US 7,519,748 B2 · Stroke-based data entry device, system, and method

Abstract

A data entry system comprising of: an input surface, a limited number of input elements of any shape and positions at the input surface, and a processing device (for detecting a continuous sweeps of an input object over the input surface, for tracking a sequence of the input elements interacted with the input object during such sweeps, and for generating a function associated with the sequence after the sweep is completed). A system characterized in that the processing device is adapted for time independent and reliable detecting a sequence of input elements, even if an input object could interact with several input elements simultaneously. A system also characterized in that the sweeps may represent strokes of handwritten symbols. The invention can be utilized in new designs of compact data input systems for electronic devices.

Claims54

Dependent claims

A data entry system comprising:

an input surface having a limited number of non-adjacent input elements with gaps therebetween;
and
a processing device adapted to:
detect a continuous sweep of an input object over an input region of the input surface, wherein the continuous sweep comprises a continuous surface interaction between the input object and the input surface;
trace an input sequence of the input elements interacted with by the input object during the surface interaction, wherein the input sequence is associated with no more than one input, wherein all inputs associated with input sequences are stored in a dictionary on a memory;
and
unconditionally and immediately select the input associated with the input sequence from the memory and activate the input associated with the input sequence after the surface interaction is discontinued without interpretation of the input sequence, without further interaction of the input elements by the input object, and without external selection or confirmation of the input associated with the input sequence.

4 more elements

A method of performing data entry, comprising the steps of:

detecting interaction of at least a first input element of an input surface with an input object;
detecting interaction of at least a second input element of the input surface with the input object, wherein the first and second input elements are non-adjacent to each other and spaced apart about the input surface by a gap therebetween, wherein the interaction of the first and the at least second input elements of the input surface with the input object comprises a continuous surface interaction between the input object and the input surface within an input region;
capturing an input sequence of input element interactions by the input object;
converting the captured input sequence into no more than one data entry input associated with the captured input sequence, wherein all data entry inputs associated with input sequences are stored in a dictionary on a memory;
and
unconditionally and immediately selecting the data entry input associated with the captured input sequence from the memory and activating the converted data entry input without interpretation of the input sequence, without further interaction of input elements of the input surface by the input object, and without external selection or confirmation of the data entry input associated with the sequence.

3 more elements

A data entry device comprising at least two non-adjacent input elements defining input element zones of an input surface, wherein the non-adjacent input elements are separated by gaps therebetween and adapted to sense an input object touching the input surface to create a data entry input sequence from a single continuous sweep of the input object, wherein at least one of the input elements is defined by a shape selected from the group consisting of a line and a planar area, wherein the single continuous sweep comprises a continuous interaction between the input object and the input surface within the input region, wherein the data entry input sequence is associated with no more than one input, wherein all inputs associated with data entry input sequences are stored in a dictionary on the memory, the input associated with the data entry input sequence being unconditionally and immediately selected from the memory and activated without interpretation of the input sequence, without further interaction of input elements of the input surface by the input object, and without external selection or confirmation of the data entry input associated with the sequence.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Stroke-based data entry device, system, and method

Life of this patent

Stroke-based data entry device, system, and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims54