IP Library Granted Patent US 10,234,985
Granted Patent B2
US 10,234,985 · App. 15/429,903 · Granted Mar 19, 2019

Dynamic space bar

Inventors: Katie Leah Roberts-Hoffman (Mountain View, CA); Charles Zimmer Mooney (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G06F3/0416G06F3/02G06F3/03547G06F3/0484G06F3/0489G06F3/04886G06F3/04883
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,234,985
App. No.
15/429,903
Granted
Mar 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for implementing a dynamic space bar are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of determining, by a computing device that includes a touchscreen keyboard and trackpad, a context of the computing device. The actions further include receiving touch input on the trackpad. The actions further include designating, by the computing device and based on the previously-determined context of the computing device, the touch input on the trackpad to be a selection of a space bar of the touchscreen keyboard. The actions further include providing, for output to a display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the touch input on the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, an indication of the selection of the space bar.

Claims (61)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computing device that includes a touch sensitive input device that includes outlines of keys of a touchscreen keyboard and a region designated as a trackpad, a context of the computing device, wherein the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard include an outline of a space bar;

receiving touch input within the region designated as the trackpad;

designating, by the computing device and based on the previously-determined context of the computing device, the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar; and

providing, for output to a display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, an indication of the selection of the space bar.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that a complete word precedes a location of a cursor, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that a complete word precedes the cursor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad is a tapping action rather than a dragging action, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad is a tapping action rather than a dragging action.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that user fingers are touching within outlines of a predetermined number of home keys of the touchscreen keyboard, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the user fingers are touching within the outlines of the predetermined number of the home keys of the touchscreen keyboard.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that user palms are touching portions within the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard on either side of the outline of the trackpad, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the user palms are touching portions within the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard on either side of the trackpad.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display of the computing device and the touch sensitive input device are separate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

receiving touch input within the region designated as the trackpad comprises not receiving the touch input at a location that is within the outline of the space bar.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the region designated as the trackpad is adjacent to and underneath the outline of the space bar.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

determining an additional context of the computing device;

receiving additional touch input within the region designated as the trackpad;

designating, by the computing device and based on the additional context, the additional touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the trackpad; and

providing, for output to the display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the additional touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the trackpad, an indication of the selection of the trackpad.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

receiving another touch input within the outline of the space bar;

based on designating the additional touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the trackpad, designating, by the computing device, the other touch input within the outline of the space bar to be a selection of the trackpad; and

providing, for output to the display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the other touch input within the outline of the space bar to be a selection of the trackpad, an additional indication of the selection of the trackpad.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that a prefix of a word precedes the cursor, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the trackpad is based further on determining that a prefix of a word precedes the cursor.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on receiving the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad and based on the computing device having designated the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, not performing an action associated with a touchscreen gesture.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the region designated as the trackpad is defined by an outline of the trackpad.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the region designated as the trackpad is distinct from the outline of the spacebar.

15. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining, by a computing device that includes a touch sensitive input device that includes outlines of keys of a touchscreen keyboard and a region designated as a trackpad, a context of the computing device, wherein the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard include an outline of a space bar;

receiving touch input within the region designated as the trackpad;

designating, by the computing device and based on the previously-determined context of the computing device, the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar; and

providing, for output to a display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, an indication of the selection of the space bar.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that a complete word precedes a location of a cursor, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that a complete word precedes the cursor.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad is a tapping action rather than a dragging action, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad is a tapping action rather than a dragging action.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that user fingers are touching within outlines of a predetermined number of home keys of the touchscreen keyboard, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the user fingers are touching within the outlines of the predetermined number of the home keys of the touchscreen keyboard.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

determining a context of the computing device comprises determining that user palms are touching portions within the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard on either side of the outline of the trackpad, and

designating the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar is based further on determining that the user palms are touching portions within the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard on either side of the trackpad.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining, by a computing device that includes a touch sensitive input device that includes outlines of keys of a touchscreen keyboard and a region designated as a trackpad, a context of the computing device, wherein the outlines of the keys of the touchscreen keyboard include an outline of a space bar;

receiving touch input within the region designated as the trackpad;

designating, by the computing device and based on the previously-determined context of the computing device, the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar; and

providing, for output to a display of the computing device and based on the computing device having designated the touch input within the region designated as the trackpad to be a selection of the space bar, an indication of the selection of the space bar.

Assignments (3)
CERTIFICATE OF CONVERSION - CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 5, 2018
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 045008/0470 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 20, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044567/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2017
From: ROBERTS-HOFFMAN, KATIE LEAH; MOONEY, CHARLES ZIMMER
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 041234/0827 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180232093A1 · Aug 16, 2018