Character deletion during keyboard gesture

#Many computing devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers, provide a graphical keyboard as part of a graphical user interface for inputting text using a presence-sensitive display (e.g., a touchscreen). For instance, a computing device may present the graphical keyboard on a presence-sensitive display and thereby permit the user to enter data by tapping or otherwise positioning a finger at or near regions of the display that are associated with keys of the graphical keyboard.

#In some cases, the computing device may present a virtual (or “soft”) keyboard at a presence-sensitive display with which the user can input text by sequentially sliding a finger over regions associated with virtual keys corresponding to desired input characters. Said differently, using such a virtual keyboard, a user may input a word in a single gesture by tracing over representations of letters comprising that word (e.g., virtual keys of the virtual keyboard). In some implementations, the computing device references one or more gesture libraries and/or dictionaries to determine one or more candidate words based on the gesture. In this manner, a gesture-based keyboard may allow a user to achieve improved efficiency over traditional tap-typing techniques.

#However, keyboards have certain drawbacks. For example, if a user inadvertently traces her finger over an undesired letter, many gesture-capable keyboards may require the user to lift her finger in order to correct the error. This requirement may significantly reduce the speed at which a user may enter text into a computing device using a gesture-capable virtual keyboard.

#FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a computing device for executing character deletion operations, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the computing device of FIG. 1 in further detail.

#FIGS. 3A and 3B are conceptual diagrams illustrating a graphical user interface at a computing device for performing a character deletion operation, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

#In general, this disclosure is directed to techniques for deletion of characters input on computing devices that utilize a gesture-based virtual keyboard for text entry. The techniques may enable a user to correct an error in a text input gesture by indicating, during the gesture, deletion of one or more characters (for example, letters, numbers, symbols, or any combination thereof)—without requiring that the user restart the gesture. As the user enters text on a gesture-based keyboard using a continuous gesture, the user may perform a gesture to correct a character selection while entering the characters of a word. The computing device may correct the character selection in response to a deletion operation associated with the gesture, so that the user may continue the input gesture without, e.g., terminating the gesture (e.g., to select a backspace key or otherwise remove his/her finger from a presence-sensitive display of the computing device). Techniques of the disclosure may, therefore, provide certain advantages, such as improved text entry speed, efficiency, or accuracy for computing devices.

#In one example of the techniques described herein, the user may initially interact with a gesture-based keyboard by sliding a finger along a path that traverses a portion of the keys of the graphical keyboard. Generally, a gesture is used to refer to the motion through which the user interacts with the presence-sensitive display from an initial detection of a finger to termination, e.g., by removing the finger from the presence-sensitive display. A gesture may terminate on a gesture keyboard when contact with the presence-sensitive display ceases, for example when the user raises a gesturing finger from the presence-sensitive display. Using the gesture-based keyboard, the user may perform a sliding gesture that includes a first path associated with a portion of the keys of the keyboard and so on to effectively draw a path through keys associated with characters of the a word. The user may release her gesturing finger when she completes entry for that word. As the user performs the sliding gesture, and in response to receiving the gesture, the computing device may output a first character associated with the first key, a second character associated with the second key, and so on until termination of the gesture is detected.

#In accordance with the techniques described herein, if the user determines that she has incorrectly traced to the second key, for example, and therefore wishes to delete the second character, the user may perform a motion to retrace the first path. As described herein, the computing device may determine that the user has, in this manner, retraced at least a portion of the first path from the second key to the first key and delete the second character of the graphical user interface. The user may then continue performing the continuous gesture by tracing a gesture to a different key that is associated with the intended character. In this way, the user may not need to move her finger to the backspace key or remove her finger from the presence-sensitive display to delete the second character.