System and method for using sound to differentiate keypresses
A method for associating sounds with different keypresses, involving receiving an input of a first keypress from a keyboard including a plurality of keys, wherein the keyboard is associated with a computing device, determining whether a key corresponding to the first keypress is one of a plurality of significant elements, wherein the plurality of significant elements is a subset of the plurality of keys, determining a first sound event associated with the key, when the key is one of the plurality of significant elements, and outputting a first sound associated with the first sound event.
1. A method for associating sounds with different keypresses, comprising:
defining a plurality of significant elements on the computing device, wherein each of the significant elements is a particular key of a plurality of keys of a virtual keyboard;
grouping the plurality of significant elements into:
a first class significant elements comprising a first distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements having a common function of deleting a character when pressed,
a second class of significant elements comprising a second distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of numerical keys and symbol keys,
a third class of significant elements comprising a third distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of vowel keys,
a fourth class of significant elements comprising a fourth distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of consonant keys, and
a fifth class of significant elements comprising a fifth distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of spacing keys;
associating a first sound event to the first class of significant elements, a second sound event to the second class of significant elements, a third sound event to the third class of significant elements, a fourth sound to the fourth class of significant elements, and a fifth sound to the fifth class of significant elements;
receiving an input of a first keypress from the virtual keyboard, wherein the virtual keyboard is associated with a computing device;
determining, when a key corresponding to the first keypress is one of the plurality of significant elements, to which class of the first, second, third, fourth or fifth class of significant elements the key belongs; and
outputting a first sound associated with the first sound event when the first keypress belongs to the first class of significant elements;
outputting a second sound associated with the second sound event when the first keypress belongs to the second class of significant elements;
outputting a third sound associated with the third sound event when the first keypress belongs to the third class of significant elements;
outputting a fourth sound associated with the fourth sound event when the first keypress belongs to the fourth class of significant elements; and
outputting a fifth sound associated with the fifth sound keypress event when the first keypress belongs to the fifth class of significant elements, wherein an association between each of a plurality of sound events and each of the classes of significant elements is stored in a data structure on the computing device,
wherein the first sound provides an auditory signal indicating deletion of a character, the second sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of at least one selected from group consisting of a numeral and a symbol, the third sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of a vowel character, the fourth sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of a consonant character, and the fifth sound provides an auditory signal indication insertion of a space, and
wherein the user is able to identify a typing error by hearing the auditory signal corresponding to the first keypress.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sound are each unique sounds.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sound is output using a speaker associated with the computing device.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an input of a second keypress, wherein a key corresponding to the second keypress is a significant element in the second class of significant elements;
determining the second sound event associated with the second class of significant elements; and
outputting the second sound associated with the second sound event,
wherein the first and second sound are each unique sounds.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an input of a second keypress, wherein a key corresponding to the second keypress is a significant element in the first class of significant elements;
determining the first sound event associated with the first class of significant elements; and
outputting the first sound associated with the first sound event.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is one selected from the group consisting of a personal digital assistant, a media device, and a mobile phone.
7. A non-transitory computer readable medium for associating sounds with different keypresses comprising instructions to:
define a plurality of significant elements on the computing device, wherein each of the significant elements is a particular key of a plurality of keys of a virtual keyboard;
group the plurality of significant elements into:
a first class significant elements comprising a first distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements having a common function of deleting a character when pressed,
a second class of significant elements comprising a second distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of numerical keys and symbol keys,
a third class of significant elements comprising a third distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of vowel keys,
a fourth class of significant elements comprising a fourth distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of consonant keys, and
a fifth class of significant elements comprising a fifth distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of spacing keys;
associate a first sound event to the first class of significant elements, a second sound event to the second class of significant elements, a third sound event to the third class of significant elements, a fourth sound event to the fourth class of significant elements, and a fifth sound event to the fifth class of significant elements;
receive an input of a first keypress from the virtual keyboard, wherein the virtual keyboard is associated with a computing device;
determine, when a key corresponding to the first keypress is one of the plurality of significant elements, to which class of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth class of significant elements the key belongs; and
output a first sound associated with the first sound event when the first keypress belongs to the first class of significant elements;
output a second sound associated with the second sound event when the first keypress belongs to the second class of significant elements;
output a third sound associated with the third sound event when the first keypress belongs to the third class of significant elements;
output a fourth sound associated with the fourth sound event when the first keypress belongs to the fourth class of significant elements; and
output a fifth sound associated with the fifth sound event when the first keypress belongs to the fifth class of significant elements,
wherein an association between each of a plurality of sound events and each of the classes of significant elements is stored in a data structure on the computing device,
wherein the first sound provides an auditory signal indicating deletion of a character, the second sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of at least one selected from a group consisting of a numeral and a symbol, the third sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of a vowel character, the fourth sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of a consonant character, and the fifth sound provides an auditory signal indication insertion of a space, and
wherein the user is able to identify a typing error by hearing the auditory signal corresponding to the first keypress.
8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the first and second sound are each unique sounds.
9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the first sound is output using a speaker associated with the computing device.
10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising instructions to:
receive an input of a second keypress, wherein a key corresponding to the second keypress is a significant element in the second class of significant elements;
determine the second sound event associated with the second class of significant elements; and
output the second sound associated with the second sound event,
wherein the first and second sound are each unique sounds.
11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising instructions to: receive an input of a second keypress, wherein a key corresponding to the second keypress is a significant element in the first class of significant elements; determine the first sound event associated with the first class of significant elements; and output the first sound associated with the first sound event.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computing device is one selected from the group consisting of a personal digital assistant, a media device, and a mobile phone.
13. A computing device, comprising:
a processor;
a virtual keyboard operatively connected to the computing device;
a speaker configured to output sounds; and
a memory comprising software instructions, which when executed by the processor, enable the computing device to:
define a plurality of significant elements on the computing device, wherein each of the significant elements is a particular key of a plurality of keys of a virtual keyboard;
group the plurality of significant elements into:
a first class significant elements comprising a first distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements having a common function of deleting a character when pressed,
a second class of significant elements comprising a second distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of numerical keys and symbol keys,
a third class of significant elements comprising a third distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of vowel keys,
a fourth class of significant elements comprising a fourth distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of consonant keys, and
a fifth class of significant elements comprising a fifth distinct subset of the plurality of significant elements consisting of spacing keys;
associate a first sound event to the first class of significant elements, a second sound event to the second class of significant elements, a third sound event to the third class of significant elements, a fourth sound event to the fourth class of significant elements, and a fifth sound event to the fifth class of significant elements;
receive an input of a first keypress from the virtual keyboard, wherein the virtual keyboard is associated with a computing device;
determine, when a key corresponding to the first keypress is one of the plurality of significant elements, to which class of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth class of significant elements the key belongs; and
output a first sound associated with the first sound event when the first keypress belongs to the first class of significant elements;
output a second sound associated with the second sound event when the first keypress belongs to the second class of significant elements;
output a third sound associated with the third sound event when the first keypress belongs to the third class of significant elements;
output a fourth sound associated with the fourth sound event when the first keypress belongs to the fourth class of significant elements; and
output a fifth sound associated with the fifth sound event when the first keypress belongs to the fifth class of significant elements,
wherein an association between each of a plurality of sound events and each of the classes of significant elements is stored in a data structure on the computing device,
wherein the first sound provides an auditory signal indicating deletion of a character, the second sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of at least one selected from a group consisting of a numeral and a symbol, the third sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of a vowel character, the fourth sound provides an auditory signal indicating insertion of a consonant character, and the fifth sound provides an auditory signal indication insertion of a space, and
wherein the user is able to identify a typing error by hearing the auditory signal corresponding to the first keypress.