System and method for text input with a multi-touch screen

Abstract

A method of inputting a text word in a computerized system using a virtual keyboard, including, recording two or more strokes; wherein each stroke forms contact with the virtual keyboard and maintains contact forming a trace path as it traverses through multiple keyboard keys, each key representing a letter; identifying the word based on the recording; and wherein every distinct letter in the word is represented by a key in one of the trace paths.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of inputting a text word in a computerized system using a virtual keyboard, comprising:
 recording two or more strokes; wherein each stroke forms contact with the virtual keyboard and maintains contact forming a trace path as it traverses through multiple keyboard keys, each key representing a letter;   identifying the word based on the recording; and   wherein every distinct letter in the word is represented by a key in one of the trace paths.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein in each trace path, keys representing the letters of the word are traversed in the order of appearance in the word. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the keys representing letters of the word are traversed in the order of appearance in the word. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the strokes at least partially overlap temporally. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first letter of the word is selected by an initial contact of one of the strokes with the virtual keyboard before contact by any other stroke. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein all the keys of the trace path formed by a stroke that starts after completion of another stroke are considered to appear in the word after the keys of the trace path of the earlier stroke. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein end of input for the word is determined by releasing contact from the virtual keyboard. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein end of input for the word is determined by selecting a delimiter key. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein end of input for the word is determined by releasing contact from the virtual keyboard for more than a pre-selected time interval. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said identifying is performed during input of the trace paths and updated as the trace paths are formed. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the word is selected by comparing the letters of words from a word database to the letters represented by the keyboard keys in the trace paths that were input to select the word. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the letters of words from the word database are normalized to compare the main character of the key that represents the letter with the recorded trace paths. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein every letter in the word is represented by traversal of a key in one of the trace paths. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identified word includes all landmark keys of the recording, wherein a landmark key is a key that was indicated as participating in the word with a higher probability than other keys. 
     
     
         15 . An electronic device for inputting a text word, comprising:
 a processor;   memory;   a touch sensitive screen;   a virtual keyboard displayed on the touch sensitive screen;   an operating system that is executed by the processor in the memory and is capable of inputting multiple points of contact with the virtual keyboard simultaneously;   a text input program executed by the processor in memory; wherein the text input program is programmed to:   record two or more strokes; wherein each stroke forms contact with the virtual keyboard and maintains contact forming a trace path as it traverses through multiple keyboard keys, each key representing a letter;   identify the word based on the recording; and   wherein every distinct letter in the word is represented by a key in one of the trace paths.   
     
     
         16 . A device according to  claim 15 , wherein in each trace path, keys representing the letters of the word are traversed in the order of appearance in the word. 
     
     
         17 . A device according to  claim 15 , wherein each of the keys representing letters of the word are traversed in the order of appearance in the word. 
     
     
         18 . A device according to  claim 15 , wherein at least two of the strokes at least partially overlap temporally. 
     
     
         19 . A device according to  claim 15 , wherein the first letter of the word is selected by an initial contact with the virtual keyboard. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a computerized system, to perform the method of  claim 1 .