a Qwerty layout and can be adapted to ten finger typing, where four fingers are placed on the right reference key and four fingers are placed on the left reference key.

In some cases, the vertical distance between the keys should be determined in such a way that the keyboard is conveniently used by the user. In such a case, the size of the finger mark of the user's thumb can also be determined by the contact sensor when a thumb in contact with the pad is detected. The keys of the keyboard can be assigned in such a way that the thumb is found in a position that is standard for a given keyboard layout, and the size of the keys is made in a constant proportion. For example, the user's thumb's standard position for blind typing on the Qwerty keyboard is above the "space bar."

Currently, various ergonomic keyboards are known that can be arranged in different ways. The keyboard can be divided into sections, for example with alphanumeric and cursor keys or with left and right alpha keys and 10-keys. These sections can be separated for each hand to reduce muscle tension in the user's shoulders and arms. The keyboard may be split into two parts arranged in any order in which the user wishes the hands to be held in their natural position. 3 shows such a keyboard having two groups of keys 310, 320, ie, the keyboard is split into two half-keyboards. For example, a group of keys of two half keyboards can be tilted to any position as a whole. Each group of keys may have at least one reference key. The forked keyboard may be adjusted to have different orientations on the contact pads and inclined at any angle depending on the position of the reference key 220. Alternately, the position of the reference key is determined by the position of the user's finger 210 when detected by the contact sensor 160. The order of the keypads can be changed. The distance between the parts of the split keyboard may be adjusted as desired by the user. The left and right key groups 310 and 320 may be symmetrical with respect to each other. Therefore, a split keyboard adapted to the user's preferences reduces the lateral deflection of the hands and is matched with the natural angles of the hands and arms, greatly reducing forearm tension and positively affecting the user. Generally speaking, the layout of the keyboard may vary to match the layout of the user's hand.

According to another aspect of the invention, the device 100 has a pressure sensor 170 for sensing the force of the finger of at least one user on the contact sensitive member 200. The pressure sensor can identify a finger 250 that causes a force on the contact sensitive member that is higher than other fingers when two or more fingers are in contact with the member. Therefore, the finger 250 causing the high force and the other finger pressing on the contact member with the low force can be distinguished. Thus, the slap of the finger with high force is identified. However, the key corresponding to this hit may still need to be determined. The microcontroller 110 may serve as a key hit recognition means for recognizing a key hit. One way of recognizing key strikes is to analyze the relative position of the zone 260 contacted with the higher force with respect to the location of at least one other zone that is contacted with the lower force. That is, the key strike can be recognized by analyzing the relative position of the high force finger relative to the position of the low force finger. For example, the microcontroller determines the relative position of the zone 260 in contact with the high force finger 250 relative to the reference zone 220 and the key assigned by the key assignment means for the zone 260. Search for. Thus, the user is assured of the correct recognition of the keys of the virtual keyboard he uses. A virtual keyboard having the advantages of the present invention is also convenient for typing with ten fingers.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the microcontroller 110 may serve as a key correction means for correcting the position of the at least one reference key by repeatedly assigning at least one reference key. Position correction of the virtual keyboard may be necessary, for example, when the user's finger starts shifting from the corresponding reference zone, when the user wants to change the position of the virtual keyboard on the contact sensitive member, and the like. The user can manually activate the function of correcting the keyboard position, for example by pressing a key or a combination of keys on the keyboard. Alternatively, the function can be detected automatically, for example, by detecting a substantial change in the position of one or more fingers causing a lower force on the touch sensitive screen from at least one reference key or the like.

The invention as described above does not show the user any visual representation associated with the virtual keyboard that should not be understood as a limitation of the invention.

In one of the embodiments of the invention, the device 100 may comprise display means 150 arranged to display a representation of at least one reference key and / or other key of the virtual keyboard. Many techniques are known for fabricating touch screens including touch sensors and display screens. Such a display may be useful to the user in many situations, especially when the user wants to see the area where the keys of the virtual keyboard are assigned. As another example, the reference key area or all key areas of the keyboard are highlighted on the screen when the user's finger is detected. Thus, the user can see how the keyboard is assigned on the screen and the like. Such a representation can be displayed permanently or only for a certain time after the assignment of the keyboard. Characters entered by the user can also be shown on the display screen as known in the art. In one embodiment, the key may be shown to be color-coded according to its frequency of use by the user.

In fact, the touch pad can be used in mouse mode as well as a virtual keyboard. The device 100 may enter a typing mode when a plurality of fingers are in contact with the contact sensitive member, or a pointing mode when detecting a pointing finger on the contact sensitive member, that is, a default mode. It may be arranged to serve as a mode.

In some cases, the contact sensitive member may have a flat surface. In one of the embodiments of the present invention, an additional pad is provided on top of the contact sensitive member to prevent the user's finger from moving from the corresponding area on the contact sensitive member. The pad can be made of any material that avoids slipping of the pad on the contact member. The further member may be made of a transparent material. If the user changes the position of the virtual keyboard on the touch sensitive member, the user can also continue to move the additional pad. The virtual keyboard is not dependent on the position of the additional pad, and the additional pad may only help the user to have some apparent uneven surface on top of the touch sensitive member. The pad may be in some places, for example rectangular, circular, etc., and may have small protrusions, depressions, rough edges, and the like. Of course, the additional pads should not interfere with the use of the touch sensitive member provided with the virtual keyboard according to the invention.

4 shows one embodiment of a method according to the invention, which describes the operation of the device. In step 400, it is determined whether the user wants to use the virtual keyboard to enter characters. If so, the user places his finger over the contact sensitive member and in step 410 a reference key is identified and assigned as described above. If the location of the reference key is known, another key of the keyboard is assigned at step 420. The method also includes a step 430 of identifying a finger in contact with the contact member with a higher force than the other finger. The key strike is then recognized and the device identifies at step 440 which key on the keyboard was pressed. Upon recognizing the touched key, the device may further perform a function, action or other action as known in the art. In step 450, another strike may be detected, and steps 430 and 440 may be repeated. If the next strike is not detected, for example during a predetermined time period, another step is performed, such as disabling the virtual keyboard at the expiration of a certain time period, or switching to another functional mode of the device, such as mouse mode. Can be.

Various program products may implement the functions and methods of the systems of the present invention, may be combined in several ways with hardware and located on different devices. Modifications and variations of the embodiments described above are possible within the scope of the inventive concept. Thus, for example, the verb 'comprises' and its conjugation do not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those defined in the claims. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several individual elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied in one and the same item of hardware.

'Computer program' is to be understood as meaning any software product that is stored on a computer readable medium, such as a floppy disk, can be downloaded over a network such as the Internet, or marketable in any other way. .

The present invention is applicable to a data processing device that allows a user to enter text.

Claims (19)

A data processing device that enables a user to enter text, comprising: a touch sensitive member disposed to serve as a virtual keyboard, the member including at least one touch sensor for detecting a contacted area on the member As a processing device, And key assignment means for assigning at least two reference keys of the virtual keyboard to each zone on the member in response to the detection of the contacted zone. A data processing device according to claim 1, wherein said key assignment means is further arranged to assign another key of said virtual keyboard on a contact sensitive member upon assignment of said reference key. The contact sensitive member according to claim 1, wherein said at least one touch sensor is further arranged to determine a parameter of said each contacted zone, said key assignment means being dependent on said parameter of said each detected zone. A data processing device arranged to assign a reference key having a certain size and / or shape on the screen. 4. The apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the key assignment means assigns the other key having a constant size and / or shape on the contact sensitive member or on the assigned reference dependent on the parameter of each detected zone. A data processing device arranged to assign a character to the size and / or shape of a key. The user according to claim 1, wherein the key assignment means is arranged to assign four or eight reference keys upon detecting four fingers of the user's left hand and / or four fingers of the right hand that are in contact with the contact sensitive member. A data processing device that allows characters to enter characters. The data processing device of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard has a QWERTY-type layout. 3. The virtual keyboard according to claim 2, wherein the virtual keyboard has at least two groups of keys, and a key of each group including at least one reference key is assigned to the detected zone by the key assignment means, and the keys of the group. Wherein the other key is assigned upon assignment of at least one reference key of the keys of the group. 8. The data processing device of claim 7, wherein the keys of the group may have different orientations on the touch sensing member when the keys of the group are assigned. The data processing device of claim 1, further comprising at least one pressure sensor for sensing a force of at least one finger on the contact sensitive member. The user of claim 9, wherein the at least one pressure sensor is arranged to identify a finger that, when two or more fingers contact the member, causes a force on the contact sensitive member that is higher than another finger. A data processing device that enables it. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising key strike recognition means arranged to recognize key strikes by analyzing the relative position of the contacted zone with a higher force relative to the position of at least one other zone that is contacted with a lower force. A data processing device that enables a user to enter characters. 12. A data processing device according to any one of claims 1, 10 or 11, wherein the zone touched by the other finger corresponds to the reference key. 2. The data processing device of claim 1, further comprising key correction means for correcting the position of the at least one reference key by repeatedly assigning the at least one reference key. 14. A data processing device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein said key correction means acts upon detecting a substantial position change of at least one of said other fingers. The user of claim 1, wherein the contact sensitive member further comprises display means arranged to display an indication of at least one reference key and / or another key of the virtual keyboard. Data processing device that allows input. A method for enabling a user to enter text, the method comprising detecting a contacted area on a contact sensitive member disposed to serve as a virtual keyboard, the method comprising: Assigning at least two reference keys of the virtual keyboard to each zone on the member in response to the detection of the contacted zone. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising assigning another key of the virtual keyboard on the contact sensitive member upon assigning the reference key. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: sensing a force of at least one finger on the contact sensitive member, Identifying a finger that, when two or more fingers contact the member, causes a force on the contact sensitive member that is higher than the other finger; and Recognizing a key stroke by analyzing the relative position of the region contacted with the higher force relative to the position of the at least one other region contacted with the lower force, the user may enter a character. How to be. A computer program product, which, when executing the computer program product, enables a programmable device to act as a device as described in claim 1.