Multidirectional button, key, and keyboard

Abstract

A multidirectional button, key, menu, or a keyboard for use in a user interface of a computing device (10). An object of the user interface may include a software keyboard (14) on a display screen (16).

I claim: 
     
         1 . A portable computing device comprising: a touch screen and a touch screen keyboard. 
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein a command of the keyboard comprises a delete word command, wherein the delete word command is selected by the user touching the keyboard and sliding left; whereby a user may slide in a direction to select the delete word command. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the device further comprising a command to look up some Internet search results from the keyboard, wherein the results are displayed on the touch screen. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 3 , wherein the results are displayed on the touch screen in an autocorrect bar. 
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 3 , wherein the results are displayed on the touch screen in a popup text box. 
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 3 , wherein the results are displayed on the touch screen in a status bar. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 3 , wherein the results are displayed on the touch screen in a system notification. 
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the keyboard further comprising a button, wherein the command of the button is a command to parse some currently entered text and to send the text to an external text service, messaging service, or social network. 
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the keyboard further comprising one or more sub-multidirectional button, wherein the commands of at least one of the sub-multidirectional buttons comprise accented characters determined from a previous selection. 
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 1 , further comprising an app icon or folder icon, wherein the app icon or folder icon comprises one command to start the app and at least one other command that the user selects by pressing the app icon and sliding in a direction to start the app and input one or more commands to the app. 
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 1 , further comprising a computer implemented method for enabling a user to interact with an electronic device through a plurality of user input objects, the method comprising:
 a. receiving one or more signals associated with a user press on a top surface of a first user input object;   b. receiving some motion signals associated with some lateral user press motions;   c. detecting a release signal associated with the user releasing the user press of the first user object;   d. determining whether some of the signals of the user press and the lateral user press motions and the user release were intended for a neighboring user input object;   e. inputting a command to the device, wherein upon determining that the signals were intended for the neighboring user input object the command comprises the same command that would be input to the device had the neighboring user input object received the signals;   whereby a user may enter a command of one of the neighboring user input object even though he missed pressing and/or interacting with the user input object with which he intended.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the determining whether some of the signals of the user presses and the lateral user press motions and the user releases were intended for the neighboring user input object comprises:
 a. determining whether the user press occurred within a threshold of displacement from a border of the user input object; or   b. determining the user press occurring within a time threshold from a last user input event; or   c. determining a direction of the press motion; or   d. determining the current use of presses and/or releases, and/or press motions within the user input object; or   e. determining previously entered commands; or   f. some combinations of two or more of the determinations of the method   
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of display screens and a computer implemented method for enabling a user to interact with the device through the keyboard; the method comprising: detecting the display screens oriented side by side; displaying the keyboard spanning both screens upon detecting the side by side orientation of the display screens; whereby the user can use both screens as if they were one screen. 
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 1  further comprising: a display screen; one or more processors; and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising: instructions for displaying and processing the keyboard on the display, wherein the keyboard is comprised of a plurality of keys; and instructions for detecting a command to scroll the keyboard; wherein the size of the keys of the keyboard may be larger in size than if all the keys were displayed on the display screen; whereby a user may scroll the keyboard and then select from a larger key.