Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer-usable medium for implementing a virtual keyboard for use with small input devices. A circular keyboard can be graphically displayed, in response to a user input by a user via a small input device. A circular and centrally located key can be graphically located and displayed within the center of the circular keyboard, wherein character keys radiate outward from the centrally located key (i.e., the “central key”). Character keys that are most commonly utilized by the user are preferably located closed to the circular and centrally located key within the circular keyboard. Character keys least commonly utilized by the user are preferably located at the edges of the keyboard, thereby permitting the circular keyboard to function as a self-adapting virtual keyboard for use with small input devices based on the usage of the keyboard by the user.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for performing functions associated with a non-functional key of a keyboard present on electronic devices such as cell-phones, telephones, ATMs, etc. The electronic device is operated in a non-functional key (NFK) coding mode using NFK codes (108) that are provided to a memory component (202) of the electronic device (102). In the NFK coding mode, a user is allowed to enter functional keys in a coded sequence. Based on the NFK codes (108), the coded sequence is used to identify a function associated with a non-functional key of the keyboard and the identified function is indicated to a processor (204) of the electronic device (102) for execution.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for facilitating the creation of electronic content on an editing canvas are disclosed. One example involves displaying an editing canvas on a touch screen of an electronic device, displaying a touch block object overlaying a portion of the editing canvas, wherein the touch block object blocks unintentional touches in an area of the touch screen associated with the touch block object, and changing a position of the touch block object with respect to the editing canvas responsive to receiving touch input on the touch screen to change the position of the touch block object. The touch block object may provide easy and convenient access to one or more editing tools or other feature for editing content on the canvas.

Abstract: Techniques for preventing typographical errors on digital soft keyboards are implemented by a computing device with a touch-screen display. According to one technique, a plurality of soft keys of a soft keyboard is displayed on the touch-screen display. Each soft key covers an area of the touch-screen display. One or more occurrences of a particular typographical error in which a user erroneously selects an adjacent soft key in addition to or instead of an intended soft key are detected. In response, an activation region of the intended soft key is changed to decrease the probability of the user making the same typographical error in the future.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, a computer program product, and a data processing system display a user-defined email preview within a mail folder of an email client. A user can enter a user-defined preview text into a preview field associated with a particular email. When a preview of the email is shown in a mail folder, the user-defined preview text is shown as the email preview instead of a truncated portion of the email body.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention pertains to debugging program code associated with graphical objects, wherein the code responds to events of user interactions with the object. A menu is generated that includes user interaction events, and an associated program window is adapted to present the menu to a user when requested, wherein the user can select user interaction events from the menu. For each selected event, the method identifies a component of the program code that is responsive to that selected event. The method further includes setting a breakpoint in the program code in selected relationship with each identified program code component, wherein the subsequent occurrence of one of the selected user interaction events triggers a corresponding one of the breakpoints.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments disclose enabling a user to invoke a function via a shortcut key in a multi-window computing environment by a software component executing on the computer. The exemplary embodiments include displaying, by a software component executing on a processor of a computer, a menu that lists functions invoked in different windows by the shortcut key; receiving a user entered selection of a priority for each of the functions to create a ranked menu of functions for the shortcut key; and responsive to detecting an entering of the shortcut key via a keyboard by a user, selectively invoking one of functions listed in the shortcut key menu regardless of which window is currently active based on the priority of the functions and a number of times the shortcut key is entered.

Abstract: The present invention provides an LED illuminated keyboard, which controls LED components with specific color hues to illuminate by pressing a specific key. The LED illuminated keyboard according to the present invention merely uses a micro control unit (MCU) commonly used in a keyboard of a computer, and connects switch circuits capable of controlling the LED components with the specific color hues to an output terminal of a GPIO of the MCU, to make a plurality of keys of the keyboard illuminate with multiple color hues. Therefore, the LED illuminated keyboard according to the present invention brings in advantages of low cost and easy use.

Abstract: A system for, and a method of, configuring an electro-optical reader as a keyboard device having a selected keyboard layout containing keyboard layout data, encode each of a plurality of configuration symbols with a symbol sequence number, a total number of the configuration symbols, and a fractional amount of the keyboard layout data. During a configuration procedure, all the configuration symbols are electro-optically scanned and decoded, and the symbol sequence number, the total number of the configuration symbols, and the fractional amount of the keyboard layout data are extracted for each configuration symbol. The keyboard layout data for all the configuration symbols are linked in a sequence determined by each symbol sequence number and the total number of the configuration symbols. All the keyboard layout data is processed to configure the reader during the configuration procedure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provides a user interface with respect to a plurality of applications and includes storing operation information regarding common operations performed in the plurality of applications of a device, generating a function window for performing at least one operation performed in the plurality of applications based on the stored operation information, and displaying the generated function window.

Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of a plurality of consumer electronic devices by displaying a plurality of broadcast channel identifiers each corresponding to a broadcast channel in a display of a controlling device adapted to command at least channel tuning operations of the plurality of consumer electronic devices. Input is accepted into the controlling device that functions to designate one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers and the controlling device uses the designation of the one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers to cause a transmission of a wireless signal from the controlling device to a one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to thereby cause the one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to tune to the broadcast channel corresponding to the designated one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers.

Abstract: Key-input mechanisms are disclosed. An example mechanism includes an arced, resilient keycap, the arc of the keycap having a first central arc angle when un-pressed. The keycap is configured to, when pressed, deform so as to have a second central arc angle, the first central arc angle being greater than the second central arc angle. The keycap is further configured to, when released after being pressed, return to its un-pressed shape having the first central arc angle. The key input mechanism further includes a switch disposed under the keycap. The switch is configured to, when the keycap is pressed, electrically couple two or more circuit traces to indicate a keystroke for the key input mechanism. The switch is further configured to, when the keycap is released, electrically decouple the two or more circuit traces to indicate that the keystroke for the key input mechanism is complete.

Abstract: A man/machine dialogue system including: an RFID read/write station including a data processor; an antenna that is magnetically connected or coupled with the read/write station; and a man/machine dialogue member including a man/machine dialogue interface and an electronic tag. The electronic tag includes an internal memory and a processor and is positioned so as to be supplied with power, via magnetic coupling, by the read/write station and so as to be in contactless communication, via magnetic coupling, with the read/write station.

Abstract: A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with a disambiguation routine that is operable to disambiguate text input. In addition to identifying and outputting representations of language objects that are stored in the memory and that correspond with a text input, the device is able to perform a spell check routine during input of a text entry and to learn and automatically correct mistakes typically made by the particular user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus which improves QWER-sive text input into an information handling system by gestures on or above a keyboard layout. It is known that languages have a characteristic frequency at which characters will appear. Relying upon such characteristics, a keyboard layout is generated in such a way that the area allocated to individual characters varies among the character set with larger areas being assigned to characters more likely to be used in a language selected by a user. Such enlargement of areas of response may either be visible to the user or concealed, in which latter case all of the individual characters appear to have been allocated areas of the same size.

Abstract: A pin entry device is described. The pin entry device has a plurality of push keys arranged to allow a user to input a pin code, a plurality of value indicators associated with the plurality of push keys, each value indicator being controllable to indicate a value of the associated push key to the user in dependence on a value assignment signal, and a key value controller arranged to dynamically generate a value assignment signal representing an assignment of a plurality of values to the plurality of push keys and provide the value assignment signal to the plurality of value indicators. A user identification terminal having such pin entry device is described, as well as a method of obtaining a pin code using such pin entry device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for intelligent language models that can be used across multiple devices are provided. Some embodiments provide for a client-server system for integrating change events from each device running a local language processing system into a master language model. The change events can be integrated, not only into the master model, but also into each of the other local language models. As a result, some embodiments enable restoration to new devices as well as synchronization of usage across multiple devices. In addition, real-time messaging can be used on selected messages to ensure that high priority change events are updated quickly across all active devices. Using a subscription model driven by a server infrastructure, utilization logic on the client side can also drive selective language model updates.

Abstract: A keyboard includes a plurality of key tops having areas where light is transmitted; a gear link part provided below the key top and configured to vertically move the key top, a housing part provided below the key top, the housing part being configured to hold the gear link part; a rubber actuator configured to provide a reaction force based on vertical motion of the key top; a membrane sheet provided below the rubber actuator and having a contact, the contact being configured to open and close based on the vertical motion of the key top; a support panel provided below the membrane sheet, the support panel being configured to fix the gear link part with the housing part; a light guide plate provided below the support panel; and a light emitting diode configured to emit the light to a side surface of the light guide plate.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus, an input-mode adjustment method, and an input-mode adjustment program capable of allowing a user to input intended information are provided. The information processing apparatus determines whether the number of repetitions of deletion operation on information, such as a character string, is greater than a predetermined deletion operation threshold. When the number of deletion operations is greater than the deletion operation threshold, the information processing apparatus determines that a current input mode is not desired by a user, and changes the input mode.

Abstract: A data entry device including a housing including a top housing portion including key apertures, a plurality of data entry keys mounted in the housing to have data entry key depression travel paths in the housing, the plurality of data entry keys being associated with a substrate, which is disposed below the top housing portion and anti-tampering electrical conductors arranged between the top housing portion and the substrate thereby to prevent unauthorized access to the substrate.

Abstract: A portable terminal includes a finger sensor that recognizes, in response to contact of a finger, the contact and a movement of the finger; and a conversion unit that converts the movement of the finger recognized by the finger sensor into an input event corresponding to an operation instruction to an application running on the portable terminal. If a period of time from recognition of release of the finger from the finger sensor to recognition of placement of the finger on the finger sensor is less than a predetermined amount of time corresponding to physical limitations of a human, the conversion unit does not convert to the input event the recognition of placement of the finger, and recognition of a movement of the finger until recognition of release of the finger after the recognition of placement of the finger.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing key control includes an integrated circuit (IC) arranged to detect a key press according to some input/output signals of a key matrix, where the input/output signals include first input/output signals corresponding to a first direction and second input/output signals corresponding to a second direction. In addition, the IC includes a plurality of first pins and a plurality of second pins, for transmitting the first and the second input/output signals, respectively. In particular, during the detection of the key press, the IC controls at least one first pin of the first pins to be in an output mode and controls the second pins to be in an input mode in a first time period, and controls at least one second pin of the second pins to be in an output mode and controls the first pins to be in an input mode in a second time period.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for selecting a remote controlled device to be controlled from among a plurality of remote controllable devices. The system includes an electronic device having a registration interface configured to register device data corresponding to the plurality of remote controllable devices, a position locator configured to determine position data corresponding to a position of the electronic device, and an orientation interface configured to receive orientation data corresponding to an orientation of a user. A controller is configured to select the remote controlled device based on the device data, the position data, and the orientation data. The plurality of remote controllable devices each may include a respective data source configured to provide the device data, and a headset may be configured to generate the orientation data.

Abstract: A hand-held electronic device has a keyboard with a plurality of keys, each key having a substantially flat contact surface extending to the sides of each key. One of the sides of the key is beveled.

Abstract: A character input device of the present invention includes a skill estimation unit that estimates the skill of a user in character input operation, based on the history of key operation by the user. In this character input device, a determination period for determining an input character being selected by a character input interface unit is increased or decreased, according to the skill estimated by the skill estimation unit. The character input interface unit selects the character based on the number of times at which a same key has been depressed, and judges whether or not the determination operation of the character has been performed, based on the determination period.

Abstract: A keyboard for entry of text characters is described. The keyboard comprises: a plurality of keys and a processing means for detecting when at least one of the plurality of keys is pressed. Each of the plurality of keys has an indicia marked on its surface. When the processor detects that two or more of the plurality of keys have been pressed within a predetermined time period of each other, data corresponding to a text character visually resembling the combination of the indicia marked on the two or more of the plurality of keys is output. A corresponding method of text entry is also described. The output from the keyboard visually resembles the combination of the indicia on the keys. This enables a user to use the keyboard without requiring special training, or to learn particular key combinations.

Abstract: A codeset database for a universal remote control device includes a device index table, a key index table, protocol tables, and a set of keycode data structures. A keycode data structure includes a plurality of keycode data structure pointers (KDSPs) and one or more optional keycodes. In a star linking method, a keycode data structure is linked to multiple keycode data structures by pointing to those keycode data structures using multiple KDSPs. In a cluster linking method, a keycode data structure is linked to multiple keycode data structures by being pointed by those keycode data structures. A keycode data structure may not contain any actual keycodes, but a plurality of keycode data structure pointers and other information. A special value inside the keycode data structure is used to indicate whether and how keycode data structures are linked together.

Abstract: A system and method of selecting a letter for display in a communication device having a display and a reduced-key keyboard is provided. One of the plurality of keys on the reduced-key keyboard is selected and a default letter associated with the selected key is displayed. A backspace key is selected to display a cursor in the position of the default letter on the display. The key associated with the default letter is selected again and an alternate letter associated with the selected key is displayed in place of the default letter.

Abstract: A data input system and method utilize a keyboard including a first keypad having at least five keys and a second keypad having at least five keys. With the at least ten keys of the first and second keypads, at least twenty-five two-key combinations including one key from each of the first and second keypads are established, where the two-key combinations each represent characters. Additionally, at least twenty chord combinations including multiple keys from the first keypad and multiple keys from the second keypad are established, where the chord combinations each represent special characters and commands.

Abstract: A character and function key input device comprises: a character button unit having character buttons, each of which is assigned to one or more characters of one or more languages or function key elements; a forward button which converts the character or function key element selected from among the characters or the function key elements into characters or function key elements assigned to the selected button or adjacent button in accordance with the dictionary order; and a backward button which converts the character or function key element selected from among the characters or the function key elements into characters or function key elements assigned to the selected button or adjacent button in accordance with the dictionary order, wherein said one or more characters or function key elements assigned to the character buttons are disposed adjacently to one other in the dictionary order, and the character or the function key element having the highest use frequency is used as a basic value.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and program storage device are provided for preventing inadvertent inputs from a user while utilizing an electronic device having multiple user input devices. The instant invention broadly contemplates prioritizing an input device to the exclusion of other input devices available to the user based upon an intelligently designed prioritization scheme. The prioritization scheme disables the other input devices for a period of time to permit the user to provide inputs from a prioritized user input device.

Abstract: A method and system for mapping characters of an input device of a computing device to fingerline positions of a user. The method includes embedding at least one character corresponding to the input device of the computing device to a fingerline position, The method also includes registering a character corresponding to the input device of the computing device using a designated registration fingerline position, wherein the designated registration fingerline position does not have any characters embedded thereto.

Abstract: A keypad for a wireless device is disclosed. The keypad comprises one or more key stems, each key stem having an upper key stem surface. The keypad also comprises one or more keycaps configured to be mounted over the one or more key stems, each keycap having a lower keycap surface for bonding to the upper key stem surface of each key stem with adhesive. The upper key stem surface includes at least one depression and at least one groove along a perimeter of the upper key stem surface. The depression and groove can help reduce the risk of adhesive flow to undesirable areas.

Abstract: A compact input device for fast text input. Ten perimeter regions are defined in a decagon shaped ring on a touch pad, and nine more center regions arranged in a 3 by 3 matrix are defined at the center of the perimeter regions. In alphanumeric mode, each of the ten perimeter regions represents a numeral or a character of the same order, found on a corresponding key of the ten numeric keys, 0 to 9, found on a standard 12-key telephone keypad. All perimeter regions synchronously switch to another group of characters of the same order, in accordance with the direction of a swipe on any of the perimeter regions. A tap on a perimeter region selects the character represented by the region at the moment. In addition, it is capable of operating in a standard 12-key telephone keypad mode, pointing device mode, and symbol mode.

Abstract: An adjusting method for button functions, used in an electronic device having a plurality of buttons respectively corresponding to at least one key value, is disclosed. The method includes determining an angle of the electronic device corresponding to a predefined direction; and adjusting the relationship between each of the plurality of buttons and the at least one key value according to the angle.

Abstract: Keyboard configurations are described. In embodiments, a keyboard includes a microcontroller to register key inputs, a memory to store time durations that correspond to the key inputs, and an algorithm that generates an input signature based on the time durations that correspond to the key inputs. The input signature can be used for user authentication and identity theft protection, and/or used to validate users for access to a computer system. The input signature may also include a watermark, a timestamp, or voice stamp for further security. An input system that includes a keyboard can provide multi-modal biometric protection by supplementing keystroke-scans with fingerprint, voice-scan, signature-scan and mouse-scan verification.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a device includes a surface and an actuator mechanism operably associated with the surface. The actuator mechanism is configured to provide tactile feedback to a user responsive to an electrical signal. In at least some embodiments, the actuator mechanism comprises a pair of spaced-apart substrates each of which supports a conductive layer of material. A dielectric material and an adjacent air gap may be interposed between the substrates. Drive circuitry is operably connected to the spaced-apart substrates and is configured to drive the conductive layers of material with an electrical signal. This signal may be responsive to sensing a touch input on the surface or other appropriate event.

Abstract: A method for enabling generation of text on a handheld electronic device which has a plurality of input members, at least some of which have a number of linguistic elements assigned thereto, and a memory having language objects stored therein. The method comprises enabling detection of a number of input member actuations corresponding with an ambiguous input, making at least one of a determination that the number of actuations exceeds a first threshold and a determination that a quantity of predicted language objects corresponding with the ambiguous input is less than a second threshold, generating prefix objects corresponding with the ambiguous input and predicted language objects corresponding with the ambiguous input, each predicted language object comprising a prefix object portion and a completion portion, and providing at a text input location an output comprising a prefix object and a completion portion of a first predicted language object.

Abstract: Various methods for generating and handling streaming media metrics are provided. One example method includes receiving media presentation data, where the media presentation data is associated with a presentation of streaming media, and determining, based on at least the media presentation data, one or more quality of experience metrics that are to be reported. The example method further comprises generating a metric value corresponding to each of the one or more quality of experience metrics, and causing the metric value corresponding to each of the one or more quality of experience metrics to be reported. Similar and related example methods and example apparatuses are also provided.

Abstract: A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate compound text input. The device is able to assemble language objects in the memory to generate compound language solutions. The device is able to prioritize compound language solutions according to various criteria, including the degree of completeness of the text components of a compound language solution.

Abstract: The application provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a main body and a cover. The main body has a sheet and the sheet includes a first key set and a second key set. The cover, slidably disposed on the main body between a first configuration and a second configuration, includes a first portion and a second portion connected thereto. The first key set is visible through the first portion and the second portion covers the second key set when the cover is in the first configuration, and the second key set is visible through the first portion and the second portion covers the first key set when the cover is in the second configuration.

Abstract: A device for delivering fluid to a user includes a housing, a drive motor assembly in the housing, other internal components in the housing, and a keypad external to the housing. The device includes a number of features and elements that enhance its operation, manufacturability, reliability, and user-friendliness. These features and elements include a shock absorbing element for a battery of the device, a keypad actuator layer that overlies a keypad assembly and forms a water resistant seal with the housing, and an offset element for a piezoelectric speaker that is located inside the housing.

Abstract: A web configurable human input device is provided. The device includes at least one mechanical control element having a dynamically alterable appearance. In some embodiments, the appearance of the at least one mechanical control element is dynamically altered in response to the execution of an input device web script. An example of such a web configurable human input device is an active keyboard in which the at least one mechanical control element having a dynamically alterable appearance is one of an array of keys of the active keyboard. When the active keyboard is connected to a web-enabled device, at least one key of the array of keys is configured to alter its appearance in response to the execution of the input device web script.

Abstract: A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate text input. In addition to identifying and outputting representations of language objects that are stored in the memory and that correspond with a text input, the device is able to employ contextual data in certain circumstances to prioritize output.

Abstract: A data input system is provided which comprises a processor, and a key array coupled to said processor, wherein said key array comprising at least one soft-key, at least one multi-directional pointing key for navigate a cursor and a conventional 3×4 telephone soft-key array for data selections; wherein said at least one soft-key includes a “backspace” key to delete a prior input data, a “space” key to add a space after said prior input data, or a “List/Fix” key to display a list of letter on a display for user to fix or list ambiguous letter/word presented by an input string.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to updating a keyboard configuration. A keyboard configuration may be determined. The keys may be assigned a meaning based on the determined configuration where groups of adjacent keys are assigned the same meaning. An image for each of the keys may be determined based on the assigned meaning, and the determined image may be displayed on the keyboard keys.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an alphabet input device of a mobile communication comprises a keypad input including a plurality of keys for inputting alphabets; a display for displaying alphabets inputted by said keypad input; an alphabet combiner for reading the alphabet corresponding to the input of the keypad input from pre-stored database and providing the display with said alphabet from said database; and, a controller coupled to said keypad input, said display and said alphabet combiner so as to control thereof, wherein said keypad input has a 3×4 matrix which includes numeric keys distinguished by the numbers ‘0’ to ‘9’ and function keys distinguished by the characters ‘*’ and ‘#’, and said numeric keys for ‘1 ’ to ‘9’ are assigned with a plurality of alphabet buttons for inputting alphabets, wherein said numeric key for ‘0’ is assigned with a space button for inputting a blank, wherein one of said function keys for ‘*’ and ‘#’ is assigned with a last button for successive inputting of the alphab

Abstract: A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device enables editing during text entry and also provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The disambiguation function can be selectively disabled and an alternate keystroke interpretation system provided.

Abstract: A method of distinguishing input signals detected by a mobile terminal is provided. The method comprises detecting at least a first and a second input signal, wherein a first vibration signal is associated with the first input signal and a second vibration signal is associated with the second input signal; and outputting a combined vibration signal corresponding to at least the first and second input signals. The first and second input signals may be proximity signals, touch signals, or a combination thereof. The combined vibration signal may be outputted according to a characteristic of at least the first and second input signals.

Abstract: System and method for informing a user of functions or characters associated with keys on a mobile communications device includes a keyboard operable to input dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) codes and a display screen operable to display information. The display screen is also operable to display a virtual representation of at least a portion of the keyboard. The virtual representation includes help information on one or more virtually represented keys of the keyboard. This help information informs a user of an associated telephone function or character of one or more keys that are virtually represented on the display.