Presentation of a virtual keyboard on a multiple display device

Abstract

Methods and systems for presenting a user interface that includes a virtual keyboard are provided. More particularly, a virtual keyboard can be presented using one or more touch screens included in a multiple display device. The content of the virtual keyboard can be controlled in response to user input. Configurable portions of the virtual keyboard include selectable rows of virtual keys. In addition, whether selectable rows of virtual keys and/or a suggestion bar is displayed together with the standard character and control keys of the virtual keyboard can be determined in response to context or user input.

1 . A method for presenting a user interface on a multiple display device, comprising:
 receiving an input to provide a virtual keyboard;   in response to receiving the input to provide the virtual keyboard, presenting the virtual keyboard, wherein the virtual keyboard is presented in at least a first display of the multiple display device;   also in response to receiving the input to provide the virtual keyboard, presenting a selected first one of a plurality of slider bars associated with the virtual keyboard at a location above a first row of the virtual keyboard, wherein the first one of the plurality of slider bars includes a first set of virtual keys;   while continuing to display the virtual keyboard, receiving input selecting a second one of the plurality of slider bars;   while continuing to display the virtual keyboard and in response to the input selecting the second one of the plurality of slider bars, presenting the selected second one of the plurality of slider bars above the first row of the virtual keyboard, wherein the selected second one of the plurality of slider bars includes a second set of virtual keys, wherein the first set of virtual keys is different from the second set of virtual keys;   presenting an input field, wherein at least a portion of the input field is displayed in at least a second display of the multiple displays.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first one of the plurality of slider bars is selected by default. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting an orientation of the multiple display device;   in response to determining that the multiple display device is in a dual landscape orientation, presenting the virtual keyboard within the first display of the multiple display device;   in response to determining that the multiple display device is in a dual portrait orientation, presenting a first part of the virtual keyboard within a first portion of the first display of the multiple display device and presenting a second part of the virtual keyboard within a first portion of the second display of the multiple display device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 while the second one of the plurality of slider bars is presented, receiving an input selecting the first one of the plurality of slider bars, wherein the input is a gesture entered along a line corresponding to the line of virtual keys included in the second one of the plurality of slider bars, and wherein the gesture includes a movement in a first direction;   in response to the input selecting the first one of the plurality of slider bars, presenting the selected first one of the plurality of slider bars above the first row of the virtual keyboard.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 while the first one of the plurality of slider bars is presented, receiving an input selecting a third one of the plurality of slider bars, wherein the input is a gesture entered along a line corresponding to the line of virtual keys included in the first one of the plurality of slider bars, and wherein the gesture includes a movement in the first direction;   in response to the input selecting the third one of the plurality of slider bars, presenting the selected third one of the plurality of slider bars above the first row of the virtual keyboard, wherein the selected third one of the plurality of slider bars includes a third set of virtual keys.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 while the third one of the plurality of slider bars is presented, receiving an input selecting the second one of the plurality of slider bars, wherein the input is a gesture entered along a line corresponding to the line of virtual keys included in the third one of the plurality of slider bars, and wherein the gesture includes a movement in the first direction.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 while the second one of the plurality of slider bars is presented, receiving an input selecting the third one of the plurality of slider bars, wherein the input is a gesture entered along a line corresponding to the the line of virtual keys included in the second one of the plurality of slider bars, and wherein the gesture includes a movement in a second direction, wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to input including a letter key press, presenting a word suggestion bar, wherein the word suggestion bar is presented in at least the first display of the multiple display device, and wherein the suggestion bar is presented above the selected slider bar.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a first word suggestion included in the word suggestion bar consists of the sequence of typed characters in a last sequence of typed characters, and wherein word suggestions are displayed following the last sequence of typed characters. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein with the multiple display device in a dual portrait orientation the word suggestion bar extends across a seam separating the first and second displays. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein in response to a input selecting a word in the word suggestion bar, the word selected by the input is entered. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a first input comprising a press of a slider bar toggle button, wherein each press of the slider bar toggle button moves a visibility of the slider bar and the suggestion bar between each of at least three states, the at least three states including:   a state in which both the slider bar and the suggestion bar are presented;   a state in which only the slider bar is presented; and   a state in which neither the slider bar nor the suggestion bar are presented.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first one of the plurality of slider bars is selected according to an operating mode of the multiple display device, and wherein the plurality of slider bars includes at least a punctuation bar and a number bar. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a first input at a slider bar toggle button;   in response to the first input at the slider bar toggle button, presenting the second one of the plurality of slider bars;   while the second one of the plurality of slider bars is presented, receiving a second input at the slider bar toggle button;   in response to the second input at the slider bar toggle button, presenting a third one of the plurality of slider bars;   while the third one of the plurality of slider bars is presented, receiving a third input at the slider bar toggle button;   in response to the third input at the slider bar toggle button, presenting the first one of the plurality of slider bars.   
     
     
         15 . A device, comprising:
 a first touch display;   a second touch display;   memory;   a processor;   application programming stored in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein the application programming is operable to:
 receive an input to provide a virtual keyboard; 
 in response to receiving the input to provide the virtual keyboard, present a virtual keyboard, wherein in a dual landscape orientation the virtual keyboard is presented within the first touch display, wherein in a dual portrait orientation the virtual keyboard is presented within a portion of the first touch display and within a portion of the second touch display; 
 present a first window in a second portion of the second touch display; 
 also in response to receiving the input to provide the virtual keyboard, both present one of the plurality of selectable slider bars above a top row of keys included in the virtual keyboard and present a suggestion bar between the one of the plurality of selectable slider bars and the first window. 
   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein while a first one of the plurality of selectable slider bars is presented, the application programming is further operable to:
 in response to input in the form of a gesture in a first direction entered in an area of at least one of the first and second displays presenting the first selectable slider bar, present a second one of the plurality of selectable slider bars.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein while the second one of the plurality of selectable slider bars is presented, the application programming is further operable to:
 in response to input in the form of a gesture in the first direction entered in an area of at least one of the first and second displays presenting the second selectable slider bar, present a third one of the plurality of selectable slider bars;   while the third one of the plurality of selectable slider bars is presented, the application programming is further operable to:   in response to input in the form of a gesture in the first direction entered in an area of at least one of the first and second displays presenting the third selectable slider bar, present the first selectable slider bar.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for presenting a user interface, the computer executable instructions comprising:
 instructions to receive an input to provide a virtual keyboard;   in response to receiving the input to provide the virtual keyboard, instructions to display a keyboard comprising a plurality of rows of virtual keys, wherein in a first operating mode the virtual keyboard is displayed within a first touch display, and wherein, in a second operating mode, a first part of the virtual keyboard is displayed within a portion of the first touch display and a second part of the virtual keyboard is displayed within a portion of a second touch display;   instructions to display a first window at least in a second portion of the second touch display;   also in response to receiving the input to provide the virtual keyboard, instructions to display at least one of a slider bar between the first window and a suggestion bar; and   also in response to receiving the input to provide the virtual keyboard, instructions to display the suggestion bar above a top row of virtual keys of the virtual keyboard.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein a first slider bar is displayed, and wherein the slider bar includes a row of virtual keys, the computer executable instructions further comprising:
 in response to a first input, replacing the first set of keys included in the first slider bar with a second set of keys included in a second slider bar.   
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19 , the computer executable instructions further comprising:
 in the second operating mode, presenting as one of the virtual keys a slider bar toggle key, wherein while in the second operating mode and in response to a key press input received at the slider bar toggle key the display of one of the following display states can be selected:   a first state that includes a display of the slider bar and the suggestion bar;   a second state that includes the slider bar without the suggestion bar; and   a third state that includes neither the slider bar nor the suggestion bar.   
     
     
         21 . (canceled)