IP Library Granted Patent US 11,003,259
Granted Patent B2
US 11,003,259 · App. 14/633,927 · Granted May 11, 2021

Modifier key input on a soft keyboard using pen input

Inventors: Grigori Zaitsev (Durham, NC); Russell Speight VanBlon (Raleigh, NC); Joshua Neil Novak (Wake Forest, NC); Jianbang Zhang (Cary, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G06F3/03545G06F3/023G06F3/038G06F3/04883G06F3/04886
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,003,259
App. No.
14/633,927
Granted
May 11, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, including: accepting, at an input surface, pen input; determining, using a processor of an electronic device, a modifier key characteristic of the pen input; and executing, using the processor, a modifier key function associated with the pen input. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims (36)

1. A method, comprising:

accepting, at an input surface, a single pen input at an on-screen keyboard location, wherein the single pen input comprises input provided at a location of the on-screen keyboard other than a modifier soft key and wherein the other than a modifier soft key corresponds to a non-modifier key default function;

determining, using a processor of an electronic device, a control key characteristic of the single pen input corresponding to an attribute of the single pen input, wherein the control key characteristic does not comprise input at a modifier key and wherein the control key characteristic identifies a modification to the non-modifier key default function associated with the other than a modifier soft key of the on-screen keyboard, wherein the attribute is selected from the group consisting of: a location of the single pen input with respect to the on-screen keyboard, a physical button press, and an input device corresponding to the single pen input;

providing a request for confirmation of the modification of the non-modifier key default function, wherein the providing is responsive to determining a modified key function corresponding to the control key characteristic for the other than a modifier soft key comprises a disruptive input; and

executing, responsive to receiving confirmation of the modification and using the processor, a modified key function for the other than a modifier soft key that is different from the non-modifier key default function associated with the other than a modifier soft key based on the single pen input and the control key characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the single pen input comprises a location of the pen input with respect to the on-screen keyboard.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location comprises an on-screen keyboard location.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location comprises a soft key.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the executing comprises executing a control key function associated with the soft key.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location comprises a non-handwriting input location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the single pen input comprises a physical button press.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the physical button press comprises a pen button press.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the physical button press comprises a physical keyboard key press.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control key characteristic of the single pen input comprises simultaneous detection of the physical keyboard key press and pen movement data.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

an input surface;

a processor operatively coupled to the input surface; and

a memory that stores instructions executable by the processor to:

accept, at the input surface, a single pen input at an on-screen keyboard location, wherein the single pen input comprises input provided at a location of the on-screen keyboard other than a modifier soft key and wherein the other than a modifier soft key corresponds to a non-modifier key default function;

determine a control key characteristic of the single pen input corresponding to an attribute of the single pen input, wherein the control key characteristic does not comprise input at a modifier key and wherein the control key characteristic identifies a modification to the non-modifier key default function associated with the other than a modifier soft key of the on-screen keyboard, wherein the attribute is selected from the group consisting of: a location of the single pen input with respect to the on-screen keyboard, a physical button press, and an input device corresponding to the single pen input;

provide a request for confirmation of the modification of the non-modifier key default function, wherein the providing is responsive to determining a modified key function corresponding to the control key characteristic for the other than a modifier soft key comprises a disruptive input; and

execute, responsive to receiving confirmation of the modification, a modified key function for the other than a modifier soft key that is different from the non-modifier key default function associated with the other than a modifier soft key based on the single pen input and the control key characteristic.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the attribute of the single pen input comprises a location of the single pen input with respect to the on-screen keyboard.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the location comprises an on-screen keyboard location.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the location comprises a soft key.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein to execute comprises executing a control key function associated with the soft key.

16. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the location comprises a non-handwriting input location.

17. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the attribute of the single pen input comprises a physical button press.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the physical button press comprises a pen button press.

19. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the physical button press comprises a physical keyboard key press.

20. A product, comprising:

a storage device having code stored therewith, the code being executable by a processor of an electronic device and comprising:

code that accepts, from an input surface, a single pen input at an on-screen keyboard location, wherein the single pen input comprises input provided at a location of the on-screen keyboard other than a modifier soft key and wherein the other than a modifier soft key corresponds to a non-modifier key default function;

code that determines a control key characteristic of the single pen input corresponding to an attribute of the single pen input, wherein the control key characteristic does not comprise input at a modifier key and wherein the control key characteristic identifies a modification to the non-modifier key default function associated with the other than a modifier soft key of the on-screen keyboard, wherein the attribute is selected from the group consisting of: a location of the single pen input with respect to the on-screen keyboard, a physical button press, and an input device corresponding to the single pen input;

code that provides a request for confirmation of the modification of the non-modifier key default function, wherein the providing is responsive to determining a modified key function corresponding to the control key characteristic for the other than a modifier soft key comprises a disruptive input; and

code that executes, responsive to receiving confirmation of the modification, a modified key function for the other than a modifier soft key that is different from the non-modifier key default function associated with the other than a modifier soft key based on the single pen input and the control key characteristic.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 069870/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2022
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060638/0160 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2015
From: ZAITSEV, GRIGORI; VANBLON, RUSSELL SPEIGHT; NOVAK, JOSHUA NEIL; ZHANG, JIANBANG
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 035054/0106 →
Continuity (1)
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