# US 12,182,365 B1 · Mobile device and switching method of input method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,182,365 B1 - Document ID: US12182365B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/374,078 - Filed: 2023-09-28 - Published: 2024-12-12 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2023-06-07 - Assignees: Getac Technology Corporation - Applicants: Getac Technology Corporation - Inventors: Jiunn-Jye Lee; Ya-Wen Tsai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182365B1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0425: {using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected (tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386)} - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06F 3/04845: for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06K 7/10722: {Photodetector array or CCD scanning} - G06K 7/1413: {1D bar codes} - G06V 30/14: Image acquisition - G06V 30/142: using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments - G06V 30/1437: {Sensor details, e.g. position, configuration or special lenses (G06V30/1429 takes precedence)} - G06V 30/2247: {Characters composed of bars, e.g. CMC-7} - G06F 2203/04803: Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A mobile device and a switching method of input method thereof are provided. The mobile device includes a general camera module, a specific camera module, a barcode-decoding module, a touch display module, and a control module. The touch display module is configured to display a display frame which has an input field. The control module is configured to activate a trigger element of an image conversion input method in response to an input trigger event of the input field. The control module is configured to control the touch display module to display the input field and a first overlapping window which has a virtual keyboard of a system default input method on the display frame at the same time. The control module is configured to control the touch display module to switch the first overlapping window to a second overlapping window in response to a first trigger event. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile device comprising: a general camera module; a specific camera module; a barcode-decoding module electrically connected to the specific camera module, wherein the barcode-decoding module is configured to capture at least one barcode pattern through the specific camera module and convert the at least one barcode pattern into at least one first string, and each of the at least one barcode pattern is generated by using the specific camera module to capture at least one barcode; a touch display module configured to display a display frame, wherein the display frame has an input field; and a control module electrically connected to the general camera module, the specific camera module, and the touch display module, wherein the control module is configured to activate a trigger element of an image conversion input method in response to an input trigger event of the input field, the control module is configured to control the touch display module to display the input field and a first overlapping window which has a virtual keyboard of a system default input method on the display frame at the same time, the control module is configured to control the touch display module to switch the first overlapping window which is displayed to a second overlapping window in response to a first trigger event of the trigger element, and wherein the second overlapping window has a self-defined keyboard of the image conversion input method and a preview pane of the image conversion input method arranged in parallel; wherein, the self-defined keyboard and the preview pane are simultaneously displayed on the touch display module in response to that the first overlapping window is switched to the second overlapping window. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the trigger element is a virtual button, and the control module is configured to activate the trigger element by controlling the touch display module to display the first overlapping window and the virtual button on the display frame at the same time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the general camera module, the specific camera module, and the touch display module are embedded on the housing, the barcode-decoding module and the control module are disposed in the housing, the trigger element is a physical button, the physical button is embedded on the housing and is electrically connected to the control module, the control module is configured to activate the trigger element by enabling an input method switching function of the physical button, and the first trigger event is a switching signal generated by the physical button. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising: a communication module electrically connected to the control module; and a control element wirelessly connected to the communication module, wherein the trigger element is a physical button on the control element, the control module is configured to activate the trigger element by enabling an input method switching function of the physical button, and the first trigger event is a switching signal generated by the trigger element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the trigger element is a specified gesture, the control module is configured to activate the trigger element by enabling a gesture detection input function of the specified gesture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to control the touch display module to switch the second overlapping window which is displayed back to the first overlapping window in response to a recurrence of the first trigger event. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to control the touch display module to display a setting window of the image conversion input method in response to a second trigger event of the trigger element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one selection button, wherein the specific camera module is configured to capture a preview frame which has the at least one barcode pattern, the control module is further configured to activate the barcode-decoding module in response to a barcode selection event of the at least one selection button, the control module is further configured to display the preview frame in the preview pane in a real-time manner after the control module activates the barcode-decoding module, and the control module is further configured to display one of the at least one first string in the input field. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one barcode pattern comprises a plurality of barcode patterns, the second overlapping window further has a candidate field, the candidate field is above the virtual keyboard and the preview pane, and the control module is further configured to display the at least one first string as input options of the input field in the candidate field after the control module activates the barcode-decoding module. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The mobile device according to claim 8, further comprising: a character recognition engine disposed between the general camera module and the control module, wherein the character recognition engine is configured to capture at least one string pattern and another preview frame which has the at least one string pattern through the general camera module and recognize and convert each of the at least one string pattern into at least one second string, and each of the at least one string pattern is generated by using the general camera module to capture at least one character. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein the control module is further configured to activate the character recognition engine correspondingly in response to a character selection event of the at least one selection button, the control module is further configured to display the another preview frame in the overlapping window after the control module activates the character recognition engine in a real-time manner, and the control module is further configured to display one of the at least one second string in the input field. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the second overlapping window further comprises an enlargement button, and the control module is further configured to control the touch display module to enlarge and display the overlapping window in response to an enlargement trigger event of the enlargement button. ### Claim 13 A switching method for an input method of a mobile device comprising: displaying an input field on a display frame; activating a trigger element of an image conversion input method through the input field and controlling a touch display module to display the input field and a first overlapping window on the display frame at the same time, wherein the first overlapping window has a virtual keyboard of a system default input method; and switching the first overlapping window on the display frame to a second overlapping window in response to a first trigger event of the trigger element, wherein the second overlapping window has a self-defined keyboard and a preview pane of the image conversion input method arranged in parallel, and the preview pane is linked to a general camera module or a specific camera module; wherein, the self-defined keyboard and the preview pane are simultaneously displayed on the touch display module in response to that the first overlapping window is switched to the second overlapping window. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The switching method according to claim 13, wherein the trigger element is a virtual button, and the at the same timestep of displaying the input field and the first overlapping window on the display frame at the same time comprises: displaying the input field, the virtual button, and the first overlapping window which has the virtual keyboard of the system default input method on the display frame at the same time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The switching method according to claim 13, wherein the trigger element is a physical button, the first trigger event is a switching signal generated by the physical button, and the step of activating the trigger element of the image conversion input method through the input field comprises: enabling an input method switching function of the physical button to activate the trigger element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The switching method according to claim 15, further comprising: receiving the switching signal from the physical button in wired; and switching the first overlapping window which is displayed on the display frame to the second overlapping window in response to the switching signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The switching method according to claim 15, further comprising: receiving the switching signal from the physical button wirelessly; and switching the first overlapping window on the display frame to the second overlapping window in response to the switching signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The switching method according to claim 13, wherein the trigger element is a specified gesture, and the switching method further comprises: detecting the specified gesture; and switching the first overlapping window which is displayed on the display frame to the second overlapping window when the specified gesture is detected. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The switching method according to claim 13, further comprising: switching the second overlapping window which is displayed on the display frame back to the first overlapping window in response to a recurrence of the first trigger event. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The switching method according to claim 13, further comprising: displaying a setting window of the image conversion input method in response to a second trigger event of the trigger element. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The switching method according to claim 13, wherein the image conversion input method comprises a barcode-scanning input method, and the switching method further comprises: activating the barcode-scanning input method in response to a barcode selection event; scanning at least one barcode through the barcode-scanning input method to obtain at least one first string, wherein the step of scanning the at least one barcode through the barcode-scanning input method comprises: capturing the at least one barcode through the specific camera module to obtain at least one barcode pattern of the at least one barcode; and decoding the at least one barcode pattern into the at least one first string through a barcode-decoding module; and displaying one of the at least one first string in the input field. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The switching method according to claim 21, wherein in the step of capturing the at least one barcode through the specific camera module, a preview frame which has the at least one barcode pattern is further obtained, and the step of scanning the at least one barcode through the barcode-scanning input method further comprises: previewing and displaying the preview frame in the preview pane. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The switching method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one first string comprises a plurality of first strings, the second overlapping window further has a candidate field, the candidate field is above the virtual keyboard and the preview pane, and the switching method further comprises: displaying the plurality of first strings as input options of the input field in the candidate field. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The switching method according to claim 21, wherein the image conversion input method further comprises a character recognition input method, the mobile device further comprises a character recognition engine, and the switching method further comprises: activating the character recognition input method in response to a character selection event; detecting at least one character through the character recognition input method to obtain at least one second string, wherein the step of detecting the at least one character through the character recognition input method comprises: capturing the at least one character through the general camera module to obtain at least one string pattern of the at least one character and another preview frame which has the at least one string pattern; previewing and displaying the another preview frame in the preview pane; and recognizing and converting the at least one string pattern into the at least one second string through the character recognition engine; and displaying one of the at least one second string in the input field. ### Claim 25 (depends on 13) The switching method according to claim 13, wherein the second overlapping window further comprises an enlargement button, and the switching method further comprises: enlarging and displaying the preview pane in response to an enlargement trigger event of the enlargement button.