Automatically adaptable virtual keyboard

A data processing device for enabling a user to input characters, the device comprising:

• a touch-sensitive member arranged to function as a virtual keyboard, said member including sensors for detecting touched zones on said member and for sensing a force of at least one finger on the touch-sensitive member, the sensors being configured to identify a finger causing a force on the touch-sensitive member zone that is higher than a force from other fingers when more than one finger touches said member;
• a key allocation means for allocating at least two reference keys of the virtual keyboard to respective zones on said member in response to said detection of touched zones;
• and
• a key stroke recognition means configured to recognize a key stroke by analyzing a relative position of the zone touched with a higher force with respect to a position of at least one other zone concurrently touched with a lower force.

A method enabling a user to input characters, the method comprising:

• a step of detecting touched zones on a touch-sensitive member configured to function as a virtual keyboard, and
• a step of allocating at least two reference keys of the virtual keyboard to respective zones on said member in response to said detection of touched zones, and,
• a step of sensing a force of at least one finger on a touched zone of the touch-sensitive member,
• a step of identifying a finger causing a force on the touched zone of the touch-sensitive member higher than a force caused by other fingers on the touched zone when more than one finger touches said member, and
• a step of recognizing a key stroke by analyzing a relative position of the zone touched with the higher force with respect to a position of at least one other zone concurrently touched with a lower force.