Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Including keyboard
Utility Patent
1998-08-13
2001-01-02
Hjerpe, Richard A. (Department: 2774)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Including keyboard
C345S182000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S173000, C345S215000, C341S022000
Utility Patent
active
06169538
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for implementing a graphical user interface keyboard and a text buffer on electronic devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many small hand-held devices that require data entry rely on a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard. Users typically select the keys of the GUI keyboard using a pointer, such as a stylus or a pen. One difficulty with such an approach is that each key on the GUI keyboard is very small since the whole device itself is small. For such keyboards, positioning the pointer accurately on the desired key is difficult. Moreover, identifying the character selected is difficult because the pointer obscures the character identified on the key.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, one solution to prevent the user from selecting and entering an incorrect character into a text buffer is to highlight the selected key upon pointer-down (i.e., when the pointer first touches the GUI keyboard). If the highlighted key corresponds to the correct character, the pointer is lifted from the GUI keyboard (pointer-up) and the character that corresponds to the highlighted key is entered into the text buffer.
If, however, the highlighted key that was selected upon pointer-down does not correspond to the correct character, the user has to either i) enter the incorrect character into the text buffer and subsequently edit the character by attempting to re-position the pointer accurately on the key that corresponds to the correct character upon pointer-down; or ii) move the pointer beyond the highlighted key to prevent from entering the incorrect character into the text buffer, thus adding nothing to the text buffer.
A problem with this method is that it still requires the user to position the pointer accurately on the key that corresponds to the correct character upon pointer-down in order to enter the correct character into the text buffer. In this method, a character is only entered into the text buffer if the pointer is lifted from the key that was selected upon pointer-down.
Another solution to prevent the user from selecting and entering the incorrect character into the text buffer is to magnify the character that corresponds to the key selected by the pointer. In this process, once a key is selected, its corresponding character is magnified. Such a magnification allows a user to identify the character that corresponds to the key that was selected before the character is entered into the text buffer. If the character that is magnified is incorrect, the user can select another key by moving the pointer across the GUI keyboard to the correct character. After the correct character is magnified, however, the user is required to “double-tap” on its corresponding key in order to enter the correct character into the text buffer.
One problem with this method, however, is that since the device is small, the pointer may also cover the magnified character, thus making it difficult to identify the character that corresponds to the key that was selected even though the character is magnified. Another problem with this method is that even if the magnified character is identifiable, the user is required to “double-tap” on its corresponding key before the character is entered in the text buffer. Such a selection method still requires the user to position the pointer accurately on the key that corresponds to the correct character upon pointer-down.
Thus, a need exists or providing a method and apparatus that easily identifies an active character in an area on the GUI that is not obscured by the pointer, allows subsequent characters to become active after pointer-down and accepts a character as a text character without requiring the pointer to be positioned accurately on the key that corresponds to the accepted character upon pointer-down.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5748512 (1998-05-01), Vargas
patent: 5818451 (1998-10-01), Bertram et al.
patent: 6054990 (2000-04-01), Tran
patent: 6094197 (2000-07-01), Buxton et al.
Nowlan Steven
Parthasarathy Kannan
Rawlins Sheridan
Bose Romi N.
Hjerpe Richard A.
Hughes Terri S.
Motorola Inc.
Nguyen Francis
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for implementing a graphical user... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for implementing a graphical user..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for implementing a graphical user... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2538833